Rudy Giuliani, before earning the moniker “America’s Mayor,” was a determined U.S. attorney targeting notorious Mafia leaders. The latest season of Fox Nation’s acclaimed series offers an insider’s look into these valiant efforts to hold twenty-first-century’s most dangerous men accountable.
The Rise of Giuliani
In the third season of Stories of the American Mafia, narrated by Eric Shawn, the “Rudy and the RICO Act” episode highlights Giuliani’s transformation from a relatively unknown lawyer to a prosecutor challenging formidable crime bosses. The 1980s saw crime rates spike in Manhattan, providing fertile ground for Mafia influence.
“When you have a vacuum like that, you’re gonna have this shadow government step in,” former NYPD inspector Paul Mauro remarked.
Giuliani countered the rise of organized crime with strategic action. In 1985, as former New York City Mayor and U.S. Attorney, Giuliani initiated the Mafia Commission Trial, indicting 11 individuals, including leaders of the feared ‘Five Families.’ This was facilitated by the RICO Act, which charged offenders with murder for hire, extortion, and labor racketeering. This enabled prosecutors to target Mafia organizations rather than just individual leaders.
Mauro elaborated, “What RICO did is change that paradigm. You needed only to prove actions on behalf of the organization.” Giuliani’s approach encouraged members of these crime syndicates to “flip,” allowing for comprehensive dismantling of the groups.
Courageous Prosecution Strategy
Louis Ferrante, a former Gambino associate, commended Giuliani’s approach. “It’s like cutting the head off the Hydra,” he said, observing that the Mafia struggled to replace its leadership with equally capable individuals.
The indictment of Gambino crime family boss Paul “Big Paul” Castellano marked the beginning of the Mafia’s decline.
Season Highlights
The third season of Stories of the American Mafia presents gripping episodes that include the swift rise and subsequent fall of Murder, Inc., the brutal murder of William “Billy Batts” Bentvena, and FBI agent Joe Pistone’s undercover takedown of the Bonanno crime family.
Former FBI undercover operative Giovanni Rocco, alongside Mauro and Ferrante, offers detailed analysis of these true mob stories.
Availability
Viewers can access all five episodes via the Fox Nation platform. Fox Nation subscribers can stream on-demand from their mobile devices.
Benji Ferraro, a recent University of Maryland graduate and digital production assistant, focuses on channel coverage and cultural stories. For story tips, he can be contacted at [email protected].