Gangland Wire

Tommy Dorfman joins Gary Jenkins for a fascinating look inside the nightclub and concert promotion business, where organized crime, celebrity entertainment, and billion-dollar corporations often collide.

Tommy recounts how he went from throwing teenage house parties in northern New Jersey to becoming one of the East Coast's most successful nightclub promoters, eventually producing major events featuring some of the biggest names in entertainment.  

During the conversation, Tommy describes his encounters with members and associates of the Lucchese crime family and other organized crime figures who controlled or influenced many New Jersey clubs during the height of his career. He shares personal stories involving John Perna, who he says treated him respectfully after mutual acquaintances introduced them, and discusses a confrontation with Tommy Gambino, along with other incidents involving mob-connected club owners, extortion attempts, and violent disputes over nightclub profits.  

The discussion then shifts to Tommy's rise from the nightclub business into large-scale concert promotion. After building a successful career and securing an exclusive agreement to produce concerts and festivals at the Meadowlands, Tommy says his project was derailed by Live Nation. He explains why he believes the company's control over artists, venues, and ticketing exceeds even the influence once exercised by organized crime, leading to a lengthy federal lawsuit and allegations of industry blacklisting.  

Gary and Tommy also explore how concert promotion really works—from booking artists and securing venues to marketing, security, and logistics—before examining the modern music industry's antitrust issues, Ticketmaster's role, and the future of competition in live entertainment. This episode offers a rare insider's perspective on both the Mafia's historic influence in New Jersey nightlife and today's battle over control of the concert business.

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Subscribe to Gangland Wire wherever you get your podcasts, and join us each week as we uncover the stories buried beneath the headlines—and the bodies.
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In this episode of Gangland Wire, retired Kansas City Police Intelligence Unit detective Gary Jenkins talks with author Tiffany Hanson about her novel My Name Was Jerry Sass, a fictionalized account inspired by the life of her father and the Chicago Outfit. 

Tiffany explains how the project began when she searched for information about her father and found almost nothing. A DNA test later connected her with previously unknown half-siblings, opening the door to family stories and long-buried questions about a man who disappeared from her life before she was born.

The conversation explores rumors, memories, and fragments of evidence that suggested her father moved through Iowa, Chicago, Kansas City, and Las Vegas while operating around criminal circles. To protect family members, Hanson chose the fictional name Jerry Sass while weaving historical mob influences into her story.

Gary and Tiffany discuss the often-overlooked world of mob associates—men who worked around organized crime families without being formal members. These individuals frequently handled robberies, gambling operations, transportation, and other criminal activities while maintaining distance from leadership.

The discussion also examines Midwestern organized crime, including Chicago's influence in Iowa, gambling operations in Des Moines and Council Bluffs, and the role these regions played in larger criminal enterprises involving casinos, sports betting, and money movement.

Gary shares insights into Kansas City organized crime figures such as Tuffy DeLuna, discussing surveillance operations, investigations, search warrants, and the realities of law enforcement efforts against organized crime.

This fascinating conversation blends family history, true crime, mob history, and the challenges of uncovering the truth when the evidence has largely disappeared.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gangland-wire--5504357/support.

Subscribe to Gangland Wire wherever you get your podcasts, and join us each week as we uncover the stories buried beneath the headlines—and the bodies.
Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or your favorite podcast app.

Hit me up on Venmo for a cup of coffee or a shot and a beer use @ganglandwire
Click here to "buy me a cup of coffee"

To go to the store or make a donation click here.  
To rent Ballot Theft: Burglary, Murder, Coverup, click here
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To rent Gangland Wire, click here.

What would you do if your phone rang and you heard your child crying for help? In this episode of Gangland Wire, we borrow a public service episode from  Murder Blueprint. Gary Jenkins examines a disturbing form of fraud that uses AI voice cloning, caller ID spoofing, social media information, and psychological pressure to convince victims that a loved one has been kidnapped, injured, arrested, or is otherwise in immediate danger.  

The episode begins with a frightening case from Arizona. A mother receives a call from what appears to be her daughter, who sounds terrified and says she is in trouble. A man then takes over the call, claims he has kidnapped her daughter, demands money, and warns the mother not to contact police. By keeping her on the phone and emotionally overwhelmed, the scammer attempts to prevent her from verifying whether her daughter is actually in danger.  

Gary then talks with Mick, who experienced a remarkably similar call after leaving the gym. Mick heard what sounded like his own daughter telling him she had been in a car accident. A man then came on the line, claimed he was with her, made threats, and tried to maintain control of the conversation. Mick kept him talking long enough to contact family and confirm that his daughter was safe.   The episode also examines a scam targeting an elderly woman whose grandson was supposedly jailed in Mexico and desperately needed money.  

These scams succeed by creating fear, urgency, and confusion. The victim is pressured to act before having time to think, verify the story, or contact someone else.   Gary explains several simple precautions families can take: independently call or text the supposedly endangered person, immediately involve another trusted person, resist demands for secrecy and urgency, and establish a family code word known only to trusted relatives.   As artificial intelligence makes cloned voices increasingly convincing, hearing a familiar voice may no longer be enough to prove who is really on the other end of the phone.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gangland-wire--5504357/support.

Subscribe to Gangland Wire wherever you get your podcasts, and join us each week as we uncover the stories buried beneath the headlines—and the bodies.
Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or your favorite podcast app.

Hit me up on Venmo for a cup of coffee or a shot and a beer use @ganglandwire
Click here to "buy me a cup of coffee"

To go to the store or make a donation click here.  
To rent Ballot Theft: Burglary, Murder, Coverup, click here
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To rent Gangland Wire, click here.

Former Springfield sports bookmaker Chicky Ciccatelli returns to Gangland Wire for a candid conversation about organized crime, illegal sports betting, federal prison, and rebuilding his life.  

Host Gary Jenkins sits down with Chicky as he prepares for a live appearance in Las Vegas to better understand how traditional bookmakers operated before the era of legalized sports betting. Chicky explains how he entered the gambling business after a Navy injury and eventually worked for Adolfo "Big Al" Bruno, a powerful Genovese crime family figure in Springfield, Massachusetts.  

The discussion takes listeners inside the day-to-day operations of a Mafia-connected sportsbook. Chicky explains how bookmakers set betting lines, balanced action on both sides of games, managed betting limits, collected debts, and dealt with the constant pressure of large wagers. He also discusses the overlap between sports betting and loan-sharking, and how experienced bettors attempted to exploit changing betting lines.  

Beyond gambling, Chicky shares an inspiring personal story of survival. After nearly dying from heart failure and other serious health complications, he completely transformed his lifestyle—losing more than 200 pounds through diet and exercise while committing himself to family, faith, and sobriety.  

The conversation also explores Chicky's unexpected acting career, including his appearance in The Featherweight, the acclaimed Willie Pep boxing film, and his experiences attending movie premieres and working alongside professional actors.  

This episode offers a rare insider's look at Mafia bookmaking, federal investigations, organized crime, and the possibility of redemption after prison.  

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gangland-wire--5504357/support.

Subscribe to Gangland Wire wherever you get your podcasts, and join us each week as we uncover the stories buried beneath the headlines—and the bodies.
Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or your favorite podcast app.

Hit me up on Venmo for a cup of coffee or a shot and a beer use @ganglandwire
Click here to "buy me a cup of coffee"

To go to the store or make a donation click here.  
To rent Ballot Theft: Burglary, Murder, Coverup, click here
To rent Brothers against Brothers, click here.
To rent Gangland Wire, click here.

In this episode of Gangland Wire, retired Kansas City Intelligence Unit detective Gary Jenkins is joined by retired FBI agent Shawn Johnson and retired bank robber Stephen Myers to examine one of the most sophisticated bank robbery investigations in modern American history. The discussion focuses on the notorious career of Scott Scurlock, known as the "Hollywood Bandit," and the law enforcement effort that ultimately brought the robbery spree to an end.  

Get the book, Click Here on The Treehouse: The True Story of Hollywood the Bank Robber. 
Shawn Johnson begins by discussing his career with the FBI, including assignments involving violent crime, counterterrorism, instruction at the FBI Academy, and his work training new agents after retirement. His experience provides insight into the methods and challenges of major federal investigations.  

Stephen Myers recounts his unusual path from Kansas City to a life of architecture, sculpture, furniture design, and restoration work around the world. He explains how he first met Scott Scurlock while helping build a treehouse compound in Washington State and how that relationship eventually drew him into a criminal enterprise.  

The conversation explores Scurlock's early involvement in methamphetamine production and the development of the remote treehouse property that served as a base of operations. After a violent incident ended that chapter, Scurlock turned his attention to bank robbery, approaching it with meticulous planning and extensive research.   Stephen describes how Scurlock studied failed robberies, developed disguises using prosthetic masks, conducted surveillance operations, mapped escape routes, and used radios and communications equipment to reduce the chances of capture. The pair discuss the first successful robberies and the methods that allowed the crew to evade authorities.  

Shawn Johnson explains how the FBI investigation evolved into a major task force operation. Investigators analyzed robbery patterns, vehicle purchases, tire records, witness statements, and other forensic evidence to identify the perpetrators and understand their operating methods. The episode examines the robbers' transition from traditional teller robberies to more ambitious vault takeovers. Stephen discusses the use of insider information, surveillance of cash deliveries, and careful target selection designed to minimize risk and avoid unnecessary violence.  

The discussion also highlights the emotional impact of bank robberies on victims. Shawn explains how repeated robberies affected tellers and customers and how investigators worked to document both the physical evidence and the human consequences of the crimes.  

A key breakthrough came through the use of ProNet tracking devices secretly placed inside bank vaults. Shawn details how these tracking tags helped investigators close in on the suspects and ultimately unravel the robbery operation.  

The episode concludes with the dramatic final robbery on Thanksgiving Eve, the ensuing shootout, Stephen Myers' arrest, and the death of Scott Scurlock. Both guests reflect on the investigation, the lessons learned, and the unlikely friendship that later developed between a former FBI agent and a former member of the robbery crew.

They also discuss Stephen's book, The Treehouse, which provides a detailed account of the case and its aftermath.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gangland-wire--5504357/support.

Subscribe to Gangland Wire wherever you get your podcasts, and join us each week as we uncover the stories buried beneath the headlines—and the bodies.
Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or your favorite podcast app.

Hit me up on Venmo for a cup of coffee or a shot and a beer use @ganglandwire
Click here to "buy me a cup of coffee"

To go to the store or make a donation click here.  
To rent Ballot Theft: Burglary, Murder, Coverup, click here
To rent Brothers against Brothers, click here.
To rent Gangland Wire, click here.