Gangland Wire

In this episode of Gangland Wire, retired Kansas City Police Intelligence Unit Detective Gary Jenkins welcomes former Cook County prosecutor Greg Owen, author of Convergence, for an insider's look at one of the most corrupt periods in Chicago's criminal justice history. Times when gangsters like Harry Aleman or Tony Spilotro evaded justice and even beat murder cases, aided by a system of corrupt lawyers like Bob Cooley and several corrupt judges. Gregg tells about these case and another interesting case about the murder of Gio Messina and Delphine Moore and how Chicago corruption can fix any case. The book is Convergence and click here to get that book  

Before entering the courtroom, Greg Owen enjoyed a successful career as a professional musician. He shares the unlikely path that led him from touring with a band to prosecuting violent criminals in Chicago's busiest courthouse, where he quickly discovered that corruption reached far beyond organized crime and into the very courtrooms entrusted with delivering justice.

Gary and Greg explore Operation Greylord, the landmark FBI investigation that exposed widespread judicial corruption in Cook County. Greg explains how traffic ticket schemes evolved into fixing serious felony and murder cases, revealing how judges, attorneys, court personnel, and organized crime figures manipulated the justice system for profit. The discussion also revisits attorney Bob Cooley, whose cooperation with federal authorities helped expose corruption at the highest levels of Chicago's political and judicial establishment. Greg offers his firsthand perspective on Cooley, the infamous Harry Aleman murder case, the influence of the Chicago Outfit, and the FBI's unprecedented undercover operation involving prosecutor Terry Hake, who spent years secretly recording corrupt judges and lawyers.

Greg also recounts remarkable behind-the-scenes stories from his own prosecution career, including jury tampering concerns, courtroom manipulation, and the extraordinary lengths honest prosecutors had to go to ensure justice prevailed in Chicago during the Outfit's most powerful era. If you're fascinated by the Chicago Outfit, judicial corruption, FBI undercover investigations, and the real history behind Operation Greylord, this episode provides a rare firsthand account from someone who lived it.

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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.
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
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To rent Ballot Theft: Burglary, Murder, Coverup, click here
To rent Brothers against Brothers, click here.
To rent Gangland Wire, click here.

Gary Jenkins, a retired Kansas City Police Intelligence Unit detective, sits down with author David Kinney to uncover a little-known chapter of Mafia history: a mob war between Stefano Magaddino and local bookies from Batavia, New York. Batavia is a small city located between Buffalo and Rochester that was strategically important to organized crime.     

Kinney is the author of Mobbed Up in Batavia, a nonfiction investigation into the bookmakers, bootleggers, murders, and Mafia connections that surrounded this western New York community during the Prohibition era and the years that followed.  

At the center of the story is powerful Buffalo Mafia boss Stefano Magaddino. During Prohibition, liquor moving south from Canada passed through western New York, and Batavia sat along an important route toward the rest of the state. Kinney explains how Magaddino's organization profited from bootlegging and later expanded its influence into gambling and bookmaking.  

But this story becomes much more personal—and much more violent.   Kinney examines the bombing of the home of Arcangelo Longo, Magaddino's sister, who was killed in the explosion. He believes the bombing may explain a subsequent series of killings traditionally described as Batavia's “Bookie War.”  

Gary and David discuss the murder of bookmaker Frank LoTempio, the killing of Alfred Panepinto, attempts on other Batavia gambling figures, and the possibility that these crimes represented something more than a fight over gambling profits. They may have been part of an old-fashioned Mafia vendetta.  

The conversation also explores illegal horse betting, dice games, prostitution, the racing wire, protection payments, and the remarkable amount of money bookmakers could generate even during the Great Depression.  

It is a fascinating look at how organized crime extended far beyond New York City and Chicago—and how one violent act in a small western New York town may have triggered a deadly Mafia campaign of revenge.

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.

The Untold Story of Meyer Lansky: The Man Behind Organized Crime. Who was the real Meyer Lansky? Was he America's greatest criminal strategist, a financial genius, or simply one of the most misunderstood figures in organized crime history?  

In this episode of Gangland Wire, retired Kansas City Police Intelligence Detective Gary Jenkins welcomes award-winning investigative journalist and author Sandra Peddie to discuss her new book, The Lansky Legacy.

Drawing on never-before-seen family letters, photographs, and personal memories from Meyer Lansky's grandson, Sandra paints a revealing portrait of the man who helped reshape organized crime in America.  

You'll hear how Lansky forged his lifelong partnership with Lucky Luciano, helped organize the modern Mafia during Prohibition, expanded gambling into Florida, Cuba, and beyond, and quietly influenced some of the biggest events in organized crime history.

The listener will also hear about National Crime Syndicate, Havana casinos, Cuba gambling Las Vegas history, Frank Costello, Santo Trafficante, Bugsy Siegel and others in the pantheon of the American Mafia.

Click here to get The Lansky Legacy: The Life and Letters of Meyer Lansky
Click here to get her book on Sonny Franzese Sonny: The Last of the Old-Time Mafia Bosses, John "Sonny" Franzese

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.

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.

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 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
To rent Brothers against Brothers, click here.
To rent Gangland Wire, click here.