Fuggetaboutit: The Best Mafia Series to Binge Right Now

“Leave the gun, get the canolli,” the gangster says to his partner, shortly after carrying out an execution. This chilling scene The godfather will forever be etched in our collective consciousness as a true representation of a criminal organization like the mafia: a disturbing normality in the wake of extreme violence, one that would destroy the psyche of any other human being.

Maybe that’s what draws us to crime series. That detachment from reality, the ability to break free from social boundaries and go where others cannot or do not want to go. Fiction about violent men who do violent things to survive in a violent world.

Mafia series are back in the spotlight thanks to the debut of Max The penguina series spin-off from Robert Pattinson’s The Batman. Where everyone expected a superhero series, Max pulled a fast one and instead presented a series that revolves around organized crime. While you wait for new episodes to drop every week, here are some great mafia series to help scratch that itch!

While not just about the mafia, these shows feature gangs and organized crime. Shows as Peaky blinders, Gangs of London, Ozark, Narcos, The wire, Animal kingdom, Gomorrah, Sons of anarchy And Great boy.

The sopranos

This is the show that is credited by many with ushering in the Golden Age of TV and is widely regarded as one of the best shows ever made. The sopranos tells the story of the Soprano crime family in New Jersey. The head of the family is old gangster Tony Soprano (the late James Gandolfini), who begins to doubt his place in the world and his role in the organization. Gripping, ruthless and genre-defining, The sopranos is the iconic mafia series and if you missed it when it came out, now’s your chance to get on board!

Promenade Empire

Steve Buscemi is one of the greatest actors in the world, able to take on roles ranging from comedy to drama with ease and deliver every time. In Promenade Empirea historical crime drama set in Prohibition-era America, Buscemi plays Nucky Thompson, a real-life figure who headed a smuggling ring in Atlantic City. Nucky is morally ambiguous, charismatic and caring, but at the same time ruthless and willing to use violence, blackmail and bribery to stay in power.

Because Nucky is a real person, Promenade Empire draws heavily on historical figures involved in organized crime at the time, such as Arnold Rothstein, Lucky Luciano and of course Al Capone.

King of Tulsa

Stallone’s sleeper hit returns for a second season, telling a classic gangster story with a fresh twist. Dwight Manfredi is a hardened old-fashioned mafia soldier who comes out of prison after 25 years and finds that the world has passed him by.

The once powerful and respected Dwight is now shuffled away to a place he considers the middle of nowhere: Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Once there, the aging but still fierce gangster clashes with local motorcycle gangs and strong local entrepreneurs, takes on the corrupt police and brings the wonderful, overwhelming scent of a New York wiseguy to the country.

The role is perfect for Stallone, who appears to be in Manfredi’s polished shoes and gold cufflinks. Written by Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone, 1883, 1923, Mayor of Kingstown, Hell or High Water), King of Tulsa is a welcome twist in the genre!

Godfather of Haarlem

Working according to the blueprint of Promenade Empire, Godfather of Haarlem combines history with fiction, taking people from real life and pushing them into the story. Forest Whitaker plays real-life crime boss Bumpy Johnson, a drug dealer in 1960s Harlem who gets out of prison after ten years to find that his neighborhood is now overrun by the Italian mafia. As Bumpy struggles to regain control, he teams up with civil rights activist Malcolm X and politician Adam Clayton Powell (played by crime series veteran Giancarlo Esposito). The three of them form an uneasy alliance to take on a Genovese family crime boss, Vincent “The Chin” Gigante (played by Vincent D’Onofrio), who now runs the drug trade in Harlem.

The penguin

A spin-off series from The Batmanrevolves around Oswald Cobblepot, the Batman villain known as the Penguin. Played by Colin Farell, many thought this would be a run-of-the-mill cash grab, a quick, pointless sequence to cash in on the film’s success. The producers surprised everyone by telling a seemingly gritty, noir story about Oswald’s rise from mid-level gangster to criminal boss. The series combines intrigue with organized crime and features great performances from Farell and Cristin Millioti. Although only two episodes have currently aired, The penguin promises to be a great mob series!