Underworlds: The Podcast | Global Initiative

The History of the American Mafia: How the Mafia Built Its Empire in the US, featuring former Gambino crime family associate Louis Ferrante.

In this episode, Mark speaks with former Mafia member Louis Ferrante about his book Borgata: The Rise of Empire: A History of the American Mafia.

The history of the American Mafia, known as La Cosa Nostra or simply “The Mob”, is well known. The Prohibition in the United States during the Roaring Twenties saw the rise of characters who have since become mythical in Hollywood: Charles “Lucky” Luciano and his confidant Meyer Lansky, Al “Scarface” Capone, Arnold “The Brain” Rothstein, Dutch Schultz, Giuseppe “Joe the Boss” Masseria and Salvatore Maranzano.

What makes Borgata different is that it’s written by someone who lived “The Life,” which offers a unique perspective. Lou discusses the formation of The Commission, an underworld governing council that controlled the Five Families of New York (now known as Gambino, Genovese, Lucchese, Bonanno and Colombo), The Outfit in Chicago and the Philadelphia Mafia.

Lou talks about the rules, the use of force and how the US government tried to tackle the growing power of organised crime, led by District Attorney Thomas E. Dewey.

We also hear about Lou’s own life in La Cosa Nostra and how he and his crew pulled off some of the most successful heists in American history, ultimately landing him in prison.

In prison, he began reading everything he could get his hands on, including history, philosophy, and the great classics of literature. He never turned on his former colleagues, but when he left prison, he left behind “The Life.” Now he’s recounting his experiences with the Mafia and has become a best-selling author (Unlocked: A Journey from Prison to Proust), including his new, massive three-volume history of the American Mafia.

In this episode, Mark and Lou discuss the first book, Borgata: The Rise of Empire: A History of the American Mafia.

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The book ‘Borgata: The Rise of Empire: A History of the American Mafia’ by Louis Ferrante is available here: https://a.co/d/cDcxOQ2

Audio version: https://a.co/d/2VHu3Ht

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