NatGeo tackles the Mafia
A six-part National Geographic series covers the history of the mob, from the 1970s to the present.
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SURE, the South Philly mob ain't what it used to be, but that doesn't mean that there aren't still stories to be told about La Cosa Nostra.
And National Geographic has got the goods. Six hours' worth. "Inside the American Mob," a six-part series, premieres Sunday at 9 p.m.
"It's the small, personal stories on both sides of the coin, from the Mafia and the prosecutors that chased them," said Michael Welsh, the series' executive producer. "You're getting multiple points of view on the same events over the course of the mob history."
The series kicks off with two hourlong episodes covering the 1970s in New York City and the new generation of Italian-American agents that entered the FBI, including Joe Pistone, a/k/a Donnie Brasco.
Philadelphia mob watchers will want to tune in at 10 p.m. Aug. 4 for the episode on the New York-Philly war, which will cover Atlantic City and the Angelo Bruno assassination. Philip "Crazy Phil" Leonetti, the reformed hit man and nephew of ex-boss Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo, is a major interview in that episode.
"I think we're in this era where everyone feels it's time to tell these great stories - both sides with a bit of bravado," said Welsh, a Philadelphia-area native. "All these small stories and battles made up the larger war."
"Inside the American Mob," which runs through Aug. 18, also tackles then-U.S. Attorney Rudolph Giuliani's legal assault on the Mafia, and the rise and fall of John Gotti.