Taming Lyons tells the epic true story of Judy Petrucci, the tenacious Lyons Little League mom who risked her life and ran for mayor to help the Feds take down the Chicago mob in “Operation Safebet,” the most successful organized crime vice sting in U.S. history.
The series also traces Lyons’ legacy of infamy to the present day as a new generation of residents confronts fresh political controversy surrounding Lyons’ current mayor, who recently announced a run for U.S. Congress.
New episodes drop Wednesday. Or, to download all 10 ad-free episodes now and unlock exclusive content, including photos, video, additional interviews, archival materials, and behind-the-scenes content, go to https://patreon.com/taminglyons (https://patreon.com/taminglyons).
Taming Lyons is hosted by creator, Christopher Kostrzak, and presented by Autonomous (https://autonomous-inc.com/).
Follow TL on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TamingLyons)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/autonomous_inc)
Youtube (https://youtube.com/@autonomous-inc?si=TOTme8O1Ktq1lZla)
TIk-Tok (https://www.tiktok.com/@autonomousglobal?_r=1&_t=ZP-98bcEHTcgEI)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
Christopher Kostrzak explores Mayor Judy's tumultuous rise to power, a major police bust, and the ensuing scandal that jeopardized her life.
30 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 8: The Reckoning
Host Christopher Kostrzak investigates a con man in WITSEC during the intense Safebet raid and legal battles of 1987-1989.
23 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 7: Lady Phoenix
Christopher Kostrzak explores the Petrucci family's tragedy and the FBI's investigation into the Spilotro brothers during a tumultuous period.
16 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 6: Life & Death in Lyons
Host Christopher Kostrzak investigates the 1984 death of college student Philip Neri, exploring potential suspects and seeking answers in this gripping true-crime episode.
9 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 5: God Forgives, Outlaws Don't.
Host Christopher Kostrzak explores Judy's fight against violent forces after a series of bombings and attacks, revealing the dark truths behind the Outlaws.
2 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 4: Safebet
Creator Christopher Kostrzak explores Thomas Gervais's fateful decision at National Credit Service and Judy's mayoral run, revealing the challenges of changing Lyons.
26 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 3: Revelations
1979 - TIME TRAVEL - 1980 // Halloween Night 1979: the last vestige of Lyons' glamorous past burns to the ground. Judy goes to law school and beckons the FBI. Daughter Gina's rosy view of Lyons is shattered when she attends a private high school. Host Chris Kostrzak, his family, and neighbors take us on a story tour of their mobbed-up block in Lyons. Young Chris makes the unwise decision to date the granddaughter of one of Mayor Smith's Outfit gambling buddies.
New episodes drop on Wednesday. Or, to access all 10 ad-free episodes now & unlock exclusive content: photos, video, interviews, archival materials & BTS content, go to https://patreon.com/taminglyons (https://patreon.com/taminglyons). Taming Lyons is hosted by creator, Christopher Kostrzak & presented by Autonomous (https://autonomous-inc.com/).
Follow TL on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TamingLyons)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/autonomous_inc)
Youtube (https://youtube.com/@autonomous-inc?si=TOTme8O1Ktq1lZla)
TIk-Tok (https://www.tiktok.com/@autonomousglobal?_r=1&_t=ZP-98bcEHTcgEI)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
19 Aug 2026
Chapter 2: See Judy Run
1975 - 1979 // Outfit operations expand as Judy runs for office and goes back to school. A series of disturbing events offers Judy a glimpse into the menace that awaits her in the battle to save Lyons.
New episodes drop on Wednesday. Or, to access all 10 ad-free episodes now & unlock exclusive content: photos, video, interviews, archival materials & BTS content, go to https://patreon.com/taminglyons (https://patreon.com/taminglyons). Taming Lyons is hosted by creator, Christopher Kostrzak & presented by Autonomous (https://autonomous-inc.com/).
Follow TL on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TamingLyons)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/autonomous_inc)
Youtube (https://youtube.com/@autonomous-inc?si=TOTme8O1Ktq1lZla)
TIk-Tok (https://www.tiktok.com/@autonomousglobal?_r=1&_t=ZP-98bcEHTcgEI)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
12 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 1: Heroes & Villains
2010 - TIME TRAVEL - 1975 // Family attorney Judy Petrucci collapses in court in 2010, and we travel back to Lyons in 1975, a “wide-open town” controlled by the Chicago Outfit, run by a mayor on the take, and packed with taverns, nightclubs, and strip clubs. Seeing the effect life in wild Lyons is having on her daughter Gina, Judy vows to clean up the town. "Michael's Magic Touch" owner Michael Russo meets Mayor William G. Smith for "happy hour." Judy attends her first village meeting and makes a decision that will change her life and Lyons forever.
New episodes drop on Wednesday. Or, to access all 10 ad-free episodes now & unlock exclusive content: photos, video, interviews, archival materials & BTS content, go to https://patreon.com/taminglyons (https://patreon.com/taminglyons). Taming Lyons is hosted by creator, Christopher Kostrzak & presented by Autonomous (https://autonomous-inc.com/).
Follow TL on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TamingLyons)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/autonomous_inc)
Youtube (https://youtube.com/@autonomous-inc?si=TOTme8O1Ktq1lZla)
TIk-Tok (https://www.tiktok.com/@autonomousglobal?_r=1&_t=ZP-98bcEHTcgEI)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
8 Aug 2026
Introducing - Taming Lyons
Taming Lyons tells the epic true story of Judy Petrucci, the tenacious Lyons Little League mom who risked her life and ran for mayor to help the Feds take down the Chicago mob in “Operation Safebet,” the most successful organized crime vice sting in U.S. history.
The series also traces Lyons’ legacy of infamy to the present day as a new generation of residents confronts fresh political controversy surrounding Lyons’ current mayor, who recently announced a run for U.S. Congress.
New episodes drop Wednesday. Or, to access 10 ad-free episodes now and unlock exclusive content, including photos, video, additional interviews, archival materials, and behind-the-scenes content, go to https://patreon.com/taminglyons (https://patreon.com/taminglyons).
Taming Lyons is hosted by creator, Christopher Kostrzak, and presented by Autonomous (https://autonomous-inc.com).
Follow Taming Lyons on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TamingLyons)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/autonomous_inc)
Youtube (https://youtube.com/@autonomous-inc?si=TOTme8O1Ktq1lZla)
TIk-Tok (https://www.tiktok.com/@autonomousglobal?_r=1&_t=ZP-98bcEHTcgEI)
New episodes drop on Wednesday. Or, to access all 10 ad-free episodes now & unlock exclusive content: photos, video, interviews, archival materials & BTS content, go to https://patreon.com/taminglyons (https://patreon.com/taminglyons). Taming Lyons is hosted by creator, Christopher Kostrzak & presented by Autonomous (https://autonomous-inc.com/).
Follow TL on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TamingLyons)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/autonomous_inc)
Youtube (https://youtube.com/@autonomous-inc?si=TOTme8O1Ktq1lZla)
TIk-Tok (https://www.tiktok.com/@autonomousglobal?_r=1&_t=ZP-98bcEHTcgEI)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
Inside a recent episode
Chapter 9: See Judy Win
Published 7 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] There was a great sense of pride. She loved her police department beyond measure. She loved the public works department. Everyone had gotten raises. The public works guys were able to buy late model cars. It was something she was very proud of, that the parking lots were dotted with late model cars because she had done so well by her village employees. After nearly a decade and a half fighting to save the soul of her hometown, the transformation of lions that Judy helped catalyze draws national attention. There was a Life or a Time magazine that did an article on the unlikely Tabor of Lions, and fan mail was pouring in from random strangers all over the country. […]
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