True Crimes of Black Hand New York

About True Crimes of Black Hand New York

Hosted by Oscar and Emmy-winning documentarian Anthony Giacchino, "True Crimes of Black Hand New York" investigates the life, times and 1909 murder of pioneering Italian immigrant Detective Joe Petrosino, assassinated in Sicily while on a secret NYPD mission to uncover the flow of Italian criminals into America. As the leader of the NYPD’s elite Italian Squad, Petrosino confronted the Black Hand—a method of extortion among Italian criminals marked by fear and violence that preyed on Italian immigrant communities. Was a Black Hand gang behind Petrosino's murder, or is there more to the story? In an era when the press led the charge against Italian immigration, with editorials in the New York Times declaring, “Altogether, we do not want them … we have too many bad Italians already” (August 25, 1904), Petrosino not only fought crime in NYC’s Little Italy, but also challenged the stereotypes that vilified his community. This podcast weaves together true crime and historical inquiry, exploring the forces that shaped Petrosino’s world, work, and untimely death. Through original storytelling, conversations with historians, descendants, and filmmakers who have shaped how Italians and Italian Americans are represented, discover a story where history, crime, and pop culture converge. https://www.patreon.com/c/TrueCrimesofBlackHandNewYork (https://www.patreon.com/c/TrueCrimesofBlackHandNewYork)

Publisher

Anthony Giacchino

Category

history · society & culture · true crime

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

8 Jan 2025

Latest episode

8 Jan 2025

Latest episodes

3 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   8 Jan 2025

   The King of Mulberry Street (Pt 2 of 2)

   In Part 2 of Raffaele Cascone’s story, we dive deeper into the life of the “King of Mulberry Street.” Joanne Sperando, Cascone’s great-granddaughter, returns to share more about her notorious ancestor. The tale follows Raffaele, his brother Domenico, and two blood-related families—the Siniscalchis and the Santaniellos. After Domenico is publicly humiliated by these families, the fallout lands Raffaele back in jail on new murder charges—drawing unexpected support from infamous and wealthy figures, even as a vendetta threatens to bring it all crashing down.

2. 

   8 Jan 2025

   The King of Mulberry Street (Pt 1 of 2)

   This is Part 1 of the story of Raffaele Cascone, the “King of Mulberry Street”—an Italian immigrant determined to make his mark in early 20th-century New York City amidst murder charges, death row, and a world of vendettas. Through family accounts from Cascone’s great-granddaughter, we uncover the ambitions that shaped his world, and the dangerous path he forged in a city rife with crime and opportunity.

3. 

   8 Jan 2025

   A Conversation with John Turturro

   When promoting Pay or Die in 1960, Ernest Borgnine often spoke about his decision to turn down the role of Al Capone, saying, “I’ve played plenty of villains in my day, but I could never portray a real-life person who I knew had done so much evil and caused so many people tragedy.” How does actor and director John Turturro walk that line between authenticity and stereotype? Find out in our interview, where we explore everything from Pay or Die to The Sopranos—and a lot of family and career history in between!

Podcast Authority Score: 42 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

85

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0

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Books guests

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