Fear City: How the FBI Took Down the New York Mafia - Download Now
Fear City: New York vs The Mafia - A Gripping True Crime Docuseries
If you are a fan of true crime stories, especially those involving the mafia, you might want to check out Fear City: New York vs The Mafia. This is a three-part docuseries that chronicles how the FBI took down the five families that ruled New York with a bloody fist in the 1970s and '80s. This docuseries features firsthand accounts from former gangsters, FBI agents, lawyers, journalists, historians, and even Rudolph Giuliani himself. It also showcases rare archival footage and recordings that reveal how the mob operated and how the law enforcement cracked their code. In this article, we will give you an overview of what this docuseries is about, who are the people behind it and in it, how it was received by critics and audiences alike, and how you can watch it online.
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The Rise and Fall of the Five Families
The five families refer to the Gambino, Colombo, Bonanno, Lucchese, and Genovese families, the five major organized crime groups of Italian-American origin that dominated New York's underworld for decades. They were part of the nationwide criminal network known as the American Mafia or La Cosa Nostra, which means "our thing" in Italian. The five families got their names from their founders or bosses in the 1930s, when they emerged from a violent power struggle among various gangs in the city. They established a system of cooperation and coordination called the Commission, which acted as the governing body of the American Mafia and settled disputes among the families.
The five families reached their peak of power and wealth in the 1970s and '80s, when they controlled various aspects of the city's economy, politics, and society. They extorted millions of dollars from legitimate businesses such as construction, labor unions, garbage collection, and restaurants. They also ran illegal operations such as gambling, loan sharking, drug trafficking, and murder for hire. They bribed and intimidated public officials, judges, lawyers, and police officers to protect their interests and avoid prosecution. They also influenced the media, the entertainment industry, and the cultural scene of New York. They were feared and respected by many, and some even admired them for their loyalty, honor, and charisma.
The Mob Rule
The mafia operated with a strict hierarchy and a code of conduct that governed their behavior and activities. The boss was the leader of each family, who made all the major decisions and received a cut of all the profits. The underboss was the second-in-command, who assisted the boss and acted as his successor in case of his death or imprisonment. The consigliere was the counselor or advisor, who mediated disputes and offered guidance to the boss. The capos were the captains or lieutenants, who led crews of soldiers or associates who carried out the orders and tasks assigned by the boss. The soldiers were the members or made men, who had taken an oath of allegiance to the family and followed its rules. The associates were the non-members or outsiders, who worked with or for the family but had no formal ties or obligations.
The mafia followed a code of conduct that included rules such as omertà (silence), which forbade them from cooperating with the authorities or revealing any information about their organization; rispetto (respect), which required them to show deference and loyalty to their superiors and peers; and vendetta (revenge), which obliged them to retaliate against anyone who harmed or betrayed them or their family. The mafia also had rituals and symbols that marked their identity and culture, such as the initiation ceremony, which involved pricking the finger of the new member and burning a picture of a saint while reciting an oath; the kiss of death, which signaled that someone had been marked for execution; and the use of nicknames, gestures, and slang that distinguished them from others.
The Godfather Tapes
The FBI had been trying to infiltrate and dismantle the five families for years, but with little success. The mafia was too secretive and powerful to be easily penetrated or prosecuted. The FBI needed a new strategy and a new weapon to fight them. That weapon was the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), a federal law enacted in 1970 that allowed the government to charge and convict individuals for being part of a criminal enterprise that engaged in a pattern of racketeering activities. RICO gave the FBI more leverage and authority to pursue and punish the mafia bosses, not just their underlings.
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The FBI also used innovative surveillance tactics to gather evidence against the five families. They planted bugs in cars, phones, offices, homes, and even a coffee table. They also used a little-known law that allowed them to wiretap any location where gambling was taking place without a warrant. This enabled them to eavesdrop on conversations among the mafia leaders at their social clubs, where they discussed their business and plans. These recordings became known as the Godfather Tapes, as they captured the voices and personalities of some of the most notorious mobsters in history.
The Judgment Day
The FBI used the RICO law and the Godfather Tapes and the evidence they collected to prove a conspiracy among the mafia bosses and bring them to trial in the historic Mafia Commission case. This was the first time that the government indicted and prosecuted the leaders of the five families as a group, rather than individually. The trial lasted for 10 months and involved more than 200 witnesses and 2,500 exhibits. The jury deliberated for 14 days and found all eight defendants guilty of various charges, including racketeering, extortion, murder, and conspiracy. On January 13, 1987, Judge Richard Owen sentenced each of them to 100 years in prison, the maximum possible sentence under RICO. The verdict and the sentence were a major blow to the mafia's power and prestige, and marked the beginning of their decline in New York and America.
The Cast and Crew of Fear City
Fear City: New York vs The Mafia is a docuseries that was released on Netflix on July 22, 2020. It was directed by Sam Hobkinson, a British filmmaker known for his documentaries on history, crime, and culture. Some of his previous works include Misha and the Wolves, The Kleptocrats, and The Hunt for the Boston Bombers. The executive producers of the docuseries were Dimitri Doganis, Bart Layton, Adam Hawkins, and Jon Liebman, who have worked on acclaimed projects such as American Animals, The Imposter, and Captive. The docuseries features interviews from various people who were involved or witnessed the events of the Mafia Commission case, as well as archival footage and recordings that illustrate the story.
The Director
Sam Hobkinson is a British documentary filmmaker who has been making films for over 20 years. He has a reputation for creating compelling and cinematic documentaries that explore complex and controversial topics. He has won several awards for his work, including a Grierson Award, a Royal Television Society Award, and a BAFTA nomination. He has also been praised by critics for his storytelling skills, his use of archival material, and his ability to elicit candid and emotional interviews from his subjects. In an interview with Variety, he said that he was drawn to the story of Fear City because it was "a classic David and Goliath story" and "a