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Author explores ties between mobsters and U.S. presidents

Eric Dezenhall rates Harry Truman as a leader who “would not have been president without the Mob” for his involvement with the Kansas City political machine, which was heavily influenced by organized crime. In this photo taken in the late 1930s, Senator Truman, right, examines revolvers with then Vice-President John Nance Garner. Library of Congress
October 30, 2024

On a hot summer day in the early 1980s, Eric Dezenhall, then in his 20s and working in President Ronald Reagan’s White House communications office, mentioned to a person on the team that he was from Cherry Hill, New Jersey. “Isn’t that Mafia?” she asked, regarding the city’s reputation. This led to a general conversation about the Mob, a discussion that stayed with the now 62-year-old author and crisis management executive as he pursued a “lifelong endeavor” examining organized crime’s connections to U.S. presidents. Dezenhall’s interest in these connections has resulted in a well-researched book to be released January 14, Wiseguys and the ...

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Charles “Lucky” Luciano, well known by his facial scars and drooping eye, was abducted by assailants who left him for dead. This 1931 mugshot shows the slight disfigurements he received. Cipollini Collection

Charles Luciano survived ‘gang ride’ 95 years ago

With unseasonably warm weather for a mid-October evening, Officer Henry A. Blanke dropped the convertible top of his Ford patrol…

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On March 14, 1891, a lynch mob stormed the Orleans Parish Prison and murdered 11 Italians prisoners held in relation to the assassination of Chief of Police David Hennessy. The outrage that followed from the Italian American community contributed to the first Columbus Day.

Columbus Day and its ‘Mafia’ origins

On July 21, 1892, President Benjamin Harrison proclaimed that Friday, October 21st, would be a celebration of the 400th anniversary…

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Reporter and author Anthony DeStefano has written on organized crime topics since the 1970s, including 10 nonfiction books.

Veteran crime reporter Anthony M. DeStefano doubles as Mafia author

In the mid-1970s, New York reporter Anthony M. DeStefano didn’t know much about the Mafia. But working at Fairchild News…

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This crime scene photo from the Pierre Hotel robbery shows the safe room after the heist. Law enforcement initially thought the boxes were chosen at random, but insiders later shared the culprits had a list of contents that informed their selections. New York Daily News Archive

The top 5 heists in Mob history

What makes a “good” heist? Is it an exceptionally detailed plan, a cast of colorful characters or an unfathomable amount…

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In the upcoming film Alto Knights, Robert De Niro plays a dual role portraying Mob bosses Vito Genovese, left, and Frank Costello, right, as they are locked in a dispute over Mob leadership. Library of Congress, Jeff Spicer/Getty Images, Library of Congress

Upcoming film ‘Alto Knights’ depicts mobsters Vito Genovese, Frank Costello in bitter feud

The Mafia movie Alto Knights features veteran actor Robert De Niro playing dual roles as rival mobsters Vito Genovese and…

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Chicago crime boss Al Capone transferred to Alcatraz 90 years ago this month

Depression-era mobsters and outlaws often found themselves locked up in undeniably unpleasant jails and prisons, but being sent to Alcatraz…

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CIA, Mob team up to topple Fidel Castro in Paramount Plus docuseries ‘Mafia Spies’

The CIA’s alliance with the Mafia during the Kennedy years to assassinate Cuban leader Fidel Castro is at the center…

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