Blog

Since World War II, Russian mobsters have traded prison cells for battlefields

In 2010, Russian mobster Sergey Tsapkov was responsible for 12 murders on a farm in southwest Russia. Although he died in prison in 2014, his accomplices received an early release for military service in the Russo-Ukrainian War. Aleksandra Larinzeva/Kommersant Photo/Sipa USA (Sipa via AP Images)
June 4, 2026

“I like watching historical films,” said the Wolf, a middle-aged ex-convict who wished to remain anonymous. “I don’t watch all those films where the hero shoots 100 people, because I've been shot—in the head, in the chest—so I know what it’s like.” “Stabbed, too,” he continued. “They wanted me under their banner, and I told them to f--- off, so they shot me in the head but didn't kill me. I came back and shot all those f---ers.” The ex-convict’s nickname comes from a wolf tattoo on one of his forearms. “A wolf is a wild animal; he doesn’t obey or answer ...

Learn More
Pacino received more leading roles after his success as Michael Corleone in The Godfather. One of those roles, Tony Montana in Scarface, would rival The Godfather as his most famous performance. Universal Pictures / Photofest

‘Scarface’ achieves cult status with Al Pacino in starring role

When Scarface premiered in 1983, starring Al Pacino as a Cuban drug trafficker in South Florida, the movie was regarded…

Learn More
Harry Anslinger ran the Bureau of Narcotics from its inception in 1930 to 1962. His policies led to strict drug enforcement and harsh penalties. Once describing marijuana as having “its roots in hell,” he was a vocal advocate of criminalizing it, which succeeded in 1937. Library of Congress

Bureau of Narcotics Commissioner Harry Anslinger led America’s crusade against drugs

Harry Anslinger is best known as the first head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN), the first in the…

Learn More
Before the filming of the now-iconic restaurant scene, Al Pacino and Francis Ford Coppola were on borrowed time with Paramount. The success of this scene convinced studio heads of Pacino’s capabilities.

Al Pacino’s new memoir ‘Sonny Boy’ charts his path to movie stardom

On the set of The Godfather, during the early days of filming, Al Pacino was worried about being fired. Francis…

Learn More
Tommaso Buscetta, center, was the first prominent Sicilian Mafia leader to become a government witness. His testimony contributed to the Pizza Connection trial in New York. Associated Press

Sicilian mafioso Tommaso Buscetta broke the sacred oath of omertà 40 years ago

In April 1988, mafioso-turned-informant Tommaso Buscetta testified before the U.S. Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which was investigating the state…

Learn More
International law enforcement agencies work together to fight cybercrime. This now-familiar notice appears whenever they successfully take down a cybercriminal group’s website. This notice is from the 2021 takedown of the ransomware group NetWalker, whose victims included the healthcare industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal Bureau of Investigation

The world’s top 5 cybercrime schemes

Last year a ransomware gang took control of the networks of two major casino corporations in Las Vegas. Caesars Entertainment…

Learn More
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

Author explores ties between mobsters and U.S. presidents

On a hot summer day in the early 1980s, Eric Dezenhall, then in his 20s and working in President Ronald…

Learn More
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…

Learn More