Om An Offer You Can't Refuse: the History of Organized Crime in the United States
An Offer You Can't Refuse is a podcast that focuses on the history of organized crime in the United States. It employs an academic approach to its study in that it places organized crime within the broader context of American history.
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We Only Close for Revolutions: the Sex Trade, the Mob, and the Cuban Revolution (00:32:55)
In this BONUS EPISODE of An Offer You Can't Refuse, Pettengill takes of the matter of an illicit sex trade that thrived in Havana as the Mafia's grip on the local economy tightened. He explores the "shows" at the infamous Theato Shanghai and analyzes it in the context of mid-twentieth century sexual norms to demonstrate how and why the Shanghai captured the imagination of American tourists. Pettengill also explores the career of Roderico "Rodney" Neyra and how his career as a choreographer allowed him to fuse Cuban culture with his dance shows at the Tropicana.
BONUS EPISODE: Interview of Historian, Frank Argote-Freyre (00:58:03)
In another BONUS EPISODE from the Havana miniseries, Pettengill sits down with historian, Frank Argote-Freyre. Dr. Argote-Freyre's scholarship focuses on Latin American history, including the Cuban Revolution. His book, entitled "Fulgencio Batists: From Revolutionary to Strongman," outlines the rise of Batista and underscores the corrupt regime he built in the process. Argote-Freyre notes that while the Mafia was certainly a force to be reckoned with in Havana, it would be a gross overstatement to say they ran the island. In short, Dr. Argote-Freyre demonstrates what many of us get wrong about the intersection of the Mafia and the Batista regime.
BONUS EPISODE: Interview of Crime Journalist, Chris Dalby (00:53:24)
In this BONUS EPISODE of An Offer You Can't Refuse, Pettengill sits down with renown crime journalist, Chris Dalby. Dalby's expertise is grounded in the rise and evolutionary of the Mexican drug cartels. In this interview, we discover that there were numerous similarities between the ethnic-racial groups taken up on this podcast and the situation with the cartels. Racist policies, official stances taken by governing officials, and unintended consequences all led to the empowerment of the cartels, offering one potential view of organized crime in the twenty-first century.
"The Man with the Bad Eyes": Santo Trafficante, the Florida Don (00:39:48)
In another BONUS EPISODE, Pettengill focuses on one of the most powerful and important mafioso in American history - Santo Trafficante, Jr. Much like Meyer Lansky, Trafficante was instrumental in the making of a criminal empire in Cuba. But this is not a story that Pettengill can tell on his own. This episode features a Trafficante insider, a liason, the incomparable Joann "Joiew" Gallo.
BONUS EPISODE: the Ambiance Affluence: the Famed Casinos of Havana (00:38:47)
Pettengill's Havana miniseries begins in earnest with a look at the famed hotel-casinos of Havana and the mobsters who made the envy of the entertainment world. Specifically, Pettengill examines the Sans Souci, the Tropicana, and the Riviera but, like any good historian, he places them within the proper context of the postwar period. It is impossible to understand this world without noting the rise of the American middle class, the mid-twentieth century culture of conformity, or innovations within the airline industry. As Meyer Lansky, Santo Trafficante, and Martin Fox built their famous hotel-casinos, the "Havana in the 50s" culture began to take firm root.
"A Sucker's Paradise": Meyer Lansky and the Making of the Havana Mob (00:47:04)
Episode 25 embarks on a new miniseries, one focused on the Mafia's criminal empire in Cuba. While the miniseries will take up a variety of different topics, this episode is primarily focused on the groundwork Meyer Lansky laid to expand his operations into Havana. Nothing, however, would have been possible would have been possible without the help of the Cuban government. And, as Pettengill notes, the United States government had ensured there would be an American-friendly government in Cuba ever since consolidating their power in the region at the turn of the twentieth century. In sum, it is impossible to understand American history in the aggregate without understanding the development of the Havana mob.
"Bigger than U.S. Steel": Mainstreaming Crime in the Postwar Era (00:36:14)
In Episode 25, Pettengill moves on to examine the post-World War II era. Specifically, he notes how the world of organized crime began to resemble the postwar economic order. Similar to how corporate giants like Hershey or Anheuser-Busch, flush with cash from their wartime profits, crushed their competition through ruthless takeovers and consolidations, Chicago's Outfit absorbed the "neighborhood gang" when Lenny Patrick assassinated Benjamin Zuckerberg in 1944. Further to the East, Russell Bufalino streamlined everything from illegal gambling to "friendly" labor relations. Pettengill sees the postwar period as a critical turning point for the mob as crime was no longer connected to "place" in the same way it had been in the early and mid-twentieth century.
A Hoodlum Complex: Frank Sinatra, American Mass Culture, and the Mob (01:11:55)
Frank Sinatra was one of the most successful recording artists of the twentieth century. He was also one of the controversial figures within American mass culture. From the earliest days of his ascent, rumors abounded with respect to his alleged connections to the criminal underworld. In Episode 24, Pettengill examines these connections that intersect American culture, even in a twenty-first century context. But WAS Sinatra connected? Did a Don, ANY DON, make Harry Cohn...or Tommy Dorsey an "offer they" couldn't refuse? The answers are complicated.
BONUS EPISODE: Sin City, USA: the Culture of Conformity, the Sex Industry, and Las Vegas (02:04:17)
This BONUS EPISODE of An Offer You Can't Refuse is the last installment of the Las Vegas miniseries. In it, Pettengill tackles a central, albeit seedy, element of the Mafia's involvement in the city's economy - the sex industry. Pettengill begins the analysis with an overview of American burlesque and chronicles its development to Las Vegas in the early 1950s. He then moves on to discuss the sometimes blurry line between sex workers and Vegas hustlers. Of course, all of this is not without its proper historical context. Pettengill notes that the mid-twentieth century "culture of conformity," an adherence to notions of middle-class values and respectability, was a key feature in the allure Las Vegas' sex industry had for American consumers.
BONUS EPISODE: "A Place in the Sun": the Sands Hotel and Casino and the Mob (00:37:06)
In another BONUS EPISODE, Pettengill delves into the topic of one of the most storied, and mob-connected casinos in Las Vegas - the Sands. Describing the Sands as the "Murders' Row" of casino lineups, Pettengill chronicles the evolution of the casino from the heady days of the Kefauver Crime hearings to the heyday of the "classic" Vegas era, the early 1960s. As Pettengill notes, the fact that the Sands was literally being built with one of the most famous Congressional investigations into organized crime in American history in the political background was a testament to the staying power the Mafia held in Las Vegas.
BONUS EPISODE: "Welcome to the Moulin Rouge": Joe Louis, Civil Rights, and Mid-Century Las Vegas (00:42:28)
In this next BONUS EPISODE of An Offer You Can't Refuse, Pettengill investigates the intersection of civil rights and the history of Las Vegas. The Moulin Rouge was a casino that opened on the west side of the city in 1955. The west side was the heart of the Black community and, in addition to rivaling any casino on the Strip, the "Rouge" was a fully integrated establishment. Joe Louis, former heavyweight champion of the world and a massive star, was a part owner but, more importantly, he served as the official host of the casino, greeting guests with a robust "Welcome to the Moulin Rouge!" The case of the Moulin Rouge and Joe Louis represent a fascinating case study of the cross section of sport, civil rights, and organized crime in the mid twentieth century.
BONUS EPISODE: The Eyes of Texas: Benny Binion, the Horseshoe Casino, and the Evolution of Las Vegas (00:27:00)
In this BONUS EPISODE, Pettengill examines another Vegas pioneer, Lester "Benny" Binion. Whereas the Flamingo was designed to stimulate the senses, the Horseshoe strictly emphasized gambling in its purest form. Pettengill notes that Binion established practices that are now commonly associated with the Las Vegas experience such as comping, fine yet affordable food, and bottomless drinks for hard gamblers. And, true to the series, Benny Binion had unmistakable ties to organized crime in Las Vegas and beyond. As Pettengill points out, Benny Binion is a vivid reminder that the Mafia was never an exclusively Italian organization. It consisted of different races, ethnicities, and national origins. It even included Texans!
BONUS EPISODE: "Uncle Charlie Killed Dutch Schultz," an Interview with Author Alan Geik (00:33:23)
The Las Vegas miniseries continues with this BONUS episode. This time, Pettengill sits down with writer Alan Geik, the author of "Uncle Charlie Killed Dutch Schultz: the Jewish Mob, a Family Affair." Pettengill and Geik discuss the intricacies of the Jewish underworld, its alliances (and from time-to-time rivalries) with the African American community, urban history, the connections between Hollywood and the mob, and most importantly, the building of modern Las Vegas. Copies of Geik's book may be purchased through this link: https://www.amazon.com/Uncle-Charlie-Killed-Dutch-Schultz/dp/057887735X?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&dplnkId=00d86b3c-6525-4532-94aa-80569ed0294a or https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/uncle-charlie-killed-dutch-schultz-alan-geik/1142546822
BONUS EPISODE: Benjamin Siegel and the Opening Night at the "Fabulous" Flamingo, December 26, 1946 (00:20:16)
This BONUS EPISODE of An Offer You Can't Refuse is part of a Las Vegas miniseries that explores the connections between organized crime and the making of modern Las Vegas. In this episode, Pettengill examines the opening of the "Fabulous" Flamingo Casino. The Flamingo as well as its CEO, Benjamin Siegel, are Vegas institutions. But, as Pettengill notes, there is a lot of folklore and mythology that surround the event. Pettengill points out that the opening - actually a three-night affair - was relatively successful when it comes to underscoring the potential Las Vegas had for the mob. Siegel's downfall, it turns out, was grounded in the fact that he was not an experienced builder and the accompanying hotel was not finished by the time the event took place. Either way, the modern history of Las Vegas cannot be understood without a thorough overview of the opening of Flamingo. Be sure to check out the podcast on social media: https://www.facebook.com/An-Offer-You-Cant-Refuse-with-RS-Pettengill-106984195503985 and https://twitter.com/Consigliere_PhD
The Desert Oasis: the Mafia's Takeover of Las Vegas, 1941-1947 (00:42:08)
In Episode 23, Pettengill revisits the mob's conquest of the West. He notes that gambling and vice were fixtures of Las Vegas long before the mob showed up but what Moe Dalitz, Billy Wilkerson, and especially Benjamin Siegel brought was innovation. By focusing on the ways the Mafia profited from legalized gambling, Pettengill uncovers the evolution of modern Las Vegas - a luxury destination in the desert where an assortment of characters came together to gamble away their fortunes.
For Love of Country...and Family: the Mafia, World War II, and Operation Underworld (00:45:41)
Episode 22 deals with the outbreak of World War II and the mafia's involvement. Pettengill notes that the early stages of the war went very badly for the Americans. The Navy lost dozens of ships in the first year alone. Many charged Nazi sabotage, specifically along the New York docks. To that end, mafiosi like Luck Luciano may be able to help. They could offer vital information to stop the German sabotage. And the involvement did not stop there! Pettengill points out that the Mafia also supplied critical information that may have helped the Allies liberate Italy through the invasion of Sicily. The war also gave the mafia an opportunity to reinvent itself. The Office of Price Administration capped consumption of materials that were desperately needed for the war, which created a thriving black market. And numerous mafiosi were more than happy to supply the desired good.
Anti-Fascist Mafiosi: Organized Crime's Fight Against American Fascism (01:09:18)
Episode 21 explores the lead-up to World War II and the small but dangerous fascist movement of the late 1930s. Gangsters such as Meyer Lansky and Longy Zwillman resented the public display of Nazism on American streets. Judge Nathan Perlman also resented the public display of hate. So, the alliance was born. In this episode, Pettengill explores the relationship between Jews who had gone into the professions and those who entered into the ranks of organized crime. Although Perlman, Lansky, and Zwillman were not able to completely stamp out American fascism, as Pettengill demonstrates, they did give Americans the confidence to stand up to Nazis.
Hollywood Mafia: the Rackets and Los Angeles' Gangsters (01:10:50)
Episode 20 begins to piece together the moving parts of the West Coast mob. Listeners met Johnny Roselli, Mickey Cohen, and Tony Cornero in the previous episode. This episode will begin to weave the complex tapestry that was Hollywood's mafia scene. Pettengill notes how much of this process began when Al Capone tried to extend his influence into Southern California. It was unsuccessful but he did stumble upon Roselli in the process. And before long, Roselli became Capone's "man in Hollywood." Not to be outdone, the Eastern Syndicate sent their man, Benny Bugsy Siegel, to counter the influence of the Chicago Outfit. Sprinkled into the mix are individuals like Harry Cohn and Billy Wilkerson, who had complicated relationships with numerous underworld figures. Collectively, these individuals helped organized crime reinvent itself as the nation neared the Second World War.
Mafia Manifest Destiny: the Emergence of a West Coast Mob (00:57:14)
In Episode 19 Pettengill shifts the conversation to America's West Coast. Ever since Al Capone's 1928 trip to Los Angeles, mafia heads had dreamed of the potential the western rackets had to offer. The problem was that those western rackets weren't exactly open terrain. The City Hall Gang had owned the city's underworld since 1921. More notably, they controlled the LAPD. Conquering the West would be a process for the mafia but by the mid 1930s, the mafia's "Manifest Destiny" - a sea-to-sea empire - was beginning to take shape. Pettengill ends this episode by introducing listeners to the major players in this process, including but not limited to Johnny Roselli, Mickey Cohen, and Tony Cornero.
"I Do to Others What They Do to Me...Only Worse": Jimmy Hoffa, the Teamsters, and Organized Crime (00:36:05)
The conversation regarding unionism and the Mafia continues in Episode 18. In this episode, Pettengill explores organized crime's infiltration of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Jimmy Hoffa, a rising star within the union movement, was taking on not only the titans of industry but also rivals unions who were competing with him for dues-paying members. On the one hand, Hoffa needed the Mafia to stay out of the way when it came to their union-busting tactics and on the other hand, he needed some enforcers to beat back his union competitors. Hoffa used the Mafia's influence to secure unionism in the late 1930s but, as Pettengill notes, this did not come without a cost. Hoffa became incredibly powerful as a union leader but that power did not always serve the rank-and-file especially well.
Goons and Ginks and Company Finks: Organized Crime and Organized Labor in the Great Depression (00:43:45)
Pettengill's examination of organized crime in the Great Depression continues with Episode 17 and the Mafia's corruption of organized labor. Focusing on emerging industrial unions in New York, Los Angeles, and Detroit, Pettengill highlights the way organized crime infiltrated, hijacked, and ultimately profited from the desperation of the Depression and workers' attempt to protect themselves through the establishment of industrial unions. Over the course of the next few decades, the Mafia would extort millions of dollars from both labor and management as the unions became yet another racket in organized crimes portfolio.
The Lean Years? The Mafia Business Ventures during the Great Depression (00:45:34)
The Great Depression was one of the most critical time periods in American history. It had clear implications for changes in the federal government, American culture, and, of course, the economy. The Depression also had implications for the Mafia. In Episode 16, Pettengill examines organized crime's attempt to profit from the disaster that was the Great Depression. The Mafia emerged from the 1920s flush with cash and they looked for new rackets to create new revenue streams. The stars aligned perfectly for gangsters as down-on-their-luck Americans could no longer turn to traditional institutions to make ends meet. Gangsters like Lucky Luciano and Al Capone used the economic emergency to polish their image and streamline new rackets. Meanwhile in Harlem, Bumpy Johnson wrested control of the rackets back from Dutch Schultz and, in the process, became a force for building the Black community even if he was doing that beyond the bounds of the law.
The Law is Bigger Than Money - But Only If the Law Works Harder: the Fall of Charles "Lucky" Luciano (00:37:14)
Pettengill's overview of the intersection of organized crime and law enforcement continues in Episode 15. It begins with a brief review of the shortcomings of Torrio's organization. Luciano and his associates had learned from this limitation and developed an enforcement wing of the Mafia - Murder, Incorporated. Murder, Inc. took care a lot of the Mafia's problems but it also attracted a lot of attention from law enforce officials, including Thomas E. Dewey. Dewey took on both Luciano and Murder, Inc. directly. In the process, as Pettengill notes, this scrutiny put the Mafia in a precarious position. It was through the leadership of Frank Costello, the "Prime Minister," that the Mafia saw its way through this difficult time. By 1941, it became obvious that the Mafia had staying power and even the efforts of sophisticated public officials were not enough to take it down.
Get "Mr. Big": Law Enforcement Efforts to Counter the Emergence of Organized Crime (00:42:00)
In Episode 14, Pettengill examines the intersection of organized crime and law enforcement. Previous episodes have noted the importance of alliances between gangsters, like Lucky Luciano, and law enforcers. But by the end of the Prohibition years, many of those alliances had begun to fray. Violence and open corruption had raised the attention of prominent citizens in centers like New York and Chicago to the harm organized crime was doing to their home cities. As Pettengill notes, the result of this increased attention was the assemblage of Eliot Ness' "Untouchables" - a collection of elite Prohibition agents dedicated to taking down Al Capone. New York City had a similar story with the emergence of attorney George E. Dewey, who led a special investigation into the city's political corruption. In the end Ness and Dewey got their respective "Mr. Big" but neither did much to uproot organized crime as an institution. Due to their lack of understanding of what the Mafia was, how it operated, and what it hoped to accomplish, the government was unsuccessful at really eradicating organized crime as an institution in American life.
Bonus Episode: the 1919 Black Sox Scandal and the Convergence of Sport and Organized Crime (00:44:16)
BONUS EPISODE! Pettengill sits down with sports historian, Dr. Andrew McGregor, for an in-depth conversation focused on the intersection of baseball and organized crime. McGregor offers a detailed look into the history of early baseball and it quickly becomes apparent how and why an opportunity like the 1919 World Series was easy prey for seasoned gamblers like Arnold Rothstein. McGregor also provides a superb overview as to the potential for future exploration regarding the connections between sports and organized crime.
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