Up Against The Mob
Elie Honig spent fourteen years as a federal and state prosecutor in New York and New Jersey. In Up Against the Mob, he peels back the curtain on the real-life, inside stories of the modern-day mafia with unprecedented access to the people who lived them. In season two, The Springfield Crew, Elie tells the story of the shocking murder of mob boss Al Bruno, and the rise and fall of a powerful faction of the Genovese crime family.
New episodes drop every Wednesday starting March 1st.
Up Against The Mob is produced by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Our Editor's Take
The Up Against the Mob podcast tells real-life stories of mob violence. In each episode, prosecutor Elie Honig explores the greatest known mob crimes.
Podcast host Honig says catching mobsters is more thrilling than it appears on film. For more than a decade, He prosecuted people in the Mafia. The crimes were bloody and often included unusual weapons, like forks. Crimes could also be personal and motivated by vengeance and loyalty. Sometimes, members of the mob-even families-killed each other. The mob feared Honig and for good reason. He knew how to prove them guilty. In the Up Against the Mob podcast, he tells these stories.
In this podcast, Honig talks with psychologists, prosecutors, investigators, and criminals themselves. His episodes with mental health professionals like Maria Konnikova are revealing. In one episode, she theorizes "mob mentality" and why the mob fascinates. They also discuss how mobsters balance crime and family life. When exploring the life of the Genovese family, Honig talks with Michael Visconti. He was a successful criminal, the pride of his family. Why did Visconti provide evidence against them, and what crimes did he commit? He shares answers to these questions with Honig on Up Against the Mob.
Mob members need defenders like anyone arrested for a crime and preparing for a trial. Murray Richman is one such defender. He's defended the biggest names in the Mafia. While on opposite sides of the courtroom, Honig and Murray know more mob secrets than some of its top families. Yet their knowledge is not as intimate as undercover FBI Agent Joaquin Garcia. When he sneaked into the inner circle of the Gambino family, he became one of them. At least, it seemed that way. He's a mob and FBI legend.
How does one of the most dangerous mob bosses get shot down in public? Do juries trust mobster witnesses who betray their families and culture? Honig answers these questions through interviews and his personal experience with the mob. Up Against the Mob is for true crime fans and anyone who likes a good story.
Season 2
Season 1
