Caviar has been considered a delicacy since ancient times. But when the Soviet Union collapsed, a black market flourished—and kicked off gang wars along the coasts of the Caspian Sea. Then, years later, the caviar mafia came to a tiny Missouri town. But its maritime mobsters hadn't reckoned with an experienced undercover cop and an ingenious plan that would ... Show More
Mar 10
The Narco Fugitive who Took Over an African Country
When a 2023 club brawl ended in a Freetown, Sierra Leone parking lot shooting, cops and reporters pointed the finger at “Omar Shariff,” a portly Turkish millionaire who’d spent much of the past six months throwing cash about at the city’s casinos and top-end restaurants. But Shar ... Show More
53m 22s
Mar 3
El Mencho Dead! And Mexico Explodes
We told you his life story in our 2022 episode, and now we're back with the sequel. El Mencho rose from poverty to build the CJNG into Mexico’s most violent and influential cartel, trafficking fent, meth and coke across the hemisphere. After years on the run with a huge U.S. boun ... Show More
1h 12m
Apr 2019
“The Cocaine Godmother” Pt. 2: Griselda Blanco
After a DEA investigation forced Griselda Blanco to flee New York City in 1975, she returned to her hometown of Medellin, Colombia to run her cocaine operation from the shadows. There, she met a protege who would soon become her deadliest rival: Pablo Escobar. Parcasters - The US ... Show More
44m 28s
Sep 2019
E163: The Saint Valentine's Day Massacre
On February 14th, 1929, Chicago was shocked by the most violent crime the city had ever seen, when 7 gang affiliated men were gunned down simultaneously. The attack was the culmination of a gang war that had lasted for 9 years, and had a marked effect on organized crime in the ci ... Show More
58m 7s
Dec 2020
LA County Sheriff’s Gangs Pt. 5: The East LA Banditos
In East LA, a group of deputies named the Banditos stand accused of running the sheriff’s substation like a gang, institutionalizing a culture of fear and retaliation. And while they’re intimidating civilians and colleagues alike, they may be protected by the very top of the depa ... Show More
42m 55s
Oct 2022
The Age of Pirates | Blackbeard and the Flying Gang | 3
<p>In 1717, the pirate known as Blackbeard launched an attack along the Atlantic seaboard, disrupting international trade and striking terror into sea captains and colonial governors. Working with his sidekick, the “Gentleman Pirate” Stede Bonnet, Blackbeard blockaded the busy po ... Show More
36m 48s
Apr 2019
“Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run” - The Cleveland Torso Murders
When a torso washed up on the banks of the Cuyahoga River in 1937, the police initially assumed a crime of passion. But when the next torso was found, they knew they had a serial murderer on their hands. Nicknamed the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run, a notorious killer stalked the s ... Show More
44m 27s
Jun 2017
E48: The Villisca Axe Murders
One night in the sleepy town of Villisca, Iowa, 8 people were hacked to death in their beds. Prior to this, Villisca had been a thriving, prosperous, and mostly crime-free town. Afterwards, Villisca would never be the same. Carter and Wenndy re-examine the day leading up the Vill ... Show More
38m 47s