logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2023
1m 39s

Introducing... FIASCO: VIGILANTE

Leon Neyfakh
About this episode

The new season of Fiasco is out now on Audible. You can sign up for a free trial and listen at adbl.co/vigilante


In 1984, as a New York City subway train made its way downtown, a white man named Bernhard Goetz shot four unarmed Black teenagers he believed were going to rob him. The shooting and its aftermath came to embody the widespread fear of crime that reigned supreme around the country during the 1980s. The twist: Goetz became a cause célèbre — a folk hero to many who declared they were sick and tired of crime. His vigilantism was applauded, while his victims — Darrell Cabey, Troy Canty, Barry Allen, and James Ramseur — were marginalized and attacked in the press. This six-part series offers a panoramic but intimate view of how this era-defining story unfolded, giving voice for the first time to key players, and immersing listeners in the gritty, paranoid world of ‘80s New York City.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recommended Episodes
May 2023
Bernie Goetz
Ordinary guy turned vigilante icon, Bernie Goetz shook a crime-riddled New York City in 1984, after he shot 4 black teenagers on the subway. It created a rift within public opinion, and forced difficult conversations about race, self-defence, and gun rights. But when does self-de ... Show More
41m 22s
May 2023
Death Squad
A coup in Haiti empowers a new paramilitary squad, bold enough to face down the U.S. military. In Miami, the black book resurfaces – and the killings continue. ​​Available to all on May 18, 2023. Like what you hear? Follow us @kscope_nyc on Twitter and Instagram.See omnystudio.co ... Show More
33m 46s
Aug 2021
Introducing: Bad Cops
The true story of the rise and fall of Baltimore’s Gun Trace Task Force. Why do good cops go bad? Episode one available August 14th. With Jessica Lussenhop. 
3m 10s
Dec 2023
Episode 2: The Manhunt
The shocking Stuart shooting incites a massive dragnet for a Black man in a striped track suit. Armed with “stop and frisk” powers, police tear through the Mission Hill neighborhood. Virtually every young Black male is a suspect. Boston is gripped by fear. Race, class, crime and ... Show More
37m 52s
Oct 2024
S1 E9: The Associates
A botched mob hit transforms Michael ‘Cookie’ D’Urso into an undercover informant, setting the stage for a takedown of the Genovese crime family. ----- Mike Campi's new book "Mafia Takedown: The Incredible True Story of the FBI Agent Who Devastated the New York Mob" is available ... Show More
44m 5s