The Law is Bigger Than Money – But Only If the Law Works Harder: the Fall of Charles “Lucky” Luciano

Episode transcript:

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.

Title
.