Stories of the American Mafia

Murder was their business. From a Brooklyn candy store, Lepke Buchalter and Albert Anastasia built Murder, Inc.-a killing machine that rose fast, ruled by fear, and fell even faster.

Rudy Giuliani unleashed RICO on New York's Five Families, using the Mafia Commission Trial to put powerful bosses behind bars and break the Mafia's grip on New York.

A joke. An insult. A death sentence. William "Billy Batts" Bentvena crossed the volatile Tommy DeSimone-and with Jimmy Burke involved, a night of drinking became a brutal mob murder.

For six years, FBI agent Joe Pistone lived as Donnie Brasco, infiltrating the Bonanno family, nearly becoming a made man-and bringing the Mafia down with 100+ convictions.

One shot. One missed kill. In 1957, Vito Genovese sent Vincent "The Chin" Gigante after Frank Costello. Costello survived-but the bullet changed the Mafia's balance of power forever.