Ep 1. Mob Rule

Set in the mid-20th century in New York City, Fear City: New York vs the Mafia is a documentary series that explores the deadly struggle between the authorities and the city’s most powerful crime syndicates. Through interviews with former police officers, prosecutors, and mobsters, as well as archival footage, the show provides a comprehensive look at a pivotal period in the history of organized crime in America.

In episode one, titled Mob Rule, viewers are introduced to the backdrop of the series: the political and social landscape of New York City in the 1970s, which had become a hotbed of criminal activity. The five most powerful mafia families – the Bonannos, Colombos, Gambinos, Genoveses, and Luccheses – had consolidated their power over the decades, and were engaged in a violent struggle not just with each other, but also with law enforcement and government agencies.

The episode begins with footage of the infamous Son of Sam serial killer, who terrorized the city during the summer of 1977. The murders had created a sense of panic among the public, and police officers were assigned to protect women with long hair, as the killer had targeted women with such hair. The mafia, meanwhile, had long pushed for a tenuous peace between the various families, but the decade of the 1970s had been marked by a series of brutal hits and power grabs, leaving the city on edge.

The show then turns to a series of interviews with former law enforcement officials, who provide a sense of the overwhelming power of the mafia at the time. From union bosses and construction contractors to politicians and judges, organized crime had its tentacles in nearly every type of business in the city. Prosecutors were often stymied by witness intimidation and jury tampering, and law enforcement officials were frequently hamstrung by corruption.

One former police officer, for example, recounts his role in an undercover operation that led to the first prosecution of a mafia boss on RICO charges (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act). He tells of the intense surveillance he and his team underwent to make sure that their cover wasn’t blown, and the reveal of the massive sums of money changing hands – millions of dollars at a time – as part of mafia-run construction projects. The episode also provides details of other high-profile mafia prosecutions, such as the Commission Trial, which brought the top bosses of the five families to trial.

One of the most fascinating parts of the episode, however, is the inclusion of interviews with former mafia members, some of whom have never before spoken on camera. Their voices – speaking about the power plays and rivalries that defined their lives for decades – provide a window into the inner workings of these secretive groups. One former mob associate recounts how he was used to funnel bribes to a city councilman, while another speaks of carrying out hits for his boss. The interviews help to dispel some of the myths around the mafia, and give a sense of why so many people were drawn into a life of organized crime, despite its risks and violence.

Throughout the episode, viewers are reminded of the stakes of the struggle between the authorities and the mafia. As one former prosecutor puts it, “when the mafia wanted you dead, they killed you. And you didn’t need to be in the mafia to get killed.” A sense of paranoia runs throughout the interviews, underscoring how deadly and lawless the era really was.

Overall, Mob Rule provides a gripping introduction to Fear City: New York vs the Mafia. The first episode presents a stark view of a city wracked by crime and corruption, struggling to assert its authority over extremely powerful and well-connected criminal organizations. Through its use of archival footage and in-depth interviews, the episode paints a complex, nuanced portrait of a pivotal moment in the history of organized crime – one that still reverberates today.