Gangland Wire Blog

Nick Civella – A Reporter’s View

Bill Norton covered the Kansas City mob boss Nick Civella and the crime beat for the Kansas City Star newspaper from his first day as a reporter. In the 1970s, the KC Police Department furnished a bare bones office with one desk and a telephone for the crime reporter. Bill did not report to the […]

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Scott Burnstein and the Detroit Mob

Support Gangland Wire Scott Bernstein was one of my first contacts in the true crime mob world. I found his website and blog Gangster Report and realized this guy was a serious student of organized crime. another thing I notices was he also had developed his own sources within the criminal organizations as well as law

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New York City Terrorized by Mad Bomber

  George Peter Metesky became known in the press as the Mad Bomber when he  terrorized New York City for 16 years in the 1940s and 1950s with explosives that he planted in phone booths, storage lockers, and restrooms in public buildings, including Grand Central Terminal, Pennsylvania Station, Radio City Music Hall, the New York Public Library, the Port Authority Bus Terminal and the RCA

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Melvin Purvis and the Battle of Little Bohemia

Support Gangland Wire The famous and controversial F.B.I. agent Melvin Purvis was most famous for his fanatical pursuit of the Midwest bank robbing gangs led by John Dillinger and George “Baby Face” Nelson. We like to find those other lesser known stories about well known criminals and the men who investigate them. We found a

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William Hanhardt – Cop on the Chicago Outfit payroll

William Hanhardt as he leaves the Federal Building. Guv claims he masterminded a jewelry thief ring including the time he served as Chief of Detectives for the Chicago Police Department. CST/Brian Jackson In the 1950s, most large Police Departments had a few corrupt officers. We were not different here in Kansas City. We got a

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David Schratwieser – Mob Reporter

  As we continue with our Media and the Mob series on the first Monday of each month, this week Aaron and I interview veteran Philadelphia television reporter Dave Schratwieser who has been an investigative reporter with Philadelphia FOX 29 News  since 1994. Dave has investigated Philadelphia organized crime and corruption as well as government and

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Frank Calabrese Jr. Part 2

Support Gangland Wire   In part 2, Frank goes into how his father groomed him as a teenager for the Outfit life and his adult life as a soldier in the Calabrese crew ran by his uncle, Nick Calabrese. He describes how the Calabrese Frank at Mob-Con crew became the “go to” hit team for

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Frank Calabrese Jr. Part 1

Support Gangland Wire Aaron and I interview Frank Calabrese Jr. and learn the inside story of what it is like to grow up in an Outfit family and then go into the family business. Frank Calabrese Sr. separated his work life from his family until he realized his namesake son, Frank Calabrese Jr., had the

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