1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of I Heart Radio. Welcome 2 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 1: back to the show Ridiculous Historians. Thank you, as always 3 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:33,280 Speaker 1: so much for tuning in. Shout out to super producer 4 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 1: Mr Max Williams. What what? Oh? Shout out to the 5 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 1: one and only Mr Noel Brown? What what? Hello? And 6 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 1: uh and uh. Shout out to you folks for joining 7 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:46,240 Speaker 1: us for part two of a very weird story about 8 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: the US Navy and the mob. They called me ben 9 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:55,480 Speaker 1: Uh what? Thanks man. We had a we've got some 10 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 1: frenetic energy here, but this is a meaty two partner 11 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:02,279 Speaker 1: for us and and off air or at the very end, 12 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:04,400 Speaker 1: I think it was of part one nal We had 13 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:13,399 Speaker 1: promised to explain the name Baby Shacks. Yeah, Luigi, Baby Shacks. 14 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:20,199 Speaker 1: Pinoccio is alive. He is. He's alive right now. He's 15 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 1: from Rhode Island, living out his twilight years and Martha's vineyard, 16 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:28,280 Speaker 1: no doubt. Uh. We figured out why he has the 17 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:31,279 Speaker 1: nickname baby Shacks. For a while he was called Baby 18 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 1: Shanks and that was incorrect. That bothered him. His name 19 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:37,959 Speaker 1: Baby Shacks and all you said it sounded like it 20 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 1: might be a little untoward every use. Well, he got 21 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 1: the name for two reasons. First, people thought he had 22 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 1: a baby face when he was a youngerhood, but that 23 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 1: nickname was already taken, so they could call him baby face. 24 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 1: And he had a reputation for quote shacking up with 25 00:01:56,600 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 1: a cavalcade of women, perhaps of the underage variety. I don't. 26 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:05,560 Speaker 1: I I think just uh people who met in the 27 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:08,240 Speaker 1: mob lifestyle. But still baby shacks feels like a grosser. 28 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:11,119 Speaker 1: At one time, I was walking down Ponce where old 29 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 1: office used to be, and I heard somebody with one 30 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: of the most disturbing street names I've heard in a while, 31 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 1: Little Daddy. This lady was telling you stop right there, 32 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:24,679 Speaker 1: a little daddy. Yeah, maybe that was just a term 33 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 1: of endearment. Perhaps I don't know. I'm uncomfortable. I I 34 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 1: remained uncomfortable. But yeah, So this is where we're in 35 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: Part two. We've kind of got the meeting of the minds, 36 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 1: the aligning of some very unlikely partners towards a common goal, 37 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:46,880 Speaker 1: uh that being fighting the Nazis. Yeah, yeah, and we 38 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:49,640 Speaker 1: we set up a lot of the context for this 39 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:53,800 Speaker 1: thing that becomes known as Operation Underworld. We're just gonna 40 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 1: dive right in. So if you haven't listened, to part two. 41 00:02:56,320 --> 00:03:00,359 Speaker 1: Yet go ahead and pause. We'll wait and we'll see 42 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:14,640 Speaker 1: on the other side. Great, welcome back, welcome, welcome. Okay. 43 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 1: So I love how you set this up, because these 44 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 1: really are strange bedfellows, right, this is like the wolves 45 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 1: of the Lions working together. Perhaps some lambs in there 46 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:29,520 Speaker 1: as well. They've decided to truce and not eat each 47 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:33,359 Speaker 1: other or at the very least, you know, mall each other. Um. So, 48 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 1: this Underworld operation, Operation Underworld involves the underworld, you know, 49 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 1: the world of organized crime. And we know even within 50 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 1: the world of organized crime, you have these factions often 51 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 1: aligned along ethnic kind of divides. Right, You've got the 52 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 1: Italian organized crime, You've got the Irish organized crime, and 53 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:58,040 Speaker 1: never the twain shall meet under most circumstances. But again, 54 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 1: pretty universal idea that Nazis are bad. Um So this 55 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 1: kind of became this sort of common cause that they 56 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 1: joined forces with the governments who would be the greatest 57 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 1: enemy of organized crime, you know, folks who would be 58 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 1: normally seeking to put them away. And it's not like 59 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 1: they're aligning with the FBI exactly, but still the Navy, 60 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:21,120 Speaker 1: you know, it's a branch of the U. S Military, 61 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 1: which is all kind of interconnected in that same way. 62 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 1: So we talked earlier about how could this work, you 63 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:31,239 Speaker 1: know down the line where if they're kind of cooperating 64 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 1: and using their underworld connections in league with the government, 65 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:37,600 Speaker 1: how how could they be assured that this would not 66 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:39,919 Speaker 1: be one day used against them. I don't know that 67 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 1: we necessarily are going to be able to answer that question. 68 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:45,080 Speaker 1: It does seems like that whole Nazi problem was enough 69 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:47,360 Speaker 1: to cause them to just kind of roll the dice 70 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 1: on this one a little bit, right. Yeah, then, you know, 71 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:55,239 Speaker 1: we've all been in those situations, maybe not necessarily fighting Nazis, 72 00:04:55,279 --> 00:04:59,680 Speaker 1: but where we find ourselves in cahoots with the strangest 73 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:04,919 Speaker 1: people right in our lives. And this happens across every industry, 74 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:09,960 Speaker 1: including the industry of crime. So we're setting up this alliance, right. 75 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: The first guy to join in is the president of 76 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:19,279 Speaker 1: the International Longshoreman's Association, a guy named Joseph Ryan, along 77 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 1: with his sidekick Johnny COCKA done m Yeah, he had 78 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 1: a bit of a squint. So next, uh, we have 79 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:37,799 Speaker 1: um the high Lord Executioner as we talked about earlier, 80 00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:43,040 Speaker 1: Albert Anastasia, and Anastasia was a big dog and he 81 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:47,159 Speaker 1: was you know, he uh struck fear into the hearts 82 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:49,960 Speaker 1: of even his allies. Um So it was a really 83 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:53,560 Speaker 1: big get to have him on board because he was 84 00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 1: kind of the power behind the throne, and with his 85 00:05:56,520 --> 00:06:00,039 Speaker 1: word backing the US government, no one was going to 86 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 1: turned down any of these um requests for intel, right. Yeah, 87 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:09,159 Speaker 1: and so their coalition forms, uh cock eyed Dunne and 88 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 1: a guy named Jerry Sullivan are overseeing the west Side waterfront. 89 00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:16,880 Speaker 1: A guy named Joe Adonnas partners with Frank Costello to 90 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:21,119 Speaker 1: look at the Brooklyn side. And the guy's wife named Venus. Wait, 91 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:24,040 Speaker 1: what you know, don Venus and a donna? It's just 92 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 1: Greek mythology, Yes, Donnas Venus. Okay, yeah, I'm with you. 93 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 1: I'm with you. I think Adonnas is such a cool 94 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 1: last name, a cool surname that that guy probably didn't 95 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:37,800 Speaker 1: need a nickname totally. I bet he was a real 96 00:06:38,040 --> 00:06:40,960 Speaker 1: smoke show too. Um. So, you know, when you join 97 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:44,320 Speaker 1: a union, you get something called a union card. You 98 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:47,440 Speaker 1: sign a union card. Um. So they actually that's sort 99 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 1: of your ticket to the dance, right. And so a 100 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:56,599 Speaker 1: lot of these undercover naval operatives were issued union cards, 101 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:00,760 Speaker 1: which granted them a lot of access. They were able 102 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:04,640 Speaker 1: to infiltrate, you know, restaurants and bars and peers and 103 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:09,920 Speaker 1: truck depos and factories and various other of these mob 104 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:13,160 Speaker 1: aligned businesses because you know, I mean, the history of 105 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:17,360 Speaker 1: unionizing is very frost. We obviously know unions all at 106 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 1: all are a good thing when they look after the workers. 107 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 1: But they we know that from the start, with folks 108 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 1: like Jimmy Hoffa, the Teamsters Union all that, there's always 109 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:29,400 Speaker 1: been this kind of mob influence looming over the history 110 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:33,360 Speaker 1: of organizing workers. So it does kind of give it 111 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 1: a bit of a bad rap sometimes. Yeah, yeah, agreed. 112 00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:46,160 Speaker 1: And the Longshoreman's Association played a huge role in this overall, right, 113 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 1: that that sort of marriage of workers organizations and organized crime. 114 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:54,720 Speaker 1: The guy would mentioned earlier, Jerry Sullivan. He would later 115 00:07:54,920 --> 00:08:00,200 Speaker 1: go on to describe how, I guess the best way 116 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 1: to put it is, you know, if you're a hammer, 117 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 1: every problem looks like a nail, and the mob has definite, 118 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:11,000 Speaker 1: tried and true business practices, so they enforced things in 119 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:14,800 Speaker 1: a mob way. Uh. Sullivan says. Lasky was solving the 120 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:17,280 Speaker 1: problem for the Navy on the waterfront by the visible 121 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:20,080 Speaker 1: deployment of some of the most ruthless gangsters in the city. 122 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:22,480 Speaker 1: It was expected that the mere appearance of these men 123 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:25,080 Speaker 1: on the piers would serve as a deterrent, a warning 124 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:29,119 Speaker 1: to cooperate with the US war effort would face the consequences. 125 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 1: So they were just intimidating, right, am I reading that right? 126 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:34,960 Speaker 1: And you are totally reading that right. And by the way, 127 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 1: this comes from a fabulous piece on Warfare History Network 128 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:44,360 Speaker 1: by Gregory Peduto project Underworld, The U. S. Navy's Secret 129 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:49,079 Speaker 1: Packed with the Mafia not so secret now, absolutely right. 130 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:51,720 Speaker 1: I mean they this was kind of a desperate times, 131 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:55,120 Speaker 1: call for desperate measure situation pretty much across the board, 132 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:59,000 Speaker 1: because you know, Mobster's gonna mobster. I mean, it's not 133 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:01,760 Speaker 1: like you're gonna all of a sudden start to to 134 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:04,840 Speaker 1: to play nice because you're working with Uncle Sam. And 135 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:07,280 Speaker 1: in fact, that's probably what Uncle Sam wanted. You know, 136 00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:10,240 Speaker 1: they wanted them to flex on their behalf so that 137 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:13,400 Speaker 1: they could ensure getting the most accurate intel from some 138 00:09:13,559 --> 00:09:17,040 Speaker 1: very terrified, you know, individuals who knew that if they 139 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:20,440 Speaker 1: didn't cooperate that they would have hell to pay in 140 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:23,960 Speaker 1: the form of you know, busted kneecaps or worse. And 141 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:29,440 Speaker 1: this is this is still overseen by Commander Charles R. 142 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:36,760 Speaker 1: Half ended, and eventually this strange alliance creates a mercenary 143 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:40,920 Speaker 1: shadow army. This is oh, this is great. This reminds 144 00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:43,760 Speaker 1: me of Shadow Run. Honestly. Yeah, there's just some real 145 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 1: stuff that I want you to know kind of business. Yeah, totally. 146 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:50,360 Speaker 1: You got your street level thugs, the enforcers, the triggerman. 147 00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:53,800 Speaker 1: You got people whose day jobs are murdering folks and 148 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:56,840 Speaker 1: other guys who are smuggling stuff. You got kingpins with 149 00:09:56,920 --> 00:10:02,199 Speaker 1: international reach. There's a lot of violence because again, these 150 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:06,120 Speaker 1: guys have a very specific understanding of enforcement and they're 151 00:10:06,120 --> 00:10:11,600 Speaker 1: not worried about, uh, the constraints that government employees would have. 152 00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:14,600 Speaker 1: And that's exactly what we see with you know, black 153 00:10:14,679 --> 00:10:18,000 Speaker 1: sites and um, you know what like what do they 154 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:21,000 Speaker 1: call it, like ghost recon kind of you know, I'm 155 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:22,679 Speaker 1: not I'm talking about video games, but you know what 156 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:24,160 Speaker 1: I'm saying, like a lot of these things where they 157 00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:27,480 Speaker 1: disavow any knowledge of the operation in the event that 158 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:30,679 Speaker 1: someone's captured or discovered or whatever, and that is so 159 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:34,120 Speaker 1: that they can employ some tactics that are maybe not 160 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:38,719 Speaker 1: officially sanctioned by the US government, and that is absolutely 161 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:44,200 Speaker 1: on full display here under Commander Haffenden, who you know, 162 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:48,280 Speaker 1: couldn't have been blissfully ignorant to to to the fact that, 163 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:50,720 Speaker 1: you know, to make an intel omlet, you gotta break 164 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 1: some arms and legs, oh gosh, and yeah, and definitely 165 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:58,120 Speaker 1: some next too. There's even there are specific examples. Commander 166 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:01,959 Speaker 1: Halfdan sent this guy cock eye done, and he said, hey, 167 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:04,880 Speaker 1: go look into these two, these two dudes that we 168 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:12,240 Speaker 1: think might be German agents, and uh he killed them. 169 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:14,000 Speaker 1: He just he went and killed him. Like, what do 170 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:15,679 Speaker 1: you mean I took care where you said take care? 171 00:11:15,679 --> 00:11:20,920 Speaker 1: You said wink wink, nudge nudge, you know, uh yeah, 172 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:25,200 Speaker 1: and and and again. In that Warfare History Network article 173 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:29,360 Speaker 1: by Gregory Produdo, he had this to say. I love 174 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:32,200 Speaker 1: the way he framed it. Um. He referred to it 175 00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:38,360 Speaker 1: as a mob land one way ride. It's never heard before, 176 00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:40,520 Speaker 1: but you kind of know what that means. It's nice 177 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:44,040 Speaker 1: and descriptive. You're not coming back. There were also wire 178 00:11:44,080 --> 00:11:48,720 Speaker 1: taps being deployed that we're recording some of the reports 179 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:52,480 Speaker 1: of some of these off the books operations. And here 180 00:11:52,520 --> 00:11:55,320 Speaker 1: is a quote from actually one of these, uh these taps, 181 00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:58,160 Speaker 1: one of these recordings from I believe Mr Kak I 182 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:02,600 Speaker 1: they'll never bother us to get he said with dire finality. 183 00:12:02,920 --> 00:12:04,840 Speaker 1: I think we know it that they'll never bother us again, 184 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:10,240 Speaker 1: because there I'm not gonna be around exactly. Well, the 185 00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:15,760 Speaker 1: Navy did, officially, you know, kind of frown on this. Um. 186 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:19,040 Speaker 1: They just couldn't keep tabs on somebody like that. And 187 00:12:19,080 --> 00:12:22,079 Speaker 1: you're not gonna be able to change. He can't. He 188 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:24,240 Speaker 1: can't take the fight out of the mad dog. You know, 189 00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:27,520 Speaker 1: you can't do it. And just the thing, Operation Underworld 190 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:33,240 Speaker 1: is a success. It works like warfare. History Network points out, 191 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:37,160 Speaker 1: once the mafia got involved and they had the coalition 192 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:41,160 Speaker 1: solidified and they had united everybody, there was not a 193 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:46,120 Speaker 1: single act of sabotage sus suspect fire that occurred. There 194 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:49,680 Speaker 1: weren't even labor strikes, you know. I think I think 195 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:54,800 Speaker 1: the mob was treating this as um kind of a 196 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:59,959 Speaker 1: co sign from the government and whatever, and wanted to 197 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:04,880 Speaker 1: show that they were good at their jobs, which yeah, 198 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:10,200 Speaker 1: I mean good being a relative term here, and they 199 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:21,160 Speaker 1: actually started kind of going a little rogue, right yeah, 200 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:26,319 Speaker 1: because remember Lucky Luciado is locked up, but he's very 201 00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:30,679 Speaker 1: much alive, and he's reading reports about all these Allied 202 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:33,600 Speaker 1: victories and he says, I want to be part of 203 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:37,160 Speaker 1: the action. And he's he's thinking again in Mafio so terms. 204 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:39,520 Speaker 1: He's thinking, you know, I did you a solid I 205 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:42,920 Speaker 1: did you a favor US government. You know, you should 206 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:47,160 Speaker 1: be grateful because I I my people helped you over 207 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:53,280 Speaker 1: there at the port. And uh. And he's thinking more. Yeah, 208 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:56,520 Speaker 1: they'll even owe me more if I step forward for 209 00:13:56,720 --> 00:14:00,959 Speaker 1: active duty. He says, I'm gonna volunteer tact a scout 210 00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:04,920 Speaker 1: for frontline troops. I'll parachute into this is true, this 211 00:14:04,960 --> 00:14:08,480 Speaker 1: is crazy, right, I'll parachute into action behind enemy lines. 212 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:11,760 Speaker 1: And then I'll use my influence to help turn the 213 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:16,160 Speaker 1: tide of the war for the United States. Yeah. Uh, 214 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:18,160 Speaker 1: and you know he he was right, he was reading 215 00:14:18,160 --> 00:14:23,960 Speaker 1: it right. The government was grateful. Um, they did look 216 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:28,080 Speaker 1: at this as an opportunity. Um. And uh. It ultimately 217 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:30,960 Speaker 1: ended up kind of working out, maybe not exactly the 218 00:14:30,960 --> 00:14:33,440 Speaker 1: way he had planned, but definitely in a way the 219 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:37,800 Speaker 1: benefit of Luciano. By January, the Allies were operating and 220 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:43,520 Speaker 1: offensive in the Mediterranean. Um. They had defeated the Italians 221 00:14:43,560 --> 00:14:47,680 Speaker 1: and the Germans already in North Africa. Uh, and we're 222 00:14:47,680 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 1: now trying to open up a another front um in 223 00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:56,720 Speaker 1: Europe to really put the screws to Hitler because the 224 00:14:56,800 --> 00:15:01,440 Speaker 1: Germans were busy fighting the Soviets U in Russia. As 225 00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:03,440 Speaker 1: we know, they are a very very very important part 226 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:05,640 Speaker 1: of this conflict to you know, in terms of like 227 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:08,160 Speaker 1: I think it was largely Russian troops that were the 228 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:13,680 Speaker 1: first to liberate the concentration camps. And this brings the 229 00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:17,920 Speaker 1: mob back around because it addition to crime, the mob 230 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:21,560 Speaker 1: knows another thing very well, the nation of Italy, right, 231 00:15:21,760 --> 00:15:26,960 Speaker 1: and so there's this thing called the Casablanca Conference. Then 232 00:15:27,080 --> 00:15:31,360 Speaker 1: US President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill 233 00:15:31,680 --> 00:15:34,280 Speaker 1: get together. They chop it up, you know, they nash, 234 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:38,280 Speaker 1: they have some snacks, they jimpa Jabba, and they decide 235 00:15:38,880 --> 00:15:42,440 Speaker 1: that the Americans are going to support Churchill's plan to 236 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:48,840 Speaker 1: invade Italy under Mussolini. The Allies are thinking Italy is 237 00:15:48,880 --> 00:15:52,000 Speaker 1: the soft underbelly of Nazi Europe, and we've seen it 238 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:56,400 Speaker 1: describe multiple times in previous episodes just as this. So 239 00:15:56,440 --> 00:15:58,520 Speaker 1: they say, all right, how do we do this? Well, 240 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:01,680 Speaker 1: if we want to really really sock it to Italy, 241 00:16:02,280 --> 00:16:05,040 Speaker 1: then we have to attack the We have to attack 242 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:08,040 Speaker 1: Sicily first, and we're gonna do this with something we'll 243 00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:13,000 Speaker 1: call Operation Husky. Another fabulous resource for this one is 244 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:16,600 Speaker 1: Lucky Luciano and w W two's Operation Husky from the 245 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:19,920 Speaker 1: History Reader. Dispatches in History from the St. Martin's Publishing 246 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:24,240 Speaker 1: Group by Tim Newark highly recommend a full read of 247 00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:27,120 Speaker 1: that one as well. So they figured out where the 248 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:30,560 Speaker 1: Allies were going to position themselves, and Churchill then was 249 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:35,800 Speaker 1: forced to admit that the Americans did have a pretty 250 00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:39,480 Speaker 1: big advantage when it came to the Italians because of 251 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:43,360 Speaker 1: this situation. Yeah. Yeah, because there are a lot of 252 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:48,200 Speaker 1: people in Italy who have a favorable feeling for America 253 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:51,960 Speaker 1: or the United States specifically, and there are also a 254 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:55,320 Speaker 1: lot of citizens of the US who are of Italian descent. 255 00:16:55,560 --> 00:16:58,680 Speaker 1: This led Roosevelt to write to Churchill and a telegram 256 00:16:58,720 --> 00:17:01,760 Speaker 1: and say, it is my opinion that our military problem 257 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:04,440 Speaker 1: will be made less difficult by giving to the Allied 258 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:08,800 Speaker 1: military government in Sicily as much of an American character 259 00:17:09,359 --> 00:17:12,720 Speaker 1: as is practicable. So so despite being Allies, I mean, 260 00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:16,400 Speaker 1: Churchill would not have been fully looped in on this 261 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:20,320 Speaker 1: operation underworld situation, right, this is very much kind of 262 00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:26,280 Speaker 1: a back pocket kind of thing. Yeah, but they have suspicions. 263 00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:29,159 Speaker 1: They have suspicions. And again, this you know, whole like 264 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:34,480 Speaker 1: Italian American you know, trust or whatever thing really is 265 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:36,320 Speaker 1: just kind of a stand in for some of these 266 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 1: other things. You know, in terms of the position of 267 00:17:39,280 --> 00:17:41,080 Speaker 1: the mob in the United States, he would have been 268 00:17:41,119 --> 00:17:44,119 Speaker 1: aware of that at the very least. And you know 269 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:47,880 Speaker 1: there were this organized crime in England as well. Uh. 270 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:51,640 Speaker 1: And we know that Churchill had doubts because he did 271 00:17:51,680 --> 00:17:56,520 Speaker 1: agree with Roosevelt. But then he also secretly wrote to 272 00:17:56,840 --> 00:18:02,240 Speaker 1: the UK ambassador in d C and said, uh, I'm 273 00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:06,440 Speaker 1: not I'm not sure that all the Italian American connects 274 00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:09,399 Speaker 1: Roosevelt is talking about are on the up and up. 275 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:12,679 Speaker 1: I feel like he's he's talking to his ambassador and 276 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:14,840 Speaker 1: he's going, bro, I feel like they might be saus 277 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:18,840 Speaker 1: I feel like they might be mafia people. And the 278 00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:25,040 Speaker 1: ambassador wrote back and said, Italian communities here have an 279 00:18:25,119 --> 00:18:29,720 Speaker 1: intimate knowledge and connection with Operational Husky and with Sicily 280 00:18:30,480 --> 00:18:35,720 Speaker 1: And he goes on to basically say, yeah, Churchy, I 281 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:40,720 Speaker 1: hear you but we gotta do what we gotta do. Omelets, eggs, 282 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:48,080 Speaker 1: you know, arms, legs, hands, next, Ah, this this is 283 00:18:48,119 --> 00:18:50,080 Speaker 1: gonna be a great song once we get the beat done. No, 284 00:18:50,320 --> 00:18:52,400 Speaker 1: I defer to you on that one. Thanks playing I'm 285 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:56,800 Speaker 1: on it so our cool improvised song. Aside, it is 286 00:18:56,840 --> 00:18:59,159 Speaker 1: undeniable that the Mafia is going to be evolved in 287 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:01,800 Speaker 1: this because this is in many ways, this is pretty 288 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:04,600 Speaker 1: much close to a home game for them, and there's 289 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:09,720 Speaker 1: a very important factor here. The Mafia hates Benito Mussolini 290 00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:12,600 Speaker 1: for good reason. We talked about that at the top 291 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:15,720 Speaker 1: of the show. You know, even though they many you know, 292 00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:18,600 Speaker 1: these folks are are in America at this point, you 293 00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:21,280 Speaker 1: know obviously, but they've got family likely you know, at 294 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:24,960 Speaker 1: home back in Italy. Uh and the kind of headquarters 295 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:28,119 Speaker 1: they are working in league with UM you know, O 296 00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:31,840 Speaker 1: G you know Um Costa Nostra, you know, in in Italy, 297 00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:37,000 Speaker 1: and Benito Mussolini is brutally cracking down on the Mafia, 298 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:40,920 Speaker 1: essentially causing them to have to go underground. So they, 299 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:45,320 Speaker 1: you know, for practical purposes, are really against this guy. 300 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:48,119 Speaker 1: So Luciano and some of his Sicilian pals, you know, 301 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:51,600 Speaker 1: back home are able to give the Americans some very 302 00:19:51,640 --> 00:19:56,280 Speaker 1: important information that helped aid their invasion. There's a report 303 00:19:56,400 --> 00:20:00,520 Speaker 1: from the Joint Chiefs of Staff that recommended this as 304 00:20:00,520 --> 00:20:04,280 Speaker 1: a kind of, you know, prerequisite for the invasion. It 305 00:20:04,359 --> 00:20:08,000 Speaker 1: advised quote establishment of contact and communications with the leaders 306 00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:15,920 Speaker 1: of separatist UH nuclei, UH, disaffected workers and clandestine radical groups. 307 00:20:17,160 --> 00:20:21,040 Speaker 1: Uh e g. The mafia. That's in it. I love 308 00:20:21,119 --> 00:20:23,320 Speaker 1: they said the quiet part out loud after saying the 309 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:26,600 Speaker 1: little veiled kind of version of it e g. The 310 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:31,800 Speaker 1: mafia and giving them every possible aid. Uh. And huge 311 00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:35,160 Speaker 1: shout out to all that's interesting dot com here and 312 00:20:35,359 --> 00:20:39,439 Speaker 1: um John Kurowski who who fact checked this article about 313 00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:42,359 Speaker 1: Operation Husky how mobster Lucky Liciano aid of the US 314 00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:45,560 Speaker 1: in World War Two. Great site and great read. Yeah, 315 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:50,359 Speaker 1: I love all this interesting And the US government goes 316 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:54,879 Speaker 1: for it. They get with the mafia associates. Uh. They say, Okay, 317 00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:57,879 Speaker 1: give us the pictures, give us the intel on the 318 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:01,760 Speaker 1: coastline of Sicily tell about the harbors. They get all 319 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:05,879 Speaker 1: this information. It's like, uh, it's like the mafia is 320 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:09,160 Speaker 1: an honor student going for that extra credit essay. They 321 00:21:09,200 --> 00:21:12,880 Speaker 1: get all that they wanted and more and this information 322 00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:18,040 Speaker 1: is crucial to the planning of the invasion amphibious landing 323 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:22,320 Speaker 1: in July. And believe it or not, some of these 324 00:21:22,359 --> 00:21:26,480 Speaker 1: Sicilian we'll call them contacts, so it's not to disparage 325 00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:30,280 Speaker 1: their good name. Some of these Sicilian contacts get into 326 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:33,720 Speaker 1: the wet work. They fight alongside the US forces against 327 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:39,879 Speaker 1: Germans and against Mussolini's Italian forces. And if you most 328 00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:43,520 Speaker 1: of the historical accounts you read about this credit Lucky 329 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:47,600 Speaker 1: Luciano that he had to connects. Again, like we said 330 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:51,120 Speaker 1: in part one, the guy loved to organize stuff. This 331 00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:54,120 Speaker 1: is speaking to his skill set, you know. And it 332 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:57,600 Speaker 1: is called organized crime after all, after all, they're pretty 333 00:21:57,640 --> 00:22:00,960 Speaker 1: they're pretty good at organizing. Lucky was exceptional. Even in 334 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:06,800 Speaker 1: this rarefied air code name Operation Husky, probably wouldn't have 335 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:10,720 Speaker 1: been as successful as it was without him. Definitely it 336 00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:15,080 Speaker 1: would have succeeded without the mob. And you can read 337 00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:20,400 Speaker 1: blow by blow accounts of how this went down and 338 00:22:20,560 --> 00:22:23,919 Speaker 1: how these these operatives when they were coming in from 339 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:27,399 Speaker 1: the U S side, they got list of names of 340 00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:31,800 Speaker 1: people in different crime families, people hanging out in Sicily 341 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:36,240 Speaker 1: doing different rackets, and those guys teamed up. I believe 342 00:22:36,280 --> 00:22:40,359 Speaker 1: it was a hundred and eighty one thousand soldiers from 343 00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:45,040 Speaker 1: the U. S. Army, six tanks, four thousand vehicles, a 344 00:22:45,040 --> 00:22:49,120 Speaker 1: lot of artillery. They they stormed it and the people 345 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:53,480 Speaker 1: at the very front were commander half of ins officers 346 00:22:54,240 --> 00:22:58,639 Speaker 1: from Operation Underworld. This was a Mafios production. So this 347 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:04,560 Speaker 1: Mafia safecrack. Paul Alfieri is a real b Any specialist. 348 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:08,200 Speaker 1: So during the phase of Project Underworld that took place 349 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:11,800 Speaker 1: in New York City, UH, he was crucial. He was 350 00:23:11,840 --> 00:23:14,320 Speaker 1: a very important key player. Uh. He was what you 351 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:18,320 Speaker 1: might call a cat burglar um and he was able 352 00:23:18,359 --> 00:23:23,920 Speaker 1: to infiltrate uh enemy safes and attain all of these 353 00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:28,159 Speaker 1: important classified documents, uh ciphers, you know, the keys that 354 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:30,560 Speaker 1: you would need to crack you know, codes you know 355 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:32,640 Speaker 1: the enemy. This was a time where there wasn't really 356 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:35,320 Speaker 1: encryption the digital sense that we know today, So it 357 00:23:35,359 --> 00:23:38,040 Speaker 1: was all about these you know, literal kind of like 358 00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:40,520 Speaker 1: codes and and and uh code breaking and all of 359 00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:43,879 Speaker 1: that was a really important part of military intelligence at 360 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:46,320 Speaker 1: the time. Um. You have to have the key to understand, 361 00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:48,720 Speaker 1: you know, the pattern and be able to like pull 362 00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:52,200 Speaker 1: out the actual intel from these uh, these these documents 363 00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:58,800 Speaker 1: that would appear as gobbledegook. So he actually earned an award, 364 00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:04,280 Speaker 1: I guess a major reward, the elite, the Legion of Merits. Yeah. 365 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:08,040 Speaker 1: So this is a mob guy who is raiding the 366 00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:11,560 Speaker 1: headquarters over in Sicily with the help of the U. 367 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:14,960 Speaker 1: S Army. Uh, and they say, Okay, we're gonna put 368 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:19,840 Speaker 1: together a group of insurgents. We're gonna build our own army. 369 00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:24,960 Speaker 1: Because everybody loves Lucky Luciano in the criminal underworld in Sicily. 370 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:28,280 Speaker 1: Every time they're asking someone for help, they bring up 371 00:24:28,359 --> 00:24:33,480 Speaker 1: Luciado's name and boom hearts and minds, gentlemen. And this 372 00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:38,680 Speaker 1: plan to make an insurgent army would probably have worked 373 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:43,200 Speaker 1: very well, but the timing was the timing was off 374 00:24:43,240 --> 00:24:46,520 Speaker 1: because other things were happening in the war. General Patton 375 00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:50,879 Speaker 1: beat them to the punch. On July twenty, he captured 376 00:24:51,359 --> 00:24:56,600 Speaker 1: the city of Palermo, the capital of Sicily, just two 377 00:24:56,720 --> 00:25:01,200 Speaker 1: hours before these other forces were do to come in 378 00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:05,960 Speaker 1: and wreck stuff. So, if anything, Operation Underworld was throwing 379 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:09,800 Speaker 1: gas on an already healthy fire, right, And so just 380 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:14,480 Speaker 1: thirty eight days after the invasion, Allied forces, including the Mob, 381 00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:19,760 Speaker 1: succeed in driving Mussolini's forces out of Sicily, and the 382 00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:23,520 Speaker 1: battle for that part of Italy is over. It's done, 383 00:25:23,920 --> 00:25:28,600 Speaker 1: they won, you know, and now we have to remember 384 00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:32,480 Speaker 1: here's what I think. I think for part of this. Yeah, 385 00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:35,440 Speaker 1: Lucky Luciado's patriot, he sees is doing the right thing 386 00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:38,400 Speaker 1: by the at least part of his pitch for him 387 00:25:38,440 --> 00:25:41,680 Speaker 1: going to Sicily in person was to get out of prison, 388 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:44,960 Speaker 1: right like, at least a little bit. Okay, this is 389 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:48,800 Speaker 1: a guy who thrives on crimes of opportunity, I mean, 390 00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:52,560 Speaker 1: no question about it. So he is okay, I'm glad 391 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:55,440 Speaker 1: to say that because he's still trying to get out 392 00:25:55,480 --> 00:25:59,760 Speaker 1: of prison. This whole Sicily invasion that's dependent upon his reputation. 393 00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:02,720 Speaker 1: It happens while he's locked up by the same people 394 00:26:02,760 --> 00:26:06,520 Speaker 1: he's helping. If you think about it, and uh, let's 395 00:26:06,520 --> 00:26:10,880 Speaker 1: go back to the mob. Attorney Moses Polakoff, very cool 396 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:17,000 Speaker 1: name in May of Polakoff says, you know, my client 397 00:26:17,840 --> 00:26:21,920 Speaker 1: has done an invaluable service, has helped you win Sicily, 398 00:26:22,119 --> 00:26:24,960 Speaker 1: has helped in a very real way, strike a blow 399 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:28,480 Speaker 1: in World War Two, and I believe that should at 400 00:26:28,560 --> 00:26:34,240 Speaker 1: least get him parole. So the State Parole board makes 401 00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:39,119 Speaker 1: a favorable report, and this report makes it to the 402 00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:45,160 Speaker 1: desk of the governor, a governor named Dewey who used 403 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:48,720 Speaker 1: to be a former prosecutor who made his name by 404 00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:54,600 Speaker 1: arresting a ton of people in uh in Luciano's sex rings. 405 00:26:55,080 --> 00:26:58,320 Speaker 1: My how the turntables, as they would say on the office, 406 00:26:58,680 --> 00:27:03,840 Speaker 1: it would say office. That's very true. So January three six, 407 00:27:03,960 --> 00:27:07,760 Speaker 1: the governor signed off on Luciano's parole. He had served 408 00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:10,000 Speaker 1: only nine and a half years of a thirty to 409 00:27:10,160 --> 00:27:15,040 Speaker 1: fifty year sentence. Oh how morality just goes out the 410 00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:18,000 Speaker 1: window and Uncle Sam has something to gain, you know. 411 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:21,600 Speaker 1: It really goes to show that it's all kind of 412 00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:24,480 Speaker 1: a it's a it's a very relativistic kind of way 413 00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:27,560 Speaker 1: of looking at um, you know, good and evil, right, 414 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:33,679 Speaker 1: and these very dewey. Governor Dewey is very careful about 415 00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:37,960 Speaker 1: how he phrases his decision. So Luciano, again, for those 416 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:40,000 Speaker 1: of us, played a long at home. He had been 417 00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:43,879 Speaker 1: sentenced to thirty to fifty years in prison. At this 418 00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:46,520 Speaker 1: point he's been imprisoned for a little under ten years, 419 00:27:46,600 --> 00:27:48,640 Speaker 1: nine and a half a long time, but still not 420 00:27:48,960 --> 00:27:50,760 Speaker 1: still not all the time. He was meant to serve. 421 00:27:51,280 --> 00:27:54,760 Speaker 1: And this is what Governor Dewey says. He says, this 422 00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:56,840 Speaker 1: is coming to us by the from the MOB Museum 423 00:27:56,880 --> 00:27:59,159 Speaker 1: dot Org, which we're very much looking forward to visiting. 424 00:27:59,840 --> 00:28:03,600 Speaker 1: He doesn't say this guy is great. He says, quote 425 00:28:03,680 --> 00:28:08,639 Speaker 1: Luciado is deportable to Italy. Uh pond entry of the 426 00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:11,800 Speaker 1: United States into the war. Luciado's aid was sought by 427 00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:15,760 Speaker 1: the Armed Services in inducting others to provide information concerning 428 00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:20,440 Speaker 1: possible enemy attacks. It appears that he cooperated in such 429 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:24,080 Speaker 1: an effort, though the actual value of the information procured 430 00:28:25,119 --> 00:28:27,800 Speaker 1: is not clear. And he goes on to talk about 431 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:31,960 Speaker 1: how this is definitely not a pardon because he's definitely 432 00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:37,400 Speaker 1: a criminal. Uh, and he's not, you know, a documented 433 00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:41,040 Speaker 1: US citizen. That's what he says. That's what the governor says. 434 00:28:41,080 --> 00:28:43,880 Speaker 1: So we're going to give him a ticket to Italy. 435 00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:49,240 Speaker 1: And this is essentially like what a deport is being 436 00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:52,800 Speaker 1: deported kind of, but like in a good way, because yeah, 437 00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:56,880 Speaker 1: it's like his sentences commuted, right. Uh. Yeah, it's weird. 438 00:28:56,960 --> 00:29:00,760 Speaker 1: And a lot of Dewey's political rivals don't like it, 439 00:29:00,840 --> 00:29:03,080 Speaker 1: you know what they say, They say, he got to 440 00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:05,880 Speaker 1: you the mob bribed you, that's why you're letting this 441 00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:09,000 Speaker 1: guy go. And it even goes into Senate hearings N 442 00:29:09,840 --> 00:29:14,760 Speaker 1: one and there were there's a lot of murkiness that 443 00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:17,360 Speaker 1: goes down in those Senate hearings, like a lot of 444 00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:23,800 Speaker 1: neither confirmed nor deny what Luciano did. What we see 445 00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:26,000 Speaker 1: here as a cover up begins, you know what I mean. 446 00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:29,680 Speaker 1: The Navy doesn't want to say, yeah, we got we 447 00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:32,160 Speaker 1: got in bed with organized crime to win a war. 448 00:29:32,640 --> 00:29:35,400 Speaker 1: Mm hmm. But but again, you know, it's like the 449 00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:44,880 Speaker 1: dead ends justify the means and all of that. But 450 00:29:45,040 --> 00:29:50,240 Speaker 1: what happened when Luciano went to Italy? You know, did 451 00:29:50,240 --> 00:29:52,800 Speaker 1: did he go back to his old ways? He is 452 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:55,800 Speaker 1: technically on parole, but for all intents and purposes, it 453 00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:59,520 Speaker 1: seems like he's kind of got a pass um. So 454 00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:03,800 Speaker 1: how did he conducts himself? Yeah, yeah, this is a 455 00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:09,240 Speaker 1: nice denu male to the story, right. So, like you said, 456 00:30:09,480 --> 00:30:15,800 Speaker 1: he tries to lay low and his name eventually gets 457 00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:19,000 Speaker 1: back in the news and there are these rumors that 458 00:30:19,040 --> 00:30:22,680 Speaker 1: he is running a band of thieves known as the 459 00:30:22,760 --> 00:30:26,480 Speaker 1: La Marca Gang and they are kind of a Robin 460 00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:31,400 Speaker 1: Hood enterprise, but they're running a human trafficking ring, and 461 00:30:31,440 --> 00:30:36,400 Speaker 1: there are gossip columns that says in Paris and he's uh, 462 00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:40,400 Speaker 1: hanging out with an ex lover, former show girl named 463 00:30:40,440 --> 00:30:43,800 Speaker 1: gay or LoVa. And then there's other stories that say 464 00:30:43,880 --> 00:30:47,080 Speaker 1: he makes it to Mexico. It turns out a lot 465 00:30:47,080 --> 00:30:49,400 Speaker 1: of this is just scuttle but right, a lot of 466 00:30:49,400 --> 00:30:52,720 Speaker 1: this is just rumors. And you know, like when people 467 00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:56,960 Speaker 1: say they've seen Elvis or Kurt Kobain or Jim Morrison 468 00:30:57,040 --> 00:31:00,440 Speaker 1: or something. But there is one that or not to 469 00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:06,000 Speaker 1: be correct. In October of that year, Lucky Luciado made 470 00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:10,600 Speaker 1: his way to Cuba. He sure did. Um. At that time, 471 00:31:11,040 --> 00:31:16,320 Speaker 1: the Mob was making waves into Cuba in the casino 472 00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:19,960 Speaker 1: and hotel industry, specifically in Havana UM. So it really 473 00:31:20,160 --> 00:31:23,120 Speaker 1: was kind of a home away from home for old 474 00:31:23,160 --> 00:31:26,960 Speaker 1: Lucky Luciano, and he was president at one of the 475 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:32,440 Speaker 1: biggest mafia meetings in history, referred to as the Havana Conference, 476 00:31:33,120 --> 00:31:34,560 Speaker 1: because I mean, you know, let's let's face it, the 477 00:31:34,640 --> 00:31:38,680 Speaker 1: Mob is so ubiquitous and far reaching. At this point, 478 00:31:38,680 --> 00:31:41,120 Speaker 1: they're kind of like their own government, you know, and 479 00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:45,320 Speaker 1: they operate again. At this point, they've they've leagued up 480 00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:48,640 Speaker 1: with the government. I mean, how much more um, I 481 00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:51,680 Speaker 1: guess validation do you need? And also just in terms 482 00:31:51,720 --> 00:31:53,960 Speaker 1: of like too big to fail or too big to 483 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:56,880 Speaker 1: actually be brought down. It wasn't until many years later, 484 00:31:56,920 --> 00:31:59,920 Speaker 1: with like Rico laws Um that they were actually able 485 00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:02,400 Speaker 1: to target the government was actually able to target the 486 00:32:02,440 --> 00:32:06,040 Speaker 1: mafia successfully, which is largely led to it holding much 487 00:32:06,120 --> 00:32:08,360 Speaker 1: less sway than it did in these days. But this 488 00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:11,000 Speaker 1: really was the kind of like, you know, heyday for 489 00:32:11,040 --> 00:32:14,960 Speaker 1: the mob. Yeah, yeah, very much. So his timing is great, 490 00:32:15,200 --> 00:32:20,000 Speaker 1: and Luciado meets with these different mob big wigs, some 491 00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:24,160 Speaker 1: you'll recognize from earlier parts of this story, like Frank Costello, 492 00:32:24,600 --> 00:32:27,480 Speaker 1: and he green lit a hit on a guy named 493 00:32:27,480 --> 00:32:34,280 Speaker 1: Benjamin Bugsy Siegel because Seagull was not doing a good 494 00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:37,640 Speaker 1: job running the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. And when 495 00:32:37,640 --> 00:32:40,880 Speaker 1: you work for the mob, you don't really have an 496 00:32:41,040 --> 00:32:44,320 Speaker 1: HR department who gives you write ups, so so he 497 00:32:44,440 --> 00:32:47,520 Speaker 1: killed up. But the conference was supposed to have ended 498 00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:52,360 Speaker 1: on a pretty good note. Uh for a second, Luciato 499 00:32:52,520 --> 00:32:56,880 Speaker 1: was once again feeling lucky, and then everything went wrong 500 00:32:57,040 --> 00:32:59,040 Speaker 1: because it turned out the entire time he had been 501 00:32:59,040 --> 00:33:02,200 Speaker 1: in Cuba Harry and Slinger, who was head of the 502 00:33:02,280 --> 00:33:04,760 Speaker 1: U s Bureau of Narcotics. And by the way, he 503 00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:07,760 Speaker 1: was a real pill not a good person. Uh. He 504 00:33:08,080 --> 00:33:11,880 Speaker 1: had been targeting Luciano the entire time he had been 505 00:33:12,080 --> 00:33:16,400 Speaker 1: had he had people following him. Uh. He was convinced 506 00:33:16,400 --> 00:33:20,400 Speaker 1: that Luciano was all the way back from Italy very 507 00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:23,080 Speaker 1: close to the US because he wanted to start a 508 00:33:23,240 --> 00:33:28,040 Speaker 1: drug ring and become king in the underworld again boss 509 00:33:28,120 --> 00:33:31,600 Speaker 1: of Bosses. Yeah, and I mean, and you know again, 510 00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:33,800 Speaker 1: a lot of the stuff that I know about this 511 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:37,080 Speaker 1: scene came from shows like Poor Gum Bayer and movies 512 00:33:37,120 --> 00:33:39,240 Speaker 1: like The Godfather, and I know that it was, I 513 00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:41,440 Speaker 1: mean a big plot point. And The Godfather is like 514 00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:45,360 Speaker 1: getting into drugs was sort of a new thing at 515 00:33:45,360 --> 00:33:49,000 Speaker 1: the time, and like, um Don Corleone you know, didn't 516 00:33:49,080 --> 00:33:50,800 Speaker 1: want to do it. He didn't want to get into drugs. 517 00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:53,480 Speaker 1: Ultimately what led to his downfall because he wouldn't play 518 00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:56,600 Speaker 1: play ball with uh whatever that rival gang was that 519 00:33:56,640 --> 00:33:59,480 Speaker 1: was trying to get him to agree to do to 520 00:33:59,720 --> 00:34:01,640 Speaker 1: sell heroin and stuff like that because he thought it 521 00:34:01,680 --> 00:34:04,560 Speaker 1: was bad for the community. You know. Um, So this 522 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:08,600 Speaker 1: idea of trafficking drugs really was relatively new for the mob, 523 00:34:08,719 --> 00:34:13,399 Speaker 1: and some folks weren't into it. Yeah, exactly right there. 524 00:34:13,480 --> 00:34:15,880 Speaker 1: You know, you see this sometimes where people say, well, 525 00:34:16,160 --> 00:34:20,400 Speaker 1: that's a dirty line of business, right, like we we're 526 00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:24,520 Speaker 1: just criminals. We're upstanding criminals rights, right, we have a code. 527 00:34:24,640 --> 00:34:27,440 Speaker 1: We have a code. Yeah, yeah, like like thieves in 528 00:34:27,520 --> 00:34:33,360 Speaker 1: law in Russia. But so the news about the Havana 529 00:34:33,480 --> 00:34:38,880 Speaker 1: conference breaks in the United States, and it kind of 530 00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:44,160 Speaker 1: breaks because Frank Sinatra shows up at the conference. He 531 00:34:44,239 --> 00:34:50,880 Speaker 1: does that's the concert. Oh yeah, and uh and so, 532 00:34:51,680 --> 00:34:55,640 Speaker 1: and Slinger is still like super mad about this. He's 533 00:34:55,719 --> 00:34:59,160 Speaker 1: kind of a hater. Uh. He goes to the State Department, says, 534 00:34:59,200 --> 00:35:02,440 Speaker 1: you have to force Cuba to deport Luciado. The Cuba 535 00:35:02,520 --> 00:35:05,600 Speaker 1: government says, now, we're not doing it, and Slinger goes 536 00:35:05,719 --> 00:35:09,000 Speaker 1: over over everybody's head. He goes straight to President Truman, 537 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:16,160 Speaker 1: and Truman cracks this deal. They cut off shipment for 538 00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:20,279 Speaker 1: medicines to Cuba and they say, we're not going to 539 00:35:20,440 --> 00:35:23,960 Speaker 1: let these medicines get to your people unless you arrest 540 00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:27,280 Speaker 1: like I Luciado and send him, pack him back to Italy. 541 00:35:27,920 --> 00:35:31,319 Speaker 1: That is greasy, that's dirty, pool Man and Cuba as 542 00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:35,080 Speaker 1: you can tell doesn't have a choice, so Luciado has 543 00:35:35,120 --> 00:35:37,719 Speaker 1: to get arrested. Yeah, it isn't interesting how like, you know, 544 00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:40,680 Speaker 1: trade embargoes and all that stuff are used throughout history 545 00:35:40,840 --> 00:35:44,640 Speaker 1: as a as a way of, you know, collecting folks 546 00:35:44,640 --> 00:35:47,400 Speaker 1: for doing things you don't like. Yeah, and it's you know, 547 00:35:47,480 --> 00:35:50,640 Speaker 1: it's it's morally very dirty because you're talking about collective 548 00:35:50,640 --> 00:35:55,200 Speaker 1: punishment innocent people, you know what I mean. But that's 549 00:35:55,200 --> 00:36:00,800 Speaker 1: that's the card they pull. And so it's February. Lucky 550 00:36:01,120 --> 00:36:07,640 Speaker 1: is arrested at a restaurant in Havana, and the head 551 00:36:07,680 --> 00:36:10,920 Speaker 1: of Cuba's secret police at the time says he was 552 00:36:11,040 --> 00:36:14,640 Speaker 1: arrested because they thought he might cause public disorder. And 553 00:36:14,680 --> 00:36:19,520 Speaker 1: then Lucky Luciado, who has a charming way of speaking, 554 00:36:20,480 --> 00:36:24,319 Speaker 1: tells tells a reporter for a wire service U p I. 555 00:36:24,840 --> 00:36:27,120 Speaker 1: He tells his side of the story, and he says, 556 00:36:27,280 --> 00:36:29,480 Speaker 1: you know, if the Cuban government doesn't want me here, 557 00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:32,040 Speaker 1: I'll just leave. He says, quote, if I'm gonna have 558 00:36:32,080 --> 00:36:34,239 Speaker 1: trouble on this side, I'll go back to Italy. I 559 00:36:34,320 --> 00:36:35,920 Speaker 1: just want to be nice and quiet. I want to 560 00:36:35,960 --> 00:36:39,520 Speaker 1: be kicked around like this for no reason, which is 561 00:36:39,560 --> 00:36:43,360 Speaker 1: just I don't know if you didn't know all the facts, 562 00:36:43,360 --> 00:36:48,839 Speaker 1: you could identify with him. And anyway, this pursuit of 563 00:36:48,920 --> 00:36:54,799 Speaker 1: Lucky Luciado continues when he gets back to Italy and 564 00:36:54,880 --> 00:37:00,440 Speaker 1: the Federal Bureau of Narcotics has a campaign again stant 565 00:37:00,640 --> 00:37:04,640 Speaker 1: for the rest of his life until he passes away 566 00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:09,320 Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty two. So what do you think, Crime Boss, 567 00:37:09,680 --> 00:37:12,080 Speaker 1: War Hero? A little bit of column A, A little 568 00:37:12,080 --> 00:37:14,839 Speaker 1: bit of column B. I mean you contained multitudes, that's 569 00:37:14,880 --> 00:37:18,160 Speaker 1: for sure. Yeah, this this whole story is bonkers because 570 00:37:18,160 --> 00:37:21,560 Speaker 1: it really shows again, you know, like I said before, 571 00:37:21,640 --> 00:37:25,920 Speaker 1: the kind of moving target that is morality, you know 572 00:37:25,960 --> 00:37:28,799 Speaker 1: what I mean, Like the ends justify the means and 573 00:37:28,840 --> 00:37:31,280 Speaker 1: all of that stuff. Like it really calls into question 574 00:37:31,320 --> 00:37:34,040 Speaker 1: like is the U. S. Government really that different from 575 00:37:34,120 --> 00:37:38,080 Speaker 1: organized craft? Right? Dare I say in my best Rod 576 00:37:38,120 --> 00:37:40,880 Speaker 1: Serling voice that doesn't even really sound like Rod Serling, 577 00:37:41,360 --> 00:37:43,440 Speaker 1: but um, yeah, it really. I mean that's that's why 578 00:37:43,440 --> 00:37:45,440 Speaker 1: I think the story is so interesting. It's such a 579 00:37:45,840 --> 00:37:52,680 Speaker 1: fascinating kind of intersection of these two worlds, both of 580 00:37:52,680 --> 00:37:56,640 Speaker 1: which are kind of populated by mercenaries and fox. Yeah. 581 00:37:56,800 --> 00:38:01,040 Speaker 1: No true story, true story. And this is where we're 582 00:38:01,040 --> 00:38:03,799 Speaker 1: going to leave it today. What a ride? You know. 583 00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:07,000 Speaker 1: Shout out, not just to use super producer Max Williams, 584 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:10,480 Speaker 1: but shout out to all the amazing Mob nicknames. You know, 585 00:38:11,480 --> 00:38:15,560 Speaker 1: I don't. I think we should save the other strange 586 00:38:15,640 --> 00:38:19,279 Speaker 1: nicknames we found for a future episode. Uh, you got 587 00:38:19,280 --> 00:38:23,440 Speaker 1: to do three. Let me do a couple here, Okay, yeah, yeah, 588 00:38:23,520 --> 00:38:29,399 Speaker 1: let's see. Uh we've got Joseph Joe Bananas Banano, so 589 00:38:29,680 --> 00:38:34,400 Speaker 1: I get it. Okay, Gay, we've got John Jackie knows Demico, 590 00:38:35,800 --> 00:38:40,640 Speaker 1: like I think my personal favorite. Um, let's see, it's 591 00:38:40,640 --> 00:38:43,240 Speaker 1: really it's it's a it's a tough one. I'm gonna 592 00:38:43,280 --> 00:38:49,040 Speaker 1: go with Israel. Ice pick Willie. I pick Willie. And 593 00:38:49,080 --> 00:38:51,440 Speaker 1: his name wasn't Willie or will his name was Israel. 594 00:38:52,600 --> 00:38:55,879 Speaker 1: That's great. That reminds me. I was talking to Max 595 00:38:55,920 --> 00:38:59,560 Speaker 1: off airman. Um. I can't remember what led to it. Uh, 596 00:38:59,760 --> 00:39:02,480 Speaker 1: maybe were stranded somewhere on the road for really that time, 597 00:39:02,600 --> 00:39:05,280 Speaker 1: want to win a little nuts and just like wrote 598 00:39:05,400 --> 00:39:08,399 Speaker 1: fifty nicknames for you and our pal Matt Frederick and 599 00:39:08,680 --> 00:39:12,319 Speaker 1: like insisted on pitching them to you, you know, insistence 600 00:39:12,320 --> 00:39:16,359 Speaker 1: require what um the well, to be clear, they were 601 00:39:16,440 --> 00:39:19,799 Speaker 1: not all winners, folks, but I think I think collectively, um, 602 00:39:20,200 --> 00:39:25,120 Speaker 1: our favorite one was Maddie both hands Frederick two hands. 603 00:39:25,120 --> 00:39:28,279 Speaker 1: Not only two hands, he's got those, but he's he 604 00:39:28,440 --> 00:39:32,400 Speaker 1: uses them both in equal measures. Uh that there was 605 00:39:32,440 --> 00:39:35,799 Speaker 1: I think, um, uh we maybe talked about this before, 606 00:39:35,800 --> 00:39:38,600 Speaker 1: but there's an episode of Monty Python where there's this 607 00:39:38,680 --> 00:39:42,360 Speaker 1: composer being interviewed on like a chat show and his 608 00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:45,840 Speaker 1: nickname is two Sheds, and they go into this whole 609 00:39:45,840 --> 00:39:49,040 Speaker 1: thing about like how he has two sheds and and 610 00:39:49,040 --> 00:39:51,640 Speaker 1: he's like, I'm not here to talk about my sheds, 611 00:39:51,680 --> 00:39:54,640 Speaker 1: and the interviewer it keeps, you know, diverting the conversation 612 00:39:54,680 --> 00:39:58,200 Speaker 1: back to insisting that he described his sheds as opposed 613 00:39:58,200 --> 00:40:00,720 Speaker 1: to me. I'm here to talk about my work, my music, 614 00:40:01,080 --> 00:40:04,239 Speaker 1: not the sheds. Um. And also I think, like, you know, 615 00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:07,920 Speaker 1: two hats is good. Maybe wears two hats. I like 616 00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:11,920 Speaker 1: nicknames with numbers, you know, there's a specificity to it 617 00:40:12,200 --> 00:40:14,680 Speaker 1: as well. It's like anytime I'm at a Chinese restaurant 618 00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:17,279 Speaker 1: and there's uh something on the menu that has a 619 00:40:17,440 --> 00:40:22,120 Speaker 1: number involved my three cup chicken, how specific? Sign me up? 620 00:40:23,280 --> 00:40:26,600 Speaker 1: I don't even know what's in the cups, but we 621 00:40:26,719 --> 00:40:29,880 Speaker 1: hope that you have enjoyed this two parter. We wanted 622 00:40:29,920 --> 00:40:33,520 Speaker 1: to start off strong with three. We hope your week 623 00:40:33,800 --> 00:40:36,959 Speaker 1: is going well and we can't wait. Uh, we can't 624 00:40:36,960 --> 00:40:39,439 Speaker 1: wait to be back with you next week. We've got 625 00:40:39,440 --> 00:40:42,520 Speaker 1: even more well. I mean, it's in the name of 626 00:40:42,520 --> 00:40:46,920 Speaker 1: the show Ridiculous History, sure is. And you too can 627 00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:50,360 Speaker 1: become a Ridiculous Historian. We'll give you your Ridiculous History 628 00:40:50,560 --> 00:40:54,399 Speaker 1: Union card. All you gotta do is go to Facebook, uh, 629 00:40:54,560 --> 00:40:59,440 Speaker 1: find the group Ridiculous Historians and boom you're in. And 630 00:40:59,520 --> 00:41:03,680 Speaker 1: with that, also want to thank Christopher Rajaciotis Eve's Jeff Coat, 631 00:41:04,600 --> 00:41:10,439 Speaker 1: Mr Alex Williams who composed this banging track. Who else? Oh, 632 00:41:10,600 --> 00:41:15,160 Speaker 1: Jonathan trick Yeah, of course, the Strickster, the trickster. He's 633 00:41:15,160 --> 00:41:19,680 Speaker 1: a very puckish figure. The quister. That's another trickster. God, 634 00:41:19,760 --> 00:41:21,839 Speaker 1: we should know that by now. Um, we gotta yeah, 635 00:41:21,920 --> 00:41:24,120 Speaker 1: he should be Uh, he'll'll be arriving any day now 636 00:41:24,160 --> 00:41:27,680 Speaker 1: he's been he's been bugging other podcasts. Um, but we'll 637 00:41:27,719 --> 00:41:30,200 Speaker 1: we'll have him back. So he's busy. It's it's he's 638 00:41:30,239 --> 00:41:32,160 Speaker 1: a busy man. It's not like it's our choice, but 639 00:41:32,239 --> 00:41:35,680 Speaker 1: it'll happen one Way or another um. In the meantime, 640 00:41:35,680 --> 00:41:37,279 Speaker 1: you can also find all three of us on the 641 00:41:37,480 --> 00:41:40,120 Speaker 1: social media if you wish. I am at how Now 642 00:41:40,200 --> 00:41:44,600 Speaker 1: Noel Brown exclusively on the Instagram. I neither tweet nor 643 00:41:45,320 --> 00:41:48,839 Speaker 1: uh nor TikTok uh. I'm still working on that Pinterest board. 644 00:41:49,200 --> 00:41:51,120 Speaker 1: But um, I have a feeling it's a bit of 645 00:41:51,120 --> 00:41:53,319 Speaker 1: a fool's here. What about you, Ben? Yeah, well, of 646 00:41:53,320 --> 00:41:55,839 Speaker 1: course you can find me on Farmers Only. If that's 647 00:41:55,880 --> 00:41:58,880 Speaker 1: not your speed, go to Instagram. In a burst of creativity, 648 00:41:58,920 --> 00:42:01,520 Speaker 1: I've at Ben Bulling b w L I N and 649 00:42:01,520 --> 00:42:04,120 Speaker 1: can get a preview of all kinds of weird secret 650 00:42:04,160 --> 00:42:07,439 Speaker 1: projects that I'm currently working on. You can also find 651 00:42:07,480 --> 00:42:11,320 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, where I'm at Ben bullin hs W. Hey. 652 00:42:11,440 --> 00:42:13,320 Speaker 1: You might say I don't want to go to Twitter 653 00:42:13,440 --> 00:42:16,400 Speaker 1: just to see you, man, I agree. I agree. The 654 00:42:16,400 --> 00:42:18,600 Speaker 1: only reason I'm on Twitter is because I hear Max 655 00:42:18,640 --> 00:42:22,080 Speaker 1: Williams hangs out there. Yes, I'm hanging out there at 656 00:42:22,160 --> 00:42:25,560 Speaker 1: a t L underscore Max Williams. All right, let's go 657 00:42:25,600 --> 00:42:29,440 Speaker 1: in vade sicily, let's do it. We'll see you next time, folks. 658 00:42:36,320 --> 00:42:38,400 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, visit the I 659 00:42:38,480 --> 00:42:41,400 Speaker 1: Heart Radio app Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to 660 00:42:41,440 --> 00:42:42,360 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.