Disc 1. Al Capone - Scarface
1 x 45:00 min
"Scarface"
was many things to many people - a ruthless and vindictive murderer, a
generous patron and a wild and glamorous impresario. But to all, Capone
is the most notorious gangster in American history. This in-depth
programme follows his journey from the immigrant neighbourhood of his
youth to the glittering circles of Chicago's powerful elite.
Disc 2. Bugsy Siegel
1 x 45:00 min
Journey
to the heyday of the mob for the complete story of this legendary
gangster, from his stormy relationship with the beautiful Virginia Hill
to his mysterious murder. See rare footage of the dapper mobster and
exclusive interviews with acquaintances and enemies. Examine Siegel's
greatest legacy, the founding of Las Vegas in the barren Nevada desert,
and hear mob insiders reveal the details of his betrayal at the hands
of his best friend.
Disc 3. Louis Lepke
1 x 45:00 min
Names
like Bugsy Siegel, Lucky Luciano and Frank Costello were on everybody's
lips in the Roaring Twenties, but Louis Lepke preferred the shadows to
the spotlight. There, he built a racketeering network second to none.
BIOGRAPHY® uses extensive archival footage, period accounts and modern
interviews to probe Lepke's life, from his hardscrabble childhood to
his much-publicised death in the electric chair.
Disc 4. Tha Gambinos
1 x 45:00 min
For
much of the century, they were the most powerful force in American
organised crime. But internal strife and the tireless work of law
enforcement have brought this once-dominant organisation to its knees.
BIOGRAPHY® follows Carlo Gambino from his childhood in Sicily to the
top of an empire that embraced everything from pizza joints to
hi-jacking and extortion. In the story of Gambino, Castellano and Gotti
the history of the Mafia in America comes into focus.
Disc 5. The Genovese Family
1 x 45:00 min
Vito
Genovese rose to power working under legendary mob boss "Lucky"
Luciano. Through murder, cunning and greed, he carved out a place in
crime history and established one of the pre-eminent crime families in
America. From Vito's rise to the top of the underworld to their ongoing
operations, this is an inside look at the crime syndicate that is so
well run that one detective calls them "The Ivy League of the
Underworld."
Disc 6. Meyer Lansky 'Mob Tycoon'
1 x 45:00 min
He
was called "little man" and Lucky Luciano's advice to his followers was
always "listen to him." Meyer Lansky was the man who created crime in
its syndicate form and remained the most shadowy of the organised crime
leaders. From the pogroms of Eastern Europe to the heyday of the Vegas
Mob, rare footage and interviews reveal the double life of the man
known as the Mob's financial leader.
Disc 7. Frank Costello
1 x 45:00 min
Frank
Costello profiles the shady life of the reluctant boss of the most
powerful crime family in New York. Through period accounts, historic
footage and the recollections of those who knew him, we discover how he
virtually ran New York politics through his iron grip on Tammany Half
and how his empire crashed down around him when the Kefauver hearings
targeted him as the number one racketeer in the country.
Disc 8. Henry Hill 'Goodfella'
1 x 45:00 min
From
his childhood on the New York City streets to his ongoing attempts to
come to terms with his criminal past, BIOGRAPHY® chronicles the life of
the man whose story formed the basis for the hit movie Goodfellas.
Friends talk about his short-lived term in a witness Protection
Programme while Henry reflects on his life in the Mob and the pivotal
role he played in bringing down some of its most powerful figures.
