Rudy Giuliani’s Mafia Pursuit: Behind the Scenes of His RICO Cases

Before earning the title of “America’s Mayor,” Rudy Giuliani was renowned for his role as a U.S. attorney targeting the nation’s notorious Mafia leaders. The latest season of Fox Nation’s series brings to light the relentless efforts to bring these dangerous figures of the 20th century to justice.

In the third season of ‘Stories of the American Mafia,’ narrated by Eric Shawn, the episode “Rudy and the RICO Act” highlights Giuliani’s journey from a relatively unknown lawyer to the prosecutor of some of the country’s most feared crime bosses. The 1980s were marked by soaring crime rates in Manhattan, creating a fertile ground for the Mafia’s influence.

“When you have a vacuum like that, you’re gonna have this shadow government step in,” said former NYPD inspector Paul Mauro in the episode.

Giuliani devised a strategy to counteract the surge of organized crime. He was critical in convicting prominent leaders of New York’s crime families through the establishment of the Mafia Commission Trial in 1985. He indicted 11 individuals, including the heads of the ‘Five Families,’ using the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). Charges included murder for hire, extortion, and labor racketeering, allowing prosecutors to target entire organizations rather than specific people.

“Previously, you had to make these cases based essentially on conspiracies,” Mauro noted. “What RICO did is change that paradigm.”

Louis Ferrante, a former Gambino associate, commended Giuliani’s strategy for dismantling Mafia groups. “That’s not going to be able to repair itself,” he said. “Not because they couldn’t replace the bosses, but they couldn’t replace the boss with the talent that they once had.” This approach was pivotal in the downfall and slow recovery of the Mafia.

The Commission Trial indicted Paul “Big Paul” Castellano, further expanding Giuliani’s influence against organized crime.

Additional episodes in this season cover events like the ascent and fall of Murder, Inc., the murder of William “Billy Batts” Bentvena, and FBI agent Joe Pistone’s infiltration of the Bonanno crime family. Former FBI operative Giovanni Rocco offers analysis throughout the season, enhancing the understanding of these true mob stories.

All five episodes are exclusively accessible on the Fox Nation platform.

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Benji Ferraro, a recent University of Maryland graduate, focuses on culture stories as a digital production assistant. He is reachable at [email protected] for story tips.