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Inside the American Mob
By Melissa Camacho,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Organized crime docuseries with bloody re-creations.
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What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.
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What's the Story?
INSIDE THE AMERICAN MOB is a documentary series that offers insight into the complicated underworld of American organized crime, and the various ways law enforcement has gone about infiltrating it. With the help of interviews with former mobsters like Michael Franzese, undercover FBI agents like Joe Pistone, a.k.a. Donnie Brascoe, and law enforcement officials like former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, it explains how organized crime leaders from the infamous Genovese, Bonanno, Luchese, Gambino, and Colombo families -- known in the U.S. as the Cosa Nostra -- were able to collectively infiltrate reputable businesses and maintain its power. It also describes how the FBI and other agencies were able to change their tactics in order to take them down. Reenactments of key moments in the crime ring's history and and archival news footage is also featured.
Is It Any Good?
Inside the American Mob reveals how the American mob, which was at its peak of power in the 1970s, went from being a group of localized Italian-American street gangs to a nationwide criminal organization involved in everything from labor unions and government agencies to prostitution and drugs. It also reveals some of the cultural dynamics of the organization, which has its own rituals, language, and a code of ethics by which its members are expected to live.
It contains a lot of fascinating details about the mob and the families who run it. But despite being offered within context, many of the narratives, which include stories about parents putting hits out on their children and the murder of friends, are extremely disturbing, especially when they are told with humor and/or with little regret by those who committed the crimes. Much of the featured archival footage is pretty bloody, too. Nonetheless, those interested in the topic will definitely find it worth watching.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the different ways the media portrays organized crime. How does the portrayal of the mob in films like The Godfather and TV shows like The Sopranos compare to what these organizations are really like?
Why is the mob a frequent subject in film and on TV? Is it the myths behind it? Its history? Is it appropriate to feature violent and/or illegal organizations like the mob in films and TV for the sake of entertainment?
TV Details
- Premiere date: July 28, 2013
- Cast: Joe Pistone , Michael Franzese , Rudolph Giuliani
- Network: National Geographic Channel
- Genre: Reality TV
- Topics: History
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: October 14, 2022
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