Thursday, December 17 4:00am Mobsters: Nicky Barnes
Notorious, heroin kingpin, Leroy "Nicky" Barnes, went from organizing one of the most powerful African-American heroin rings in New York to a government informant. Out of spite, Barnes turned on his fellow associates and destroyed the drug trafficking empire he took so long to build.


Friday, December 18 10:00pm Mobsters: Frank Nitti
He came to the US from Italy in 1893, when he was seven years old. The Nitti family settled in Brooklyn, but by 1920, Frank had moved to Chicago. He quickly started fencing stolen jewelry, and eventually joined Al Capone's criminal empire, called the Outfit. Rising quickly in the organization, he displayed a talent for business and enforcement. In 1933, Frank caught his big break when Capone was sent to prison for tax evasion, and Nitti took over a criminal enterprise pulling in tens of millions of dollars a year. Needing to reinvent the Outfit after the end of Prohibition, Nitti turned to the labor unions and specifically Hollywood. But Frank may have aimed too high, as the Feds soon caught on and Nitti and many of his guys were indicted. As the trial approached, other members of the Outfit told Frank to take the rap. Faced with life in prison or perhaps, murder by fellow Outfit members, Frank took matters into his own hands and on March 19, 1943 he shot himself in the head.


Saturday, December 19 2:00am Mobsters: Frank Nitti
He came to the US from Italy in 1893, when he was seven years old. The Nitti family settled in Brooklyn, but by 1920, Frank had moved to Chicago. He quickly started fencing stolen jewelry, and eventually joined Al Capone's criminal empire, called the Outfit. Rising quickly in the organization, he displayed a talent for business and enforcement. In 1933, Frank caught his big break when Capone was sent to prison for tax evasion, and Nitti took over a criminal enterprise pulling in tens of millions of dollars a year. Needing to reinvent the Outfit after the end of Prohibition, Nitti turned to the labor unions and specifically Hollywood. But Frank may have aimed too high, as the Feds soon caught on and Nitti and many of his guys were indicted. As the trial approached, other members of the Outfit told Frank to take the rap. Faced with life in prison or perhaps, murder by fellow Outfit members, Frank took matters into his own hands and on March 19, 1943 he shot himself in the head.


Saturday, December 19 4:00am Mobsters: Tony Accardo
This mobster rose from a foot soldier in Al Capone's Chicago "Outfit" to eventual boss of the notorious gang. Under Tony Accardo's leadership, off-and-on for nearly fifty years, the "Outfit" prospered through numerous illegal rackets including gambling, prostitution and extortion.

Sunday, December 20 4:00AM Mobsters: The Mob's Greatest Hits
This episode explores six of the most notorious mafia killings of all time and the everlasting effects these murders had on organized crime. From the Castellammarese War in the late 1920's to the assassination of the Boss of Bosses, Paul Castellano, in 1985, we'll go deep inside the most infamous mafia power struggles in American history. The program delves into the relationships of greedy, power hungry Mafiosi, exploring their conflicts, and illustrating their bloody resolutions. From Maranzano to Masseria, Dutch Shultz to Bugsy Siegel, the outcome is always the same... murder.


Sunday, December 20 4:00PM Mobsters: Paul Castellano
"Big Paul" Castellano served as boss of the Gambino crime family--the largest in New York during the 1970's and 80's. Castellano presented himself as a legitimate businessman and mingled with New York's upper crust, while running a multi-million dollar racketeering operation. From his $3.5 million dollar estate on Staten Island, he oversaw rackets in construction, meat distribution, union infiltration, pornography and more. But many Gambino members believed Castellano got a free ride to the top on the coattails of his predecessor, cousin and brother-in-law, Carlo Gambino. Nepotism and Castellano's reclusive lifestyle split the Gambino family into two factions, which would ultimately led to his undoing.