The Rise and Fall of the Mafia

Murder, betrayal and billion-dollar deals: the inside story of the Mafia. This series exposes the secrets of the Mob's rise to power in Italy and the United States, and traces the growth of its web of control across two continents. From the lips of those who were once part of the world's most powerful criminal organisation, we hear about the Mafia's unholy alliance with American and Italian politicians: how they bought off judges and politicians, and penetrated big business and the labour unions through bribery, violence and intimidation. We learn about the takeover of the global narcotics business in the 1970s and 1980s which brought the Mafia almost limitless wealth and power. The series shows how law enforcement broke the world's largest heroin ring, and brought to trial the Mafia's secret government, the 'Commission'. The Mafia has been wounded but it's far from dead, and the Mob is adapting to a new millennium of organized crime.