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Inside The American Mob
SERIES 1 - 1. STAYIN' ALIVE IN THE '70S

National Geographic Channel, National Geographic Channel HD: Monday 7th Oct 10pm - 11pm

Repeat: National Geographic Channel +1Tomorrow 11pm
Repeat: National Geographic Channel, National Geographic Channel HD
Tuesday 1am

It's Goodfellas for real, as agents, witnesses and wise guys (including a shady silhouette named Fat Sal) share their organised-crime anecdotes, exhuming the truth behind the gangster clichés. This episode focuses on one of the Mafia's golden eras: early 1970s New York, when the Cosa Nostra was like "a shadow government that controlled huge amounts of economic activity in a totally unaccountable way".

This isn't as comprehensive as the classic 1980s series Crime Inc, but there are some riveting insights, as key members of the city's most feared cartels spill the beans about their activities. The most jaw-dropping story, however, belongs to former FBI undercover operative Joe Pistone, who infiltrated the Mob under the street name Donnie Brasco.

1/6. Exploring the story of the American Mafia, featuring its biggest mobsters and the law enforcers who were determined to catch them, including the successful but highly dangerous work of FBI Agent Joe Pistone. He spent six years undercover known as Donnie Brasco, with the Bananno and Colombo crime families and a price is still available for his head. Plus, revealing how US Attorney Rudolph Giuliani found his ultimate weapon in a book and how he used high-tech surveillance and a web of informants to severely cripple New York's Five Families.
www.radiotimes.com