History on Fire
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EPISODE 80: The Patriotic Mobsters
🕑 Added 2025-07-21 10:13:01 +0000 UTC“Lucky will not be pleased to hear that you have not been helpful.” Joe Adonis
“The outcome of the war appeared extremely grave. In addition, there was the most serious concern over possible sabotage in the ports. It was necessary to use every possible means to prevent and forestall sabotage and to prevent the possible supplying of and contact with enemy submarines.” Captain Roscoe C. MacFall
“There was peace on the waterfront. It was kept with rough methods. But that's what the Navy asked us to do and that's what the Navy go.” Meyer Lansky
Just because Lucky Luciano was one of the most famous mobsters of the 20th century doesn’t mean he was not a patriot ready to help the Allies win the war. Well… that’s one way to look at it. Otherwise, we’d have to conclude that during WWII, the government made a deal with the biggest Mafia boss of the times, releasing him from prison in exchange for his cooperation. Back then the government was in a bind—it wanted to protect American shores from sabotage at the hands of Nazi sympathizers, but it had only limited control on the docks. American ports belonged to the Mafia. And so the logical conclusion was that, for the sake of the war effort, the government jumped in bed with organized crime. This is the tale of the marriage of convenience between the American Navy and Lucky Luciano.
Thank you to Alexander Von Sternberg from History Impossible for his help in crafting this episode.
Comments
History on Fire
Hi Chris! I'll be teaching online for ASU, so nothing in person. The only place where I'm still doing in person teaching is Santa Monica College. I like in person teaching best. But in terms of having the time to produce History on FIre and other projects, teaching online is soooo much easier for my overall lifestyle
Chris Niemeyer
Very cool to see your coming to ASU. Do you think you will be doing any seminars or any thing like that as well while your down here? I would love to hear you speak or even a chance to say hi. I unfortunately don’t go to ASU so I cannot attend the two listed classes.
