AD Introduction for 'American Godfathers, the Five Families'

“American Godfathers, the Five Families” is a 2024 documentary series coming to  Sky History from Sunday, 6^th October.

This three, feature-length episode series is based on Selwyn Raab’s best-selling book- ‘Five Families, The Rise, Decline and Resurgence of America’s most powerful mafia empires.’

Narrated by Sopranos actor Michael Imperioli, it tells the remarkable story of the five crime families of New York, established in 1931 by the original Sicilian-American “Godfather”, Salvatore Maranzano.

The Genovese, Gambino, Bonnano, Colombo and Lucchese families formed the National Crime Syndicate or The Commission, whose Mafia “code” was largely dictated by the man who succeeded Maranzano, Charles “Lucky” Luciano.   The Mafia would run all crime in New York until the 1970s, when the introduction of RICO legislation [Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act], would finally bring down the curtain on the reign of the Five Families.

Episode one, titled ‘Death of The Old Rules’ opens with the birth of the ‘Mafia’ in Sicily, how it came to prominence during Prohibition before becoming an enormous Italian-American organised crime network in New York City.

Episode Two, named ‘Rise of The New Dons’, focuses on the battles between the old establishment and a new generation of younger, American-born criminals in the 1950s.

Episode Three, The Last Don. The final explosive instalment follows the increased commitment by American Law Enforcement to put the Mafia out of business.

The three episodes are full of stories of extreme violence, in fighting, mobsters going into and out of prison and romantic relationships.

These fascinating stories are brought to life through incredible archive footage and on-the-spot crime scene and surveillance photographs. Along with insightful interviews with a raft of family members, authors and commentators.

These are supported by realistic dramatic re-enactments, which retell some of the key historical mafia feuds.

One of these includes the Gallo brother’s kidnapping of some of Joe Profaci’s closest allies. The hostages have sacks put over their heads and are dumped on chairs, with their arms tied behind their backs.

Another re-enactment again focuses on the Gallo family as they lie low during the height of their tensions with family figure-head Joe Profaci, in their President Street Hideout in the Red Hook Area of Brooklyn. Dressed in their period suits with some wearing fedora hats, the crew smoke cigars, play cards and load bullets into their guns in the run-down tenement with paint peeling off its walls.

Interviewees include:

Michael Franzese, is a former Colombo member and son of underboss Sonny Franzese.

In his early 70s, he has short, neat, greying hair with grey stubble. He has bible proverb numbers tattooed across both forearms and wears a cross on a gold necklace.

Richard Cantarella, in his late 70s, is a former Bonnano Member. A candid man with grey hair, and a flowery black and grey shirt, he wears sunglasses indoors.

Frank Dimatteo, Author of The President Street Boys and son of a Gallo family bodyguard, is an engaging, larger- than- life man who wears an open necked white shirt under a smart suit jacket.

Other insightful contributors include Five families author, Selwyn Raab, Jack Stubing, a Retired FBI supervisor Bonnano Squad, Tom Folsom, Author of Mafia book The Mad Ones and among others, Claire White, an historian from The Mob Museum.

This Audio Introduction was written and narrated by Robbie Gaston, who also provides the Audio Description for the series.