10 Best Documentaries About The American Mafia

The American Mafia has been a big part of pop culture for decades, with those involved in it either being celebrated or being lambasted. Generally, the impression people have about the mob is the one presented by the media, with The Godfather and The Sopranos being among the biggest movies and TV shows ever created. For a more accurate portrayal of the American Mafia, documentaries are the place to look.

They not only rely on accurate accounts from those that were involved but also use real-life footage that helps tell a story as close to the truth as possible. Pretty much every major network and streaming service has created its own documentary on the American Mafia or at least has one available to stream but only a few of them are among the best ever made.

10

The Making Of The Mob (2015 – 2016)

• Stream on AMC+

The AMC documentary chronicles the birth of what came to be known as the American Mafia in the early part of the 20th century. Season 1 focuses on New York’s notorious Five Families while season 2 examines Chicago. The Making Of The Mob brilliantly squeezes acted scenes in between the archival footage and interviews, making it a worthy watch even for people who don’t typically like documentaries. Gangster movie lovers will also love the fact that it’s narrated by actor Ray Liotta, who has been unapologetically typecast in multiple mob-related roles. The acted scenes are also too good enough to make the show worthy of a recommendation.

9

Fear City: New York Vs The Mafia (2020)

• Stream on Netflix

Fear City: New York vs The Mafia explores New York City’s legendary Five Families, namely: the Gambinos, the Colombos, the Bonannos, the Luccheses, and the Genovese. The series is also narrated from the FBI’s point of view for a unique perspective. What the documentary does best is show how advancements in technology can go a long way in eradicating crime. While law enforcement officers in the early part of the 20th century had a hard time even setting up wiretaps, those in the second half are able to bring down key mobsters simply because of advanced devices that enable them to do so.

RELATED: 10 Great Documentaries You Can Watch on Netflix (That Aren’t True Crime)

8

The Iceman Confesses: Secrets Of A Mafia Hitman (2001)

• Stream on HBO Max

Richard Kuklinski—a hitman for New York and New Jersey crime families—was known as “The Iceman” due to his penchant for freezing his victims so that the authorities wouldn’t know the time of death. Here, he talks about his troubled childhood and what led him to be such a ruthless man. Kuklinski’s tale is an intriguing one because he was a rare killer with boundaries as he never touched women or children. He would also go rogue sometimes as some of the hits he conducted were not sanctioned. While recounting his glory days, the hitman also paints himself as a sadistic serial killer by confessing that at times, would just kill to see if a certain method of execution worked.

7

Al Capone: The Untouchable Legend (1998)

• Stream on Tubi

For a full hour, Al Capone: The Untouchable Legend takes viewers through the life of one of the most notorious mobsters to ever walk the Earth. The stories of various people in the mobsters’ life are also told. The documentary mostly glorifies the Prohibition Era mobster rather than painting him as a lawbreaker, which isn’t necessarily weird as it’s something Hollywood has done all too frequently in most of the best gangster movies of all time. It’s also fully comprehensive, leaving the viewer with a firm understanding of all things Al Capone.

6

Gotti: Godfather And Son (2018)

• Stream on Freevee

Gotti: Godfather And Son covers the infamous mobster’s incredible rise and fall as well as his family life though other popular members of the Gambino crime family also feature. The docuseries shows what life for children and spouses feels like when the head of the family is a mob boss. Angel, Peter, And John Jr. Gotti recount life with John Gotti in emotional ways, triggering both sympathy and disdain. The legal angle isn’t left unexplored either as judges and lawyers also describe what it was like to deal with the man.

5

Whitey: United States Of America V. James J. Bulger (2014)

• Stream on HBO Max

Filmmaker Joe Berlinger takes audiences deep into the trial of the Boston mobster, James “Whitey” Bulger, who was on the run for 16 years. The Winter Hill gang boss briefly gets to tell his own story too. Whitey brings out a clash in ideologies by showing just how different the perspective of law enforcement officers is from that of gangsters. The authorities paint him as an amoral human and throw in further claims that he was an informant but the gangster denies that. He also feels he did nothing wrong throughout his career.

4

Danny Greene: The Rise And Fall Of The Irishman (2011)

• Stream on The Roku Channel

Not to be confused with the true-crime film The Irishman, this documentary is about Danny Greene, an FBI informant who enjoyed protection from the authorities as he battled Italians for control of Cleveland. In the documentary, audiences are served detailed tales from people that were actually close to Greene. One of those is former police chief Ed Kovacic. There’s also the reminder that what Greene did was impressive since as an Irish immigrant, he managed to rule the underworld at a time when such honors were only reserved for those with ties to Sicily.

3

Taking Down The Mob (2013)

• Not Currently Available to Stream

As the La Cosa Nostra is infiltrating every corner of New York, Rudolph Giuliani, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District vows to bring an end to the violence and corruption. He thus sets in motion the biggest mob prosecution in history. Taking Down The Mob mostly takes the side of the good guys, similar to Brian De Palma’s The Untouchables. It showcases how no course of action is spared while trying to bring down the baddies. Everything from undercover cops to electronic wiretaps to well-paid informants to force are but some of the ways the authorities get to win.

2

Mafia’s Greatest Hits (2012)

• Stream on Fubo TV

Mafia’s Greatest Hits follows the stories of multiple organized crime members from Lucky Luciano to Carmine Galanteand and more, and it shows how difficult it was to take them down. The documentary doesn’t glorify the gangsters but gives them credit. The law enforcement officers that are interviewed admit that, unlike other criminals, mobsters truly organize their crime. Even when undercover agents like Joe Pistone infiltrate the mob for over six years, it takes a long time before their efforts lead to any key convictions.

1

Momo: The Sam Giancana Story (2011)

• Stream on Tubi

An impoverished child gets to rise through the ranks of the Chicago mob popularly known as “The Outfit.” At the height of his powers, rumors spread around that he helped with the assassination of JFK as well as Marylin Monroe. Momo almost borders on conspiracy theory territory but that doesn’t make it any less entertaining, while also ensuring it is totally different from most other documentaries. The documentary is also educative, bringing fans to the realization that it wasn’t just Capone who had a firm grip on Chicago.