In this episode of Gangland Wire, retired Kansas City Intelligence Unit detective Gary Jenkins sits down with author Jay Baer to explore the hidden, human side of organized crime’s biggest names — Al Capone, Meyer Lansky, John Gotti, and Paul Castellano.
Jay’s book,
Mob Life: The Private World of Capone, Lansky, Gotti, and Castellano, takes a unique look beyond the murders, rackets, and headlines to reveal how these mobsters actually lived — what they ate, how they dressed, their relationships with religion, and how they handled immense power and wealth.
Listeners will hear:
How Al Capone’s family sold his spaghetti sauce recipe to Ragu — their first commercial product.
Why Meyer Lansky, the most devout of the four, was denied the right to die in Israel by Prime Minister Golda Meir.
The lavish lifestyle and fatal missteps of Paul Castellano, the “Howard Hughes of the Mafia.” The contrast between Gotti’s flamboyance and Lansky’s low profile — and how each approach shaped their downfall.
The staggering fortunes these men built — and how, in the end, they all lost it.
Jay also shares his own lifelong fascination with organized crime, his career outside writing, and his upcoming project, How to Live Like a Gangster — No Prison Required, a look at mob values like loyalty, respect, and power through a modern lens.
Gary and Jay swap mob history from New York to Kansas City, including a discussion of the real story behind scenes from Casino and Kansas City’s own underworld power struggles.
ON AMAZON Wayne said
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Facts on the Mob
Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2021Format: Kindle
If your looking for a good fast interesting read on the Mafia, this is the book for you. Full of information on mob types that most have no clue about.
You can't lose with this book I believe.
Listen now to uncover the side of the mob you’ve never heard before.
Get the book:
Mob Life: The Private World of Capone, Lansky, Gotti, and Castellano by Jay Robert Baer on Amazon
00:00 – Intro: Gary Jenkins welcomes Jay Baer 01:00 – Why Jay wrote Mob Life and his lifelong fascination with gangsters
03:30 – From detailing cars to writing true crime books
05:30 – Gary and Jay’s early mob reading influences
07:00 – Researching Al Capone’s private life
08:00 – Capone’s secret spaghetti sauce recipe sold to Ragu
09:00 – John Gotti’s love for Cracker Barrel and biscuits & gravy
10:00 – Meyer Lansky’s religious life and denied burial in Israel
12:00 – Castellano’s wealth, arrogance, and fall 14:00 – Jay’s next book: How to Live Like a Gangster — No Prison Required
15:00 – Loyalty and respect in the mob vs. business life
16:00 – How Castellano’s aloofness led to his murder
18:00 – The real Joe Watts story — the German who made millions
20:00 – Gary shares Kansas City mob stories and Casino connections
23:00 – The failed car bombing of underboss Tuffy DeLuna
25:00 – The Mob Museum and modern mob myths
26:00 – Jay shows his book Mob Life and shares fun mob trivia 28:00 – How much money mob bosses really made — and lost
30:00 – Why law enforcement didn’t chase mob money before the drug era
31:00 – Joe Massino’s $10 million cash and gold surrender
32:00 – Final thoughts: The mob’s empire always ends the same way
Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or your favorite podcast app.
Hit me up on Venmo for a cup of coffee or a shot and a beer @ganglandwir...
