EPISODE · Sep 7, 2026 · 14 MIN
Committee Power: How Mafia Families Governed Without a Don
from A History of the American Mafia Podcast: Organized Crime, Mob Families, Bosses, Gangsters, Prohibition, Criminal Trials, and the Rise of La Cosa Nostra · host Podily & Josh Linsk
This episode dives into how New York’s Five Families, the Chicago Outfit, Philadelphia, and New England crime groups used informal panels and formal commissions to steer operations during crises when no single boss could claim authority. By examining pre‑Commission committees after Masseria’s murder, Chicago’s Nitti‑Ricca‑Accardo council post‑Capone, Philadelphia’s rotating council post‑Persico, and Patriarca family panels, we uncover why collective governance kept rackets alive amid turmoil. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Embed this episode
Ready to play
Committee Power: How Mafia Families Governed Without a Don
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
No similar episodes found.