Joe Petrosino and The Black Hand

Joe Petrosino was the first cop to investigate the Mob in the United States. Steven Taltry has written a thrilling account of Petrosino and his investigation into the Black Hand, an organization that will morph into the American Mafia. His book, The Black Hand, has been optioned to be made into a film starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Joe Petrosino was able to penetrate the secrets of the American Mafia because he spoke Sicilian and had many friends and relationships with Sicilian immigrants. He even prevented the Mafia from extorting money form the beloved Italian singer, Caruso.   In this episode we interview New York Times best selling author Steven Taltry. Mr Taltry made his bones as police reporter during the cocaine wars in Miami during the 198os. He’s written for the New York Times Magazine, GQ, Playboy, the Irish Times, the Chicago Review and many other publications. Talty is the author of five non-fiction books: Mulatto America, about the mixing of black and white culture throughout American History; Empire of BlueWater, the story of the great pirate captain Henry Morgan; The Illustrious Dead, about Napoleon’s invasion of Russia and the typhus epidemic that doomed it; Escape from the Land of Snows, an account of the Dalai Lama’s escape from Tibet in 1959; and Agent Garbo, the story of the greatest double agent of World War II, Juan Pujol. His first work of fiction, a crime novel called Black Irish, introduces the Harvard-educated detective, Absalom Kearney, and marks the beginning of a new crime series. He is also the co-author of the New York Times bestselling account, A Captain’s Duty, with Captain Richard Phillips, the hero of the Maersk Alabama hijacking. The book is being made into a film starring Tom Hanks, to be released in late 2013. Visit the facebook page Petrosino Square. Don’t forget to listen to Aaron on the Big Dumb Fun Show, live on Monday nights. To go to the store click here To rent Gangland Wire, the documentary, click here To subscribe on iTunes click here, give me a review and I will send you a link to see the film for free.