EPISODE · Sep 7, 2026 · 18 MIN

The Kiss That Killed—Unmasking the Mafia’s ‘Kiss of Death’ Myth

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

Exploring whether a whispered kiss truly served as a death‑signal in the Mafia, this episode digs into early Sicilian practices, 1940s FBI wiretaps, 1960s and ’80s law‑enforcement notes, and informant testimonies. By weighing documentary evidence against Hollywood portrayals—such as The Godfather and Goodfellas—the story shows how rare the gesture really was and why it captured popular imagination. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Sep 7, 2026

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The Kiss That Killed—Unmasking the Mafia’s ‘Kiss of Death’ Myth

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How long is this episode of A History of the American Mafia Podcast: Organized Crime, Mob Families, Bosses, Gangsters, Prohibition, Criminal Trials, and the Rise of La Cosa Nostra?

This episode is 18 minutes long.

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This episode was published on September 7, 2026.

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