The Making of the Mob: New York | End Game (S01-E08)

Episode 8: On April 19, 1951, a mob boss is violently removed from power when Vincent Mangano, head of one of the Five Families is murdered in Brooklyn. The hit was ordered by his underboss, Albert Anastasia so he can take control of the commission. Luciano, who's exiled in Italy, is forced to watch his criminal empire turning into chaos as gangsters vie for power. With no hope in returning to America, Lucky turns to his advisor Lansky and his acting boss Costello to keep his operation intact. But after Costello's disastrous testimony to the U.S. Senate, the other families see him as weak. Genovese teams up with Mangano underboss Carlo Gambino to reclaim his position as head of the Luciano Family. Costello cracks under pressure and sees a shrink and keeps himself safe with the protection of Willie Moretti, a mobster from New Jersey with ties to Luciano. Gambino eliminates Costello's protection and orders a mercy killing on Moretti, whose brain is deteriorating from syphilis. In May 1957, Gambino hires a hitman to kill Costello. Despite being shot in the head near point blank, he survives. Genovese tells Costello him to retire, but refuses, and after recovering, he and Anastasia form an alliance.

The old generation of gangsters, who believed in loyalty is gone and the new generation orders a hit on anyone, including killing Anastasia as he gets a shave at the barber. By taking him out, Gambino has gone from mid-level gangster to the head of his own crime family. The Gambino Family is born, while Costello ends his reign as Luciano Family head, making Genovese the boss. In the Fall of 1957, Genovese invites gangsters from all over the country for a meeting in the deserted farm town of Apalachin, New York. His lavish party in honor of himself draws more than 100 major crime figures. This gets the attention of state police who crash it and 20 arrests are made, including Genovese. This debacle causes Luciano to seek help from Gambino, who turns on Genovese with an anonymous call that imprisons him for 15 years for dealing heroin. Luciano got rid of his biggest rival and placed the organization he created in the hands of Gambino, the man he believes will lead the Mafia into the future. Gambino ushers in a new era, while Luciano enters a lasting relationship with Italian dancer Igea Lissoni. On January 26, 1962, three years after his beloved died, and having lived a life of no other, Charles "Lucky" Luciano dies of a heart attack in Naples at the age of 64. News of the kingpin's death spreads and hundreds line the streets to pay their respects to the man responsible for creating the modern mafia. Nearly 16 years after being deported, Lucky finally gets his wish of returning to America one last time, and is buried in St. John's Cemetery. Luciano's death signals the end of an era as one-by-one his original crew fades away into history. Genovese spends the rest of his life behind bars where he continues to run his crime family until he dies in 1969. Costello lives out his retirement in peace and passes away in 1973. Lansky retires to Miami Beach dying of old age in 1983 with only $37,000 to his name, but had millions in secret bank accounts. Luciano, Lansky, Costello, and Genovese, along with Bugsy Siegel left behind a legacy that forever changed America.