Rudy Giuliani's Mafia Commission Trial Explored in New Fox Nation Series

A new season of the Fox Nation series 'Stories of the American Mafia' is detailing how former U.S. Attorney Rudy Giuliani utilized the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) to break the Mafia's influence in New York.

The season, titled "Rudy and the RICO Act," chronicles Giuliani's efforts in the 1980s to prosecute some of the nation's most powerful crime bosses. During this period, rising crime rates in Manhattan created an environment where Mafia syndicates tightened their control.

Giuliani's strategy centered on the 1985 Mafia Commission Trial, where he indicted 11 individuals, including the leaders of New York's infamous 'Five Families.' These indictments leveraged RICO charges such as murder for hire and extortion, allowing prosecutors to target entire criminal organizations rather than isolated incidents. This approach proved more effective in holding high-ranking members accountable.

"What RICO did is change that paradigm," explained former NYPD inspector Paul Mauro in the series. "All you had to do is to have agreed to act on behalf of an organization, and then having done something on behalf of that organization. And what it meant was that guys would flip."

Former Gambino associate Louis Ferrante, also featured in the series, described Giuliani's strategy as effectively "cutting the head off the Hydra." He argued that while new leaders could replace those taken down, they lacked the same level of talent, marking a turning point from which the Mafia has never fully recovered.

In addition to Giuliani's work, other episodes in the third season of 'Stories of the American Mafia' explore the rise and fall of Murder, Inc., the murder of William "Billy Batts" Bentvena, and FBI agent Joe Pistone's undercover infiltration of the Bonanno crime family.

Former FBI undercover operative Giovanni Rocco provides analysis alongside Mauro and Ferrante. The five-episode season is now available for streaming on Fox Nation.