Podcasts and audiobooks about organized crime

December 8, 2018 11:00 AM

I'm looking for engaging, interesting podcasts and audiobooks about organized crime - mafias, gangs, conspiracies, etc. The larger the scale of the criminal organization, the better. This is mainly for Dungeons and Dragons research, so fiction and nonfiction, modern and historical are all equally welcome.
posted by a hat out of hell to Media & Arts (6 answers total)

El Narco by Ioan Grillo is a engaging and harrowing history of the roots of Mexican drug war. There’s a lot about how many disparate groups and actions built a stunning environment/economy.
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:06 AM on December 8, 2018

Crimetown was the first thing that came to mind. Season 1 was a really in depth look at how organized crime shaped Providence RI.
posted by peppermind at 11:09 AM on December 8, 2018 [5 favorites]

I dunno if it's in audiobook form, but Narconomics by Tom Wainwright was a hella interesting read.
posted by speakeasy at 1:59 PM on December 8, 2018

Since you said conspiracies,
"Heaven's Gate" on Howl/Stitcher about the eponymous cult,
Or
Uncover's first season, "Escaping NXIVM", a cult maybe larger in scale than Heaven's Gate, but not like Illuminati large.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 11:56 PM on December 8, 2018

Could have sworn there was an audiobook of "The Big Con" - not seeing it now though.
posted by aspersioncast at 8:18 AM on December 10, 2018

Perhaps Ellroy's Underworld USA? It's not focused on organized crime but that's an element. I love Blood's a Rover and The Cold Six Thousand, both read by Craig Wasson, who is great.

I believe Stephen King called Blood's a Rover the greatest audiobook ever made and after hearing it, he hired Wasson to do his own books.
posted by dobbs at 2:36 PM on December 21, 2018