“There was money that wasn’t coming back and the choice was between leaving some cardinal dead on the street or to strike someone close to the Pope. We chose the second path.” — Antonio Mancini

“We of the Magliana gang were street bandits. We loved robberies, without asking anyone’s permission, without compromises. I wanted a Ferrari? One hit and i’d buy it. Cops would take it from me? Another robbery and i’d buy it again. I enjoyed all my money. De Pedis instead would buy night clubs, restaurants, houses. He was the boss of Campo dei Fiori.” — Antonio Mancini

“Of course you realize, this means war!” — Bugs Bunny

This series is about the rise of a street gang that took over Rome in the 1970s and 1980s. The Magliana gang was not just one of many criminal organisations who operated in Italy. Among their business partners, they counted Italy’s most important politicians, bankers, secret services, and possibly the Vatican itself. The gang left an indelible mark on Italian history. The story of their rise to power and of the heyday of their rule truly is stranger than fiction. It’s the kind of story that makes you think that the Godfather 3 perhaps was a documentary after all. There are lots of books and documentaries about this story but they are nearly all in Italian, so it looks like I’m your man if you wanna hear this story in English—or whatever approximation of English I speak. In this episode:

Some disturbing glimpses at how power operates away from the spotlight

Corrado Carnevale “The Sentence Slayer”—the Supreme Court Justice most loved by the Mafia

Fascist psychiatrist Aldo Semerari loses his head (in more ways than one)

How the killing of journalist Mino Pecorelli was probably connected to one of Italy’s most powerful politicians

The death of Franco Giuseppucci and the revenge war it ignited

If life is a box of chocolates, Nicolino Selis got a very bad chocolate

Abbruciati and the Banco Ambrosiano shootout just 1/3 of a mile from where I grew up

Why banking for the Vatican is not good for your health: Michele Sindona and Roberto Calvi

The Vatican Bank, money laundering for the Mafia, anti-communism and missing money

The split in the gang: Testaccini vs. Magliana

The Emanuela Orlandi kidnapping

The Magliana internal war: Toscano, De Pedis, and informants

Cooperative vs. competitive systems

This episode is brought to you by https://www.bluechew.com/, the first chewable with the same FDA-approved active ingredients as Viagra and Cialis. Visit bluechew.com and get your first shipment FREE (only $ 5 for shipping) when you use the promo code HISTORY.

Today’s episode is supported by DECONSTRUCTED, a new political podcast by journalist Mehdi Hasan. DECONSTRUCTED is out every Friday. You can listen and subscribe at theintercept.com/deconstructed or on any podcast platform.

This episode is sponsored by www.blueapron.com/onfire For less than $ 10 per meal, Blue Apron delivers straight to your door seasonal recipes along with pre-portioned ingredients to make delicious, home-cooked meals. Get $ 30 off your first order—with free shipping—by going to www.blueapron.com/onfire

Please, also show some love to my regular sponsors by shopping for supplements, special foods, clothing and exercise equipment at http://www.onnit.com/history and receive a 10% discount.

And if you are in the market for backpacks, computer bags and other hemp gear, check out my favorites at http://www.dsgear.com

History on Fire is brought to you by Kannaway. All CBD products are from organic, non-GMO European HEMP grown on generational family farms. The products all have a triple authenticated process guaranteeing you’re getting exactly what you are paying for. Because all of the CBD is from hemp and NOT cannabis, it is legal to use and possess in all 50 states AND Europe! Now you can get 100% THC-free CBD oil from hemp, delivered to your door in all 50 of the Unites States and the whole of Europe. Please check them out at: https://kannaway.com/2496006

A huge thank you to https://www.dynastyforge.com/ for sharing with me their amazing swords.

If you train in Jiujitsu (or any other sport for that matter), check out the knee braces at https://nevertapgear.com/

PATREON NEWS: I have just started a Patreon account!!!! If you feel in a generous mood, please, check it out at www.patreon.com/historyonfire



My lady (and author of History on Fire logo, plus producer and editor of History on Fire) has a FB public page about her art & fighting: https://www.facebook.com/NahryEm/. Thank you to Onnit, Datsusara, Float Clinic, Shaman’s Simple Solutions, War Fuel, Proven Nutrition, and Fight Chix for sponsoring her for her first MMA fight. If you’d like to check out Fight Chix merchandise, you can get a 20% discount by going to http://www.fightchix.com/ and entering the code Fire20 upon checkout.

This is my public FB page: https://www.facebook.com/danielebolelli1/

Here is a link to the audiobook of my “Not Afraid”: http://www.danielebolelli.com/downloads/not-afraid-audiobook/

For those of you who may be interested, here is a lecture series I created about Taoist philosophy: http://www.danielebolelli.com/downloads/taoist-lectures/

For listeners in US, UK, CA, AU, this episode can be found at Luminary Premium. Sign up here: luminary.link/history . If you are not in these territories, feel free to message us as we try to find a solution for listeners in other countries.