The 22 Best Mafia Podcasts (2026)
The mob makes for incredible storytelling because the reality is often crazier than the movies. These podcasts cover organized crime families, legendary figures, law enforcement takedowns, and the culture that made it all possible. Fuggedaboutit.
The Gangland History Podcast
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Our Thing with Sammy The Bull
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Gangland Wire
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The Sit Down: A Crime History Podcast
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Mobbed Up: The Fight for Las Vegas
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Mafia Tapes
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The Underworld Podcast
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Inside the Life
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Original Gangsters Podcast
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The Racket Report with Frank Morano
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Up Against The Mob
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THE HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN MAFIA
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Do You Know The Mob?
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The Hollywood Godfather Podcast
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New Orleans Mafia Podcast
Leo Mixon has carved out a niche with this true crime podcast that examines organized crime history specifically through the lens of New Orleans. The show holds a perfect 5.0-star rating from 24 reviewers, with listeners consistently praising Mixon's thorough research and compelling delivery.
The episodes cover the mafia's deep and often overlooked presence in New Orleans, a city that played a pivotal role in the history of organized crime in America. Stories include the infamous murder at Mosca's restaurant, the conflict between the mafia and Louisiana politicians like Gil Dozier, and the power struggles that shaped the city's underworld for decades. Mixon also branches into related territory with his Morrison's Mustang Shorts series about Jim Morrison and The Doors, connecting the city's cultural history to broader American stories in unexpected ways.
With nine episodes released between 2021 and 2022, the catalog is compact but dense. Each episode reflects serious research, drawing on written accounts, historical records, and local knowledge that only someone familiar with the city's geography and social dynamics could assemble. Reviewers note that Mixon combines the rigor of a historian with the pacing of a natural storyteller. For true crime fans and history buffs who think they already know everything about the American mafia, the New Orleans angle offers a perspective that the big national shows tend to overlook entirely.
Youngstown Mob Talk
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Why we keep coming back to mafia podcasts
The mafia holds a weird place in popular culture. We know it's criminal, we know the human cost, and yet the stories keep pulling us in. The power dynamics, the codes of conduct, the sheer audacity of some of these operations. If you're looking for good mafia podcasts or the best podcasts about the mafia, this is a genre that consistently delivers. You might want mafia podcast recommendations that go beyond the familiar Godfather-adjacent stories, or you might be looking for must listen mafia podcasts to start with. Either way, there's strong material out there.
What makes a mafia podcast work? Authenticity, mostly. The best shows are built on real research, whether that's court transcripts, FBI surveillance recordings, or interviews with former associates and law enforcement. Then there's the storytelling. The top mafia podcasts don't just present facts in order. They construct narratives that pull you through the rise and collapse of criminal empires, the betrayals, the human cost. Is the host engaging? Can they balance fascination with the subject and clear-eyed honesty about the violence? That balance is what separates the best from the rest.
Finding your next listen
With a lot of shows to choose from, figuring out where to start takes a little thought. If you want popular mafia podcasts that have already proven themselves, there are several well-established series with loyal audiences. If you're curious about new mafia podcasts 2026, there's always new production coming out as researchers gain access to new documents or witnesses finally agree to talk. For mafia podcasts for beginners, a show that covers the broad history of organized crime is usually a good starting point. It gives you the context to appreciate the more specialized shows later.
Think about what format works for you. Serialized true crime investigations that build across multiple episodes? Historical narratives that cover decades? Interview-based shows where former mobsters or agents tell their own stories? Each approach gives you a different angle on the same world.
When you're looking for mafia podcasts to listen to, pay attention to the basics: clear audio, consistent editing, regular release schedule. You can find plenty of free mafia podcasts across all platforms. Mafia podcasts on Spotify and mafia podcasts on Apple Podcasts are both well-stocked. Look for shows that don't shy away from the moral weight of what they're covering. The best mafia podcasts 2026 will probably be the ones that pair great true stories with honest analysis of what those stories actually mean. Those are the episodes that stick with you.
