mafia

John Gotti. Jimmy Hoffa. Al Capone. American Mafia history is filled with such iconic figures that we need only utter their names and a wealth of both striking images and captivating stories instantly spring to mind.

And while many of these stories surely come from beloved movies like Goodfellas and Donnie Brasco, the true stories behind these films are even more outrageous than you could ever imagine.

Take the story of Carlo Gambino, the real-life godfather who helped inspire The Godfather‘s Vito Corleone. Or the story of Richard “The Iceman” Kuklinski, the cold-blooded hitman who may have killed more people than any other murderer in the history of the American Mafia.

But not every tale from the annals of the American Mafia’s sordid history is one of bloodshed and unhappy endings. Consider the saga of John Gotti Jr., the son of the most infamous mobster of his time who followed in his father’s footsteps before finally walking away and going straight.

And whether the tale ends with redemption, prison, or an early grave, these stories of the American Mafia reveal everything you always wanted to know about modern history’s most notorious criminal enterprise.