American Godfathers: The Five Families on SBS Viceland and SBS on Demand S1E1 – American Godfathers: The Five Families is a documentary series exploring the creation, rise and fall of New York City’s five mafia families.
In 1931, Charles “Lucky” Luciano, a Sicilian born gangster, created The Commission – the governing body of the American mafia; five mafia families that for over 50+ years had their hand in every facet of organised crime in America. The families lived by a code, a set of rules. The most important rule: omertá.
Silence. For a generation, omertá kept the families safe from law enforcement and public view. They made millions, through wartime, depression and every change in legislation, seamlessly moving from one racket to the next.
However, as their code was handed down to subsequent generations, and law enforcement advanced, omertá began to lose its shine. This series traces the deterioration of that code: from the heyday of Lucky Luciano in 1931 to a boss flipping on his own family in 2005.
Series One, Episode One: Death Of The Old Rules
This premiere episode follows the American Mafia from their early development in New York City neighbourhoods through Prohibition, to the boom days of the 1950s.
It explores how public violence, involvement in the drug trade, and appearances at government hearings affected the families’ operations and conflicted with their alleged code of honour.
American Godfathers: The Five Families on SBS Viceland and SBS on Demand – Series Premiere / Thursday 23 April at 8.30pm (3 Parts)
TV Central SBS content HERE
American Godfathers: The Five Families on SBS Viceland and SBS on Demand S1E1
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