In 1984, as a New York City subway train made its way downtown, a white man named Bernhard Goetz shot four unarmed Black teenagers he believed were going to rob him. The shooting and its aftermath came to embody the widespread fear of crime that reigned supreme around the country during the 1980s.

The twist: Goetz became a cause célèbre, a folk hero to many who declared they were sick and tired of crime. His vigilantism was applauded, while his victims - Darrell Cabey, Troy Canty, Barry Allen, and James Ramseur - were marginalized and attacked in the press. This six-part series offers a panoramic but intimate view of how this era-defining story unfolded, giving voice for the first time to key players, and immersing listeners in the gritty, paranoid world of ‘80s New York City.   

From the co-creators of Slow Burn, Fiasco is a narrative podcast that transports listeners back to the day-to-day reality of America’s most pivotal historical events. Using original interviews and archival footage, host Leon Neyfakh brings to life the forgotten twists and turns of the past while shedding light on the present day. This propulsive examination of history urges us all to re-think not only the events that change us, but how we are changed by these moments.