Youngstown Mob Talk and The Vice Squad Podcast presents Part 1 of a brand new, exclusive 5-Part investigative series: From Burglars to Murders, Who Hit the Hitman Joe DeRose?

This story was compiled from information contained within investigative task force files from the Ohio Attorney General’s Organized Crime Investigation Commission. Included are details about crimes which have never been publicly released. These files were provided to us by a source who wishes to remain anonymous.

In Part 1, the series examines the murder of Joe DeRose Jr., including the Task Force's investigation into Sam Fossesca and admitted co-conspirators Charles Treharn & Ed Farris.

Coming up in Part 2, a deep dive into the murder of Dominic Senzarino.

The audio of this episode contains real news clips as well as AI generated voice readings of actual transcripts from the Organized Crime Task Force investigation interviews of Sam Fossesca and Charles Treharn.

A reminder that you can also watch with video by subscribing to our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/amazingpodcastcompany

James Mancini, aka "Big Jimmy" Munsene was the first notorious crime boss of Ohio's Trumbull County. Munsene controlled gambling in the county and had clubs as far away as Atlantic City, NJ before he was gunned down in cold blood, along with his nephew, in Warren on March 24, 1941. He famously went on trial for the same act of bribery on three separate occasions, even hiring the country's most famous trial lawyer, Clarence Darrow, to represent him. Once Munsene was killed, stronger organized crime interests took control of Trumbull County, and ruled it for decades, not far from Youngstown, Ohio aka Crimetown, USA.

On this episode, author Rick Porrello writes about his own family's organized crime history in Cleveland, Ohio as his grandfather and great uncles waged a war with their former friends and fellow bootleggers, the Lonardo brothers. It was all over corn sugar, which was used to make booze during prohibition in America.