Kingpins

Latest Episodes:

“The King of Cocaine” Pt. 2: Pablo Escobar Oct 18, 2019

Show notes

With a violent childhood and mantra of “smuggling, bribery and murder,” witness the beginnings of Pablo Escobar’s cocaine empire in Medellín in the 1970s, and how he expanded it exponentially by joining forces with other Colombian drug traffickers.

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“The King of Cocaine” Pt. 1: Pablo Escobar Oct 11, 2019

Show notes

Before becoming “El Patron” and trafficking 80% of the world’s cocaine market, Pablo Escobar was nothing more than a petty criminal on the streets of Medellin.

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"Dread Pirate Roberts" Pt. 2: Ross William Ulbricht Oct 04, 2019

Show notes

By 2013, the DEA, FBI, DOJ, and Homeland Security were all after Ross Ulbricht, aka "The Dread Pirate Roberts." His drug website, The Silk Road, trafficked millions worth of drugs every week. So far, Ulbricht remained anonymous, thanks to Tor and the cloak of the Dark Web. Little did he know, the users he thought were his friends were federal agents in disguise.

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"Dread Pirate Roberts" Pt. 1: Ross William Ulbricht Sep 27, 2019

Show notes

In 2011, Ross Ulbricht created The Silk Road, aka "The Amazon of Drugs." Hosted on the dark web and financed by Bitcoin, it was an anonymous marketplace where anyone could buy or sell anything without leaving a trace. Drugs, guns, hacking software, human organs -- the free market utopia quickly made Ulbricht a millionaire. And made him a top target for the DEA.

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Bombas - Get 20% off your first purchase at Bombas.com/KINGPINS.

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All Kingpins Episodes Now Available! Sep 24, 2019

Show notes

Thank you for being a loyal listener! We’re excited to announce all Parcast Network episodes older than 6 months are now available for free on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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“Mr. Nice” Pt. 2: Howard Marks Sep 20, 2019

Show notes

After being able to hide on the lam for years, Howard Marks was finally caught and forced to answer for his crimes. However, a convincing lie about his supposed involvement with MI6 ensured Marks’ release and allowed him to continue smuggling cannabis well into the 1980s.

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“Mr. Nice” Pt. 1: Howard Marks Sep 13, 2019

Show notes

During the 1970s, Howard Marks became one of the biggest cannabis smugglers in Europe. Through a series of networks, which included contacts in the IRA and the Mafia, he was able to bring in upwards of 30 tons of cannabis into the UK and the United States. But after years of anonymity, a single bust in Las Vegas would put him on the DEA’s radar.

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“Gaspipe” Pt. 2: Anthony Salvatore Casso Sep 06, 2019

Show notes

Mafia life came with plenty of rules, and Anthony Casso loved that. He was a criminal, but an honorable criminal, and his dedication to the Mafia lifestyle took him to the top of the Lucchese family hierarchy. In the mid 1990s, as he faced threats from inside and outside the family, the pressure got to him, and he started to make mistakes. He was taking his violence too far.

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“Gaspipe” Pt. 1: Anthony Salvatore Casso Aug 30, 2019

Show notes

Anthony Casso was born in Mafia territory in South Brooklyn, and the money-making, wily intelligence, and violence that the "the life" demanded came naturally to him. It was no surprise that he started to climb the ranks of the Lucchese Family as they hit the height of their power in the 1980s.

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“Bobby Tuna” Pt. 2: Robert Platshorn Aug 23, 2019

Show notes

By the 1970s, the Black Tuna Gang, led by Robert Platshorn, was running the marijuana game out of Miami. But, as internal strife grew out of control and the feds closed in around them, Platshorn's life was headed for a downfall.

Sponsors!

Bombas - Visit Bombas.com/KINGPINS and get 20% off your first purchase.

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