American Criminal

In the 18th century, it was an open secret that new corpses would often be taken from graves and used as teaching aids for medical students. Not the most pleasant thing to think about, but much of soc...

6 Aug 1h 12min

In the 1970s, one man is the face of New York City’s heroin trade: Leroy “Nicky” Barnes. After a years-long cycle of arrests, prison time, and parole, Nicky assembles a syndicate of Black dealers to c...

30 Jul 2min

If the story of William Tweed has taught us anything, it’s that corruption in politics is nothing new. But nor is corruption the only thing that affected the course of Boss Tweed's career. We're joine...

30 Jul 58min

December 4, 1875. Notoriously corrupt New York City politician Boss Tweed slips away from guards during a home visit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

28 Jul 21min

By the spring of 1870, William Tweed had almost complete control over New York – not just the city, but much of the state, too. And with his wealth increasing by the day, he knew that he was nigh unto...

23 Jul 54min

As Bill Tweed tightened his stranglehold over Tammany Hall, the Civil War broke out, throwing the country into chaos. And when the war effort asked New Yorkers to pay too high a price, they took to th...

16 Jul 49min

When Fernando Wood won the election to become mayor of New York City, Bill Tweed watched him closely. He observed everything his political rival did -- the way he manipulated voters, how he curried fa...

9 Jul 44min

Growing up in a New York City where pigs roamed the unpaved streets, Bill Tweed didn't have much reason to pay attention to the world of politics. But as he got older and wiser, he sized up the world,...

2 Jul 44min