The mafia and violence go together like a fist and brass knuckles. But is the mafia really as violent as pop culture would have us believe? Or are we being conned?

Nicknamed "organized crime's worst nightmare," former federal and state prosecutor Elie Honig earned his stripes through the prosecution of John Gotti Jr and other major mafia players. He’s here to set the record straight.

A few curiosities you’ll discover in this episode:

• The mind games of mafia violence
• Why murder is bad for business
• The strong appeal of unions
• Why the Italian mob could lose all its power

Check out Elie's podcast Up Against the Mob.

Did You Know?

The mafia has captured our collective imagination—which can cause problems in the courtroom. “There is such a thing as the jury becoming enamored with the defendant, becoming charmed by the bad guy,” says Elie. “It's the same way you sit there and you root for Tony Soprano. It’s part of the reason I wanted to be a mafia prosecutor, for the outrageous stories and the personalities of these guys. But I was concerned about this when I was arguing a mafia trial to a jury.”

Curious State is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast hosted and produced by Doug Fraser.

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