The Chicago Syndicate
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Saturday, December 01, 2012

Chicago Mob Wives Whacked


"Mob Wives Chicago" has been iced.

The VH1 reality show featured five women married or related to reputed mobsters in Chicago.

A spokesman confirmed to the Chicago Sun-Times that the show will not be coming back for a second season after an 11-episode run.

Cast member Pia Rizza told the newspaper that the Sunday night summer time slot and competition with the Olympics were factors in the low ratings.

The show was a spinoff of "Mob Wives," which followed the lives of five New York women with husbands connected to the Mafia.

The Chicago show faced some opposition from an Italian-American group that objected to the Mafia stereotypes, and businesses that would not cooperate with the show.

Friday, November 30, 2012

"Reporting the Revolutionary War: Before It Was History, It Was News" Showcases Unparalleled Collection of 18th Century Media and Its Historical Impact

Social media is often credited with igniting and organizing the Arab Spring revolution in the Middle East, yet this is not the first time that we have seen media act as a catalyst for such large-scale change.

Two hundred years ago, it was during the American Revolution that real-time reporting was responsible for uniting colonists looking to break free from British rule. Colonial newspaper reports kept the colonists motivated and informed; without them, it’s quite possible the revolution might not have happened.

For the first time, readers can experience the American Revolution as it was reported in Reporting the Revolutionary War: Before It Was History, It Was News . Author Todd Andrlik has compiled one of the most significant collections of colonial papers published between 1763 and 1783 and is among the nation’s leading authorities on 18th-century newspapers.

Reporting the Revolutionary War features vivid eyewitness accounts, battlefield letters, and breaking news compiled from hundreds of newspapers on both sides of the Atlantic, starting with the Sugar Act of 1764 and spanning three decades through the war to President George Washington’s farewell address in 1796.

Essays from 37 historians and American Revolutionary experts guide the reader through the initial dissent of the Boston Tea Party to the battlefields of Lexington and Concord and Bunker Hill to independence. They also provide insight on how newspaper accounts impacted each step of the revolution.

Reporting the Revolutionary War is also available as an enhanced eBook ($14.99) available on NOOK Color™ by Barnes & Noble that contains videos from contributing historians and an interactive timeline that allows readers to jump to newspaper articles related to a specific event.

Todd Andrlik is among the nation’s leading authorities on 18th century newspapers. He has built one of the most significant collections of American Revolution era newspapers – containing the earliest printed reports of practically every major event and battle from 1763 to 1783.

Andrlik estimates that 15% of his 18th century collection is made up of newspapers with less than five originals known to exist. About 100 newspapers, dating as far back as the 17th century, from his larger collection are currently housed in the Library of Congress.

Andrlik is also the curator and publisher of RagLinen.com, an online museum and educational archive of historically significant newspapers dating back to the 16th century.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Raise a Glass at The Mob Museum's Repeal Day Party

Guests to Celebrate Our Constitutional Right to Drink with Live Music, Vintage
Costumes and—of Course—Lots of Alcohol

WHAT: Step back in time and raise a glass Raise a Glass at The Mob Museum's Repeal Day Partyat The Mob Museum as it celebrates our nation’s constitutional right to imbibe at its Repeal Day Party. Explore both sides of the story in this unique historical setting with live music, vintage costumes, classic cocktails and other surprises.  For only a few “clams,” guests can throw down cocktails at a Roaring 20s after-hours party that is guaranteed to be the  “bee’s knees.”

WHY: On Dec. 5, 1933, Prohibition was lifted and Americans could once again legally drink. Resulting from a major reform govement in the United States, on Jan. 16, 1920, the 18th amendment was added to the constitution prohibiting the “manufacture, sale or transportation of intoxicating liquors…within the United States.” Although alcohol consumption declined as a result, crime dramatically rose and the Great Depression hit. In December of 1933, the 21st amendment was drafted allowing states to create their own laws for alcohol and with that, the bars were open!

WHEN: Wednesday, Dec. 5 from 6 to 10 p.m.

WHERE: The Mob Museum
300 East Stewart Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89101

TICKETS: A special price of $19.33 (signifying 1933, the year prohibition was lifted) and $15 for museum members. Admission to Repeal Day includes:                                                            

  •     Full access to The Mob Museum
  •     Prohibition-era cocktail samplings and libations
  •     Hosted by the “Big Cheese,” former Mayor Oscar Goodman
  •     1920’s fashion contest, costumed characters and prizes
  •     Live hot jazz music

Tickets available by calling the box office at 702-229-2743 or online at www.themobmuseum.org.

ABOUT MOB MUSEUM: A 501 (c) 3 non-profit, The Mob Museum is a world-class destination in downtown Las Vegas that tells the compelling story of organized crime  and law enforcement in Las Vegas and throughout America. Opened in February in the former federal courthouse and U.S. Post Office in downtown Las Vegas, this interactive Museum presents a bold and authentic view of organized crime’s impact on Las Vegas history, as well as its unique imprint on America and the world. For more information, visit www.themobmuseum.org.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Mafia Prince: Inside America’s Most Violent Mafia Family and the Bloody Fall of La Cosa Nostra

Mafia Prince is the first-person account of one of the most violent eras in Mafia history —“Little” Nicky Scarfo’s reign as boss of the Philly family in the 1980s—written by Scarfo’s underboss and nephew, “Crazy” Phil Leonetti.

The youngest-ever underboss at the age of 31, Leonetti was at the crux of the violent downfall of the traditional American Mafia in the 1980s when he infiltrated Atlantic City after gambling was legalized, and later turned state’s evidence against his own. His testimony directly led to the convictions of dozens of high-ranking made men including John Gotti, Vincent Gigante, and his own uncle, Nicky Scarfo—sparking the beginning of the end of La Cosa Nostra.

Just as The Godfather and Boardwalk Empire defined the early 20th century Mafia, and Wiseguy and Casino depicted the next great era through the ’70s, Mafia Prince concludes this epic genre revealing the Mafia’s violent final heyday of the 1980s— straight from the horse’s mouth.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Killer on the Road: Violence and the American Interstate, on Crime Beat Radio

On November 29th, Ginger Strand discusses her book, Killer on the Road: Violence and the American Interstate, on Crime Beat Radio.

Crime Beat is a weekly hour-long radio program that airs every Thursday at 8 p.m. EST., on the Artist First World Radio Network at artistfirst.com/crimebeat.

Crime Beat presents fascinating topics that bring listeners closer to the dynamic underbelly of the world of crime. Guests have included ex-mobsters, undercover law enforcement agents, sports officials, informants, prisoners, drug dealers and investigative journalists, who have provided insights and fresh information about the world’s most fascinating subject: crime.

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