American Gangster

He was a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, he worked with troubled youth and he co-founded one of the most infamous gangs that continues to terrorize the Black community nationwide. His life is documented in this installment.

This installment chronicles Ross' rise and fall in narcotics distribution and his unusual connection to the Reagan-era CIA/Iran-Contras controversy.

This installment chronicles Barnes' life addiction to heroine beginning in the 1950s. He is now known as the most notorious snitch in history.

Black Mafia was the most feared force in Philadelphia’s criminal Black underworld. One of the most ambitious criminal enterprises in the history of Black America, the group extorted, hustled, plundered and murdered with impunity. It also maneuvered skillfully through many worlds, shielding itself inside the Nation of Islam, conning politicians and other leaders, and devising multiple layers of protection and cover.

“King” Larry Hoover is the architect of Chicago’s largest and most powerful street organization, the Gangster Disciples. This installment presents a complex portrait of a complex man, including interviews with federal prosecutors, former associates of the Gangster Disciples, Larry Hoover’s son, his wife - and Hoover himself.

Before he was old enough to shave, “Little Melvin” Williams possessed a genius I.Q. and was a prodigy in the gambling haunts and alleyways along glittering Pennsylvania Avenue. His exploits helped inspire the hit series “The Wire.” On this episode of ‘American Gangster’ he tells his story, his way.