The only way I can start this article is “WOW”. The team behind Crooked City did an amazing job. I can only imagine the amount of work and coordination it took to put something like this together. If you’re somebody who has always heard about Youngstown but have no reason why, this Podcast clearly tells that story. I’ve lived in the Mahoning Valley most of my life (except for 10 years in NYC) and I have also always wondering if there was a timeline to the entire thing. Guess what? There is!
Marc Smerling and Truth Media does a great job chronicling our history in quick 30 minute sections. Lets review!
Episode 1 – “Welcome to Youngstown” July 25, 2022 – This episode does exactly what you would expect. It lays the ground work for everything that’s ahead. It opens the episode with about ten minutes focused on Jim Traficant. The best part is they splice in actual local fans of Jimbo which really captures the love the area had for him. From there it lays the ground work to Youngstown’s long connection to organized crime and the Italian Mafia. From there it starts to focus in on the Dinsio Gang which pulled off one of the biggest bank robberies of all time. Did I say pulled off? Well sort of : ) The episode also touches on the dark side of mafia life when it does exactly what you fear most…takes lives.
Episode 2 – “The United California Bank Heist” July 25, 2022 –