In this short documentary, I’ve taken a powerful excerpt from my Press Bonanza series on the Detroit Mafia. This snapshot focuses on the years from August 1963 to 1965—a pivotal period when U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy unleashed a relentless assault on America’s most feared criminal empires. His war on organized crime shook the very foundations of the Detroit Mafia, which was deeply intertwined with other powerful families across the nation, including New York's infamous Profaci family and the ruthless Chicago Outfit.
🔥 The Detroit Mafia Exposed: Power, Corruption & Justice 🔥
Joseph Zerilli: Detroit’s “Beer Baron” Turned Mafia Kingpin
On August 6, 1963, The Saturday Evening Post revealed explosive claims from Mafia informant Joseph Valachi, naming Joseph Zerilli as Detroit’s crime syndicate boss. Once a Prohibition-era bootlegger, Zerilli had built a fortune through gambling, narcotics, and illegal liquor. Despite his transformation into a respected businessman running Detroit Italian Baking Company, Melrose Linen Service, and Lakeshore Coach Lines, FBI investigations painted a far darker picture.
The Shocking Testimony of Joseph Valachi
Valachi’s testimony pulled back the curtain on the secretive Mafia world, naming Zerilli among Cosa Nostra’s most powerful figures. According to Valachi, the Mafia wasn’t just a collection of street gangs—it was a national criminal enterprise with a structured hierarchy. He described a ruling “Commission” of twelve bosses, including Vito Genovese, Carlo Gambino, and Joseph Bonanno.
Valachi’s accounts solved notorious Mafia mysteries like the assassination of Albert Anastasia and the failed hit on Frank Costello. He exposed how the Mafia generated billions through loan sharking, gambling, and drug trafficking—accounting for nearly ten percent of the U.S. economy.
A $100,000 Bounty & A Deadly Game
Valachi’s betrayal of the Mafia came at a steep price. The mob placed a $100,000 bounty on his head, making him America’s most hunted man. In a desperate bid to survive, he confessed everything he knew to the FBI—kicking off the largest organized crime crackdown in U.S. history.
The FBI Strikes Back
While the FBI raced to protect Valachi, Robert F. Kennedy’s Justice Department launched a legal and media offensive. Senate hearings and press exposés laid bare the Mafia’s sprawling influence—from Detroit’s racetracks and businesses to New York’s towering skyscrapers. Kennedy’s war on crime shattered the Mafia’s long-standing code of silence.
This is the untold story of Detroit’s crime empire—where ambition, betrayal, and government power collided with deadly consequences.
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