Inside the Life - Terry Rankhorn – Pioneer in Cybercrime Undercover Operations

Terry Rankhorn is a legend in the world of undercover work. In his over 20-year career with the FBI, Rankhorn was one of the first FBI undercover operatives to infiltrate major computer hacking groups, including organizations such as Global Hell and The Keebler Elves. The pioneering work he did investigating cybercrime established precedent that is still used today. In this episode of Inside the Life, he speaks with Giovanni and Dutch about his career with the FBI and the vital role he played in their undercover training.  

Terry Rankhorn spent over 20 years working for the FBI in cybercrime and counterterrorism operations. He operated undercover in more than 20 operations. In addition to his fieldwork, Terry was a certified FBI instructor, having trained many of the next generation of covert operatives.  

On a pioneering task force, Bob Delaney went from New Jersey State Trooper to undercover in some of the biggest east coast Mob families. In this episode, Delaney spoke to Giovanni and Dutch about how he was recruited to work undercover, the innerworkings of how he infiltrated the Genovese and Bruno Crime Families and his transition to high-profile NBA referee. Tune in for an incredibly insightful and inspirational episode.

Robert “Bob” Delaney rose to the top of two elite organizations — in law enforcement as a highly decorated Trooper with the New Jersey State Police and in the National Basketball Association as one of the most respected referees, having most recently served as NBA Vice President Director of Officials. In 1981 Delaney testified before the United States Senate on Organized Crime, detailing his perilous 3-year undercover operation infiltrating the Genovese and Bruno Crime Families. His NBA referee career began in 1987 (more than 1,700 regular season games, 200 playoff contests and nine Finals). Delaney worked the ‘98 and ‘11 All-Star Games, the ‘94 Opening NBA Games in Yokohama, Japan and the ‘10 NBA China games. Today, Delaney presents Leadership & Teamwork seminars.

To purchase a copy of Bob Delaney’s book “Covert: My Years Infiltrating the Mob” visit https://a.co/d/idN2FEq  

Myron Sugerman’s 60-year career as an international mobster in the business of slot machines and casinos took him all over the world, learning from notorious Mob figures such as Abner “Longie” Zwillman and Meyer Lansky. In this episode of Inside the Life, Sugerman takes us through his journey from following in his father’s footsteps to carving his own path in the illegal gaming business and gives insights into the inner workings of the Jewish Mob.  

Myron Sugerman was born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1938. His father was New Jersey Jewish Mob member Barney “Sugie” Sugerman. At the age of 21, Myron followed his father into the family business — coin-operated amusements. He is the author of “The Last Jewish Gangster: From Meyer to Myron.”  

To order Myron Sugerman’s book “The Last Jewish Gangster” or to learn about his documentary “Last Man Standing” visit sugerman.tv  

Mike Moy was only 16 years old when he joined the Brooklyn faction of the Fuk Ching gang. In this episode of Inside the Life, Moy shares stories of his upbringing and the events that led him to change his trajectory and join the NYPD. Having had the unique experience of operating on both sides of the law, Moy gives us a first-hand look into the secretive underworld of New York’s Chinatown.  

Mike Moy is a former NYPD detective and a former member of the Fuk Ching gang in Chinatown. He spent nine years in the gang before a turning point in the the early 1990s, when many of his friends were either killed or sent to prison. In 1995, Moy enrolled in the policy academy. He was a patrol officer in Chinatown for nine years before being promoted to detective. After retiring, he now runs a YouTube channel, Chinatown Gang Stories, where he interviews former gang members to tell the history of organized crime in New York’s Chinatown.   

Buy Mike Moy’s book “Bad to Blue: The True Story of a Chinatown Gangster Turned NYPD Detective.” 

A native of Quebec, Canada, Pete Charette tells his story of becoming the Drug Enforcement Administration’s go-to French speaking agent, traveling across the globe for DEA undercover operations. In this episode, Pete, often known as “Frenchy,” unfolds how he posed as a Corsican mobster and infiltrated the international narcotics trafficking network now known as “the French Connection.” 

Pierre “Pete” Charette’s adventures spanned a heart-pounding 33 years as a police officer, undercover detective and DEA Special Agent throughout the United States and around the world. His investigative ability and imagination in numerous undercover roles took him from the United States into the French criminal underworld, the Iron Curtain and across the planet to untangle some of the world’s largest criminal organizations. Risking his life on numerous occasions, he was instrumental in the takedown of Harold Rosenthal, head of the largest cocaine conspiracy organization in the United States. Throughout his career, he received numerous awards for his bravery and accomplishments in the war on drugs against the United States.  

Buy Pete Charette’s books “One Hell of a Ride.”

Michael Corleone Blanco didn’t have a typical childhood. As the youngest son of “Cocaine Godmother” Griselda Blanco, his earliest memories of his life include stories of family love and loyalty, opulence and violence. In this gripping episode, Corleone Blanco tells his story of growing up amongst the Medellín Cartel and the operations of his mother’s own cocaine distribution business and reflects on how his experiences have shaped who he is today.

Born August 5, 1978, in Medellín – Michael Corleone Blanco is an author and entrepreneur with an incredible past. His mother, Griselda Blanco, and three brothers led one of the biggest Colombian drug cartel operations in history. After years of trying to follow in his family’s footsteps, he finally began living the legitimate life that his mother and brothers always wanted him to have.  

Buy Michael Corleone Blanco’s book, “My Mother, the Godmother.” 

In this rare appearance from a former Central Intelligence Agency operative, Michele Rigby Assad details how she, as a young woman from small town America, went on to work in one of the world’s most misunderstood and dangerous geopolitical climates — the Middle East. Working across a handful of undisclosed locations throughout the Arab world, Rigby Assad shares the difficulties she faced while successfully infiltrating and gathering intelligence from terrorist cells known for their stern anti-Western beliefs.  

Michele Rigby Assad began her career in the government relations department of an international relief and development organization in Washington, DC, in 1995. After obtaining a master’s degree in contemporary Arab studies from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service she joined the CIA in 2002 to work as an intelligence officer in the Directorate of Operations, the covert arm of the agency. Specializing in counterterrorism and counterintelligence issues, Rigby Assad worked in Iraq and other secret Middle Eastern locations. To date, Rigby Assad has lived in six countries in the Near East region and traveled to more than 45 others.  

Buy Michele Rigby Assad’s book Get off the X  

In this episode, Anthony Ruggiano Jr. details his life as son of Gambino enforcer and hitman Anthony “Fat Andy” Ruggiano. From a teen partying at the Copacabana, to his severe struggle with drug addiction and years in witness protection, this episode is an honest look at Ruggiano Jr.’s journey through a life of money, power, greed and redemption. Now decades out of the Mob life, he has found purpose through reform and sobriety.  

Anthony Ruggiano Jr., once a proposed member of the Gambino crime family, was born into a world where violence and power were currency. Having served under Mob bosses Paul Castellano and John Gotti, Ruggiano Jr.’s descent into crime was as inevitable as his eventual reckoning. After turning his back on that life, Ruggiano Jr. has long maintained his sobriety and commitment to personal transformation. Now, 36 years clean, he shares his journey of addiction, redemption and reform. 

Sitting down with Giovanni and Dutch, Steve Murphy shares his journey from being a police officer in a town of fewer than 20,000 people to becoming one of the DEA agents most synonymous with the takedown of narco-terrorist and Medellín Cartel kingpin Pablo Escobar. A story best known for its depiction in Netflix’s hit series Narcos, Murphy provides intimate insights into life in Colombia during its most violent years, as he and partner Javier Peña pursued Escobar alongside the Colombian National Police. 

Retired DEA Special Agents Steve Murphy and partner Javier Peña were at the center of the largest, most complex, multi-national, high-profile investigation of its time. Because of their efforts, Escobar offered a $300,000 bounty for the death of each of them. After Escobar’s capture, Murphy returned to the American south first landing in Greensboro, NC where he ran an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force before moving to Washington D.C. to serve as Senior Executive Service where he oversaw the DEA’s office of Special Intelligence. Now retired, he and Peña often make guest appearances to tell their heroic story. Murphy and Peña also act as the lead investigators searching for the remains of The Lost Clipper, a Hawaiian airplane that vanished with 15 Americans on board in 1938.  

In this episode, retired Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) agent Jay Dobyns sits down with Giovanni and Dutch to share how he went from getting shot on his fourth day on the job to successfully infiltrating the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club under the alias Jaybird Davis, the gunrunner. Having previously worked on outlaw motorcycle club cases themselves, Giovanni and Dutch share their own insights into just how violent and dangerous these organizations can be. Dobyns also talks about his other cases, including a Las Vegas bombing that was stopped by law enforcement before it could unfold, exemplifying the importance of undercover work in keeping the public safe.  

Born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, Jay Dobyns was a standout PAC 10, D-1 wide receiver turned Special Agent for the ATF in 1987 at 26 years old. He is best known for successfully infiltrating the Hells Angels. The investigation, known as Operation Black Biscuit, resulted in 52 defendants being arrested, 16 of whom were indicted on racketeering and murder charges. However, most of the serious violations were eventually dismissed and Dobyns’ personal information became public, exposing him and his family to intimidation, threats and bounties on his life.  

Long inspired by his father, a Harlem NYPD detective, and confronted by the 1970s heroin epidemic in New York City which affected many of his young-adult peers returning from the Vietnam War, Lew Rice found his calling with the Drug Enforcement Administration in 1974. In this episode, Rice describes his journey with the DEA, highlighting his undercover experiences and how he worked his way through the ranks to supervisory roles, all while sharing the best advice he received along the way. He also explains to Dutch and Giovanni how he came to sit down with “American Gangster” drug kingpin Frank Lucas and what he learned during that pivotal time.  

A native of New York City, Lew Rice earned his bachelor’s in criminal justice from St. John’s University, Queens, New York. Shortly after graduation, he began his 26-year career with the DEA in 1974 and served in a variety of investigative assignments in the state of New York and in Kingston, Jamaica. In 1984, he was promoted to the position of Supervisory Special Agent in Miami, Florida, where he coordinated numerous international drug investigations against violent drug cartels resulting in the seizure of millions in cash, thousands of kilograms of cocaine and heroin and the arrests and convictions of major drug traffickers. During his career with the DEA, he held additional supervisory assignments in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Detroit and New York. In 1996, he was promoted to Special Agent-in-Charge (SAC), Detroit Division covering the states of Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky and in 1997, he was again promoted to the position of SAC of the DEA office in New York, the flagship office of the DEA. In 1998, Rice was selected by President Bill Clinton to be awarded the rank of Meritorious Executive in the Senior Executive Service of the DEA. At the time of this appointment, he was the youngest SAC in the DEA.  

Best known for his role as Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero on HBO’s hit series “The Sopranos,” Giovanni and Dutch welcome actor Vincent Pastore to Inside the Life. In this episode, Vincent, Giovanni and Dutch chop it up, discussing everything from Pastore’s career in the music and nightlife industry, his experience living and working around New York Mob-types, how he landed his role on “The Sopranos” to Giovanni’s infiltration of the “real Sopranos,” New Jersey’s DeCavalcante crime family. After discussing how being an informant on the series affected him, Pastore shares the bittersweet behind-the-scenes story of the season two finale “Funhouse.”

Born in the Bronx and raised in New Rochelle, NY, Pastore didn’t get involved with acting until his 40s, aside from a small part in a 1968 soap opera. After meeting actors and brothers Kevin and Matt Dillon while running a nightclub in New York, they encouraged him to pursue acting. He is most famous for playing Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero in the first two seasons of “The Sopranos.”  When his character faces 30 years in prison for heroin trafficking, he becomes an FBI informant, forcing his character to “exit” the show.  Since “The Sopranos,” Pastore has played a wide variety of roles, including an appearance on “The Celebrity Apprentice” and a voice in the movie “Shark Tale.”  Pastore currently enjoys teaching acting workshops in New York City and regularly appears alongside his friends and fellow Sopranos stars Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa in the “In Conversations with The Sopranos” live shows.

One of the DEA’s first female undercover agents, Patricia Naughton sits down with Giovanni and Dutch to talk about her experience inside the life. While bonding over the risks they were all willing to take, Naughton describes how she went from small narcotics buys as a city police officer to infiltrating outlaw motorcycle clubs and the Detroit Mafia as a woman in the 1980s. During an incredibly violent era in Detroit’s history, Naughton had the unique experience of crossing paths and fostering relationships with some of the city’s most influential and powerful criminals.

Beginning her career in law enforcement as a police officer in the 1970s, Patricia Naughton graduated as Indiana’s first female class president and worked undercover narcotics for both her own agency and other jurisdictions throughout the state. In 1978, she joined the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as part of the one percent of female agents. She began working clandestine labs and went on to become the DEA’s first female weapons instructor, training her own division as well as a guest instructor for the FBI and DEA agents at the FBI Academy at Quantico, while also acting as her own hazardous response team’s weapons trainer. She later assisted in the creation of DEA’s National Trauma Team, serving as one of its first members, responding to all critical incidents in the field.

In a rare interview, John Gleeson, the former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, shares his experiences as a prosecutor in the government’s 1986 and 1992 cases against Gambino crime family boss John Gotti. Sitting down with co-hosts Dutch and Giovanni, Gleeson gives listeners a behind-the-scenes look into how he and the government crafted the case against Gotti and his co-defendants, why they risked indicting him after losing the first trial and how Gleeson secured his star witness, Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano.  

John Gleeson is a practicing American attorney and former federal judge of 22 years. Prior to his judgeship, he was an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York where he tried infamous Mafia boss John Gotti. In August of 2022, Gleeson was appointed to the United States Sentencing Commission by President Joseph R. Biden. Today, Gleeson continues to practice law in New York State.  

Power, money, greed and image – Sal Polisi’s firsthand experience as a Colombo associate during the Mafia’s height in 1970s New York City is a testament to the Mob’s violence and disregard for public safety. In this episode, Polisi tells host Giovanni Rocco how after years of committing crimes with the Colombo and Gambino crime families, he became disillusioned during a stint in the Lewisburg Penitentiary. Though he was never a made man, he also describes how he became one of the government’s strongest prosecutorial assets as an organized crime expert witness.  

Salvatore “Sally Ubatz” Polisi is a former associate of the Colombo crime family. In his Mob heyday, he ran “The Sinatra Club,” a hangout spot that encouraged mobsters from different families to gather and cooperate. Among the notable people who patronized the Sinatra Club were John Gotti of the Gambino family, and Tommy DeSimone and Jimmy Burke of the Lucchese family. After flipping, Polisi provided testimony against John Gotti and other key family members.    

In this episode, co-hosts Dutch McAlpin and Giovanni Rocco speak with television and film creator, writer and producer Chris Brancato. As the showrunner of organized crime television dramas “Narcos” and “Godfather of Harlem,” Brancato explores the unique influence of organized crime on popular culture. In this episode, Brancato shares how he strategically combines real events with his own creative liberties to shape the alluring dichotomy of well-known crime figures, showcasing both their personal and professional lives.

Chris Brancato’s career in television and film spans more than 30 years. After starting in the writers’ rooms of popular series like “Beverly Hills 90210” and “The X-Files,” Brancato found his footing in organized crime with his first film “Hoodlum.” His newest series “Hotel Cocaine” debuted on MGM+ this June.

Actress Kathrine Narducci offers hosts Giovanni Rocco and Dutch McAlpin a firsthand look into the world of Mob television and film. Exploring her work as an actress, Narducci shares how she beat out more than 2,500 women for her first role, the backstory she created for her character on “The Sopranos,” the surprise of her “Euphoria” character’s viral look and details about her upcoming projects.

Narducci is best known for her series regular role as Charmaine Bucco on the Emmy Award-winning HBO series, “The Sopranos.” She held her first role in “A Bronx Tale” opposite Robert De Niro, can be seen opposite Joe Pesci in Martin Scorsese’s critically acclaimed film “The Irishman” and plays Olympia Gigante in MGM+’s “Godfather of Harlem” series. Kathrine is a lifetime member of the Actor’s Studio and will again star opposite De Niro in the upcoming film “Alto Knights” as Mob wife Anna Genovese.

Reformed mobster and son of notorious Chicago Outfit enforcer and hitman Frank Calabrese Jr. sits down with former undercover agents Giovanni Rocco and Dutch McAlpin to share his story of family, violence, addiction and life inside the Chicago Outfit. In this candid conversation Calabrese Jr. shares the intimate details surrounding his decision to leave the world his father pressured him into and how he risked his life to escape.  

Frank Calabrese Jr. is a former member of the Chicago Outfit and co-author of the best-selling book Operation Family Secrets: How a Mobster’s Son and the FBI Brought Down Chicago’s Murderous Crime Family. He was a key government witness whose testimony in the Operation Family Secrets trial devastated the Chicago Outfit and sent his father Frank Calabrese Sr. to prison for life. Today, no longer living in fear of his father, Calabrese Jr. speaks regularly at The Mob Museum in Downtown, Las Vegas, Nevada.  

Narcotics trafficking is a global problem. Agents who are sent to fight it can find themselves deep undercover on foreign soil. In this episode, hosts Dutch McAlpin and Giovanni Rocco sit down with retired Drug Enforcement Administration agent Frank Panessa. Frank was at the center of the case known as the “Pizza Connection,” during which he infiltrated the Mafia. As former undercover agents themselves, Giovanni and Dutch are able to ask Frank all the right questions. Frank talks about his start in the DEA, going undercover as a made man, how he got his nickname “The Chameleon” and so much more.  

Frank Panessa worked as an undercover DEA agent for 28 years with multiple deep cover identities. After working investigations around the world, including in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Central America, Panessa retired in 1995 as the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Philadelphia Division, where he supervised more than 300 law enforcement personnel. During his DEA tenure, he proudly served as the Italian U.S. Embassy’s chief liaison to Italian police agencies on narcotics and organized crime.  

Who can you trust? In this captivating episode, hosts Giovanni Rocco and Dutch McAlpin discuss how their undercover work intersected at the most opportune and dire times, including an unforgettable Las Vegas dinner with a DeCavalcante crime family caporegime. 

Welcome to Inside the Life, a podcast produced by The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement. In this episode, we introduce host and former elite undercover agent Dutch McAlpin. Dutch’s harrowing accounts offer a rare glimpse inside law enforcement, from his early years as a beat cop to the top-clearance, confidential world of undercover work. 

About Dutch McAlpin: 

Often working in extremely dangerous, life-threatening scenarios, Dutch McAlpin left his over-20-year career in law enforcement with an endless number of stories. From a beat cop in the Midwest to an undercover task force agent for numerous federal agencies, Dutch infiltrated outlaw motorcycle gangs, domestic terrorist organizations, weapons trafficking networks, Latin American cartels, international human trafficking rings and even the Mafia, sometimes operating with three different undercover identities at the same time.  

Welcome to Inside the Life, a podcast produced by The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement. In this episode, meet host and elite undercover agent Giovanni Rocco. Through Operation Charlie Horse, Rocco was responsible for infiltrating and taking down the DeCavalcante crime family now recognized as “The Real Sopranos.”  

About Giovanni Rocco: 

During his decades-long career working undercover for the federal government, Giovanni Rocco successfully infiltrated outlaw motorcycle gangs, domestic and international terror organizations and white-collar criminals. Drawing from his service in law enforcement in various positions, Giovanni now shares his expertise with law enforcement, military and intelligence units worldwide.