Axelbank Reports History and Today

#133: Paul Moses - "The Italian Squad"

August 08, 2023 Evan Axelbank
Axelbank Reports History and Today
#133: Paul Moses - "The Italian Squad"
Show Notes

Professor Paul Moses takes us on a tour of progressive-era New York City as he explores the life - and death - of famed detective Giuseppe Petrosino. He shows how a hit carried out in Italy in 1909 reverberated through the New York Police Department and led other Italian-American detectives to form the "Italian Squad," in an effort to not only snuff out organized crime, but to make life more rewarding for the tens of thousands of Italian immigrants who had recently moved to the United States. Moses, a veteran newspaper reporter and professor of journalism, also explains how crimefighting techniques developed in the early 20th Century became standard fare for contemporary detectives. We also discussed the strength of America's Italian community and how immigrants of all stripes have enriched life for all of us.

More information on his book from NYU Press can be found at https://nyupress.org/author/paul-moses/

Paul Moses is on social media at https://twitter.com/PaulBMoses

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