At the turn of the 20th century, New York was transforming—and under siege. As Italian immigration surged, violent gangs tightened their grip on the city’s neighborhoods.
Into this world stepped Joseph Petrosino, an Italian immigrant who became one of the NYPD’s most extraordinary detectives.
Written & directed by James Dalessandro
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One man fought to stop the Mafia.
The other helped create it.
Vito Cascioferro rises from the violent gangs of Sicily to become one of the most powerful criminals of his time. When he arrives in New York, he sees a city filled with fractured gangs waiting to be unified.
1880—1909. A city racing toward the future.
Horses give way to automobiles. Gaslight yields to electricity. Trains, telephones, cameras, and skyscrapers reshape everyday life.
Millions of immigrants arrive from Europe in search of a new life. But beneath the energy and promise of modern New York, a darker city is emerging:
Organized crime. Political corruption. Labor unrest. Anarchism. Violence.
This is the world Joe Petrosino enters.
Joe Petrosino was murdered in Palermo in 1909.
But his work did not disappear with him.
The NYPD continues to honor his legacy with the Joseph Petrosino Award, presented for exceptional courage and integrity.
More than a century after his death, his name remains synonymous with one of the NYPD's most enduring ideals: courage in the face of danger.