Mafia Spies

"Mafia Spies" sets out to expose the flamboyant alliance between the CIA and the U. S. mob in the late 1950s and early '60s, weaving archival footage with freshly shot reenactments. The material itself is compelling: former agents, historians, and relatives of underworld figures speak surprisingly candidly about plots to assassinate Fidel Castro, hidden cash pipelines, and ego-driven pacts between spies and gangsters. The interviews feel authentic because they often leave contradictions side by side rather than forcing a single "truth."

The problem is bloat. The series stretches this strong content across six episodes when four would easily have sufficed. Repetitive flashbacks, sprawling B-roll of cigar-puffing wiseguys, and endlessly darkening maps slow the pace to a crawl. The dramatized segments are uneven-occasionally they illustrate a missing photo with flair, but just as often they play like glossy TV theater.

Even with these lulls, the show stays gripping thanks to its rarely explored links between intelligence agencies and organized crime, a mix that should perk up even seasoned true-crime viewers. Those with patience for the detours will find illuminating insights; anyone else may feel the drag. Solid yet far from tight: 6 out of 10.

Instead of a 6 episode series, this story could have been told (and should have been told) in a 2-hour feature it desperately needs an editor. And the interspersing of news footage, interviews with writers/journalists, and actors playing real folks is off-putting. Not well done at all. Save yourself and read a news story about the Bay of Pigs and RFK's pursuit of the mafia. I can't imagine who the target audience is for this series. There's nothing compelling enough to pull in younger viewers who are unfamiliar with this history. Older viewers who know this history will be bored by the lazy storytelling.