The Making of the Mob

An educating and entertaining show. The life of lucky Luciano and associates. Very interesting to see the beginnings of the Mafia in New York, particularly Luciano's rise and creation of the commission. Great supporting characters from Genevese and Meyer Lansky. The stories of Frank Costello and Bugsy Siegal are also fascinating. Narrated by Ray Liotta, any fan of mafia movies will love this historical portrayal of the real life goodfellas.

Season 2 is the story of the rise of the mafia in Chicago, the story of Al Capone's rise and fall and the story of the leaders of the Chicago outfit. Although it wasn't as interesting as Lucky Luciano's story it is still fascinating viewing. If you are interested in the history of the mob this is essential viewing. You will learn a lot through the renanactments of historical events told by the narrator and interviewees.

With such excellent source material this had the potential to be awesome. It was good but could have been better. It's easy to follow and the story runs along at a nice pace without too much repetition from earlier eps. Unfortunately, the script and acting are a bit unconvincing at times. The comments are insightful and assist. It really is a good story, Just could have been a bit more polished.

A good doco but who ever edited this docudrama needs some lessons in how to lay down a good audio track and level. The music is over the top and far to loud, making it difficult to hear the narration. It's Really annoying!

The Making of the Mob: New York is an entertaining but not entirely accurate portrayal of the rise of prominent mob figures Lucky Luciano and Myer Lansky in early 20th century New York.

Its an interesting tale that employs acting, as opposed to utilizing a documentary format. Ray Liotta is a great choice for narrator, with his gravelly, New York accent and gangster film pedigree.

The approach however does take dramatic license and there are some historical inaccuracies that means this series is part fact, part fiction. There is little to suggest, for example, Lucky Luciano was dining with Joe Masseria at the time of the latter's execution. The role of Nucky Johnson in the mob underworld of the time is not properly explained or placed in context either. Johnson was not a mobster but instead a corrupt politician.

If you accept the limitations present in this series it is, in most respects, an entertaining, colourful romp through early US gangster land. The acting is of a good standard and the story is presented in an engaging and lively manner. Seven out of ten from me.