He wrote his name in blood on the sidewalks of New York and made himself the Boss of all Bosses. Arriving in America at the age of nine and embarking upon a life of crime at age 14, Charles "Lucky" Luciano rose through the ranks of the New York Mafia like a pistol shot. By the age of 34, he was running the Sicilian mob like a U.S. corporation diversifying the rackets, organizing the gangs and running his own political candidates. Examine Lucky's 30-year career as CEO of Murder, Inc. through rare interviews and extensive archival footage. Mob insiders recall the history-making meetings held in Luciano's Waldorf-Astoria headquarters. And naval records reveal how his top-secret war efforts earned him parole from a 50-year sentence. Journey into the dangerous world of La Cosa Nostra for the definitive portrait of one of the most notorious criminals in history.

About the Series

Documentary

Synopsis

Biography is a documentary television series. It was originally a half-hour filmed series produced for CBS by David Wolper from 1961 to 1964 and hosted by Mike Wallace. The A&E Network later re-ran it and has produced new episodes since 1987. The older version featured historical figures such as Helen Keller and Mark Twain, or long-dead entertainment figures such as Will Rogers or John Barrymore. The A&E series has placed the emphasis on such people as Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Plácido Domingo, Freddie Mercury, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Eric Clapton, Pope John Paul II, Gene Tierney, Selena, Diego Rivera, Mao Zedong and Queen Elizabeth II, and fictional characters like The Phantom, Superman, Hamlet, Betty Boop, and Santa Claus. The program ended up profiling enough figures that in 1999, A&E spun it off into an entire network, The Biography Channel.

CreatorsDavid L. Wolper, Agnes Nixon