Kurt Calabrese Shares Family Secrets

Retired Intelligence Detective Gary Jenkins brings you the best in mob history with his unique perception of the mafia.
In this compelling episode of Gangland Wire, Gary sits down with Kurt Calabrese, son of infamous Chicago Outfit enforcer Frank Calabrese Sr. Kurt opens up about what it was like growing up in the shadow of one of the most feared men in organized crime and living through the seismic fallout of the Family Secrets Trial.

Kurt shares a deeply personal account of his childhood in Elmwood Park, an Italian-American neighborhood where the surface was peaceful but the undercurrent ran dark. He recalls days spent playing sports and evenings surrounded by neighbors who seemed like family, but fear and control ruled behind the closed doors of their three-flat home.

As the episode unfolds, Kurt discusses how he began to understand the truth about their father’s real occupation. Taught to lie and protect the family's image, they told classmates their dad was an engineer, masking a far more dangerous truth. The psychological burden of carrying this secret is a recurring theme in Kurt’s story.

Kurt paints a vivid picture of mob family dynamics, the juxtaposition of family life and violence, and the emotional toll of being raised by a man he both feared and revered. He reveals the lasting impact of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his father and how it contributed to his own diagnosis of complex PTSD.

Listeners will hear firsthand what living through the Family Secrets Trial was like, a landmark case that exposed the Chicago Outfit’s inner workings. Kurt speaks candidly about the threats he and his family faced, the betrayal from his brother Frank Jr.’s cooperation with the FBI, and his complicated relationship with the truth, loyalty, and justice.

We also learn about Kurt’s marriage to Angela LaPietra—granddaughter of another mob figure—and the intense family conflict that followed. From physical altercations with his father to the ripple effects on his own children, Kurt doesn’t hold back.

Click here for Kurt's Website. https://www.kurtcalabrese.com/

Finally, Kurt introduces his podcast, Underbelly: Killing Kurt, in which he digs deeper into his story and aims to expose the unseen scars left by a life entangled in organized crime.
Click here to find the Podcast Killing Kurt. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...


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The content on this channel is for educational and informational purposes only. Gangland Wire is dedicated to exploring the history of organized crime and examining the real-life consequences of criminal activities, including the dangers of narcotics. Our goal is to educate viewers about the impact of these events on society, law enforcement, and history.

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