Martin Scorsese's The Irishman is considered one of the best films of 2019. This Netflix-produced epic is based on the book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt. The Irishman follows the lives of mobsters involved in the crime family headed by Jimmy Hoffa. The film brings together three mob movie giants: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci.
The Irishman is just one in a long line of films focused on the rise and fall of famous gangsters. For those who can't get enough of lavish lifestyles, brutal hitmen, and pesky police interference, here is a list of binge-worthy television shows that will satisfy your craving.
10 Boardwalk Empire (2010 - 2014)
A dark and unsettling look into life during the Prohibition Era, Boardwalk Empire focuses on the rise and fall of Atlantic City's infamous treasurer Nucky Thompson, played by Steve Buscemi. A tense ensemble drama, this HBO series also delves into the traumas that surfaced after WWI.
The show features stellar supporting performances from Michael Pitt, Kelly Macdonald, Michael Shannon, Shea Whigham, and Michael Kenneth Williams. Even though it was created by Terence Winter, Boardwalk Empire's pilot episode was directed by Scorsese, who stayed on board as a producer during the show's five-season run.
9 Peaky Blinders (2013 - )
A BBC drama that is available for streaming on Netflix, Peaky Blinders tells the story of early 20th century Birmingham, England, through the perspective of one crime family: the Shelbys. Another series that follows the aftermath of WWI, the show begins in 1919.
Based on a real youth gang, Peaky Blinders stars Cillian Murphy as the group's leader. With supporting performances from Helen McCrory, Sam Neill, Paddy Considine, and Tom Hardy, it's one of the best mob shows on TV currently. Stylized and sharp, it examines themes of poverty, corruption, and violence without sacrificing its entertainment factor.
8 Crime Story (1986 - 1988)
This 1960s mob series that aired on NBC for two seasons features Dennis Farina as a Chicago police lieutenant who crosses paths with a rising gangster played by Anthony Denison. Denison plays Ray Luca, a young man who begins his life of crime by committing robberies, eventually moving on to much bigger things.
Michael Mann produced this show, granted free reign to do whatever he wanted after the success of his series Miami Vice. Even though it only lasted two seasons, Crime Story was influential, predicting the 1990s obsession with police procedurals. Scorsese also cited it as an inspiration for his 1990 film Casino.
7 The Untouchables (1959 - 1963)
Based on the memoir of infamous Prohibition agent Eliot Ness, this ABC show follows the trial and tribulations of Ness's hand-picked gang of law imposers, known as the Untouchables.
The show stars Robert Stack—best known for hosting the true-crime series Unsolved Mysteries—as Ness, and it's considered a television milestone for its hard-hitting, dramatic investigation of criminal activity. Stack won an Emmy for his acting, and the show spawned a 1987 Brian De Palma film of the same name starring Kevin Costner.
6 Public Morals (2015)
Canceled after just one season, Public Morals is the creation of actor Edward Burns. Another period crime drama, the show focuses on officers working for New York City's Public Morals Division during the 1960s, responsible for handling vice operations. The show also digs into these officers' status as Irish Americans.
Even though it was considered a fresh and new take on cop shows, and even though it had the production backing of Steven Spielberg, the show didn't have the viewership necessary for TNT to keep it going. Despite this, it's still considered a solid series, and Burns cites movies like Mean Streets and The French Connection as influences.
5 The Sopranos (1999 - 2007)
This ensemble, long-running HBO drama launched the careers of many talented actors while revitalizing the genre. The show's star is Tony Soprano, played by the late James Gandolfini, an Italian-American mobster in New Jersey.
The Sopranos employs an interesting framing device: Tony, struggling to maintain a balance between his family life and his role within the criminal organization, hires a therapist, and their sessions break up and define the drama unfolding around him. The Sopranos is still viewed as one of the great television series ever.
4 Bad Blood (2017 - )
A Canadian television series Bad Blood was designed as a limited-run special based on the real-life story of the Montreal-based Rizzuto crime family. Adapted from a book about their rise and fall, the show was so popular that its creators decided to keep it going, departing from their source material.
Anthony LaPaglia and Paul Sorvino star in the show, and it has often been called the Canadian version of The Sopranos. The show provides an exacting and deep look into how crime families like the Rizzutos function, refusing to sacrifice verisimilitude for entertainment.
3 Lilyhammer (2012 - 2014)
Lilyhammer, which was Netflix's first exclusive series, has a unique premise among mob shows: Frank "The Fixer" Tagliano, after being placed in witness protection for testifying against Aldo Delucci, ends up, of all places, in Norway. He assumes the identity of Giovanni "Johnny" Henriksen, and he attempts to start his life over.
Steven Van Zandt, the same Steven Van Zandt who backs up Bruce Springsteen in the E Street Band, stars as Frank. Equal parts dramatic and comedic, the show is a fun take on a genre that can sometimes border on excessively grisly. Van Zandt provides most of the series' soundtrack.
2 Wiseguy (1987-1990)
This Stephen J. Cannell-produced CBS drama tells the story of an undercover FBI agent tasked with infiltrating the mob. Michael Wahl plays Vincent Michael "Vinnie" Terranova, the 30-year-old agent who goes after various organized crime groups. Melodramatic and slow-paced, Wiseguy is the most soap-operatic of the series on this list.
Wiseguy deserves a spot, though, for being one of the first shows to employ story arcs, which involves allowing plot lines to develop over multiple episodes, instead of resolving everything by the end of each episode.
1 Gomorrah (2014 - )
This violent and gritty Italian series is syndicated on Sundance TV. Gomorrah, based on a book by the same name, fixates on the Savastano clan and its member Ciro Di Marzio. Set in Naples, the show's action is propelled by day-to-day criminal activity with a civil war looming in the background.
Between his own familial struggles and the threats from rival gang leaders, Di Marzio has a lot on his plate. Well-paced and atmospheric, the show has achieved international critical acclaim.
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