True Crime Reporter

A Former 48 Hours Producer Reveals the Psychology and Power Behind the Genre By Robert Riggs When the curtain drops on everyday life, true crime shows like this podcast and especially those on television expose the darkest side of humanity. Television relentlessly chases the latest trending crimes on police blotters and court dockets. Claire St. Amant pursued those stories in the cutthroat world of prime-time television as a producer for CBS 48 Hours. She also produced segments for 60 Minutes. She’s written a memoir about her experiences, Killer Story: The Truth Behind True Crime Televison. Television executives have known for decades that the audience is overwhelmingly female.  We’re talking 70-80 percent, sometimes more. Mothers and daughters. Best friends.  Women of all ages coming together for what amounts to a girls’ night out… centered on murder. You may want to go back and listen to my episode with Journalist Mike Cox. He wrote a satire, Getting Away With Murder, Learning From Dateline and Other True Crime Shows.  So what’s going on here? Why are women so drawn to true crime? Claire St Amant, now a fellow true crime podcaster, shares her insights.  PLEASE SUPPORT MY WORK Click here to purchase my “Texas Crime Stories” audiobook. It downloads into your podcast app. Click here to purchase the Paperback & Kindle editions on Amazon. Subscribe to the True Crime Reporter® podcast. Subscribe to the “Stories To Keep You Safe” Newsletter on the True Crime Reporter® website. Schedule me to speak at your social meeting or corporate event. My presentation, “Evil Walks Among Us,” features stories about serial killers and notorious criminals and personal safety tips. Step into the storied halls of the Texas Prison Museum and uncover the gripping tales of infamous inmates, daring escapes, and the history of justice in the Lone Star State. GET YOUR EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT PROMO CODES Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 20% OFF DISCOUNT at Eric Javits Designer Hats. We wear these hats and receive a sales commission to keep producing stories. Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 41% OFF DISCOUNT at Cozy Earth Bedding & Lounge Wear. Oprah’s favorite since 2018. We receive a sales commission. Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 30% OFF DISCOUNT at Protégé Painless Stiletto Heels Designed by an MIT graduate who wanted comfort & luxury. We receive a sales commission. Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 20% OFF DISCOUNT at Men’s HyperNatural Cool Polo Shirts. Great for travel and golf. We receive a sales commission. Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 15% OFF DISCOUNT at TONA Activewear Designer Gym Leggings. Created by one of the founding designers of Lululemon. We receive a sales commission.

By Robert Riggs The Godfather. Goodfellas. The Sopranos. Hollywood entertained us with polished fiction—honor among thieves, loyalty bound by blood, men of principle wrapped in tailored suits. But the real mob? It was darker. Colder. Predatory. The smile came first. The knife came after. This is the true story of how FBI Special Agent Mike Campi helped dismantle the Genovese crime family—the oldest, largest, and most insidious of New York’s five Mafia Families. Founded by Charles “Lucky” Luciano in 1931. Consolidated under Vito Genovese in the late 1950s. The family once ruled Manhattan’s west side piers and the Fulton Fish Market on the East River with quiet brutality. Everything moved through their hands—money, muscle, silence. Campi joined the FBI’s Organized Crime Squad in 1985, stepping into the heart of a sweeping federal assault on the American Mafia. Over the next two decades, he led investigations that exposed the rot behind the façade. His new book, Mafia Takedown, pulls back the curtain on what really happened. Not the Hollywood version. The truth. PLEASE SUPPORT MY WORK Click here to purchase my “Texas Crime Stories” audiobook. It downloads into your podcast app. Click here to purchase the Paperback & Kindle editions on Amazon. Subscribe to the True Crime Reporter® podcast. Subscribe to the “Stories To Keep You Safe” Newsletter on the True Crime Reporter® website. Schedule me to speak at your social meeting or corporate event. My presentation, “Evil Walks Among Us,” features stories about serial killers and notorious criminals and personal safety tips. Step into the storied halls of the Texas Prison Museum and uncover the gripping tales of infamous inmates, daring escapes, and the history of justice in the Lone Star State. GET YOUR EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT PROMO CODES Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 20% OFF DISCOUNT at Eric Javits Designer Hats. We wear these hats and receive a sales commission to keep producing stories. Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 41% OFF DISCOUNT at Cozy Earth Bedding & Lounge Wear. Oprah’s favorite since 2018. We receive a sales commission. Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 30% OFF DISCOUNT at Protégé Painless Stiletto Heels Designed by an MIT graduate who wanted comfort & luxury. We receive a sales commission. Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 20% OFF DISCOUNT at Men’s HyperNatural Cool Polo Shirts. Great for travel and golf. We receive a sales commission. Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 15% OFF DISCOUNT at TONA Activewear Designer Gym Leggings. Created by one of the founding designers of Lululemon. We receive a sales commission.

Mobsters Hit Tony Soprano Style Before They Can Testify By Robert Riggs The JFK assassination files recently released by President Trump shed more light on the secret plot by the CIA to use Mafia gangsters to kill Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. Investigative reporter Thomas Maier, the author of Mafia Spies, his book about the unlikely alliance between the CIA and mobsters, is back to discuss the latest revelations. This is the second part of my True Crime Reporter® series about the Mafia Spies. Two Chicago gangsters, Sam Giancana and Johnny Roselli, were central to a Congressional investigation by Senator Frank Church in the mid-1970s  Both were murdered shortly before they could testify. I was an investigator for another committee working on a related inquiry at the time.  The mob-style hit sent a chill through Senators digging into CIA abuses. Speculation continues about whether the CIA or a Mafia kingpin silenced the mobsters. Maier and I discuss the murders and revelations from his new book, “The Invisible Spy.” His dogged investigation uncovered how former CIA Director Allen Dulles steered the Warren Commission’s investigation of President Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas away from the plot to kill Castro. Here’s a link to the cast of characters. PLEASE SUPPORT MY WORK Click here to purchase my “Texas Crime Stories” audiobook. It downloads into your podcast app. Click here to purchase the Paperback & Kindle editions on Amazon. Subscribe to the True Crime Reporter® podcast. Subscribe to the “Stories To Keep You Safe” Newsletter on the True Crime Reporter® website. Schedule me to speak at your social meeting or corporate event. My presentation, “Evil Walks Among Us,” features stories about serial killers and notorious criminals and personal safety tips. Step into the storied halls of the Texas Prison Museum and uncover the gripping tales of infamous inmates, daring escapes, and the history of justice in the Lone Star State. GET YOUR EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT PROMO CODES Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 20% OFF DISCOUNT at Eric Javits Designer Hats. We wear these hats and receive a sales commission to keep producing stories. Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 41% OFF DISCOUNT at Cozy Earth Bedding & Lounge Wear. Oprah’s favorite since 2018. We receive a sales commission. Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 30% OFF DISCOUNT at Protégé Painless Stiletto Heels Designed by an MIT graduate who wanted comfort & luxury. We receive a sales commission. Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 20% OFF DISCOUNT at Men’s HyperNatural Cool Polo Shirts. Great for travel and golf. We receive a sales commission. Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 15% OFF DISCOUNT at TONA Activewear Designer Gym Leggings. Created by one of the founding designers of Lululemon. We receive a sales commission.

The story sounds like something straight out of a spy thriller.  A plot by America’s most feared criminal syndicate and its most secretive intelligence agency to assassinate a foreign leader using poison cigars and other James Bond-inspired schemes.  But this isn’t fiction. This is the true story of how the CIA joined forces with Mafia hitmen to assassinate Fidel Castro. The revelations with ties to the Watergate scandal in the 1970s have fueled conspiracy theories about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.  In this episode of True Crime Reporter®, I sit down with fellow investigative reporter Thomas Maier, whose book Mafia Spies pulls back the curtain on a chilling chapter of American history.  Together, we trace how the mob lost its Cuban gambling empire after Castro’s revolution and how, in Cold War fear, U.S. intelligence agents turned its gangsters to eliminate Castro. Maier says the challenge of his investigation was figuring how out to tell a story in which everyone lies.  Here’s a link to the cast of characters in the episode. PLEASE SUPPORT MY WORK Click here to purchase my “Texas Crime Stories” audiobook. It downloads into your podcast app. Click here to purchase the Paperback & Kindle editions on Amazon. Subscribe to the True Crime Reporter® podcast. Subscribe to the “Stories To Keep You Safe” Newsletter on the True Crime Reporter® website. Schedule me to speak at your social meeting or corporate event. My presentation, “Evil Walks Among Us,” features stories about serial killers and notorious criminals and personal safety tips. Step into the storied halls of the Texas Prison Museum and uncover the gripping tales of infamous inmates, daring escapes, and the history of justice in the Lone Star State. GET YOUR EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT PROMO CODES Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 20% OFF DISCOUNT at Eric Javits Designer Hats. We wear these hats and receive a sales commission to keep producing stories. Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 41% OFF DISCOUNT at Cozy Earth Bedding & Lounge Wear. Oprah’s favorite since 2018. We receive a sales commission. Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 30% OFF DISCOUNT at Protégé Painless Stiletto Heels Designed by an MIT graduate who wanted comfort & luxury. We receive a sales commission. Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 20% OFF DISCOUNT at Men’s HyperNatural Cool Polo Shirts. Great for travel and golf. We receive a sales commission. Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 15% OFF DISCOUNT at TONA Activewear Designer Gym Leggings. Created by one of the founding designers of Lululemon. We receive a sales commission.

In this episode, we continue our deep dive with retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke—a man whose job wasn’t just catching spies but recruiting them. Dreeke led the FBI’s elite Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program, where he mastered the art of predicting human behavior. He turned foreign operatives into informants—not with force, but with trust.  Now, he’s sharing the same tools that can help you avoid fraud, betrayal, and toxic relationships in everyday life. In part one, we peeled back the curtain on his high-stakes career in counter espionage against Russian operatives in the United States.  Now, in part two, Dreeke reveals how you can learn to think like an FBI behavioral analyst. How to see the red flags before they wave. How to spot manipulation before it wraps around your life. And how to use behavior patterns—what he calls “behavior arcs”—to make better decisions about who you can trust. If you’ve ever been lied to, blindsided, or left asking how did I not see that coming?—this episode is for you. Dreeke is the author of “Sizing People Up”, a book I recommend every listener study and underline.  His short guide, “It’s Not All About Me”, offers a crash course in building rapport in any situation. Let’s get into it—here’s part two of my conversation with Robin Dreeke. GET YOUR EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT PROMO CODES Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 20% OFF DISCOUNT at Eric Javits Designer Hats. We wear these hats and receive a sales commission to keep producing stories. Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 41% OFF DISCOUNT at Cozy Earth Bedding & Lounge Wear. Oprah’s favorite since 2018. We receive a sales commission. Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 30% OFF DISCOUNT at Protégé Painless Stiletto Heels Designed by an MIT graduate who wanted comfort & luxury. We receive a sales commission. Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 20% OFF DISCOUNT at Men’s HyperNatural Cool Polo Shirts. Great for travel and golf. We receive a sales commission. Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 15% OFF DISCOUNT at TONA Activewear Designer Gym Leggings. Created by one of the founding designers of Lululemon. We receive a sales commission. PLEASE SUPPORT MY WORK Click here to purchase my “Texas Crime Stories” audiobook. It downloads into your podcast app. Click here to purchase the Paperback & Kindle editions on Amazon. Subscribe to the True Crime Reporter® podcast. Subscribe to the “Stories To Keep You Safe” Newsletter on the True Crime Reporter® website. Schedule me to speak at your social meeting or corporate event. My presentation, “Evil Walks Among Us,” features stories about serial killers and notorious criminals and personal safety tips. Step into the storied halls of the Texas Prison Museum and uncover the gripping tales of infamous inmates, daring escapes, and the history of justice in the Lone Star State.

Whether walking through a dimly lit parking lot, meeting someone new, or even evaluating the behavior of people close to you, the ability to read people and size them up could mean the difference between safety and danger. This episode teaches you how to think like an FBI Behavioral Analyst. Robin Dreeke, who headed the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Program, joins me to discuss his framework for predicting human behavior. Dreeke wrote the book, “Sizzling People Up”, based on his years in counterespionage.  His unit was part of the Behavioral Analysis Unit that focuses on violent crime—popularly known as the serial killer unit. Now, in private consulting, Dreeke teaches how anyone can learn to predict what others will do in the most important situations.  Robin Dreeke is here to help keep you safe in public and online by learning to read people. PLEASE SUPPORT OUR WORK Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 20% OFF DISCOUNT at Eric Javits Designer Hats. We wear these hats and receive a sales commission to keep producing stories. Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 41% OFF DISCOUNT at Cozy Earth Bedding & Lounge Wear. Oprah’s favorite since 2018. We receive a sales commission. Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 30% OFF DISCOUNT at Protégé Painless Stiletto Heels. Designed by an MIT graduate who wanted comfort & luxury. We receive a sales commission. Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 20% OFF DISCOUNT at Men’s HyperNatural Cool Polo Shirts. Great for travel and golf. We receive a sales commission. Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 15% OFF DISCOUNT at TONA Activewear Designer Gym Leggings. Created by one of the founding designers of Lululemon. We receive a sales commission. Please support me by purchasing my books. Click here to purchase my “Texas Crime Stories” audiobook. It downloads into your podcast app. Click here to purchase the Paperback & Kindle editions on Amazon. Subscribe to the True Crime Reporter® podcast. Subscribe to the “Stories To Keep You Safe” Newsletter on the True Crime Reporter® website. Schedule me to speak at your social meeting or corporate event. My presentation, “Evil Walks Among Us,” features stories about serial killers and notorious criminals and personal safety tips. Step into the storied halls of the Texas Prison Museum and uncover the gripping tales of infamous inmates, daring escapes, and the history of justice in the Lone Star State.

Beware of the Fraudster Knocking At Your Door Scammers don’t just lurk online—they may be coming straight to your front door. For centuries, con artists have refined their craft, using deception and misdirection to separate victims from their money. But today’s fraudsters have more sophisticated tools than ever before. The worst part? You won’t even realize you’ve been conned until it’s too late. In this episode, I break down the playbook of modern swindlers with Jim Grinstead, veteran newspaperman and host of the Scams and Cons podcast.  Grinstead studies the psychology of deception—and what he’s uncovered should concern us all. Click the Promo Code for your exclusive 20% discount at Eric Javits Designer Hats. We wear these hats and receive a sales commission to keep producing stories. Please support me by purchasing my books on the True Crime Reporter® website. Click here to purchase my “Texas Crime Stories” audiobook. It downloads into your podcast app. Click here to purchase the text version on Amazon Kindle. Subscribe to the True Crime Reporter® Podcast. Schedule Robert Riggs to speak at your social meeting or corporate event. His presentation, “Evil Walks Among Us,” features his true crime stories and “Stories To Keep You Safe.” Step into the storied halls of the Texas Prison Museum and uncover the gripping tales of infamous inmates, daring escapes, and the history of justice

How well do we truly know our friends? Can we discern when they are lying, or even worse, when they might be hiding a deadly secret? In this episode, I delve into the unsettling story of Fred Roehler, who seemed to embody the perfect father and husband in the idyllic setting of Malibu, California. However, beneath this facade of a picture-perfect family lies a chilling tale of deception, tragedy, and murder. Join me as I unravel the mystery that Ivor Davis and his wife Sally, both seasoned journalists, uncovered about their close friend in their book The Devil In My Friend: The Inside Story Of A Malibu Murder. FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

How long would you tolerate thieves breaking into your home to steal your precious jewels? For years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been getting away with doing just that by orchestrating the theft of cutting-edge technologies and intellectual property– the crown jewels of the United States economy and its national security. Chinese companies controlled by the CCP have been embedding themselves into the heartland of American business by systematically investing in and buying U.S. companies. It’s not like a bank robbery with alarms going off. It’s a silent crime spree that costs Americans 600 billion dollars a year, according to the Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property. The case of Dallas energy entrepreneur Patrick Jenevein is a textbook example of how Chinese state-backed entities exploit American businesses to fuel China’s economic, geopolitica, andl totalitarian ambitions.  His book about the experience, Dancing With The Dragon, is a cautionary tale about the threat posed by the United States’ number one adversary. And the nation’s failure to do much about it.  FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about Step into the storied halls of the Texas Prison Museum and uncover the gripping tales of infamous inmates, daring escapes, and the history of justice in the Lone Star State.

This true crime story is not about a heist pulled off by a notorious bank robber or a cunning scam artist—but an audacious act of bureaucratic theft that spans generations.  It’s an audacious act of bureaucratic theft that spans generations.  Picture this: over $30 billion in matured U.S. savings bonds, investments made with trust and patriotism, are sitting unclaimed.  The rightful heirs, families like mine and maybe even yours, are stonewalled by the very institution that promised to safeguard these assets.  The U.S. Treasury, armed with meticulous records of bondholders, holds fast to those names while demanding impossible proof—a serial number—to claim what’s rightfully ours. It’s a $30 billion heist orchestrated through silence and red tape.  Join me as I unravel this true crime story of broken promises, frustrated heirs, and the relentless pursuit of justice.  Because sometimes, the biggest heists don’t happen in the dead of night—they happen in plain sight, sanctioned by those who are supposed to protect us. Make Your Voice Heard! Write, Call, or Email Mike Crapo (R-ID) Chair – Senate Finance Committee 239 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 202-224-6142 https://www.crapo.senate.gov/contact/email-me Jason Smith (R-Mo.) Chair – House Ways and Means Committee 1011 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone: 202-225-4404 https://jasonsmith.house.gov/contact Help end this bureaucratic theft and ensure justice for millions of American families. CLICK TO READ THE STORY FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about Step into the storied halls of the Texas Prison Museum and uncover the gripping tales of infamous inmates, daring escapes, and the history of justice in the Lone Star State.