Sam Giancana
Episode 42 · 1997-10-23
- Documentary
Episode overview
The episode traces the rise and fall of Sam Giancana, the ruthless yet enigmatic boss of the Chicago Outfit whose influence stretched from the streets of Chicago to the corridors of political power. It explores his beginnings in the 42 Gang, where his talent for violence and high‑stakes crime propelled him into the upper ranks of organized crime. The program examines Giancana’s control of gambling and racketeering operations, his alleged involvement in the 1960 presidential election, and his secret collaboration with the CIA in plots to assassinate Fidel Castro. Through archival footage, interviews, and expert commentary, Biography reveals a man driven by ambition and paranoia, whose exile to Mexico and mysterious 1975 murder only deepened the intrigue surrounding him. Giancana emerges as a powerful, volatile figure—one whose life remains a defining chapter in American organized crime.
60 minutes
Season 6 episodes
1. Anastasia: Her True Story1997-01-09
2. Andy Griffith: Hollywood's Homespun Hero1997-01-16
3. Augustus: First of the Emperors1997-01-23
4. Ayatollah Khomeini: Holy Terror1997-01-30
5. Caligula: Reign of Madness1997-02-06
6. Charles Kuralt: A Life on the Road1997-02-13
7. Constantine: The Christian Emperor1997-02-20
8. David Copperfield: Master of Illusion1997-02-27
9. Diana: The People's Princess1997-03-06
10. Dow and Jones: Wizards of Wall Street1997-03-13
11. Dutch Schultz: Menace to Society1997-03-20
12. Edgar Cayce: The Sleeping Psychic1997-03-27
13. Edward R. Murrow: Voice of America1997-04-03
14. Eliot Ness: Untouchable1997-04-10
15. Elizabeth I: The Virgin Queen1997-04-17
16. Elizabeth: The Reluctant Monarch1997-04-24
17. Erwin Rommel: The Last Knight1997-05-01
18. F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Great American Dreamer1997-05-08
19. Frank Costello: Prime Minister of the Mob1997-05-15
20. General George C. Marshall: Soldier and Statesman1997-05-22
21. George Armstrong Custer: America's Golden Cavalier1997-05-29
22. Hadrian: Emperor of the Golden Age1997-06-05
23. Ivan the Terrible: Might and Madness1997-06-12
24. J.C. Penney: Main Street Millionaire1997-06-19
25. JFK: A Personal Story1997-06-26
26. Jimmy Stewart: His Wonderful Life1997-07-03
27. Joseph Kennedy, Sr.: Father of an American Dynasty1997-07-10
28. Julius Caesar: Master of the Roman World1997-07-17
29. Justinian: The Last of the Romans1997-07-24
30. Katharine Graham: Pillar of the Post1997-07-31
31. Leonardo Da Vinci: Renaissance Master1997-08-07
32. Lucrezia Borgia: Pretty Poison1997-08-14
33. Martin Luther King, Jr.: The Man and the Dream1997-08-21
34. Meyer Lansky: Mob Tycoon1997-08-28
35. Mother Teresa: A Life of Devotion1997-09-04
36. Nancy Reagan: The President's Leading Lady1997-09-11
37. Neiman Marcus: Last of the Merchant Kings1997-09-18
38. Nelson Rockefeller: Passionate Millionaire1997-09-25
39. Nero: The Power and the Madness1997-10-02
40. Pancho Villa: Outlaw Hero1997-10-09
41. R.H. Macy: Merchant Prince1997-10-16
42. Sam Giancana1997-10-23
43. Sam Walton: Bargain Billionaire1997-10-30
44. Samuel Bronfman: Whiskey Man1997-11-06
45. Sigmund Freud: Analysis of a Mind1997-11-13
46. Stanley & Livingstone: The Mercenary and the Missionary1997-11-20
47. The Gambinos: First Family of Crime1997-09-21
48. The Marshall Fields: A Chicago Tradition1997-12-04
49. The Woolworths: Five-and-Dime Fortune and Failure1997-12-11
50. Thurgood Marshall: Justice for All1997-12-18
51. Vladimir Lenin: Voice of the Revolution1997-12-25
