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The Outfit

The Outfit

Written by: Headgum
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Welcome to The Outfit — where each week, a fascinating (and often hilarious) Mafia story reveals something deeper about the way our society works. Hosted by Alana Hope Levinson and Dan O'Sullivan.

From Higher Ground and Headgum

© Higher Ground
Social Sciences True Crime World
Episodes
  • Al Capone All-American: Young Capone & Frankie Yale
    Jan 8 2026

    Before he was Al Capone — the Scarface of popular myth — he was Alphonse Capone. In this inaugural episode of The Outfit’s first ever limited series, Dan and Alana take a trip back in time to dissect the man that made the man. Where a Brooklyn-born child of immigrants, under the tutelage of one very sinister Coney Island mentor, began his journey from a lowly shoeshiner to dominating the Jazz Age so thoroughly that he still remains synonymous with organized crime today.


    Sources:

    Historian Mario Gomes's excellent website, My Al Capone Museum (https://www.myalcaponemuseum.com/)

    The Mammoth Book of Journalism by Jon E. Lewis

    Al Capone’s Beer Wars: A Complete History of Organized Crime in Chicago During Prohibition by John Binder

    Mr. Capone: The Real - and Complete - Story of Al Capone, by Robert J. Schoenberg

    Young Al Capone: The Untold Story of Scarface in New York, 1899-1925 by William and John Balsamo

    Capone: The Life and World of Al Capone by John Kobler

    Capone: The Man and the Era by Laurence Bergreen

    Newspapers including The Brooklyn Daily Times, The New York Daily News, The New York Times, The New York Herald.

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    The Outfit is a production of Higher Ground and Headgum.

    Hosted by Dan O’Sullivan and Alana Hope Levinson

    Executive Produced by Dan O’Sullivan and Alana Hope Levinson

    Produced by Julia Murray

    Production Assistance by CJ Archerd and Franchesca Diaz

    Sound Design and Engineering by Ryan Kozlowski and Andrew Eapen

    Managing Producer is Tiffany Hammond

    Show theme is Bittersweet Defeat by OTE


    Like the show? Rate The Outfit on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and leave a review.

    Follow Headgum on Twitter, Instagram, and Tiktok.

    Advertise on The Outfit via Gumball.fm

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    1 hr
  • Tony Accardo: The Chicago Godfather's Bloody Christmas
    Dec 18 2025

    It's a Very Outfit Christmas this holiday season, as Dan and Alana bring you their own version of yuletide cheer: 'twas (not quite) the night before Christmas 1977, when a crew of burglars, stung over their own gift-giving, played Santa in the home of Outfit overlord Tony Accardo…and ended up on a permanent naughty list. Grab some cookies, pour some eggnog, and settle in for the bloodiest tale in Christmas history.


    Sources:

    Hillel Levin, "Boosting The Big Tuna," Playboy, 2007.

    The Chicago Tribune, The Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Reader, Chicago Magazine, Time Magazine.

    William Roemer, Accardo: The Genuine Godfather.

    Jeff Coen, Family Secrets: The Case That Crippled The Chicago Mob.

    Fred Pascente & Fred Reaves, Mob Cop: My Life of Crime in the Chicago Police Department.

    ---

    The Outfit is a production of Higher Ground and Headgum.

    Hosted by Dan O’Sullivan and Alana Hope Levinson

    Executive Produced by Dan O’Sullivan and Alana Hope Levinson

    Produced by Julia Murray

    Production Assistance by Franchesca Diaz and CJ Archerd

    Sound Design and Engineering by Ryan Kozlowski and Andrew Eapen

    Show theme is Bittersweet Defeat by OTE

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 10 mins
  • Goodfellas with Allie Kahan
    Dec 11 2025

    This week, Dan and Alana take on an age-old mystery: why are straight men so obsessed with Goodfellas? They’re joined by Allie Kahan, content manager at Headgum, for a deep-dive into their favorite scenes, classic Scorsese-isms, and the surprisingly queer heart of the mob-movie canon.

    ---

    The Outfit is a production of Higher Ground and Headgum.

    Hosted by Dan O’Sullivan and Alana Hope Levinson

    Executive Produced by Dan O’Sullivan and Alana Hope Levinson

    Produced by Julia Murray

    Production Assistance by CJ Archerd and Franchesca Diaz

    Sound Design and Engineering by Ryan Kozlowski and Andrew Eapen

    Show theme is Bittersweet Defeat by OTE


    Like the show? Rate The Outfit on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and leave a review.

    Follow Headgum on Twitter, Instagram, and Tiktok.

    Advertise on The Outfit via Gumball.fm

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Show More Show Less
    58 mins
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