In this episode of Bad News, Good Lawyers, host Tom Firestone, head of our Government Investigations & White Collar Practice, speaks with Séamus McElearney, a retired FBI Special Agent and author of Flipping Capo: How the FBI Dismantled the Real Sopranos, about the investigation that helped dismantle the DeCavalcante organized crime family (the model for the Sopranos).
McElearney explains how he and his colleagues secured the cooperation of Anthony Capo, a member of the DeCavalcante organized crime family, paving the way for additional members and associates to come forward and helping investigators solve 11 murders and secure convictions against 71 defendants.
The conversation explores the challenges of developing cooperating witnesses within organized crime organizations and the broader impact the investigation had on the FBI’s efforts against La Cosa Nostra. McElearney also discusses the connection between the DeCavalcante family and HBO’s The Sopranos, sharing how real-life figures reacted to the series and which storylines were inspired by actual events.
This episode offers a rare insider’s perspective on organized crime investigations, witness cooperation and the real-world history behind one of television’s most iconic crime dramas.