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2 • August 14 - 20, 2016 • Brainerd Dispatch By Kyla Brewer TV Media K nown as The Windy City, Chica- go is famous for a lot of things — deep dish pizza, the L train and Oprah Winfrey to name a few. But the city is also infamous for being the setting of the rise of one of North America's most notorious or- ganized crime syndicates: The Chi- cago Outfit. A new docuseries offers viewers a dramatization of the events that led to the rise and fall of one of the Mob's founding members. Michael Kotsohilis ("The Dark Side of War," 2009) stars as iconic gangster Al Capone in a new episode of "The Making of the Mob: Chicago," air- ing Monday, Aug. 15, on AMC. In addition to dramatic reenactments, the program features archival foot- age and photos, as well as inter- views with historians, authors, law enforcement personnel and actors famous for their portrayal of gang- sters. Actor Ray Liotta ("Goodfellas," 1990) narrates the series, which is now in its second season. The first season focused on the rise of the New York Mob, particularly with reference to Lucky Luciano, who was credited with revolutionizing the Big Apple's organized crime hi- erarchy by forming alliances and creating the Five Families. Attract- ing around a million viewers per episode, the debut season was a re- spectable success for AMC, so it came as no surprise when the show was renewed. "The histories and the spectacu- lar personalities inside the Ameri- can mafia provides a fascinating real-life look at organized crime, and allows us to expand the story- telling beyond New York City," said AMC executive Joel Stillerman. "Al Capone is one of the most notori- ous crime figures, and 'The Making of the Mob: Chicago' showcases the canny criminal minds and brut- ish no-nonsense killers that will stop at nothing for power." The eight-episode series picked up with Capone's early days in New York, and followed him on to Chica- go, where he worked with his child- hood mentor in the underworld: Johnny Torrio (Paolo Rotondo, "The Insider's Guide to Happiness"). Af- ter Prohibition was established, Ca- pone got into the bootlegging busi- ness, garnering a reputation for his ruthless practices and flamboyant lifestyle, which attracted the atten- tion of President Herbert Hoover. For a time, he was seen as a man of the people, even donating some of his ill-gotten gains to charity. How- ever, the 1929 St. Valentine's Day Massacre shattered that rock star gangster image. Capone is believed to have been responsible for the murder of seven members of the ri- val North Side Irish Gang in a bid for power. Season 2 of "The Making of the Mob" features appearances by ac- tor Vincent Pastore ("The Sopra- nos") and Michael Madsen ("Res- ervoir Dogs," 1992), both famous for their portrayals of Capone-like gangsters. Jonathan Eig, a New York Times best-selling author and a renowned Capone expert, also shares his thoughts, as does former Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman. While the focus of the series rests squarely on Capone's brawny shoulders, he isn't the only gang- ster featured in this season of the docuseries. Along with the afore- mentioned Rotondo as famed Ital- ian-American mobster Torrio, "The Making of the Mob: Chicago" stars Jason Fitch ("Shortland Street") as enforcer Tony Accardo, newcomer Christopher Valente as "The Brains" Paul Ricca, and Emmett Skilton ("The Almighty Johnsons") as Sam Giancana, known as The Wild Card. Hollywood has long tapped or- ganized crime for stories, and some of the most memorable films in his- tory have dealt with the workings of the American Mob. From "The Godfather" (1972) to "Scarface" (1983) to even TV's "The Sopra- nos," North American audiences seem to be fascinated with the Mob, which is good news for AMC. "The Making of the Mob" appears to have a solid following, with about a million live viewers per epi- sode last season, and another 500,000 or so tuning in at their convenience. Things appear to be on track for Capone's turn in the spotlight, as the opener attracted close to 1.2 million viewers. Cable has recently been pioneer- ing this type of program: a hybrid of drama and real life, mixing history, dramatic reenactments and inter- views with experts and other nota- bles. Stephen David Entertainment, which produces "The Making of the Mob," is also known for the highly successful History Channel minise- ries "The Men Who Built America." AMC recently wrapped "The Ameri- can West," a similar series that took a look at the lives of famous native Americans, cowboys and lawmen, as well as notorious out- laws in the Wild West. While it's next to impossible to know the whole truth in such situa- tions, programs like these consult extensively with historians and ex- perts. The Huffington Post has cred- ited "The Making of the Mob: Chi- cago" with taking a more human look at Capone's rise. Based on his actions, there's little doubt the man was ruthless, but AMC's series pres- ents a multi-faceted Capone as op- posed to the one-dimensional killer he's often depicted as in other TV shows and films. Learn how the legendary gang- ster and his cohorts set the stage for decades of organized crime rule in the Windy City and what became of them in a new ep- isode of AMC's "The Making of the Mob: Chi- cago," airing Monday, Aug. 15. George H. Xanthis as seen in "The Making of the Mob: Chicago" 'The Making of the Mob: Chicago' chronicles Capone's rise Cover Story this week 501 W Washington St, Brainerd 218-828-1823 Free loaner cars available with most services! www.heartlandtireservice.com FULL SERVICE OIL CHANGE Up To 5Qts Oil & Filter. 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