Podcast appearances and mentions of Russell Shorto

In this episode, Cole Smead speaks with author and historian Russell Shorto about his latest book, ”Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events that Created New York and Shaped America,” discussing the birth of New York City, originally a Dutch-controlled settlement called New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island, until English takeover. Their conversation explores this pivotal transfer of power, and the key figures involved, explaining how it shaped the future of New York and the American identity.

How did the English take Manhattan from the Dutch in the 17th century without firing a single shot? Speaking to Elinor Evans, historian Russell Shorto explains a many-layered colonial history, including pragmatic deals, personal rivalries, and ideological divides, that led to the ultimately peaceful takeover of New Amsterdam in 1664. (Ad) Russell Shorto is the author of Taking Manhattan: The extraordinary events that created New York and shaped America (Swift Press, 2025). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Ftaking-manhattan%2Frussell-shorto%2F9781800754966. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, we bring you a roundup of history books: we explore how New York was invented in the 17th century, with Russell Shorto, director of the New Amsterdam Project at the New York Historical and senior scholar at the New Netherland Institute; we chart the fall of civilisations with Paul Cooper, podcaster and historian; and discuss why Mary MacSwiney opposed the treaty, with Dr Leeann Lane, lecturer in the School of History and Geography, Dublin City University.

Send us a textLet's do some renaming! Russell Shorto joins me to talk his book Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America. Buy Taking ManhattanCheck out Russell's websiteSupport the show

Russell Shorto - ON THE FRONT PORCH - PART 1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Russell Shorto - ON THE FRONT PORCH - PART 1 [00:00:00] Russell Shorto - ON THE FRONT PORCH - PART 1 [00:13:14] Russell Shorto - ON THE FRONT PORCH - PART 2 [00:25:51] Russell Shorto - ON THE FRONT PORCH - PART 3 [00:36:13] Russell Shorto - ON THE FRONT PORCH - PART 4See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New York City was once just a small Dutch outpost called New Amsterdam. How did a modest trading colony become the global icon it is today? Join us for a deep dive with acclaimed historian Russell Shorto, who has spent decades uncovering the Dutch origins of America's financial and cultural capital.From Manhattan's first skyscrapers to Wall Street's earliest deals, we'll connect the dots between the city's 17th-century Dutch DNA and its modern identity. Is today's New York still carrying the legacy of its founding ideals, or has it evolved into something entirely different?

6/8: Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America Hardcover – March 4, 2025  by  Russell Shorto  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Manhattan-Extraordinary-Created-America/dp/0393881164/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0 The author of The Island at the Center of the World offers up a thrilling narrative of how New York―that brash, bold, archetypal city―came to be. In 1664, England decided to invade the Dutch-controlled city of New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island. Charles II and his brother, the Duke of York, had dreams of empire, and their archrivals, the Dutch, were in the way. But Richard Nicolls, the military officer who led the English flotilla bent on destruction, changed his strategy once he encountered Peter Stuyvesant, New Netherland's canny director general. Bristling with vibrant characters, Taking Manhattan reveals the founding of New York to be an invention, the result of creative negotiations that would blend the multiethnic, capitalistic society of New Amsterdam with the power of the rising English empire. But the birth of what might be termed the first modern city is also a story of the brutal dispossession of Native Americans and of the roots of American slavery. The book draws from newly translated materials and illuminates neglected histories―of religious refugees, Indigenous tribes, and free and enslaved Africans. Taking Manhattan tells the riveting story of the birth of New York City as a center of capitalism and pluralism, a foundation from which America would rise. It also shows how the paradox of New York's origins―boundless opportunity coupled with subjugation and displacement―reflects America's promise and failure to this day. Russell Shorto, whose work has been described as “astonishing” (New York Times) and “literary alchemy” (Chicago Tribune), has once again mined archival sources to offer a vibrant tale and a fresh and trenchant argument about American beginnings. 1671 NEW JERSEY, PENNSYLVANIA

7/8: Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America Hardcover – March 4, 2025  by  Russell Shorto  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Manhattan-Extraordinary-Created-America/dp/0393881164/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0 The author of The Island at the Center of the World offers up a thrilling narrative of how New York―that brash, bold, archetypal city―came to be. In 1664, England decided to invade the Dutch-controlled city of New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island. Charles II and his brother, the Duke of York, had dreams of empire, and their archrivals, the Dutch, were in the way. But Richard Nicolls, the military officer who led the English flotilla bent on destruction, changed his strategy once he encountered Peter Stuyvesant, New Netherland's canny director general. Bristling with vibrant characters, Taking Manhattan reveals the founding of New York to be an invention, the result of creative negotiations that would blend the multiethnic, capitalistic society of New Amsterdam with the power of the rising English empire. But the birth of what might be termed the first modern city is also a story of the brutal dispossession of Native Americans and of the roots of American slavery. The book draws from newly translated materials and illuminates neglected histories―of religious refugees, Indigenous tribes, and free and enslaved Africans. Taking Manhattan tells the riveting story of the birth of New York City as a center of capitalism and pluralism, a foundation from which America would rise. It also shows how the paradox of New York's origins―boundless opportunity coupled with subjugation and displacement―reflects America's promise and failure to this day. Russell Shorto, whose work has been described as “astonishing” (New York Times) and “literary alchemy” (Chicago Tribune), has once again mined archival sources to offer a vibrant tale and a fresh and trenchant argument about American beginnings. 1655 REMBRANDT "CHRISTENING"

8/8: Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America Hardcover – March 4, 2025  by  Russell Shorto  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Manhattan-Extraordinary-Created-America/dp/0393881164/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0 The author of The Island at the Center of the World offers up a thrilling narrative of how New York―that brash, bold, archetypal city―came to be. In 1664, England decided to invade the Dutch-controlled city of New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island. Charles II and his brother, the Duke of York, had dreams of empire, and their archrivals, the Dutch, were in the way. But Richard Nicolls, the military officer who led the English flotilla bent on destruction, changed his strategy once he encountered Peter Stuyvesant, New Netherland's canny director general. Bristling with vibrant characters, Taking Manhattan reveals the founding of New York to be an invention, the result of creative negotiations that would blend the multiethnic, capitalistic society of New Amsterdam with the power of the rising English empire. But the birth of what might be termed the first modern city is also a story of the brutal dispossession of Native Americans and of the roots of American slavery. The book draws from newly translated materials and illuminates neglected histories―of religious refugees, Indigenous tribes, and free and enslaved Africans. Taking Manhattan tells the riveting story of the birth of New York City as a center of capitalism and pluralism, a foundation from which America would rise. It also shows how the paradox of New York's origins―boundless opportunity coupled with subjugation and displacement―reflects America's promise and failure to this day. Russell Shorto, whose work has been described as “astonishing” (New York Times) and “literary alchemy” (Chicago Tribune), has once again mined archival sources to offer a vibrant tale and a fresh and trenchant argument about American beginnings. 1640 NEW AMSTERDAM

5/8: Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America Hardcover – March 4, 2025  by  Russell Shorto  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Manhattan-Extraordinary-Created-America/dp/0393881164/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0 The author of The Island at the Center of the World offers up a thrilling narrative of how New York―that brash, bold, archetypal city―came to be. In 1664, England decided to invade the Dutch-controlled city of New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island. Charles II and his brother, the Duke of York, had dreams of empire, and their archrivals, the Dutch, were in the way. But Richard Nicolls, the military officer who led the English flotilla bent on destruction, changed his strategy once he encountered Peter Stuyvesant, New Netherland's canny director general. Bristling with vibrant characters, Taking Manhattan reveals the founding of New York to be an invention, the result of creative negotiations that would blend the multiethnic, capitalistic society of New Amsterdam with the power of the rising English empire. But the birth of what might be termed the first modern city is also a story of the brutal dispossession of Native Americans and of the roots of American slavery. The book draws from newly translated materials and illuminates neglected histories―of religious refugees, Indigenous tribes, and free and enslaved Africans. Taking Manhattan tells the riveting story of the birth of New York City as a center of capitalism and pluralism, a foundation from which America would rise. It also shows how the paradox of New York's origins―boundless opportunity coupled with subjugation and displacement―reflects America's promise and failure to this day. Russell Shorto, whose work has been described as “astonishing” (New York Times) and “literary alchemy” (Chicago Tribune), has once again mined archival sources to offer a vibrant tale and a fresh and trenchant argument about American beginnings. 1671 NEW AMSTERDAM

Good evening: The show begins in the markets as Brett Arends of MarketWatch comments on the panic. With wit. Two positions recommended: cash or fetal. 1930 CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR FIRST HOUR 9-915 #MRMARKET: Jerome Powell the Scapegoat. Brett "Break the Glass" Arends, MarketWatch 915-930 #MRMARKET: Fear Selling. Brett Arends, MarketWatch 930-945 #SMALLBUSINESSAMERICA: Elon Musk. @GeneMarks @Guardian @PhillyInquirer 945-1000 #SMALLBUSINESSAMERICA: How to Weather Tariffs. @GeneMarks @Guardian @PhillyInquirer SECOND HOUR 10-1015 Space Force: Orbital Bomber. Henry Sokolski, NPEC 1015-1030 Lancaster County: No Panic at the Markets. Jim McTague, Former Washington Editor, Barrons. @McTagueJ. Author of the "Martin and Twyla Boundary Series." #FriendsOfHistoryDebatingSociety 1030-1045 #POTUS: No Penalty Without Law. Richard Epstein 1045-1100 Tariffs: Unwise at Any Speed. Richard Epstein THIRD HOUR 1100-1115 5/8: Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America Hardcover – March 4, 2025 by Russell Shorto (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Manhattan-Extraordinary-Created-America/dp/0393881164/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0 The author of The Island at the Center of the World offers up a thrilling narrative of how New York―that brash, bold, archetypal city―came to be. In 1664, England decided to invade the Dutch-controlled city of New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island. Charles II and his brother, the Duke of York, had dreams of empire, and their archrivals, the Dutch, were in the way. But Richard Nicolls, the military officer who led the English flotilla bent on destruction, changed his strategy once he encountered Peter Stuyvesant, New Netherland's canny director general. Bristling with vibrant characters, Taking Manhattan reveals the founding of New York to be an invention, the result of creative negotiations that would blend the multiethnic, capitalistic society of New Amsterdam with the power of the rising English empire. But the birth of what might be termed the first modern city is also a story of the brutal dispossession of Native Americans and of the roots of American slavery. The book draws from newly translated materials and illuminates neglected histories―of religious refugees, Indigenous tribes, and free and enslaved Africans. Taking Manhattan tells the riveting story of the birth of New York City as a center of capitalism and pluralism, a foundation from which America would rise. It also shows how the paradox of New York's origins―boundless opportunity coupled with subjugation and displacement―reflects America's promise and failure to this day. Russell Shorto, whose work has been described as "astonishing" (New York Times) and "literary alchemy" (Chicago Tribune), has once again mined archival sources to offer a vibrant tale and a fresh and trenchant argument about American beginnings. 115-1130 6/8: Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America Hardcover – March 4, 2025 by Russell Shorto (Author) 1130-1145 7/8: Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America Hardcover – March 4, 2025 by Russell Shorto (Author) 1145-1200 8/8: Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America Hardcover – March 4, 2025 by Russell Shorto (Author) FOURTH HOUR 12-1215 #PACIFICWATCH: #VEGASREPORT: Nickel and Diming. @JCBliss 1215-1230 #ITALY: La Dolce Vita Orient Express 1230-1245 NASA: Isaacman confirmation starting. Bob Zimmerman, BehindtheBlack.com 1245-100 AM Moon: Inbound asteroid 2032. Bob Zimmerman, BehindtheBlack.com

Preview: Russell Shorto, author, "Taking Manhattan," explains that the settlers in New Amsterdam appealed in frustration to Amsterdam to defend their successful foothold in a continent of endless riches. More later. 1650 AMSTERDAM

1/8: Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America Hardcover – March 4, 2025 by  Russell Shorto  1689 PENN AND CHARLES II https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Manhattan-Extraordinary-Created-America/dp/0393881164/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0 The author of The Island at the Center of the World offers up a thrilling narrative of how New York―that brash, bold, archetypal city―came to be. In 1664, England decided to invade the Dutch-controlled city of New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island. Charles II and his brother, the Duke of York, had dreams of empire, and their archrivals, the Dutch, were in the way. But Richard Nicolls, the military officer who led the English flotilla bent on destruction, changed his strategy once he encountered Peter Stuyvesant, New Netherland's canny director general. Bristling with vibrant characters, Taking Manhattan reveals the founding of New York to be an invention, the result of creative negotiations that would blend the multiethnic, capitalistic society of New Amsterdam with the power of the rising English empire. But the birth of what might be termed the first modern city is also a story of the brutal dispossession of Native Americans and of the roots of American slavery. The book draws from newly translated materials and illuminates neglected histories―of religious refugees, Indigenous tribes, and free and enslaved Africans. Taking Manhattan tells the riveting story of the birth of New York City as a center of capitalism and pluralism, a foundation from which America would rise. It also shows how the paradox of New York's origins―boundless opportunity coupled with subjugation and displacement―reflects America's promise and failure to this day. Russell Shorto, whose work has been described as “astonishing” (New York Times) and “literary alchemy” (Chicago Tribune), has once again mined archival sources to offer a vibrant tale and a fresh and trenchant argument about American beginnings.

2/8: Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America Hardcover – March 4, 2025 by  Russell Shorto  (Author) 1696 PENN AND CALLOWHILL https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Manhattan-Extraordinary-Created-America/dp/0393881164/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0 The author of The Island at the Center of the World offers up a thrilling narrative of how New York―that brash, bold, archetypal city―came to be. In 1664, England decided to invade the Dutch-controlled city of New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island. Charles II and his brother, the Duke of York, had dreams of empire, and their archrivals, the Dutch, were in the way. But Richard Nicolls, the military officer who led the English flotilla bent on destruction, changed his strategy once he encountered Peter Stuyvesant, New Netherland's canny director general. Bristling with vibrant characters, Taking Manhattan reveals the founding of New York to be an invention, the result of creative negotiations that would blend the multiethnic, capitalistic society of New Amsterdam with the power of the rising English empire. But the birth of what might be termed the first modern city is also a story of the brutal dispossession of Native Americans and of the roots of American slavery. The book draws from newly translated materials and illuminates neglected histories―of religious refugees, Indigenous tribes, and free and enslaved Africans. Taking Manhattan tells the riveting story of the birth of New York City as a center of capitalism and pluralism, a foundation from which America would rise. It also shows how the paradox of New York's origins―boundless opportunity coupled with subjugation and displacement―reflects America's promise and failure to this day. Russell Shorto, whose work has been described as “astonishing” (New York Times) and “literary alchemy” (Chicago Tribune), has once again mined archival sources to offer a vibrant tale and a fresh and trenchant argument about American beginnings.

3/8: Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America Hardcover – March 4, 2025 by  Russell Shorto  (Author) 1854 PENN'S GRAVE https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Manhattan-Extraordinary-Created-America/dp/0393881164/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0 The author of The Island at the Center of the World offers up a thrilling narrative of how New York―that brash, bold, archetypal city―came to be. In 1664, England decided to invade the Dutch-controlled city of New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island. Charles II and his brother, the Duke of York, had dreams of empire, and their archrivals, the Dutch, were in the way. But Richard Nicolls, the military officer who led the English flotilla bent on destruction, changed his strategy once he encountered Peter Stuyvesant, New Netherland's canny director general. Bristling with vibrant characters, Taking Manhattan reveals the founding of New York to be an invention, the result of creative negotiations that would blend the multiethnic, capitalistic society of New Amsterdam with the power of the rising English empire. But the birth of what might be termed the first modern city is also a story of the brutal dispossession of Native Americans and of the roots of American slavery. The book draws from newly translated materials and illuminates neglected histories―of religious refugees, Indigenous tribes, and free and enslaved Africans. Taking Manhattan tells the riveting story of the birth of New York City as a center of capitalism and pluralism, a foundation from which America would rise. It also shows how the paradox of New York's origins―boundless opportunity coupled with subjugation and displacement―reflects America's promise and failure to this day. Russell Shorto, whose work has been described as “astonishing” (New York Times) and “literary alchemy” (Chicago Tribune), has once again mined archival sources to offer a vibrant tale and a fresh and trenchant argument about American beginnings.

4//8: Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America Hardcover – March 4, 2025 by  Russell Shorto  (Author) 1883 https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Manhattan-Extraordinary-Created-America/dp/0393881164/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0 The author of The Island at the Center of the World offers up a thrilling narrative of how New York―that brash, bold, archetypal city―came to be. In 1664, England decided to invade the Dutch-controlled city of New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island. Charles II and his brother, the Duke of York, had dreams of empire, and their archrivals, the Dutch, were in the way. But Richard Nicolls, the military officer who led the English flotilla bent on destruction, changed his strategy once he encountered Peter Stuyvesant, New Netherland's canny director general. Bristling with vibrant characters, Taking Manhattan reveals the founding of New York to be an invention, the result of creative negotiations that would blend the multiethnic, capitalistic society of New Amsterdam with the power of the rising English empire. But the birth of what might be termed the first modern city is also a story of the brutal dispossession of Native Americans and of the roots of American slavery. The book draws from newly translated materials and illuminates neglected histories―of religious refugees, Indigenous tribes, and free and enslaved Africans. Taking Manhattan tells the riveting story of the birth of New York City as a center of capitalism and pluralism, a foundation from which America would rise. It also shows how the paradox of New York's origins―boundless opportunity coupled with subjugation and displacement―reflects America's promise and failure to this day. Russell Shorto, whose work has been described as “astonishing” (New York Times) and “literary alchemy” (Chicago Tribune), has once again mined archival sources to offer a vibrant tale and a fresh and trenchant argument about American beginnings.

Good evening: The show begins with a European debate, should we acquire a Eurobomb? 1953 NEVADA CBS Eye on the World with John Batchelor FIRST HOUR 9-915 3 Eurobomb: Fantasy or Next? Anatol Lieven, Quincy Institute 915-930 #NATO: Can Europe Rally Without the US? Anatol Lieven, Quincy Institute 930-945 1/2: Remembering Baroness M. Thatcher, Charlie Cooke, Civitas Institute, NRO 945-1000 2/2: Remembering Baroness M. Thatcher, Charlie Cooke, Civitas Institute, NRO SECOND HOUR 10-1015 #Canada: Green PM Mark Carney. Mary Anastasia O'Grady, WSJ 1015-1030 #MrMarket: Tariffs Cost Manufacturing Jobs. Veronique de Rugy, Mercatus 1030-1045 #PPRC: Tariffs Crush the CCP Export Driven Model. #ScalaReport: Chris Riegel CEO, Scala.com @Stratacache. 1045-1100 #Canada: Premier Doug Ford of Ontario Offers a Deal to the Trump Administration. Conrad Black, National Post THIRD HOUR 1100-1115 1/8: Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America Hardcover – March 4, 2025 by Russell Shorto (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Manhattan-Extraordinary-Created-America/dp/0393881164/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0 The author of The Island at the Center of the World offers up a thrilling narrative of how New York―that brash, bold, archetypal city―came to be. In 1664, England decided to invade the Dutch-controlled city of New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island. Charles II and his brother, the Duke of York, had dreams of empire, and their archrivals, the Dutch, were in the way. But Richard Nicolls, the military officer who led the English flotilla bent on destruction, changed his strategy once he encountered Peter Stuyvesant, New Netherland's canny director general. Bristling with vibrant characters, Taking Manhattan reveals the founding of New York to be an invention, the result of creative negotiations that would blend the multiethnic, capitalistic society of New Amsterdam with the power of the rising English empire. But the birth of what might be termed the first modern city is also a story of the brutal dispossession of Native Americans and of the roots of American slavery. The book draws from newly translated materials and illuminates neglected histories―of religious refugees, Indigenous tribes, and free and enslaved Africans. Taking Manhattan tells the riveting story of the birth of New York City as a center of capitalism and pluralism, a foundation from which America would rise. It also shows how the paradox of New York's origins―boundless opportunity coupled with subjugation and displacement―reflects America's promise and failure to this day. Russell Shorto, whose work has been described as "astonishing" (New York Times) and "literary alchemy" (Chicago Tribune), has once again mined archival sources to offer a vibrant tale and a fresh and trenchant argument about American beginnings. 115-1130 2/8: Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America Hardcover – March 4, 2025 by Russell Shorto (Author) 1130-1145 3/8: Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America Hardcover – March 4, 2025 by Russell Shorto (Author) 1145-1200 4/8: Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America Hardcover – March 4, 2025 by Russell Shorto (Author) FOURTH HOUR 12-1215 #NewWorldReport: Tariffs and Mexico and Brazil. Trouble in Panama. Latin American Research Professor Evan Ellis, U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute. @RevAnEllis #NewWorldReportEllis 1215-1230#NewWorldReport: Mexico and the Cartels, Latin American Research Professor Evan Ellis, U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute. @RevAnEllis #NewWorldReportEllis 1230-1245 #NewWorldReport: SecState Rubio Visits Jamaica, Guyana, Suriname. Latin American Research Professor Evan Ellis, U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute. @RevAnEllis #NewWorldReportEllis 1245-100 AM #NewWorldReport: Good News in Buenos Aires. Latin American Research Professor Evan Ellis, U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute. @RevAnEllis #NewWorldReportEllis

Preview: Conversation with Russell Shorto, author "Taking Manhattan," re the character of the Governor of New Netherland, Peter Stuyvesant, when the English invaded to conquer in 1664. More later and tomorrow.

PREVIEW: Conversation with Russell Shorto, author of the new "Taking Manhattan," regarding the legendary and fictional event when Dutch settlers supposedly bought Manhattan Island for $24 of trinkets. Much more later in the new week. 1636 NEW AMSTERDAM

SPEAKING SOON TO RUSSELL SHORTO FOR HIS NEW "TAKING MANHATTAN: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America:" 4/4: Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob. by Russell Shorto https://www.amazon.com/Smalltime-Story-My-Family-Mob/dp/0393245586/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Family secrets emerge as a best-selling author dives into the history of the mob in small-town America. The best-selling author Russell Shorto, praised for his incisive works of narrative history, never thought to write about his own past. He grew up knowing his grandfather and namesake was a small-town mob boss but maintained an unspoken family vow of silence. Then an elderly relative prodded: You're a writer―what are you gonna do about the story? Smalltime is a mob story straight out of central casting―but with a difference, for the small-town mob, which stretched from Schenectady to Fresno, is a mostly unknown world. The location is the brawny postwar factory town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The setting is City Cigar, a storefront next to City Hall, behind which Russ and his brother-in-law, “Little Joe,” operate a gambling empire and effectively run the town. Smalltime is a riveting American immigrant story that travels back to Risorgimento Sicily, to the ancient, dusty, hill-town home of Antonino Sciotto, the author's great-grandfather, who leaves his wife and children in grinding poverty for a new life―and wife―in a Pennsylvania mining town. It's a tale of Italian Americans living in squalor and prejudice, and of the rise of Russ, who, like thousands of other young men, created a copy of the American establishment that excluded him. Smalltimedraws an intimate portrait of a mobster and his wife, sudden riches, and the toll a lawless life takes on one family. undated PA COAL BREAKERS

SPEAKING SOON TO RUSSELL SHORTO FOR HIS NEW "TAKING MANHATTAN: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America:" 1/4: Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob. by Russell Shorto https://www.amazon.com/Smalltime-Story-My-Family-Mob/dp/0393245586/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Family secrets emerge as a best-selling author dives into the history of the mob in small-town America. The best-selling author Russell Shorto, praised for his incisive works of narrative history, never thought to write about his own past. He grew up knowing his grandfather and namesake was a small-town mob boss but maintained an unspoken family vow of silence. Then an elderly relative prodded: You're a writer―what are you gonna do about the story? Smalltime is a mob story straight out of central casting―but with a difference, for the small-town mob, which stretched from Schenectady to Fresno, is a mostly unknown world. The location is the brawny postwar factory town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The setting is City Cigar, a storefront next to City Hall, behind which Russ and his brother-in-law, “Little Joe,” operate a gambling empire and effectively run the town. Smalltime is a riveting American immigrant story that travels back to Risorgimento Sicily, to the ancient, dusty, hill-town home of Antonino Sciotto, the author's great-grandfather, who leaves his wife and children in grinding poverty for a new life―and wife―in a Pennsylvania mining town. It's a tale of Italian Americans living in squalor and prejudice, and of the rise of Russ, who, like thousands of other young men, created a copy of the American establishment that excluded him. Smalltimedraws an intimate portrait of a mobster and his wife, sudden riches, and the toll a lawless life takes on one family. 1940 Pittsburgh

SPEAKING SOON TO RUSSELL SHORTO FOR HIS NEW "TAKING MANHATTAN: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America:" 2/4: Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob. by Russell Shorto https://www.amazon.com/Smalltime-Story-My-Family-Mob/dp/0393245586/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Family secrets emerge as a best-selling author dives into the history of the mob in small-town America. The best-selling author Russell Shorto, praised for his incisive works of narrative history, never thought to write about his own past. He grew up knowing his grandfather and namesake was a small-town mob boss but maintained an unspoken family vow of silence. Then an elderly relative prodded: You're a writer―what are you gonna do about the story? Smalltime is a mob story straight out of central casting―but with a difference, for the small-town mob, which stretched from Schenectady to Fresno, is a mostly unknown world. The location is the brawny postwar factory town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The setting is City Cigar, a storefront next to City Hall, behind which Russ and his brother-in-law, “Little Joe,” operate a gambling empire and effectively run the town. Smalltime is a riveting American immigrant story that travels back to Risorgimento Sicily, to the ancient, dusty, hill-town home of Antonino Sciotto, the author's great-grandfather, who leaves his wife and children in grinding poverty for a new life―and wife―in a Pennsylvania mining town. It's a tale of Italian Americans living in squalor and prejudice, and of the rise of Russ, who, like thousands of other young men, created a copy of the American establishment that excluded him. Smalltimedraws an intimate portrait of a mobster and his wife, sudden riches, and the toll a lawless life takes on one family. 1941 Pittsburgh

SPEAKING SOON TO RUSSELL SHORTO FOR HIS NEW "TAKING MANHATTAN: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America:" 3/4: Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob. by Russell Shorto https://www.amazon.com/Smalltime-Story-My-Family-Mob/dp/0393245586/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Family secrets emerge as a best-selling author dives into the history of the mob in small-town America. The best-selling author Russell Shorto, praised for his incisive works of narrative history, never thought to write about his own past. He grew up knowing his grandfather and namesake was a small-town mob boss but maintained an unspoken family vow of silence. Then an elderly relative prodded: You're a writer―what are you gonna do about the story? Smalltime is a mob story straight out of central casting―but with a difference, for the small-town mob, which stretched from Schenectady to Fresno, is a mostly unknown world. The location is the brawny postwar factory town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The setting is City Cigar, a storefront next to City Hall, behind which Russ and his brother-in-law, “Little Joe,” operate a gambling empire and effectively run the town. Smalltime is a riveting American immigrant story that travels back to Risorgimento Sicily, to the ancient, dusty, hill-town home of Antonino Sciotto, the author's great-grandfather, who leaves his wife and children in grinding poverty for a new life―and wife―in a Pennsylvania mining town. It's a tale of Italian Americans living in squalor and prejudice, and of the rise of Russ, who, like thousands of other young men, created a copy of the American establishment that excluded him. Smalltimedraws an intimate portrait of a mobster and his wife, sudden riches, and the toll a lawless life takes on one family. 1889 Johnstown Flood

Seeking to wrest control of New Amsterdam from the Dutch in 1664, the English King Charles II and his brother, the Duke of York, appointed Richard Nicolls to lead a flotilla to conquer Manhattan Island. Nicolls, with a blend of might and diplomatic tact, would make the integration of Dutch colonists a vital part of his takeover, birthing what was in many ways the blueprint of the modern city. Russell Shorto joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss New York's origins and how a period of 17th-century imperial conflict and diplomacy between the British and the Dutch shaped the city we know today. Recorded on February 21, 2025

This episode of Big Blend Radio's WAY BACK WHEN History Podcast features best-selling author and historian Russell Shorto who discusses his new book, "Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America."  "Taking Manhattan" reveals the founding of New York to be an invention, the result of creative negotiations that would blend the multiethnic, capitalistic society of New Amsterdam with the power of the rising English empire. But the birth of what might be termed the first modern city is also a story of the brutal dispossession of Native Americans and of the roots of American slavery. The book draws from newly translated materials and illuminates neglected histories—of religious refugees, Indigenous tribes, and free and enslaved Africans. More at https://www.russellshorto.com/ 

It's one of the most foundational questions we could ever ask on this show -- how did New York City get its name?You may know that the English conquered the Dutch settlement of New Netherland (and its port town of New Amsterdam) in 1664, but the details of this history-making day have remained hazy -- until now.Russell Shorto brought the world of New Amsterdam and the early years before New York to life in his classic history The Island At The Center of The World. His new book Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America functions as a sequel of sorts, revisiting the moment when New Amsterdam ceased to be -- and New York was born.Shorto joins Greg and Tom for a very spirited discussion of international warfare, displaced princes, frantic letter writing and ominous warships in the harbor.At the end of this story, you will not only know how New York -- the city, the state, the whole place, from Buffalo to Long Island -- got its name, you will know the exact forgotten historical figure who gave it that name.Visit the Bowery Boys website for more information. Get Russell Shorto's new book Taking ManhattanThis episode was produced and edited by Kieran Gannon

Exactly 400 years ago, the Dutch West India Company built Fort Amsterdam on the southern tip of Manhattan island, a beacon of power and resilience against threats from Europeans and Indigenous Americans. But how did things change when England invaded in 1664?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Russell Shorto, author of Taking Manhattan, to uncover the untold stories of New York City's emergence as a hub of capitalism and pluralism, laying the groundwork for America's rise and shaping the city's enduring legacy.Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith. Edited by Amy Haddow. Produced by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.You can take part in our listener survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

The latest book from Russell Shorto explores the historical conflict between the Dutch and the English over the island of Manhattan, as well as the story of the indigenous people who had long occupied the land as it was being contested by the two European nations. Shorto shares his insights from Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America.

Author and historian Russell Shorto discusses his new book, "Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America".

Welkom in Amsterdam! This introduction to our Amsterdam series brings you the basic facts - geographical, historical, cultural - which underpin everything. To capture the spirit of Amsterdam, here's Russell Shorto's description of the view from his Amsterdam window: ‘the little boats moored by the quay, the row of tilting, gabled buildings on the opposite bank and, on any given day, a couple of bicycles chained to the railing of a hump-backed bridge.' So, let's go, or as the Dutch say ‘laten we gaan'. City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Amsterdam series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk     We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!   

In August 1664, an English fleet acting under the orders of James, Duke of York, the brother of King Charles II, materialized off Manhattan and forced the bloodless surrender of New Amsterdam and New Netherland. It is easy - too easy - to conclude that this was inevitable because New England had roughly 17 times the population of New Netherland. It was in fact a foundational move in the construction of the English empire of the 17th century, and the product of the machinations of first cousins in conspiracy with each other: Sir George Downey, the "second" graduate of Harvard College and one of the most devious people in English politics ever, and John Winthrop the Younger, the pious Governor of Connecticut Colony, son of the leader of the Puritan Great Migration, and a stone cold operator of the first order. In the end, Peter Stuyvesant was out of moves. X/Twitter: @TheHistoryOfTh2 Facebook: The History of the Americans Podcast Selected references for this episode (Commission earned for Amazon purchases through the website) Russell Shorto, The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America J. Franklin Jameson, Narratives of New Netherland, 1609-1664 Richard Nicolls, Proposed Terms for the Surrender of New Netherland Grant of March 12, 1664 from Charles II to his brother, James, Duke of York L. H. Roper, "The Fall of New Netherland and Seventeenth-Century Anglo-American Imperial Formation, 1654-1676," The New England Quarterly, December 2014. Jonathan Scott, "'Good Night Amsterdam': Sir George Downing and Anglo-Dutch Statebuilding," The English Historical Review, April 2003. Steve Martin, "Mad at my Mother," Let's Get Small. List of most populous cities in the United States by decade (Very interesting Wikipedia page if you love data and history)

 Fused is about fusing the past to the future. In this episode, hosts Jurriaan Ruys and Russell Shorto interview Andrew Holland, Chief Executive Officer of the Fusion Industry Association (FIA) Discussing the current state of the fusion energy industry and the role of the Fusion Industry Association in advancing fusion technology, and the importance of partnerships and collaboration in fusion research. The FIA launched their 2024 global fusion industry report, giving an updated snapshot of where the private fusion industry stands, and Andrew was happy to provide insight to our listeners on what our world might look like in 2030.    If you enjoy listening to this podcast please    Subscribe to Fused.   Leave us a review. Have a question? Want to be a guest? Contact us: rs@russellshorto.com  &  jurriaan.ruys@gmail.com  

The Bowery Boys Podcast is going to Amsterdam and other parts of the Netherlands for a very special mini-series, marking the 400th anniversary of the Dutch first settling in North America in the region that today we call New York City.But before they go, they're kicking off their international voyage with a special conversation -- with the man who inspired the journey.Chances are good that if your bookshelf contains a respectable number of New York City history books, we imagine that one of those is The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America written by Russell Shorto.The best-selling book re-introduced the Dutch presence in America to a new generation of readers and revitalized interest in New York City history when it was published in 2004.Kevin Baker (a recent guest on our show), penning the original review for the New York Times, proclaimed, "New York history buffs will be captivated by Shorto's descriptions of Manhattan in its primordial state, of bays full of salmon and oysters, and blue plums and fields of wild strawberries in what is now Midtown." And so before Greg and Tom begin their mini-series by speaking with Shorto about his classic book, his experiences in Amsterdam and his work with the New-York Historical Society, where he has curated a new exhibition New York Before New York: The Castello Plan of New Amsterdam.Russell also gives Tom and Greg some tips on places to go and advice on how to explore Amsterdam's old canals and corridors. Is it possible to find traces of New York City's past in that city's present?And then -- immediately after the interview -- they head for the airport!Visit the website for more information

Ross Perlin, co-director of the Endangered Language Alliance (ELA) and the author of Language City: The Fight to Preserve Endangered Mother Tongues in New York (Grove, 2024), talks about the many languages spoken in New York that are at risk of disappearing.EVENTS: Virtual eventThursday, Mar. 21, 6:00pmQueens Public LibraryA “Literary Thursdays” series eventVirtual Q&A and book talk Virtual eventThursday, Mar. 28, 12:00pmLive from New AmsterdamIn conversation with Russell Shorto In-person eventWednesday, Apr. 10, 6:30pmSouth Street Seaport Museum In-person eventThursday, Apr. 18, 7:00pmNYPL World Literature Festival

WHEN GAMBLING WAS A CRIME:  4/4: Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob. by Russell Shorto   (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Smalltime-Story-My-Family-Mob/dp/0393245586/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Family secrets emerge as a best-selling author dives into the history of the mob in small-town America. Smalltime is a mob story straight out of central casting―but with a difference, for the small-town mob, which stretched from Schenectady to Fresno, is a mostly unknown world. The location is the brawny postwar factory town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The setting is City Cigar, a storefront next to City Hall, behind which Russ and his brother-in-law, “Little Joe,” operate a gambling empire and effectively run the town. 1913 50TH REUNION AT GETTYSBURG

WHEN GAMBLING WAS A CRIME: 3/4: Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob. by Russell Shorto   (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Smalltime-Story-My-Family-Mob/dp/0393245586/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Family secrets emerge as a best-selling author dives into the history of the mob in small-town America. Smalltime is a mob story straight out of central casting―but with a difference, for the small-town mob, which stretched from Schenectady to Fresno, is a mostly unknown world. The location is the brawny postwar factory town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The setting is City Cigar, a storefront next to City Hall, behind which Russ and his brother-in-law, “Little Joe,” operate a gambling empire and effectively run the town. 1907 HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA

WHEN GAMBLING WAS A CRIME: 2/4: Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob. by Russell Shorto   (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Smalltime-Story-My-Family-Mob/dp/0393245586/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Family secrets emerge as a best-selling author dives into the history of the mob in small-town America. Smalltime is a mob story straight out of central casting―but with a difference, for the small-town mob, which stretched from Schenectady to Fresno, is a mostly unknown world. The location is the brawny postwar factory town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The setting is City Cigar, a storefront next to City Hall, behind which Russ and his brother-in-law, “Little Joe,” operate a gambling empire and effectively run the town. 1889 AFTER THE JOHNSTONW FLOOR

WHEN GAMBLING WAS A CRIME: 1/4: Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob. by Russell Shorto   (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Smalltime-Story-My-Family-Mob/dp/0393245586/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Family secrets emerge as a best-selling author dives into the history of the mob in small-town America. Smalltime is a mob story straight out of central casting―but with a difference, for the small-town mob, which stretched from Schenectady to Fresno, is a mostly unknown world. The location is the brawny postwar factory town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The setting is City Cigar, a storefront next to City Hall, behind which Russ and his brother-in-law, “Little Joe,” operate a gambling empire and effectively run the town. 1857 PANIC IN PENNSYLVANIA

In our series exploring the sights and stories of Europe's most fascinating historic cities, Russell Shorto explores the Dutch capital famed as a centre for trade, art and pleasures of the flesh In episode four of our series exploring the sights and stories of Europe's most fascinating, enduring and historic destinations, travel journalist Paul Bloomfield is joined by author and journalist Russell Shorto for a jaunt around Amsterdam. Together they highlight the lesser-known stories of the Dutch capital, from its marshy foundations to its medieval mercantile pomp and subsequent trading golden age. Along the way Russell introduces some of key characters who influenced the city's ups and downs, and offers up some offbeat places to visit and key travel tips for insights into its heritage.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

PHOTO: NO KNOWN RESTRICTIONS ON PUBLICATION. @BATCHELORSHOW THE JOHNSTOWN MOB: 1/4: Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob. by Russell Shorto https://www.amazon.com/Smalltime-Story-My-Family-Mob/dp/0393245586/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Family secrets emerge as a best-selling author dives into the history of the mob in small-town America. The best-selling author Russell Shorto, praised for his incisive works of narrative history, never thought to write about his own past. He grew up knowing his grandfather and namesake was a small-town mob boss but maintained an unspoken family vow of silence. Then an elderly relative prodded: You're a writer―what are you gonna do about the story? Smalltime is a mob story straight out of central casting―but with a difference, for the small-town mob, which stretched from Schenectady to Fresno, is a mostly unknown world. The location is the brawny postwar factory town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The setting is City Cigar, a storefront next to City Hall, behind which Russ and his brother-in-law, “Little Joe,” operate a gambling empire and effectively run the town. Smalltime is a riveting American immigrant story that travels back to Risorgimento Sicily, to the ancient, dusty, hill-town home of Antonino Sciotto, the author's great-grandfather, who leaves his wife and children in grinding poverty for a new life―and wife―in a Pennsylvania mining town. It's a tale of Italian Americans living in squalor and prejudice, and of the rise of Russ, who, like thousands of other young men, created a copy of the American establishment that excluded him. Smalltimedraws an intimate portrait of a mobster and his wife, sudden riches, and the toll a lawless life takes on one family.

PHOTO: NO KNOWN RESTRICTIONS ON PUBLICATION. @BATCHELORSHOW THE JOHNSTOWN MOB: 2/4: Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob. by Russell Shorto   (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Smalltime-Story-My-Family-Mob/dp/0393245586/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Family secrets emerge as a best-selling author dives into the history of the mob in small-town America. The best-selling author Russell Shorto, praised for his incisive works of narrative history, never thought to write about his own past. He grew up knowing his grandfather and namesake was a small-town mob boss but maintained an unspoken family vow of silence. Then an elderly relative prodded: You're a writer―what are you gonna do about the story? Smalltime is a mob story straight out of central casting―but with a difference, for the small-town mob, which stretched from Schenectady to Fresno, is a mostly unknown world. The location is the brawny postwar factory town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The setting is City Cigar, a storefront next to City Hall, behind which Russ and his brother-in-law, “Little Joe,” operate a gambling empire and effectively run the town. Smalltime is a riveting American immigrant story that travels back to Risorgimento Sicily, to the ancient, dusty, hill-town home of Antonino Sciotto, the author's great-grandfather, who leaves his wife and children in grinding poverty for a new life―and wife―in a Pennsylvania mining town. It's a tale of Italian Americans living in squalor and prejudice, and of the rise of Russ, who, like thousands of other young men, created a copy of the American establishment that excluded him. Smalltimedraws an intimate portrait of a mobster and his wife, sudden riches, and the toll a lawless life takes on one family.

PHOTO: NO KNOWN RESTRICTIONS ON PUBLICATION. @BATCHELORSHOW THE JOHNSTOWN MOB: 3/4: Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob.  by Russell Shorto   (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Smalltime-Story-My-Family-Mob/dp/0393245586/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Family secrets emerge as a best-selling author dives into the history of the mob in small-town America. The best-selling author Russell Shorto, praised for his incisive works of narrative history, never thought to write about his own past. He grew up knowing his grandfather and namesake was a small-town mob boss but maintained an unspoken family vow of silence. Then an elderly relative prodded: You're a writer―what are you gonna do about the story? Smalltime is a mob story straight out of central casting―but with a difference, for the small-town mob, which stretched from Schenectady to Fresno, is a mostly unknown world. The location is the brawny postwar factory town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The setting is City Cigar, a storefront next to City Hall, behind which Russ and his brother-in-law, “Little Joe,” operate a gambling empire and effectively run the town. Smalltime is a riveting American immigrant story that travels back to Risorgimento Sicily, to the ancient, dusty, hill-town home of Antonino Sciotto, the author's great-grandfather, who leaves his wife and children in grinding poverty for a new life―and wife―in a Pennsylvania mining town. It's a tale of Italian Americans living in squalor and prejudice, and of the rise of Russ, who, like thousands of other young men, created a copy of the American establishment that excluded him. Smalltimedraws an intimate portrait of a mobster and his wife, sudden riches, and the toll a lawless life takes on one family.

PHOTO: NO KNOWN RESTRICTIONS ON PUBLICATION. @BATCHELORSHOW THE JOHNSTOWN MOB: 4/4: Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob. by Russell Shorto   (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Smalltime-Story-My-Family-Mob/dp/0393245586/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Family secrets emerge as a best-selling author dives into the history of the mob in small-town America. The best-selling author Russell Shorto, praised for his incisive works of narrative history, never thought to write about his own past. He grew up knowing his grandfather and namesake was a small-town mob boss but maintained an unspoken family vow of silence. Then an elderly relative prodded: You're a writer―what are you gonna do about the story? Smalltime is a mob story straight out of central casting―but with a difference, for the small-town mob, which stretched from Schenectady to Fresno, is a mostly unknown world. The location is the brawny postwar factory town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The setting is City Cigar, a storefront next to City Hall, behind which Russ and his brother-in-law, “Little Joe,” operate a gambling empire and effectively run the town. Smalltime is a riveting American immigrant story that travels back to Risorgimento Sicily, to the ancient, dusty, hill-town home of Antonino Sciotto, the author's great-grandfather, who leaves his wife and children in grinding poverty for a new life―and wife―in a Pennsylvania mining town. It's a tale of Italian Americans living in squalor and prejudice, and of the rise of Russ, who, like thousands of other young men, created a copy of the American establishment that excluded him. Smalltimedraws an intimate portrait of a mobster and his wife, sudden riches, and the toll a lawless life takes on one family.

WELCOME to Chrissy Chaos!  Chrissy Chaos is joined by author Russell Shorto. Russell is an American author, historian, and journalist who is best known for his book on the Dutch origins of New York City. Chris gets a fun history lesson on New Amsterdam and the early days of New York. Make sure to go check out Russell's books on his website : https://www.russellshorto.com/ SUPPORT THE SPONSORS TO SUPPORT THE CHAOS betterhelp.com/chaos   CHRISDCOMEDY.COM for all upcoming live comedy show dates FOLLOW Chris Distefano On Social Media Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chrisdcomedy/​ Twitter - https://twitter.com/chrisdcomedy​ Follow Chris' podcast with Sal Vulcano called HEY BABE! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD8I...​ Remember to rate us on iTunes and Join our Patreon for a WEEKLY bonus ep! patreon.com/chrisdcomedy​ Filmed and Edited by THEHOMELESSPIMP https://www.instagram.com/thehomeless... Twitter - https://twitter.com/homelesspimp?lang=en ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4efxHi0i_b0 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. 1889 @Batchelorshow 3/4: The gritty and violent melting pot: 3/4: Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob by Russell Shorto . https://www.amazon.com/Smalltime-Story-My-Family-Mob/dp/0393245586/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Family secrets emerge as a best-selling author dives into the history of the mob in small-town America. The best-selling author Russell Shorto, praised for his incisive works of narrative history, never thought to write about his own past. He grew up knowing his grandfather and namesake was a small-town mob boss but maintained an unspoken family vow of silence. Then an elderly relative prodded: You're a writer―what are you gonna do about the story? Smalltime is a mob story straight out of central casting―but with a difference, for the small-town mob, which stretched from Schenectady to Fresno, is a mostly unknown world. The location is the brawny postwar factory town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The setting is City Cigar, a storefront next to City Hall, behind which Russ and his brother-in-law, “Little Joe,” operate a gambling empire and effectively run the town.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow 4/4: The gritty, violent melting pot. 4/4: Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob by Russell Shorto . https://www.amazon.com/Smalltime-Story-My-Family-Mob/dp/0393245586/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Family secrets emerge as a best-selling author dives into the history of the mob in small-town America. The best-selling author Russell Shorto, praised for his incisive works of narrative history, never thought to write about his own past. He grew up knowing his grandfather and namesake was a small-town mob boss but maintained an unspoken family vow of silence. Then an elderly relative prodded: You're a writer―what are you gonna do about the story? Smalltime is a mob story straight out of central casting―but with a difference, for the small-town mob, which stretched from Schenectady to Fresno, is a mostly unknown world. The location is the brawny postwar factory town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The setting is City Cigar, a storefront next to City Hall, behind which Russ and his brother-in-law, “Little Joe,” operate a gambling empire and effectively run the town. Smalltime is a riveting American immigrant story that travels back to Risorgimento Sicily, to the ancient, dusty, hill-town home of Antonino Sciotto, the author's great-grandfather, who leaves his wife and children in grinding poverty for a new life―and wife―in a Pennsylvania mining town. It's a tale of Italian Americans living in squalor and prejudice, and of the rise of Russ, who, like thousands of other young men, created a copy of the American establishment that excluded him. Smalltimedraws an intimate portrait of a mobster and his wife, sudden riches, and the toll a lawless life takes on one family.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. 1889 @Batchelorshow 2/4: The gritty and violent melting pot: 2/4: Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob by Russell Shorto . https://www.amazon.com/Smalltime-Story-My-Family-Mob/dp/0393245586/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Family secrets emerge as a best-selling author dives into the history of the mob in small-town America. The best-selling author Russell Shorto, praised for his incisive works of narrative history, never thought to write about his own past. He grew up knowing his grandfather and namesake was a small-town mob boss but maintained an unspoken family vow of silence. Then an elderly relative prodded: You're a writer―what are you gonna do about the story? Smalltime is a mob story straight out of central casting―but with a difference, for the small-town mob, which stretched from Schenectady to Fresno, is a mostly unknown world. The location is the brawny postwar factory town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The setting is City Cigar, a storefront next to City Hall, behind which Russ and his brother-in-law, “Little Joe,” operate a gambling empire and effectively run the town.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. 1889 @Batchelorshow 1/4: The gritty and violent melting pot: 1/4: Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob by Russell Shorto . https://www.amazon.com/Smalltime-Story-My-Family-Mob/dp/0393245586/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Family secrets emerge as a best-selling author dives into the history of the mob in small-town America. The best-selling author Russell Shorto, praised for his incisive works of narrative history, never thought to write about his own past. He grew up knowing his grandfather and namesake was a small-town mob boss but maintained an unspoken family vow of silence. Then an elderly relative prodded: You're a writer―what are you gonna do about the story? Smalltime is a mob story straight out of central casting―but with a difference, for the small-town mob, which stretched from Schenectady to Fresno, is a mostly unknown world. The location is the brawny postwar factory town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The setting is City Cigar, a storefront next to City Hall, behind which Russ and his brother-in-law, “Little Joe,” operate a gambling empire and effectively run the town.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow 1/4: Hard knocks in the Keystone State: 1/4: Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob by Russell Shorto . https://www.amazon.com/Smalltime-Story-My-Family-Mob/dp/0393245586/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Smalltime is a mob story straight out of central casting―but with a difference, for the small-town mob, which stretched from Schenectady to Fresno, is a mostly unknown world. The location is the brawny postwar factory town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The setting is City Cigar, a storefront next to City Hall, behind which Russ and his brother-in-law, “Little Joe,” operate a gambling empire and effectively run the town. Smalltime is a riveting American immigrant story that travels back to Risorgimento Sicily, to the ancient, dusty, hill-town home of Antonino Sciotto, the author's great-grandfather, who leaves his wife and children in grinding poverty for a new life―and wife―in a Pennsylvania mining town. It's a tale of Italian Americans living in squalor and prejudice, and of the rise of Russ, who, like thousands of other young men, created a copy of the American establishment that excluded him. Smalltimedraws an intimate portrait of a mobster and his wife, sudden riches, and the toll a lawless life takes on one family.