Episodes

In the 1970s, one man is the face of New York City’s heroin trade: Leroy “Nicky” Barnes. After a years-long cycle of arrests, prison time, and parole, Nicky assembles a syndicate of Black dealers to challenge the Mafia’s dominance in the industry. For years, they rake in millions. But despite earning the nickname “Mr Untouchable,” Nicky’s gonna find out the hard way that nothing lasts forever. This season on American Criminal: how a former heroin-addict built one of the most lucrative drug empi...

Long before he became "Mr Untouchable" -- one of the biggest drug dealers in the country -- Nicky Barnes was just a kid growing up in Harlem. But he would eventually gather together a group of other Black men to control the flow of heroin across New York City, challenging the dominance of the city's existing crime families. Listen to all 4 episodes of 'Nicky Barnes: Mr. Untouchable' wherever you get your podcasts, or to get early, ad-free access to the entire season, subscribe in Apple Pod...

Fresh out of his stint in Green Haven State Prison, Nicky Barnes gets to work rebuilding his drug business. He takes the advice of Matty Madonna, and models his growing empire on the structures of the Five Families of the American Mafia. But his rapid success puts a huge target on his back, and he won't be able to stay ahead of the law forever. Listen to all 4 episodes of 'Nicky Barnes: Mr. Untouchable' wherever you get your podcasts, or to get early, ad-free access to the entire season, s...

In 1972, Nicky Barnes assembles "The Council" -- a Mafia-inspired syndicate of Black heroin dealers. They establish a partnership with supplier Matty Madonna, and quickly flood the streets of New York with their product. And although investigators will continue trying to bring Nicky down, he'll prove a tricky man to prosecute, earning him the nickname "Mr Untouchable." Listen to all 4 episodes of 'Nicky Barnes: Mr. Untouchable' wherever you get your podcasts, or to get early, ad-free acces...

When a low-level grunt in the Council's orbit gets picked up for running a telephone scam, he offers to help the feds get to Nicky Barnes. And over a period of months, he does just that. But Nicky's mighty tumble isn't what upsets him the most, its the betrayals that come after that make him angry. And before long, he decides he wants revenge on the partners who've taken him for granted all this time. Listen to all 4 episodes of 'Nicky Barnes: Mr. Untouchable' wherever you get your podcast...

Jeremy and Joel get together for a casual and illuminating conversation about the complicated world of Nicky Barnes, the legacy he left behind, and the many stories that didn't fit into our full series. We’ve covered dozens of stories here at American Criminal, and we always love hearing which ones are your favorites. Now we want your help to choose some of our upcoming seasons. We’ve put together a list of stories we think you’ll really enjoy, and now the final say is yours. Click the link bel...