Top 7 Mafia TV Shows of All Time

With our articles about the top mafia books and the best mafia movies, it only makes sense to come up with this list of the top 7 gang-related TV series. All of these shows have been critically acclaimed, heavily awarded and have grabbed the attention of millions around the globe. Here’s a little about each one of them.

1. The Sopranos (HBO, 1999–2007)

Without a doubt the most popular mobster TV show ever made. The Sopranos ran from 1999 until 2007 and strapped millions of fans worldwide to their chairs for eight years. The storyline followed Tony Soprano — played by the late, great James Gandolfini — and how he navigated life between being a family man and a mob boss in New Jersey. The genius of the show is that it treats organised crime not as glamour but as a job, with all the mundane pressures, office politics and existential anxieties that come with any high-stress profession.

The show won too many awards to list exhaustively, but the most notable achievements include 21 Primetime Emmy Awards, five Golden Globes and two Peabody Awards. It is regularly cited by critics and industry figures as the greatest television drama ever produced — not just the greatest crime show, but the greatest show, full stop. Gandolfini’s Tony Soprano is one of the most fully realised characters in the history of the medium.

The Sopranos is available on HBO Max.

2. Gomorrah (Sky Italy, 2014–)

What more exciting mob show to watch than one coming straight from Naples, Italy? Gomorrah has been running since 2014 and is based on Roberto Saviano’s book about the Camorra — the Neapolitan organised crime organisation. At the centre of the plot is Ciro Di Marzio, a member of the Savastano crime family, and the challenges he and his people face during a violent rivalry with another family.

Gomorrah airs on Sky Italy and is broadcast on SundanceTV in the US. It is one of the most critically acclaimed shows on the network and has been praised internationally for its unflinching portrayal of modern Italian organised crime — raw, brutal and utterly compelling. For anyone who thinks The Sopranos is as good as crime television gets, Gomorrah will be a revelation.

Gomorrah is available on SundanceTV in the US and on various streaming platforms internationally.

3. Bad Blood (Netflix, 2017)

Bad Blood is a Canadian production presenting the story of the Montreal-based Rizzuto family, headed by a character based on real-life boss Vito Rizzuto and played by Anthony LaPaglia. Initially planned as a miniseries based on the book Business or Blood: Mafia Boss Vito Rizzuto’s Last War, the show was renewed for a second season following a successful first run.

The Rizzuto family is one of the most significant organised crime organisations in Canadian history — a Montreal-based Sicilian Mafia family with connections to the American Commission. Their story involves decades of power, succession crises and brutal internal conflict. Bad Blood captures this world with considerable authenticity. The first season is available on Netflix internationally.

4. Lilyhammer (Netflix, 2012–2014)

Lilyhammer is a joint Norwegian-American production that ran for three seasons between 2012 and 2014. The TV series depicts mobster Frank “The Fixer” Tagliano — played by Steven Van Zandt, best known as Silvio Dante from The Sopranos — who enters the federal witness protection programme and is relocated to the Norwegian town of Lillehammer.

The show deftly blends fish-out-of-water comedy with genuine crime drama as Tagliano attempts to rebuild his criminal empire in small-town Norway while maintaining his cover. For non-Norwegian viewers the show is available on Netflix. Van Zandt told Rolling Stone that with Lilyhammer, “Netflix completely shook up the world” — the show was the streaming company’s first ever exclusive commission, a landmark in television history that predates House of Cards and everything that followed.

Lilyhammer is available on Netflix.

5. Narcos (Netflix, 2015–2017)

Another Netflix production, the Colombian-American Narcos quickly became a global hit. The three-season series ran from 2015 to 2017. During the first two seasons Pablo Escobar — the most powerful drug lord in history — is at the centre of the plot, portrayed by Wagner Moura in a performance that drew widespread praise. The third season follows events after Escobar’s fall, focusing on the Cali Cartel and the DEA agents pursuing them.

Narcos blends dramatised scenes with real archive footage and is narrated by DEA agent Steve Murphy, whose real-life accounts form the basis of the show. It won two Golden Trailer Awards and a first prize from the Guild of Music Supervisors Awards, among many nominations. A fourth season was eventually released as the first season of the Narcos: Mexico spin-off, which ran for three further seasons.

Narcos is available on Netflix.

6. Sons of Anarchy (FX, 2008–2014)

Sons of Anarchy ran for seven seasons from 2008 until 2014 and depicted the life of the Teller-Morrow family and the SAMCRO outlaw motorcycle club in the fictional California town of Charming. Though not strictly a Mafia show, it inhabits the same world of organised crime, loyalty, violence and the impossible tension between family life and criminal enterprise — the same territory The Sopranos mapped so brilliantly but in a very different register.

The show was critically acclaimed throughout its run and attracted a massive international fanbase. The technical adviser was a real-life Hell’s Angels member, David Labrava, who also appeared as a character during the show’s final two seasons. A comic book series, a novel series and a computer game were among the spin-off entertainment the show inspired. Sons of Anarchy is available on Hulu and Amazon Prime Video.

7. Boardwalk Empire (HBO, 2010–2014)

The final show on our list is set during the Prohibition era and depicts politician Enoch “Nucky” Thompson — played by Steve Buscemi — as the de-facto ruler of Atlantic City. Nucky Thompson is based on real-life Atlantic City political boss Enoch “Nucky” Johnson, and the show weaves real historical figures throughout — Lucky Luciano, Arnold Rothstein, Al Capone and Meyer Lansky all appear as characters.

An interesting fact about the show: the pilot episode cost $18 million to produce and was directed by none other than Martin Scorsese. Boardwalk Empire ran for five seasons between 2010 and 2014 and won 20 Emmy Awards and two Golden Globes among many other achievements and nominations. For mob history enthusiasts it is essential viewing — few shows have depicted the Prohibition era and the birth of organised crime in America with as much detail and authenticity.

Boardwalk Empire is available on HBO Max.

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