As New York runs amok, the mob operates with impunity, until a little-known law and some innovative surveillance tactics give federal agents a leg up.
2
"The Godfather Tapes"
Sam Hobkinson
July 22, 2020 (2020-07-22)
As the FBI takes daring steps to wiretap the heads of the five families, the new US Attorney for the Southern District of New York joins the fight.
3
"Judgment Day"
Sam Hobkinson
July 22, 2020 (2020-07-22)
In order to prove a conspiracy among the mafia bosses, the FBI tries to tie "The Commission" to a high-profile gangland murder.
Release
Fear City: New York vs The Mafia was released on July 22, 2020, on Netflix.[3]
Reception
On review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 71% based on 17 reviews, with an average rating of 7.25/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Compelling interviews and a slick style help Fear City entertain, but those already familiar with the case will find few new insights."[4] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 61 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[5]
Reviewing the series for The Hollywood Reporter, Daniel Fienberg said it featured "by-the-numbers storytelling with a law enforcement perspective" and wrote: "I wish there were more consistency to when and how the reenactment device is used, but there are general potholes of sloppiness throughout Fear City."[2] John Anderson of The Wall Street Journal said the series "offers a skewed history of the investigations into organized crime in 1970s-80s New York".[6]
