Podcast
Taming Lyons
Taming Lyons tells the epic true story of Judy Petrucci, the tenacious Lyons Little League mom who risked her life and ran for mayor to help the Feds take down the Chicago mob in “Operation Safebet,” the most successful organized crime vice sting in U.S. history.
The series also traces Lyons’ legacy of infamy to the present day as a new generation of residents confronts fresh political controversy surrounding Lyons’ current mayor, who recently announced a run for U.S. Congress.
New episodes drop Wednesday. Or, to download all 10 ad-free episodes now and unlock exclusive content, including photos, video, additional interviews, archival materials, and behind-the-scenes content, go to https://patreon.com/taminglyons.
Taming Lyons is hosted by creator, Christopher Kostrzak, and presented by Autonomous.
Follow TL on Facebook
Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Documentary chart
- #108
- Episodes
- 11
- Releases
- Weekly
- Typical length
- 43 min
- On air since
- 2026
- Latest episode
- 2 weeks ago
Episodes
11 episodes, from the first
Season 1
-
3 min
Introducing - Taming Lyons Trailer
Show notes
Taming Lyons tells the epic true story of Judy Petrucci, the tenacious Lyons Little League mom who risked her life and ran for mayor to help the Feds take down the Chicago mob in “Operation Safebet,” the most successful organized crime vice sting in U.S. history.
The series also traces Lyons’ legacy of infamy to the present day as a new generation of residents confronts fresh political controversy surrounding Lyons’ current mayor, who recently announced a run for U.S. Congress.
New episodes drop Wednesday. Or, to access 10 ad-free episodes now and unlock exclusive content, including photos, video, additional interviews, archival materials, and behind-the-scenes content, go to https://patreon.com/taminglyons.
Taming Lyons is hosted by creator, Christopher Kostrzak, and presented by Autonomous.
Follow Taming Lyons on Facebook
New episodes drop on Wednesday. Or, to access all 10 ad-free episodes now & unlock exclusive content: photos, video, interviews, archival materials & BTS content, go to https://patreon.com/taminglyons. Taming Lyons is hosted by creator, Christopher Kostrzak & presented by Autonomous.
Follow TL on Facebook
Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
43 min
Chapter 1: Heroes & Villains
Episode 1
Show notes
2010 - TIME TRAVEL - 1975 // Family attorney Judy Petrucci collapses in court in 2010, and we travel back to Lyons in 1975, a “wide-open town” controlled by the Chicago Outfit, run by a mayor on the take, and packed with taverns, nightclubs, and strip clubs. Seeing the effect life in wild Lyons is having on her daughter Gina, Judy vows to clean up the town. "Michael's Magic Touch" owner Michael Russo meets Mayor William G. Smith for "happy hour." Judy attends her first village meeting and makes a decision that will change her life and Lyons forever.
New episodes drop on Wednesday. Or, to access all 10 ad-free episodes now & unlock exclusive content: photos, video, interviews, archival materials & BTS content, go to https://patreon.com/taminglyons. Taming Lyons is hosted by creator, Christopher Kostrzak & presented by Autonomous.
Follow TL on Facebook
Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
40 min
Chapter 2: See Judy Run
Episode 2
Show notes
1975 - 1979 // Outfit operations expand as Judy runs for office and goes back to school. A series of disturbing events offers Judy a glimpse into the menace that awaits her in the battle to save Lyons.
New episodes drop on Wednesday. Or, to access all 10 ad-free episodes now & unlock exclusive content: photos, video, interviews, archival materials & BTS content, go to https://patreon.com/taminglyons. Taming Lyons is hosted by creator, Christopher Kostrzak & presented by Autonomous.
Follow TL on Facebook
Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
46 min
Chapter 3: Revelations
Episode 3
Show notes
1979 - TIME TRAVEL - 1980 // Halloween Night 1979: the last vestige of Lyons' glamorous past burns to the ground. Judy goes to law school and beckons the FBI. Daughter Gina's rosy view of Lyons is shattered when she attends a private high school. Host Chris Kostrzak, his family, and neighbors take us on a story tour of their mobbed-up block in Lyons. Young Chris makes the unwise decision to date the granddaughter of one of Mayor Smith's Outfit gambling buddies.
New episodes drop on Wednesday. Or, to access all 10 ad-free episodes now & unlock exclusive content: photos, video, interviews, archival materials & BTS content, go to https://patreon.com/taminglyons. Taming Lyons is hosted by creator, Christopher Kostrzak & presented by Autonomous.
Follow TL on Facebook
Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
31 min
Chapter 4: Safebet
Episode 4
Show notes
1980 // Former Marine Thomas Gervais opens the National Credit Service. When business booms, and he's made an offer he can't refuse, Gervais is forced to make a fateful decision. Judy makes her first run at mayor and has Magic Touch owner Michael Russo worried. Judy gets her first terrifying taste of what it's going to take to change Lyons.
New episodes drop on Wednesday. Or, to access all 10 ad-free episodes now & unlock exclusive content: photos, video, interviews, archival materials & BTS content, go to https://patreon.com/taminglyons. Taming Lyons is hosted by creator, Christopher Kostrzak & presented by Autonomous.
Follow TL on Facebook
Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
43 min
Chapter 5: God Forgives, Outlaws Don't.
Episode 5
Show notes
1981 - 1984 // Three bombs explode on and around the Strip, targets include a local Outlaw and Lyons strip club. Judy's daughter Gina fears she or her mother may be next. Judy is attacked, and FBI Agent Damron's life is threatened. Judy forms the "No More Bars" group. When they target a new biker bar, the dark forces backing it strike back.
New episodes drop on Wednesday. Or, to access all 10 ad-free episodes now & unlock exclusive content: photos, video, interviews, archival materials & BTS content, go to https://patreon.com/taminglyons. Taming Lyons is hosted by creator, Christopher Kostrzak & presented by Autonomous.
Follow TL on Facebook
Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
56 min
Chapter 6: Life & Death in Lyons
Episode 6
Show notes
1984 // No More Bars members are targeted with violence. College student Philip Neri, 20, is found dead at the bottom of a quarry behind strip club, My Uncle's Place. Suspects include club employees and Lyons police. Four decades after Neri's death, Host Chris Kostrzak retraces the investigation in search of answers that have eluded authorities for years. Will a notorious thief be the one to crack the case?
New episodes drop on Wednesday. Or, to access all 10 ad-free episodes now & unlock exclusive content: photos, video, interviews, archival materials & BTS content, go to https://patreon.com/taminglyons. Taming Lyons is hosted by creator, Christopher Kostrzak & presented by Autonomous.
Follow TL on Facebook
Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
41 min
Chapter 7: Lady Phoenix
Episode 7
Show notes
1984-1987 // Tragedy strikes the Petrucci family household. A terrified Thomas Gervais runs for cover. Feds descend on The Strip. No More Bars scores a win and Judy meets the moment. The FBI train their sights on the Cook County Sheriff's Department and the Spilotro brothers. Judy gets another W and pays a visit to the Magic Touch.
New episodes drop on Wednesday. Or, to access all 10 ad-free episodes now & unlock exclusive content: photos, video, interviews, archival materials & BTS content, go to https://patreon.com/taminglyons. Taming Lyons is hosted by creator, Christopher Kostrzak & presented by Autonomous.
Follow TL on Facebook
Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
43 min
Chapter 8: The Reckoning
Episode 8
Show notes
1987-1989 // The Final Safebet Raid. USA v. Russo begins. In July '88, Thomas Gervais takes the stand. In 2025, Host Chris Kostrzak sets out to find the con man in WITSEC. The feds target William G. Smith and Judy goes after him for misusing village funds. The mayor's life is threatened in the lead up to the '89 election.
New episodes drop on Wednesday. Or, to access all 10 ad-free episodes now & unlock exclusive content: photos, video, interviews, archival materials & BTS content, go to https://patreon.com/taminglyons. Taming Lyons is hosted by creator, Christopher Kostrzak & presented by Autonomous.
Follow TL on Facebook
Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
49 min
Chapter 9: See Judy Win
Episode 9
Show notes
1989-1993 // Election Night '89: Mayor Smith meets his maker. Mayor Judy cleans house. Judy's police make a monumental bust. Judy's battle makes national news, and puts her life is in jeopardy. Judy makes a bad decision, and Ken Getty turns it into a full-blown scandal.
New episodes drop on Wednesday. Or, to access all 10 ad-free episodes now & unlock exclusive content: photos, video, interviews, archival materials & BTS content, go to https://patreon.com/taminglyons. Taming Lyons is hosted by creator, Christopher Kostrzak & presented by Autonomous.
Follow TL on Facebook
Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
42 min
Chapter 10: Last Stop Lyons
Episode 10
Show notes
1993 - PRESENT // When Judy's first term ends, she is confronted with her own mortality. New mayor KEN GETTY fights the law, and the law wins. Ken's son Chris Getty is elected mayor. Judy Petrucci is forced to give up her fight. Just like his father was, Chris Getty becomes a target of the feds. In 2025, newcomer Alicia Snow runs for mayor against Getty, and Chris announces a run for U.S. Congress.
New episodes drop on Wednesday. Or, to access all 10 ad-free episodes now & unlock exclusive content: photos, video, interviews, archival materials & BTS content, go to https://patreon.com/taminglyons. Taming Lyons is hosted by creator, Christopher Kostrzak & presented by Autonomous.
Follow TL on Facebook
Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
On these lists
Taming Lyons is one of the shows picked out on each of these
More in Documentary
Placed highest on Apple Podcasts' Documentary chart right now
