The HISTORY Channel greenlights “Five Families,” a new nonfiction series executive produced by Ray Liotta and Propagate about the dramatic rise and fall of the New York’s mafia’s five families – Genovese, Gambino, Bonnano, Colombo and Lucchese. For decades these five families ruled New York and built the American Mafia into an underworld empire. The series will follow the Mob from its explosive and violent growth in Prohibition, its golden age of domination in the 1970s and 1980s, up through its heated war with law enforcement – a feud they ultimately lost.

The eight part, one-hour series is based on Selwyn Raab’s New York Times best-selling book Five Families: The Rise, Decline and Resurgence of America’s Most Powerful Mafia Empires.

“Whether it’s power, money, status or living by your own rules at a time when the American Dream seemed out of reach for so many, there’s a reason why there’s so much public intrigue around the mafia and why it continues to be a pop culture mainstay,” said Liotta. “I’m excited to partner with The HISTORY Channel to tell the origin stories of New York’s five families, chronicling their rise to the top as well as their eventual demise while weaving together the historical significance of the times that allowed their power to carry on across decades.”

“Five Families” is produced for The HISTORY Channel by Propagate. Ben Silverman and Howard T. Owens serve as executive producers for Propagate. Ray Liotta is executive producer. Michael Stiller is executive producer for The HISTORY Channel.

A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights for the above program.


About The HISTORY(R) Channel

The HISTORY(R) channel, a division of A+E Networks, is the premier destination for historical storytelling. From best-in-class documentary events, to a signature slate of industry leading nonfiction series and premium fact-based scripted programming, The HISTORY(R) Channel serves as the most trustworthy source of informational entertainment in media. The HISTORY(R) Channel has been named the #1 U.S. TV network in buzz for seven consecutive years by YouGov BrandIndex, and a top favorite TV network by Beta Research Corporation. For a deeper dive, visit  history.com  or follow @history on  Instagram,  Twitter,  Facebook and YouTube.  For additional press materials visit the A+E Networks Press Center at  http://press.aenetworks.com.


About Propagate

Founded in 2015 by Ben Silverman and Howard T. Owens, who pioneered the global format business in the late 1990s, Propagate has offices in Los Angeles, New York and Paris. Propagate’s documentary credits include the Emmy-nominated Hillary for Hulu; LFG for HBO Max in partnership with CNN Films; the Untold franchise, November 13: Attack on Paris, Haunted, and the recently announced Anna Nicole Smith documentary for Netflix; Burning and Lore for Amazon Prime Video; recurring true crime series City Confidential for A&E Network; and Notre Dame: Our Lady of Paris for ABC. Unscripted series include American Song Contest for NBC, an adaptation of the iconic Eurovision Song Contest; Go-Big Show for TBS; In Search Of and Kings of Pain for History Channel; Million Dollar Wheels for Discovery+; Baking Impossible, Prank Encounters, and the upcoming Latin music competition series La Firma for Netflix. Scripted credits include Rebelde Way for Netflix; Charmed for The CW, Blood and Treasure and Broke for CBS; along with Let’s Be Real and Our Kind of People for FOX, starring Yaya DaCosta and Morris Chestnut. Propagate also created and produced the original podcasts “An Oral History of The Office” with Spotify; and “The Office Deep Dive with Brian Baumgartner” and “XOXO with Jessica Szohr” with iHeartMedia. Propagate’s expanding portfolio of companies includes Electus (You vs. Wild, Running Wild With Bear Grylls, Jane the Virgin, Fashion Star), Big Breakfast (Adam Ruins Everything, Hot Date), Notional (Chopped franchise), talent management firms Artists First, Authentic Talent & Literary Management and Select Management, and Spanish-language content division Propagate Fuego.

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