Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Criminal.
The Night the Town Forgot Her Name
When I moved to Oakridge, I wanted quiet. A fresh start. A small town where no one asked too many questions. I found a little house near the edge of town — pale yellow, half hidden by trees, the kind of place where life moves slowly and everyone waves from their porch.
By Malaika Piolet4 months ago in Criminal
The Girl in the Red Scarf
A Normal Morning in New Mexico On a bright September morning in 1988, 19-year-old Tara Calico set out for her usual bike ride near her home in Belen, New Mexico. She wore a white T-shirt, green shorts, and a distinctive red scarf tied around her neck.
By Hassan Jan4 months ago in Criminal
Raffaele Imperiale: The Drug Lord Who Collected Van Gogh. AI-Generated.
In the strange overlap between high art and high crime, one name stands out — Raffaele Imperiale, an Italian mafia boss who treated drug trafficking and fine art with the same obsessive care. He built a billion-euro cocaine empire stretching from South America to Europe, yet behind his mansion’s walls lay a secret treasure: two stolen Vincent van Gogh paintings.
By shakir hamid4 months ago in Criminal
The Last Godfather: The Rise and Fall of Matteo Messina Denaro. AI-Generated.
For decades, the name Matteo Messina Denaro struck fear across Italy. Known as “Diabolik” — after a comic-book master criminal — he was the last great boss of the Sicilian Mafia, a man whose power came not only from violence but from silence.
By shakir hamid4 months ago in Criminal
The Art of Crime: The Untold Story of Raffaele Imperiale, the Drug Lord Who Stole Van Gogh. AI-Generated.
In the quiet suburbs of southern Italy, behind high walls and manicured gardens, one of the most unusual mafia figures in Europe built his empire. His name was Raffaele Imperiale, and his story combined art, drugs, and deception in ways the world had never seen before.
By shakir hamid4 months ago in Criminal
The Last Godfather: Matteo Messina Denaro and the End of Cosa Nostra’s Silent Reign. AI-Generated.
On the island of Sicily, where crime and honor have long been intertwined, the name Matteo Messina Denaro carried the weight of both legend and fear. To his men, he was “U Siccu” — “the skinny one.” To the Italian government, he was the last godfather, the heir to a criminal dynasty that had haunted Italy for over a century.
By shakir hamid4 months ago in Criminal
The Fall of El Chapo: The Man Who Built a Drug Empire Beneath the Earth. AI-Generated.
Deep in the rugged mountains of Sinaloa, Mexico, a boy named Joaquín Guzmán Loera was born in 1957 into poverty. His father was a poor farmer who sometimes grew opium poppies to survive. From a young age, Joaquín learned two truths: power came from money, and money came from risk.
By shakir hamid4 months ago in Criminal
