In the early 1970's, the five families of the American mafia ruled the streets of New York City, but a new generation of FBI agents are about to change the game.
It is unclear why actors are portraying some of those talking (like Michael Franzese), but we will just have to assume that they are speaking the real words in order to hide the informant voices and faces.
Was 1970s was the mob's "golden age"? They had construction, ports, produce, and judges. Joe Colombo was huge, and was not afraid to be in the public eye, trying to twist the anti-Mafia crusade as anti-Italian. He did succeed in suppression of the word "Mafia", both in the Justice Department and in the script for "The Godfather".
This episode gives the history that Luciano created the Commission (and Five Families) in 1931. This is very questionable history, and may rely on dubious sources. But this poor history is made up for with a great telling from people who really lived the life in the 1970s, including Joseph Pistone (Donnie Brasco), one of the most legendary FBI agents in American history. Sal Polisi claims to be "made" you have to take part in a murder, which is untrue, but he was never made himself so he would not be as informed.
We see how Brasco infiltrated the Colombo Family and then worked towards the Bonanno Family... but what of his time in Milwaukee?