James Burke: podcast appearances and interviews

James Burke (July 5, 1931 – April 13, 1996) was an American individual associated with organized crime and served as a Lucchese crime family member. He is known for allegedly organizing the 1978 Lufthansa heist, which was the largest cash robbery in American history at that time. Burke was believed to have been responsible for the deaths of several individuals involved in the aftermath of the robbery. In 1982, following the testimony of Henry Hill, he was convicted of conspiracy charges related to the Boston College basketball point-shaving scandal and received a 12-year prison sentence. While incarcerated, Burke was also convicted of murder and subsequently sentenced to an additional 20 years to life. He died of cancer at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York, twelve years before reaching the age of eligibility for parole. His life and criminal activities served as inspiration for the character Jimmy 'The Gent' Conway, portrayed by Robert De Niro in the 1990 film Goodfellas.