society
Hosted by Tenderfoot TV and iHeartPodcasts · society · EN-US
Ken Tekiela was a celebrated Chicago firefighter and a loving father of two who led a secret double life as a hitman for the Chicago mafia. Is it even possible to keep a life of crime hidden from your wife and kids for two decades? Yes, it is. I know because Ken is my father. In 2013, after a lifetime of deception, he broke down and told me everything, and our whole world changed…CROOK COUNTY is the shocking true-crime podcast about my father's rise through the ranks of the legendary organized crime syndicate, the Chicago Outfit. From whorehouse doorman at the age of 17, to ruthless assassin in his 20's, and the many years that followed covering up crimes for the mafia and crooked cops alike while working as a firefighter/paramedic for the Chicago Fire Department. To finally, moving to the suburbs with his new wife and kids and trying desperately to put it all behind him, until it all came crashing down. We explore in great depth and detail my father’s life of crime and its profound a
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Contact path
Verified email
Booking probability
29%
Guest openness
Selective
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Signup to Generate a PitchKen Tekiela was a celebrated Chicago firefighter and a loving father of two who led a secret double life as a hitman for the Chicago mafia. Is it even possible to keep a life of crime hidden from your wife and kids for two decades? Yes, it is. I know because Ken is my father.
Recent episodes include "Kenny Needs Your Help" (2 December 2025, 6 minutes), "Inside the Investigation with Payne Lindsey, Dennis Cooper, and Kyle Tekiela" (24 November 2025, 23 minutes), and "Unanswered Questions" (23 September 2025, 40 minutes).
Crook County publishes roughly every two weeks, with episodes averaging 24 minutes across 14 episodes.
Booking probability for Crook County is 29%, and the host is rated Selective on guests. Crook County requires a Pod Score of 80 or higher. Crook County's contact route on record: verified email.
Crook County is a society podcast with 14 episodes published.
Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.
Crook County
<p>Kenny “The Kid” is facing the most difficult challenge of his life. After years of battling extreme PTSD and mental instability, Ken is now homeless and has been in and out of hospitals for the past year. I have done...
<p>Have you ever wondered what happens off mic in an investigative podcast? Join Payne Lindsey (Up and Vanished), Dennis Cooper (Culpable), and Kyle Tekiela (Crook County) for a candid look inside making a hit series...
Crook County
<p>Get ready for a thrilling Crook County bonus episode! Kyle dives into the voicemails you, our passionate fans, have sent in, tackling your burning questions and sharing raw, unfiltered reactions to the show’s wild...
Crook County
<p>What do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? Answer: Wisecrack— a 6-part limited series where true crime and stand up comedy take center stage. Available now from Tenderfoot TV and...
Crook County
<p>Hi, Crook County listeners! iHeartPodcasts & Tenderfoot has a new season of the hit franchise called Bone Valley, hosted by Gilbert King. In 1987, 18-year-old Michelle Schofield was found dead in a phosphate pit in...
<p>Your backstage pass to Crook County. In this candid interview, host & producer Kyle Tekiela shares some honest details that were too raw for the show, and talks music, family, burnout, and the making of the...
Episode #8
<p>Ken's new civilian life has a fiery collision with the underworld resulting in death and destruction. A life full of secrets takes its toll on the family.</p><p>See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.</p>
Episode #7
<p>Like the old saying goes, “Just when I think I’m out, they pull me back in!”, Ken achieves his goal of becoming a firefighter and paramedic and negotiates his way out of the outfit, but he soon realizes that life as...
Episode #6
<p>Kenny witnesses American Airlines Flight 191 crashing out of O’Hare Airport killing everyone on board and reveals a newfound purpose. Things take a dark turn when a girl disappears and Ken takes matters into his own...
Episode #5
<p>We meet a new mafia boss who gives Ken orders for his first hit. Ken's twin brother Rich shares stories of their troubled youth. Ken discovers a new hobby that helps him cope with his demons.</p><p>See...
Episode #4
<p>Ken settles into his new life in The Outfit. We meet the working girls and some more mafia goons, and learn the ins and outs of how a house of prostitution is run. A robbery at the club puts Kenny in The Outfit’s...
Episode #3
<p>Ken walks us through his current day-to-day as he attempts to atone for his life of crime. Then we dive back into the past to his first years inside the mob -- dealing drugs and helping with collections. We meet to a...
Episode #2
<p>With the help of some old home videos, Kyle embarks on a journey to the past to uncover the family secret and try to pick up the pieces of a broken home. Kyle's mom, Holly, tells the harrowing story of an idyllic...
Episode #1
<p>Meet Kenny “The Kid”, a Chicago mafia soldier and hitman for nearly 25 years. After hearing a brutal firsthand account of a mafia hit, we learn how and why Kenny was recruited as 17 year old kid, explore the history...
Crook County
<p>For over 20 years he was a celebrated firefighter, living a secret double life as a hitman for the Chicago mob. Who is Ken Tekiela? He's my father, and I didn't know any of this until now. Crook County premieres...
Crook County
<p>Welcome to Crook County, a den of thieves, where a celebrated firefighter, husband and loving father led a secret double life as a hitman for the legendary organized crime syndicate, the Chicago Outfit. A secret that...
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