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Real agents from the FBI share the incredible stories of their greatest missions with Vanessa Kirby and Hayley Atwell.
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Real Spies, Real Stories
True Spies Teaser
Week by week, mission by mission, you’ll hear the true stories behind the world’s greatest espionage operations. You’ll meet the people who navigate this secret world. What do they know, what are their skills and what would you do in their position? This is True Spies.
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Narcotopia, Part One - Agent Superstar
Nestled in the mountains of Myanmar, there's a nation that you won't find on the map. The mysterious, controversial Wa State is what journalist Patrick Winn calls a 'Narcotopia' - a country whose main source of income is the international drugs trade. In Part 1, Patrick tells the story of his journey to Wa State, and his chance meeting with one of the most powerful figures in its history, Saw Lu - a man whose vision for the isolated nation led him to the door of the US Government.
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Agent Sniper
Bigamist. Fantasist. Betrayer. Betrayed. Known only as Agent Sniper, Polish double-agent Michal Goleniewski sold secrets to the US from behind the Iron Curtain. But this complex, ambitious man was no match for his American handlers. In this episode of True Spies, author Tim Tate reveals a life full of romance, tragedy and Cold War intrigue.
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The Strike on Saddam
It's 2003, and the US is on the brink of war. Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein has been issued a warning - leave the country, or face a full American invasion. In the event of his refusal, the CIA has a plan to strike Saddam's Dora Farms compound, potentially stopping the war in its tracks. The operation is overseen by the head of the Agency's Iraq Operations Group, Luis Rueda. In this episode of True Spies, the former CIA heavyweight shares candid insights into the fevered hours and days ahead of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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The Last Honest Man
Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist James Risen details the life and work of Frank Church - the man who forever changed the US Intelligence Community. From humble Idaho beginnings through to his lofty Presidential ambitions, we delve into who Church really was and his tireless devotion to serving American ideals of transparency and accountability - culminating in the Church Committee. However, Church learned that you can't shine a light on the darkest corners of the FBI, CIA, and NSA without making some powerful enemies.
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The King's Secret
The Chevalièr d'Éon was an 18th-Century war hero, an indispensable spy, and a famous diplomat. But today, they're best known for their pioneering approach to gender boundaries. Historian Gary Kates pulls back the curtain on this fascinating True Spy. Hear the groundbreaking story of d'Éon's life - from undercover geopolitical manipulation in the Russian court and plotting Louis XV's French invasion of England to being recognized by both French and English courts as having the right to live as a woman.
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The Disappeared, Part 2 - Mother's Day
No one takes on the cartel and comes away unscathed. Miriam Rodriguez understood that from the start. In the second and final part of this extraordinary True Spies story, The New York Times’ Azam Ahmed picks up the story of the housekeeper who sought revenge on Mexico’s notorious Zetas. Having discovered the grim truth of what happened to her kidnapped daughter, Miriam Rodriguez makes it her life’s mission to bring down the criminals responsible for her murder, becoming increasingly adept at high-wire deep cover work in the process. She will not rest until the Zetas have been made to pay but her bold quest comes with an enormous personal price tag.
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The Disappeared, Part 1 - Parlor Games
In this two-part True Spies story, The New York Times’ Azam Ahmed tells the unbelievable tale of Miriam Rodriguez, a 56 year-old housekeeper turned rogue agent and thorn in the side of one of Mexico’s most feared gangs. In Part One, we meet Miriam as her world is turned upside down by news of her daughter’s kidnapping. Soon, she embarks on a quest for answers and for vengeance. It will bring her face to face with The Zetas - a powerful and dangerous criminal organization who terrorize Miriam’s native San Fernando with impunity. But in this grieving mother of three, they may have found their match.
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Diamond Hands
During the cryptocurrency boom of the 2010s, those who held their assets made huge fortunes. Among them was James Zhong - a young man who'd amassed an unbelievable virtual treasure trove. But he'd come across his fortune illegitimately by executing an audacious one-man heist against the most notorious black market on the Dark Web. Sophia Di Martino joins IRS criminal investigation agent Tyler Hatcher, whose digital detective work recovered millions in ill-gotten Bitcoin for the US government.
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The Silk Road Bust
The Silk Road was one of the most notorious black markets on the Internet. Run by the notorious, anonymous Dread Pirate Roberts, this online bazaar allowed its users to trade cryptocurrency for illegal drugs, items and services. But, buried beneath layers of digital proxies, the Silk Road was almost impenetrable to law enforcement. Almost. Sophia Di Martino joins former FBI Special Agent Chris Tarbell to tell the story of how a combination of cyber-savvy and old-school detective work brought down the biggest name on the Dark Web.
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Sonya’s Red Heart, Part 2: The Secrets of Sonya
Ursula Kuczynski, aka Agent Sonya, is one history's most effective spies. As an intelligence-gatherer for the Soviet military, she helped to usher in the age of Mutually Assured Destruction during the bloody 1940s. In 2020, a newly declassified document muddied the waters. Who was Sonya really working for? In this two-part True Spies story, a new theory deepens the mystery of her life and work. In Part 2, Sophia Di Martino and Professor Anthony Glees explore a masterful double-cross by the Stalinist spy.
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Sonya’s Red Heart, Part 1: The Fairytale of Ursula Kuczynski
Ursula Kuczynski, aka Agent Sonya, is one history's most effective spies. As an intelligence gatherer for the Soviet military, she helped usher in the age of Mutually Assured Destruction during the bloody 1940s. In 2020, a newly declassified document muddied the waters. Who was Sonya really working for? In this two-part True Spies story, a new theory deepens the mystery of her life and work. In Part 1, Sophia Di Martino joins Professor Anthony Glees to follow Sonya's rise to prominence within the Russian GRU.
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Cribs, Codes and Cairo
Emily Anderson was the best codebreaker you've never heard of. Fiercely devoted to secrecy, she served Britain's interests in two world wars - mastering five languages along the way. In this remarkable True Spies story, Sophia Di Martino and historian Jackie Ui Chionna give Anderson a much-deserved moment in the limelight.
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Tradecraft Part 8
The tools in a spy's arsenal are more varied than you might think. But they all come under one name: Tradecraft. In our eighth round of insights from the world of espionage, Sophia Di Martino looks back on lessons drawn from masters of disguise, daring civilian spycraft, and nail-biting undercover work.
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Tradecraft Part 7 
The tools in a spy's arsenal are more varied than you might think. But they all come under one name: Tradecraft. In our seventh round of insights from the world of espionage, Sophia Di Martino revisits an audacious gambit in Iraq, evades surveillance behind the Iron Curtain, and learns how to create a convincing cover story in Canada.
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Operation Ajax
In the early 1950s, Iran elected a forward-thinking new leader. But where previous regimes had played ball with British and American oil companies in the country, Mohammed Mossadegh refused. In response, Western intelligence services mounted a deadly coup. Sophia Di Martino and historian Ervand Abrahamian unpick the shocking downfall of Iran's last democratic leader.
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Escaping ISIS
As ISIS sweeps through the Middle East, the regions' minority groups face brutal oppression. In Northern Iraq, ex-CIA officers Michele Rigby Assad and her husband, Joseph Assad, feel compelled to do what they can to help. Michele joins Sophia Di Martino to recount the steps that led to a dramatic evacuation of Iraqi Christians from Erbil in 2015.
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The Wilderness of Mirrors
In the dying days of the Cold War, the West is on the verge of victory but the Soviet Union's feared secret service, the KGB, won't give up without a fight. Sophia Di Martino and former US Army Intelligence officer Aden Magee tell the story of a mind-bending game of cat-and-mouse, played out on the streets of 1980s Munich.
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The Swinging Spies
Karel 'Karl' Koecher always knew he was destined for greatness. At the height of the Cold War, he arrived in New York City - a Communist sleeper agent, hell-bent on infiltrating the highest echelons of American society. And with the help of his beautiful young wife, the American dream was well within reach. Sophia Di Martino and author Benjamin Cunningham tell the story of two glamorous Czech spies in swinging NYC - charting their unlikely rise and inevitable fall from grace.
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Mr. Wristwatch
Truck driver, entrepreneur, womanizer - spy. Sophia Di Martino joins journalist Sean O'Driscoll to tell the story of one of the most unusual and effective moles in modern American history. When David Rupert met a woman in an Irish bar in Florida, the meeting sparked an unlikely chain of events that would lead him to infiltrate a deadly Irish Republican terrorist group on behalf of the FBI, MI5, and the Irish state - and put several key players behind bars. But the 'Big Yank' would pay a heavy price for his success.
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Ten Episodes Not To Miss
Ready to unlock the secrets of the spying game? Here's a quick intro to our True Spies series.
Howard Hunt Unleashed, Part 1: The CIA & Animal Farm
In this special two-part True Spies miniseries, Daisy Ridley presents a dramatized encounter with Everette Howard Hunt Jr, based on our own historical research and Hunt's own writings. In Part 1, Hunt explains his role in one of the CIA's most unusual PsyOps - the backing of 1954's animated version of George Orwell's Animal Farm.
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HAVANA SYNDROME SPECIAL
Debilitating neurological symptoms have affected US officials worldwide. Former CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos has been suffering since 2017 - he joins Russia expert and former CIA Station Chief John Sipher, and Dr. James Giordano to analyze Havana Syndrome.
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GRAY SUIT & THE GHOST
Eric O’Neill describes the hunt for the infamous FBI mole Robert Hanssen, who he was tasked with catching. Eric needs to get Hanssen into a hire car so his own car can be searched for evidence of his betrayal... but the hire car isn’t there and Hanssen is getting suspicious. What would you do in O'Neill's position?
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THE ILLEGAL
'Jack Barsky' was a New York computer programmer for a well-known insurance firm. In real life, he was Albrecht Dittrich, a highly-trained Soviet sleeper agent dropped behind enemy lines in 1970s America. When the KGB recalled him to Europe, Barsky had a difficult choice to make: Should he leave his wife and 18-month-old baby behind or betray his country?
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INSIDE NAMBLA
Bob Hamer had a colorful career as an undercover FBI agent but nothing prepared him for infiltrating Nambla, the North American Man/Boy Love Association. If he was going to put the pedophiles behind bars, Bob would have to hide his hatred and disdain - even if it ripped at the very fabric of his being. (Warning: This episode contains graphic details.)
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WHITE TRAITOR
Sue Dobson was a white woman who wanted to spy for the African National Congress - making her a minority within a minority in apartheid-era South Africa. Dobson spent seven months training in the USSR to learn her tradecraft. Now she wasn’t just a traitor, she was a turncoat with the training to kill.
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PSYCHIC SPIES
Dr. Edwin May is an unusual scientist, a physicist who researches psychic phenomena. For decades he worked with psychics who believed they could ‘foresee’ events like potential terrorist attacks, which raised an interesting question: If you can see the future, are you condemned to experience it?
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THE SOCIOPATHIC SPY
Working as a lawyer is one path to success, but Jim Lawler wanted adventure. He ditched his job in Texas and joined the CIA. On his first tour abroad, Jim had to recruit a spy working for a hostile government knowing she’d be killed if her cover was blown. That’s when Jim realized he was born with the type of sociopathic personality that would ensure success.
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ME AND THE MULLAH
Shawnee Delaney was a key part of the US team hunting Osama bin Laden in the wake of 9/11. One of her contacts was a Mullah with close ties to al-Qaeda but how could she win his trust? There was a language barrier and the Mullah refused to accept money for intelligence. This was shaping up to be Shawnee’s most challenging assignment yet.
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THE IRISHMAN
Sean Hartnett grew up in Ireland during the 'Troubles'. His family was Republican so they were shocked when Hartnett talked about joining the British Armed Forces. In fact, Hartnett went a step further. He joined the British Army’s most secretive covert counterterrorist unit in Northern Ireland, Joint Communications Unit Northern Ireland aka ‘The Det’.
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And, if you're into covert operations and intelligence gathering, check out these episodes:
EPISODE 71
RISE AND KILL FIRST
Ronen Bergman is an investigative journalist specializing in the dark arts of espionage and Mossad. In the early ‘80s, he stumbled on the scoop of a lifetime involving PLO chairman Yasser Arafat.
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TEAM ALPHA PART 1: THE TIP OF THE SPEAR
October 17, 2001. The dust of 9/11 has barely settled. America and the world are reeling. In Afghanistan, eight CIA officers - a crack team of linguists, tribal experts, and paramilitaries - are the first Americans to infiltrate Taliban territory after the attacks. Their mission is to ensure that al-Qaeda does not strike again.
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EPISODE 87
STALIN'S ROMEO SPY
As a young Soviet journalist, Emil Draitser stumbled on a story that changed his life. He was summoned by Dmitri Bystrolyotov to hear the deep secret that he was a ‘Stasi Romeo’ spying on Germany for Moscow, taking advantage of vulnerable women to steal state secrets. It was a fascinating tale, but it could also land Draitser in prison.
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ALDRICH AMES PART 1: THE ULTIMATE DOUBLE AGENT - SELLING SECRETS
The CIA is only as strong as the weakest link. And in the waning years of the Cold War, weak links were in ready supply. A number of trusted Agency officers were caught selling secrets to the Russian regime. And the most notorious traitor? Aldrich Hazen Ames.
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EPISODE 43
PUTIN'S PALACE?
Former Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny released a film in 2021 that sent shockwaves through the country. Part exposé, part-psychological portrait, his investigation claimed to reveal a culture of corruption within the Kremlin - with President Putin at its heart. The Kremlin and Putin deny everything.
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LISTEN TO ALL TRUE SPIES EPISODES Find us on Apple Podcasts
See all episodes here
Spy Sisters
See all episodes here
CIA Secrets
See all episodes here
FBI Secrets
See all episodes here
Russian Secrets
True FBI Spy Missions: Teaser
Hayley Atwell and Vanessa Kirby narrate true stories from the incredible operatives behind the Central Intelligence Agency's greatest espionage operations. What do they know? What are their skills? And what would YOU do in their position? From SPYSCAPE, the headquarters of all things spy.
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EPISODE 14
MAKING JACK FALCONE
CW: Violence, Suicide, Strong Language. Undercover FBI agent Joaquin 'Jack' Garcia spent more than 20 years in disguise as various drug dealers, gangbangers and bad guys. But his final role was the one he was born to play. With little more than his wits, a wire, and an encyclopedic knowledge of Italian food, Jack infiltrated New York's notorious Gambino crime family. Vanessa Kirby tells a story of bravery and brutality in the shadow of the Big Apple.
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EPISODE 13
THE REAL SOPRANOS
FBI agent Giovanni Rocco grew up playing in the back yards of New Jersey's criminal class. As an adult, he went undercover to take them down. Vanessa Kirby follows Giovanni's descent into the violent world that inspired HBO's hit series, The Sopranos. Could YOU meet the Family - and live?
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EPISODE 12
THE CODE CLERK
In Atlanta, a woman is found murdered. The suspect? An employee of a hostile embassy, responsible for monitoring secret communications. He's also a spy, recruited by the FBI. Now he's on the run, and the pressure is on for the Bureau to bring him in before his own side take him out. Vanessa Kirby joins former assistant director for counterintelligence Frank Figliuzzi on a manhunt with international implications. Could you beat the clock?
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EPISODE 11
The Philadelphia Wire
Northern Philadelphia, 1989. FBI agent Judy Tyler is on the hunt. Her target? A local entrepreneur with a lucrative side-line as a cocaine kingpin. From wiretaps to polygraphs to secret cameras, Judy has the Bureau's full arsenal of tradecraft tricks at her disposal - but can she get her man before someone gets hurt? Vanessa Kirby joins Judy on the mean streets of Philly. Could YOU clean them up? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan.
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EPISODE 10
A SPY AMONGST SKINHEADS
It's the early '90s, and the USA is still reeling from the L.A. race riots. A paranoid far right are preparing for all-out war. With his blond hair and blue eyes, Mike German is the picture-perfect neo-Nazi. But in reality, he's working undercover, infiltrating a cell of violent white supremacists for the FBI. Vanessa Kirby joins Mike in the belly of the beast.
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EPISODE 9
THE ARMAGEDDON PAPERS
What secrets do you give away with the twitch of an eyelid - the tap of a finger? Joe Navarro knows. As an FBI agent, he developed an innate gift for reading body language. But when Joe came up against hyper-intelligent US traitor Rod Ramsay, those skills were put to the test. The consequences of failure? Nuclear. Vanessa Kirby enters a world of lies and misdirection.
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EPISODE 8
OPERATION: BULLWINKLE
Robert Wittman was a special kind of Special Agent. During his long career with the FBI, he went undercover to retrieve millions of dollars worth of stolen art. When a priceless Rembrandt was stolen from Sweden's National Gallery, Robert descended into Europe's criminal underworld to get it back. Vanessa Kirby narrates a high-stakes hunt for a truly unique prize.
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EPISODE 7
THE SPY IN THE CORNFIELD
In the golden cornfields of rural Iowa, mysterious men are stealing seeds. Corn is big business - and the secret of growing good corn is priceless intellectual property. But is this a simple case of corporate theft, or foreign espionage in a vital strategic battle between nations? Vanessa Kirby joins Special Agent Mark Betten, FBI, on his mission to find out.
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EPISODE 6
THE PROFILER
July 20th, 1993. White House Counsel Vince Foster is found dead, apparently by his own hand. Rumours of foul play are circulating - and some very famous names are in the mix. FBI Profiler Jim Clemente must use his best tradecraft to find out what happened. Vanessa Kirby follows Jim on an investigation that sent shockwaves through the corridors of power.
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EPISODE 5
INSIDE NAMBLA
CW: This episode contains details relating to the sexual abuse of children. In 26 years undercover with the FBI, Bob Hamer developed a thick skin. He's posed as a contract killer, a drug dealer - even an international arms dealer. But there's one case he could never quite shake off. Vanessa Kirby explores the chilling story of Bob's descent into the twisted world of NAMBLA - an organization dedicated to enabling child sex abuse.
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Episode 4
BURGERS AND SPIES
Vanessa Kirby meets Naveed Jamali, an FBI Operative who worked his way into the world of espionage. Hoping to impress US Intelligence, Naveed used family connections to set himself up as a double agent, fooling the Russians into revealing their operations on American soil. Armed only with a secret recording device, an encyclopedic knowledge of spy movies and a high tolerance for fast food, he spent three years luring in one of Russia's most senior operatives. Could YOU make it up as you went along?
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Episode 3
THE PURPLE BATHROBE
Hayley Atwell tells the story of the capture of Mexican druglord El Chapo, with former FBI undercover agent Michael McGowan. To trap this murderous gangster, Michael had to convince him that he was in the same business. What would YOU do in Michael's position?
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Episode 2
The SPYCATCHER
As former Deputy Director of the Office of Counterintelligence, Robert Booth was tasked with investigating individuals within the department who were recruited as spies for foreign governments. What would YOU do in Robert’s position?
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Episode 1
GRAY SUIT & THE GHOST
Young FBI agent Eric O'Neill was plucked from his surveillance unit and assigned to spy on a dangerous suspected spy. He worked directly for senior FBI counterintelligence officer Robert Hanssen, who was believed to be the worst spy in American history - spying for Russia for 22 years. What would YOU do in Eric’s position?
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Episode 1
GRAY SUIT & THE GHOST
Episode 2
The SPYCATCHER
Episode 3
THE PURPLE BATHROBE
Episode 4
BURGERS AND SPIES
EPISODE 5
INSIDE NAMBLA
EPISODE 6
THE PROFILER
EPISODE 7
THE SPY IN THE CORNFIELD
EPISODE 8
OPERATION: BULLWINKLE
EPISODE 9
THE ARMAGEDDON PAPERS
EPISODE 10
A SPY AMONGST SKINHEADS
EPISODE 11
The Philadelphia Wire
EPISODE 12
THE CODE CLERK
EPISODE 13
THE REAL SOPRANOS
EPISODE 14
MAKING JACK FALCONE
True FBI Spy Missions: Teaser

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