Tag Archives: Newsmen

Episode 32 – How Many Threads Lead Us to Understand Men in Power? – Author Mark Arsenault & rReporter S.J. Peddie



How many threads lead us to understand men in power? This week, Larry sits with author and Boston Globe journalist Mark Arsenault about his new book The Imposter’s War: The Press, Propaganda, and the Newsman Who Battled for the Minds of America. The book centers on John Rathom, a journalist known for his World War I propaganda, his riveting press coverage on current events, and the web of lies he weaved in his personal life.

Also joining the discussion is Newsday investigative reporter S.J. Peddie to discuss her book Sonny: The Last of the Old Time Mafia Bosses, John Sonny Franzese. Like Rathom, Sonny lived a double life as a dedicated family man with a passion for music but was also one of the most feared Mafia bosses in history. With his guests, Larry explores the complex identities of these men and how individual ambition can create political, social, and global change.