Secret Societies
They’ve been around for thousands of years…orchestrating some of history’s most controversial events. And if not for their radical actions, you may never have even known they existed. Every Thursday, take a journey through hidden passageways and become a member of Parcast’s diabolical series, SECRET SOCIETIES. Each society is explored in 2 episodes—exposing the people and context responsible for its founding, and analyzing the psychology behind their beliefs.
1
LA County Sheriff’s Gangs Pt. 5: The East LA Ba...
In East LA, a group of deputies named the Banditos stand accused of running the sheriff’s substation like a gang, institutionalizing a culture of fear and retaliation.
37 min
2
LA County Sheriff’s Gangs Pt. 4: The Compton Ex...
The Compton Executioners allegedly control every aspect of life at the LASD Compton substation.
38 min
3
LA County Sheriff’s Gangs Pt. 3: Wild West Root...
By the 1850s, Los Angeles was one of the most dangerous places to live in the West.
35 min
4
LA County Sheriff’s Gangs Pt. 2: The Lennox Gri...
The community of Lennox in Los Angeles is just one square mile, but it has an enormous problem.
38 min
5
LA County Sheriff’s Gangs Pt. 1: Little Devils ...
Deputy gangs have been embedded in the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department since 1971.
40 min
6
The Righteous and Harmonious Fists Pt. 2
The group staged a violent uprising in 1900, determined to rid Imperial China of foreign influence. It later became known as the Boxer Rebellion.
38 min
7
The Righteous and Harmonious Fists Pt. 1
In the late 1800s, groups of working-class Chinese citizens became frustrated by their dire economic straits and the rampant Western influence over their country.
36 min
8
Thule Society Pt. 2
In 1919, the Thule Society led a revolt against the communist government that had taken control of Munich.
34 min
9
Thule Society Pt. 1
Before there were the Nazis, the Thule Society sprang up as a secret order dedicated to Aryan superiority.
33 min
10
Order of the Nine Angles Pt. 2
Since the dawn of the internet, the ONA and it's non-religious counterpart, the Dreccian Way, have exploded across the world.
38 min
11
Order of the Nine Angles Pt. 1
First founded by a mysterious figure in the 1960s, the O.N.A. has made it their mission to use black magic to create their white supremacist dreamworld.
41 min
12
Camorra Pt. 2
In the mid-1800s, the Camorra utilized a time of great political turmoil to raise their stature.
33 min
13
Camorra Pt. 1
In the early 1800s, a secret society of criminals known as the Camorra formed in the jails of Naples.
35 min
14
Freemasons Pt. 2
Since they were first founded, the Freemasons' secretive nature gave rise to rumors and conspiracy theories: According to some, Freemasons worship the devil, have a headquarters under the Denver airport, and are planning to rise up and establish a dystopian New World Order.
35 min
15
Freemasons Pt. 1
With ties back to the stonemason lodges of the Middle Ages, Freemasons just might be the world's oldest secret society—or as they say, society with secrets.
37 min
16
Odd Fellows Pt. 2
Membership in the Order of the Odd Fellows dwindled after the Great Depression, making it hard for the society to keep their sordid past a secret—like how the Order may have been involved with one of the most notorious murder cases in history.
37 min
17
Odd Fellows Pt. 1
Dating back as far as 79 C.E., the Independent Order of the Odd Fellows is a society built on charitable efforts.
34 min
18
The Black Hand Pt. 2
NYPD Detective Joe Petrosino, an Italian immigrant and master of disguise, led the charge against the Black Hand.
41 min
19
The Black Hand Pt. 1
At the turn of the 20th century, a criminal group began terrorizing New York’s Italian immigrant population.
37 min
20
Cosa Nostra Pt. 2
In Sicily, the Cosa Nostra acted like a shadow government, controlling local lawmakers, priests, and law enforcement.
40 min
21
Cosa Nostra Pt. 1
In the mid-1800s, criminal gangs sprang up in Sicily, using violence to extort farmers in the island's lucrative citrus trade.
41 min
22
Order of the Golden Dawn Pt. 2
At the turn of the century, the Order of the Golden Dawn was born… and then died.
42 min
23
Order of the Golden Dawn Pt. 1
In 1888, three Rosicrucians and Freemasons—William Robert Woodman, William Wynn Wescott, and S.L. Mathers—allegedly found an ancient manuscript detailing rituals of a long lost Golden Dawn.
43 min
24
The Sons of Liberty Pt. 2
Some of America’s most historical figures, from Samuel Adams to John Hancock to Paul Revere, were members of the Sons of Liberty.
33 min
25
The Sons of Liberty Pt. 1
In 1765, nine middle-class businessmen began meeting under Boston’s Liberty Tree.
34 min