The Big Dig Presents: Catching The Codfather
GBH News
<p>A fishing tycoon is arrested in an elaborate sting operation, but claims he’s the real hero fighting back against an overbearing state. So who is Carlos “The Codfather” Rafael really – a folk hero, a crook, a righteous rebel, a selfish conman? </p><p><br></p><p>In Season 3 of The Big Dig podcast, “Catching The Codfather,” we go down to the docks. It’s a place where food, work, nature, money and politics all meet – where dreams are born, fortunes ruined, and where the watchful eye of the government is always present. The series traces the rise of Carlos Rafael and his escalating conflict with the government, because to judge the crimes of The Codfather, you also have to judge the whole system that he chose to break. </p><p><br></p><p>--------------------------------------</p><p><br></p><p>“This is a town where there are three pastimes: politics, sports and revenge.” The town is Boston.</p><p><br></p><p>Seemingly dry topics become gripping political dramas in this Peabody Award winning show from creator Ian Coss and GBH News. Each season of “The Big Dig” uncovers a different facet of society – infrastructure, gambling, food, healthcare – together the pieces connect to tell the story of modern America. </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Season One: "The Big Dig" </strong></p><p>The highway project known as “The Big Dig” is infamous – a shorthand for government failure – but it all started as one engineer’s dream to correct the wrongs of the past, and its legacy is far from simple.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Season Two: "Scratch & Win" </strong></p><p>America’s most successful state lottery – and its greatest innovation, the scratch ticket – all starts with mafia bookmakers and state bureaucrats going toe to toe in a battle to own the future of gambling. </p><p><br></p><p><strong>Season Three: "Catching The Codfather"</strong></p><p>A fishing tycoon is arrested in an elaborate sting operation, but claims he’s the real hero fighting back against the state.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>--------------</p><p>CREDITS:</p><p>Host & Creator: Ian Coss</p><p>Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins</p><p>Producer: Isabel Hibbard</p><p>Story Editor: Lacy Roberts </p><p>Contact us as <a href="mailto:[email protected]"><strong>[email protected]</strong></a></p>
Recent Episodes
20 episodesCatching The Codfather | 4. Mosquitos on the Balls of an Elephant
A new regulatory system is meant to end overfishing, but Carlos Rafael exploits it to accumulate even more boats and power – drawing resentment from other fishermen, and attention from the feds. Major sponsorship for "Catching The Codfather" is provided by Roger’s Fish Co.---------------------------Credits:Host and Scriptwriter: Ian CossExecutive Producer: Devin Maverick RobinsProducers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian CossStory Editor: Lacy RobertsEditorial Advisor: Jenifer McKimFact-checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel HibbardIntern: Fiona Boyd Scoring and Music Supervision: Ian CossGraphic Design: Bill Miller
Catching The Codfather | 3. Punch in the Kisser
The west has cowboys, the east has fishermen – it's a job defined by freedom and self-reliance. But in 1991 a contentious lawsuit forces the government to step in, setting Carlos Rafael and the regulators on a collision course.You can watch the full film of “A Fish Story” on YouTube. Major sponsorship for “Catching The Codfather” is provided by Roger’s Fish Co.---------------------------Credits:Host and Scriptwriter: Ian CossExecutive Producer: Devin Maverick RobinsProducers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian CossStory Editor: Lacy RobertsEditorial Advisor: Jenifer McKimFact-checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel HibbardIntern: Fiona BoydScoring and Music Supervision: Ian CossGraphic Design: Bill Miller
Catching The Codfather | 2. I Hope Those People Sink
How did Carlos Rafael become “The Codfather”? It starts in the 1980s, when a bitter strike divides the city of New Bedford and its famed fishing fleet. But Carlos manages to turn the strike to his advantage.Major sponsorship for "Catching The Codfather" is provided by Roger’s Fish Co.---------------------------Credits:Host and Scriptwriter: Ian CossExecutive Producer: Devin Maverick RobinsProducers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian CossStory Editor: Lacy RobertsEditorial Advisor: Jenifer McKimFact-checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel HibbardIntern: Fiona Boyd Scoring and Music Supervision: Ian CossGraphic Design: Bill Miller
The Big Dig is ON TOUR
Every American city is divided by crumbling old highways. Every city is trying to figure out what to do with them. Join us live in 10 American cities for The Big Dig “Highway Teardown Tour.” Details at wgbh.org/bigdiglive.
Catching The Codfather | 1. Red Lobster
Carlos “The Codfather” Rafael dominates the most valuable fishing port in the United States, and no one is quite sure how he did it. But in 2015, when undercover federal agents offer to buy his business, Carlos opens his books.Major sponsorship for "Catching The Codfather" is provided by Roger’s Fish Co.---------------------------Credits:Host and Scriptwriter: Ian CossExecutive Producer: Devin Maverick RobinsProducers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian CossStory Editor: Lacy RobertsEditorial Advisor: Jenifer McKimFact-checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel HibbardIntern: Fiona Boyd Scoring and Music Supervision: Ian CossGraphic Design: Bill Miller
Introducing Season Three: Catching The Codfather
A fishing tycoon is arrested in an elaborate sting operation, but claims he’s the real hero fighting back against an overbearing state. So who is Carlos “The Codfather” Rafael really – a folk hero, a crook, a righteous rebel, a selfish conman? In Season 3 of The Big Dig™ podcast, “Catching The Codfather,” we go down to the docks. It’s a place where food, work, nature, money and politics all meet – where dreams are born, fortunes ruined, and where the watchful eye of the government is always present. The series traces the rise of Carlos Rafael and his escalating conflict with the government, because to judge the crimes of The Codfather, you also have to judge the whole system that he chose to break.For instant access to the whole season, join The Big Dig membership program. Learn more at wgbh.org/hovlane. Major sponsorship for Catching The Codfather is provided by Roger’s Fish Co.
HOV Lane Ahead
Your official invitation to join The Big Dig membership program. Listen on for details, sign up at wgbh.org/hovlane
The Big Dig Returns
NEW name. NEW art. NEW season. NEW events. NEW mailing list. Listen for all the updates and a preview of what's to come. ---A few links to share:Sign up for our mailing list at: wgbh.org/thebigdigEmail us at: [email protected]*LIVE EVENT* in Seattle, WA: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-big-dig-and-booming-podcasts-where-our-roads-go-next-tickets-1665207834459*LIVE EVENT* in Portland, OR: https://literary-arts.org/event/opb-the-big-dig/
BONUS: How to sue the government, and win
Last week, we heard about a movement to challenge the authority of government agencies and push power down to the people. This week, the story of a central figure in that movement: Ralph Nader. This episode comes from NPR’s Throughline, co-hosted by Rund Abdelfatah and Ramtin Arablouei.
BONUS: Why do some parts of government work better than others?
This podcast has featured two stories about government endeavors: the much-criticized infrastructure project known as ‘The Big Dig,’ and of course the wildly successful state lottery. So why do these two stories play out so differently?In the final interview episode for this season, host Ian Coss speaks with Marc Dunkelman, a research fellow at Brown University, about why some parts of government draw intense scrutiny while others run quietly in the background. Dunkelman’s new book is "Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress -- and How to Bring It Back."
BONUS: Should we be nostalgic for machine politics?
There’s a lot of talk lately about patronage politics returning to Washington – a system based on loyalty, relationships, favors and transactions – but this kind of system is not new. Patronage was once the beating heart of the Democratic Party, and of course, the Massachusetts state lottery. So what changed? How did the party of patronage become the party of technocrats?In this second interview episode, host Ian Coss speaks with historian Lily Geismer, co-editor of a new book about the evolution of the Democratic Party: “Mastery and Drift: Professional Class Liberals Since 1960.”
BONUS: Why does sports betting feel different?
Lotteries are part of a long trend toward more and more legal gambling: bingo helped open the door for lotteries, just as lotteries helped open the door for casinos. And by that logic, sports betting is just the latest addition to the trend. So why does it feel so different?In the first of three interview episodes expanding on themes from the series, host Ian Coss speaks with gambling historian Jonathan Cohen about why this expansion of legal gambling is unlike anything that came before it.Cohen’s new book "Losing Big: America’s Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling” is out April 1st, 2025.
Scratch & Win | 8. The Other Massachusetts Miracle
Part 8: Most lottery games follow a predictable life cycle: a burst of interest followed by a long decline. But something else happened with the scratch ticket, and it changed how every lottery in the country operates. ---------------------------Credits:Host an Scriptwriter: Ian CossExecutive Producer: Devin Maverick RobinsProducers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian CossStory Editor: Lacy RobertsEditorial Advisor: Jenifer McKimFact-checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel HibbardScoring and Music Supervision: Ian CossProject Manager: Meiqian HeGraphic Design: Bill Miller
Scratch & Win | 7. The Dirtiest Race in the Commonwealth
Part 7: By 1986 Treasurer Bob Crane has turned the lottery into the most successful operation of its kind, but now he’s in the fight of his political life with a challenger who says he’s the real crook. To cement his legacy he will have to win one last election, and it’s a dirty one.---------------------------Credits:Host and Scriptwriter: Ian CossExecutive Producer: Devin Maverick RobinsProducers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian CossStory Editor: Lacy RobertsEditorial Advisor: Jenifer McKimFact-checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel HibbardScoring and Music Supervision: Ian CossProject Manager: Meiqian HeGraphic Design: Bill Miller
Scratch & Win | 6. The Game Dreams Are Made Of
Part 6: The Mass Lottery stumbles when it attempts to launch the nation’s first ‘lotto’ game. But that failure soon becomes an opportunity – and a national craze – when Treasurer Bob Crane brings in a new agency to take over the state’s marketing efforts.---------------------------Credits:Host and Scriptwriter: Ian CossExecutive Producer: Devin Maverick RobinsProducers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian CossStory Editor: Lacy RobertsEditorial Advisor: Jenifer McKimFact-checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel HibbardScoring and Music Supervision: Ian CossProject Manager: Meiqian HeGraphic Design: Bill Miller
Scratch & Win | 5. The Cherry Sheets
Part 5: The lottery was never just about stopping crime; it was about bringing in money. In 1980, an anti-tax ballot measure throws Massachusetts state finances into chaos, putting new pressure on the lottery to close the gap.---------------------------Credits:Host and Scriptwriter: Ian CossExecutive Producer: Devin Maverick RobinsProducers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian CossStory Editor: Lacy RobertsEditorial Advisor: Jenifer McKimFact-checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel HibbardScoring and Music Supervision: Ian CossProject Manager: Meiqian HeGraphic Design: Bill Miller
Scratch & Win | 4. The Last Mafia Boss of Boston
Part 4: The state lottery can’t run the mob out of the numbers business on their own. Luckily they’ve got help from the FBI, who are just launching a daring operation of their own – to bug the headquarters of the Boston mafia.---------------------------Credits:Host and Scriptwriter: Ian CossExecutive Producer: Devin Maverick RobinsProducers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian CossStory Editor: Lacy RobertsEditorial Advisor: Jenifer McKimFact-checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel HibbardScoring and Music Supervision: Ian CossProject Manager: Meiqian HeGraphic Design: Bill Miller
Scratch & Win | 3. Have You Played Your Number?
Part 3: Before the Massachusetts Lottery can claim to be number one, they have to take out the competition. So in 1976 the state lottery challenges organized crime head on by copying their most popular game: 'the numbers.'---------------------------Credits:Host and Scriptwriter: Ian CossExecutive Producer: Devin Maverick RobinsProducers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian CossStory Editor: Lacy RobertsEditorial Advisor: Jenifer McKimFact-checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel HibbardScoring and Music Supervision: Ian CossProject Manager: Meiqian HeGraphic Design: Bill Miller
Scratch & Win | 2. The Lottery Czar
Part 2: When states got into the gambling business, they wanted the same thing organized crime wanted: money and power. The question now is who in government will get to wield that awesome power? ---------------------------Credits:Host and Scriptwriter: Ian CossExecutive Producer: Devin Maverick RobinsProducers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian CossStory Editor: Lacy RobertsEditorial Advisor: Jenifer McKimFact-checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel HibbardScoring and Music Supervision: Ian CossProject Manager: Meiqian HeGraphic Design: Bill Miller
Scratch & Win | 1. The Instant Ticket
Part 1: It’s 1974, illegal bookies are everywhere and the brand new state lottery is struggling to compete. But a simple piece of paper is about to change the game forever: the nation’s first scratch ticket. ---------------------------Credits:Host and Scriptwriter: Ian CossExecutive Producer: Devin Maverick RobinsProducers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian CossStory Editor: Lacy RobertsEditorial Advisor: Jenifer McKimFact-checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel HibbardScoring and Music Supervision: Ian CossProject Manager: Meiqian HeGraphic Design: Bill Miller