Honor Among Thieves Podcast

In this episode of Honor Among Thieves, we sit down with Mike Mazursky — a pen name used to protect the identity of a retired professional armed robber whose real-life story reads like a true crime thriller.

Mike was indicted in Israel for five major heists, including bank robberies, jewelry store hits, and cash exchange operations, but his criminal career stretches far beyond what the courts ever proved. Born in the Soviet Union, Mike escaped Russia with his parents and grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where he became obsessed at a young age with one goal: robbing a bank.

By age 18, Mike began meticulously planning a bank robbery in New York — a plan that took three years to execute. When he finally pulled it off and got away clean, he realized the rush wasn’t what he expected. That realization sent him down a darker, more calculated path: researching countries, prison systems, sentencing laws, and citizenship loopholes to determine where he could operate with the lowest long-term risk.

That research led him to Israel.

Using his Jewish ancestry to gain citizenship, Mike entered Israel believing the legal system and sentencing structure made it the most favorable environment for high-risk heists. After a brief stint in military prison and subsequent release, he launched into a years-long heist spree, committing robberies across the country — only five of which ever resulted in indictments.

But the story doesn’t stop with the crimes.

Mike gives a rare, firsthand account of the Israeli prison system, exposing how Russian inmates, Jewish inmates, and Arab inmates operate within a complex and rigid power structure. He breaks down the Russian “Thieves Code”, an infamous underground criminal ideology, and explains how shot callers, hierarchy, and prison politics truly function behind the walls.

This episode dives deep into:

International armed robbery

Bank heists and professional criminal planning

Israeli federal prison culture

Russian organized crime ideology

The global “Thieves Code” subculture

Prison hierarchy and shot callers

Crime, punishment, and redemption

This is not Hollywood. This is real-life international crime, told by the man who lived it.

🔔 Subscribe to Honor Among Thieves for real stories from the underworld — told by the people who survived it.

Chapters

0:00 – Introduction: Inside the Mind of a Professional International Thief

2:15 – Escaping Soviet Russia: Immigration, Survival & Crime Roots

13:25 – Mike’s First Heist: Planning and Executing a Bank Robbery in America

26:01 – Moving to Israel: Citizenship, Military Service & Criminal Opportunity

39:22 – The Bank Job & Jewelry Store Heist: High-Risk Robberies in Israel

48:27 – The Cash Exchange Heist: Guilt, Pressure & Cracks in the Armor

1:01:40 – Back to the Life: The Dye Pack Job & The Robbery That Got Him Caught

1:14:01 – Arrested in Israel: Prison Intake, Charges & Reality Setting In

1:21:34 – The Thieves’ Code: Inside the Russian Criminal Prison Subculture

1:37:00 – Who Runs Israeli Prison: Russian, Jewish & Arab Power Structures

1:57:28 – Redemption: Life After Crime and Prison

📌 Have an unbelievable story? Apply to be a guest:

👉 https://www.honoramongthievespodcast.com/guest

🔗 Links

📸 Nelson on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/montanatheprophet/

📸 Mike on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/theyoungmanandthegun/

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In this unforgettable episode of Honor Among Thieves, host Nelson Rodriguez Jr. sits down with Scott Anthony, a man whose real-life story reads like a crime thriller—but every word is true.

Scott Anthony reveals how he ran a Chicago street gang at just 14 years old, rising fast in a world of violence, money, and power. What started on the streets escalated into major drug trafficking, eventually landing Scott on the run as an international fugitive after being caught in Georgia with a trunk full of kilos.

Rather than surrender, Scott fled to Mexico, where he lived on the run—until federal authorities caught up with him. He was ultimately extradited and sentenced to 8 years in federal prison, where survival, discipline, and adaptation became daily necessities.

But Scott’s story doesn’t end behind bars.

After serving his federal sentence, Scott emerged into the free world and entered an entirely different underground—becoming the most prolific Cuban cigar smuggler of the 1990s. During the height of the U.S. embargo, Scott dominated the illegal Cuban cigar trade, supplying elite clients and celebrities, including Michael Jordan.

For four years, Scott controlled the market, building a reputation as a legendary cigar dealer before eventually retiring from the Cuban cigar smuggling game at the top.

In this episode, Scott breaks down:
How a teenager ends up running a Chicago gang
Life as a fugitive in Mexico
What federal prison really does to your mindset
The inner workings of the Cuban cigar black market
Supplying elite clients during the embargo era
Knowing when to walk away at the top

This is not a glamorized crime story. It’s a firsthand account of ambition, consequences, survival, and reinvention—told by someone who lived every chapter.

If you’re interested in true crime podcasts, federal prison stories, international fugitives, drug trafficking cases, Cuban cigar smuggling, or criminal underworld history, this episode is essential listening.

Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:52 The Life of a Cuban Cigar Smuggler (Inside the Black Market)
9:51 1970s Chicago: Running the Simon City Royals Gang at 14
21:01 Trying to Leave the Streets Behind (Early Turning Point)
33:45 The Big Time: Robbing Drug Dealers & Escalating Crime
46:05 1987 Fugitive Life: On the Run from Federal Charges
55:01 Discovering Cuban Cigars: The Hustle That Changed Everything
1:08:51 Going to the Source: Building a Cigar Connection in Havana
1:18:24 Trinidad Cigars & the Rise of a Smuggling Empire
1:25:20 Walking Away from Cigar Smuggling at the Top
1:30:52 Redemption And Life Today
1:36:19 Outro

📌 Have an unbelievable story? Apply to be a guest:
👉 https://www.honoramongthievespodcast.com/guest

🔗 Links
📸 Nelson on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/montanatheprophet/

📸 Scott Anthony on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/scottanthonyog/

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On this episode of Honor Among Thieves, Keithan Hunter, also known as OG Gigaveli, delivers a raw, unfiltered account of growing up in Miami during one of the most violent and chaotic periods in the city’s history.

OG Gigaveli came of age in the late 1970s and 1980s, as Miami was rocked by the McDuffie riots, the Mariel Boatlift, and the explosive rise of crack cocaine in America’s inner cities. Raised in extreme poverty, survival came first. What began as petty theft as a child quickly escalated into armed robberies as a teenager, targeting tourists at red lights across Miami.

A robbery gone wrong—where shots were fired by both sides—lands Gigaveli in jail, where he is introduced to the infamous 10th floor juvenile unit at Miami-Dade County Jail. According to G, if you could survive that unit, you could survive any prison in the country.

After his release, Gigaveli returned to the streets, this time attempting to lower his risk by committing robberies without firearms. That decision didn’t save him. A second robbery case involving a high-speed police chase resulted in a mandatory seven-year sentence in Florida state prison.

Upon release, G made a pivotal shift—leaving robbery behind and entering the drug trade, believing it to be a more “honest” and sustainable hustle. He relocated to Tennessee, where he became a major player, trafficking everything from pills to powder cocaine across state lines.

His final downfall came in the form of a major federal indictment involving narcotics and counterfeit money, sending him to federal prison for 16 years.

In this powerful episode, OG Gigaveli breaks down:

Life in Miami during the crack era

The brutal reality of juvenile jail in the 1980s

Robbery culture, prison survival, and street hierarchy

The transition from state prison to federal time

Lessons learned from decades inside the system

🎙️ About Honor Among Thieves

Honor Among Thieves is a true crime podcast featuring reformed criminals, former gang members, ex-federal inmates, law enforcement, and victims, offering firsthand insight into organized crime, prison life, drug trafficking, and the criminal underworld.

Chapters

0:00 – Intro | OG Gigaveli’s Rise & Fall in Miami’s Streets

6:01 – Growing Up in Liberty City, Miami | Poverty, Crime & Survival

24:45 – First Arrest: Armed Robbery & Juvenile Prison in Miami-Dade

38:11 – Released From Jail | Returning to the Streets of Miami

46:45 – Second Robbery Case | Sentenced to 7 Years in Florida State Prison

1:09:10 – Out of Prison Again | Leaving Florida & Entering the Drug Game

1:24:45 – The Federal Case | Drugs, Counterfeit Money & the Feds

1:36:50 – Redemption | Life After Prison & Lessons From the Streets

📌 Have an unbelievable story? Apply to be a guest:

👉 https://www.honoramongthievespodcast.com/guest

🔗 Links

📸 Nelson on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/montanatheprophet/

📸 OG Gigaveli on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/og_gigaveli/

💎 Sponsors

Gus Villa Jewelry

Use Promo Code MONTANA

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🧠 Federal Prison Resources

https://federalprisontips.com/honor/
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In this explosive episode of Honor Among Thieves, host Nelson Rodriguez Jr. sits down with Aaron Peila, a man at the center of a massive federal RICO kingpin case involving over 60,000 oxycodone pills, $3 million in money laundering, and one of the most notorious prisons in the United States — USP Victorville.

Aaron was indicted federally while already serving state time in Nevada for a felon-in-possession firearm case. What followed was a 12-year federal sentence and a direct transfer to USP Victorville, widely regarded as the most dangerous federal prison yard in the country.

In this raw, unfiltered conversation, Aaron breaks down what life is really like inside Victorville — from constant lockdowns and racial politics, to the gang structure, yard rules, and the brutal reality of having to “put in work” just to survive. Aaron explains how he was selected as the shot caller for the independent white inmates, what that responsibility actually means, and the deadly consequences that come with leadership inside a high-security federal prison.

The episode reaches its most intense moment when Aaron directly confronts Nelson about cooperation, forcing a real-time, honest conversation about snitching, survival, accountability, and redemption. Nelson addresses his past head-on, explaining his side of the story in a moment rarely seen in the true-crime podcast space.

This episode is not glorification — it’s contrast. A firsthand look at how RICO laws, conspiracy charges, and the federal prison system destroy lives long after the sentence is handed down.

If you’re interested in true crime, federal prison, RICO cases, drug trafficking, organized crime, and what really happens after the indictment — this is an episode you can’t miss.

⏱️ Chapters

0:00 – Introduction | From RICO Kingpin Case to USP Victorville

3:01 – Childhood of Crime & the Road to the Streets

14:25 – Opiates, Drug Trafficking & Moving to Las Vegas

23:05 – Catching a Federal Case | How the Feds Build RICO Charges

28:45 – Indicted While in Prison | Facing Federal Charges Behind Bars

38:01 – Inside USP Victorville | Life on the Most Dangerous Federal Yard

45:04 – Becoming a Shot Caller | Prison Politics & “Putting in Work”

57:16 – Release From Federal Prison | Life After a 12-Year Sentence

1:01:10 – Aaron Confronts Nelson About Cooperation | The Snitching Conversation

1:08:59 – Federal Mind Games | How Prosecutors Pressure Defendants

1:15:53 – Is All Cooperation the Same? | Gray Areas of Snitching

1:23:34 – Redemption, Accountability & Moving Forward After Prison

🎙️ About Honor Among Thieves

Honor Among Thieves is a true crime podcast featuring reformed criminals, former gang members, ex-federal inmates, law enforcement, and victims, offering firsthand insight into organized crime, prison life, drug trafficking, and the criminal underworld.

📌 Have an unbelievable story? Apply to be a guest:

👉 https://www.honoramongthievespodcast.com/guest

🔗 Links

📸 Nelson on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/montanatheprophet/

📸 Aaron on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/aaronpeila/

💎 Sponsors

Gus Villa Jewelry

Use Promo Code MONTANA

https://gusvillajewelry.com/

🧠 Federal Prison Resources

https://federalprisontips.com/honor/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Honor Among Thieves, host Nelson Rodriguez Jr. sits down with Gio Martini, a former Bureau of Prisons correctional officer who worked at USP Victorville, widely considered one of the most violent and notorious federal prisons in the United States.

Gio delivers a rare, firsthand account of what it’s really like working inside a high-security federal penitentiary, where some of the oldest and most powerful prison gangs in America operate. From daily prison operations to gang politics, inmate control, and staff survival, this episode exposes the brutal reality behind the walls of USP Victorville.

Before becoming a correctional officer, Gio grew up in Victorville, California, surrounded by violence, addiction, and instability. He opens up about his struggles with substance abuse, his time in the military, and how being discharged shaped the path that eventually led him into the federal prison system as a BOP officer.

Once inside USP Victorville, Gio witnessed the inner workings of a prison infamous for gang dominance, inmate-on-inmate violence, racial politics, and extreme security measures. He breaks down:

How gangs operate inside a federal penitentiary

Which gangs controlled USP Victorville

How correctional officers maintain order

The psychological toll on staff

What inmates and officers face on a daily basis

This conversation offers an unfiltered look into federal prison life, told from the perspective of someone who wore the uniform and worked the tiers.

This episode of Honor Among Thieves pulls back the curtain on the federal prison system, exposing the reality of incarceration, gang power, and survival from a correctional officer’s perspective. Whether you’re interested in true crime, prison documentaries, organized crime, or the Bureau of Prisons, this episode delivers rare insight you won’t hear anywhere else.

⏱️ Chapters

0:00 – Inside USP Victorville: A CO Tells the Truth

4:50 – “Shot Caller” Explained: How Power Really Works in Prison

16:15 – Victorville, California: A Violent City Built to Fail

30:22 – Joining the Army: Discipline, Violence, and Survival

47:07 – From the Military to ICE: Life After Discharge

56:59 – Becoming a Federal Prison Guard (BOP Reality)

1:04:49 – Inside USP Victorville: The Most Notorious Federal Prison

1:30:10 – Prison Gangs at Victorville: Who Really Runs the Yard

1:38:14 – Redemption: Leaving the Life Behind

🎙️ About Honor Among Thieves

Honor Among Thieves is a true crime podcast featuring reformed criminals, former gang members, ex-federal inmates, law enforcement, and victims, offering firsthand insight into organized crime, prison life, drug trafficking, and the criminal underworld.

📌 Have an unbelievable story? Apply to be a guest:

👉 https://www.honoramongthievespodcast.com/guest

🔗 Links

📸 Nelson on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/montanatheprophet/

📸 Gio Martini on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/giothelegend89/

💎 Sponsors

Gus Villa Jewelry

Use Promo Code MONTANA

https://gusvillajewelry.com/

🧠 Federal Prison Resources

https://federalprisontips.com/honor/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices