Podcast Summary: “All Of It” – New True Crime Podcast, ‘The Chinatown Sting’

Host: Alison Stewart (A)
Guest: Lydia Jean Cott (B), Host of The Chinatown Sting
Air Date: September 25, 2025
Notable Participants: Judge Beryl Howell (mentioned), Shuyu Wang (co-reporter), “Tina” and “Wa” (interview subjects), Johnny “Onion Head” Ng (subject)

Episode Overview

This episode spotlights the new true crime podcast, The Chinatown Sting, hosted by journalist Lydia Jean Cott. The show delves into the dramatic 1980s heroin trafficking network that operated in New York's Chinatown, starting from the surprising arrest of a single mom recruited through her mahjong club. The conversation explores not only the criminal investigation and policing of Chinatown gangs but also the social, historical, and human dimensions of justice and survival in marginalized communities.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins of the Podcast and the Case

• Personal Connection: The podcast’s genesis lies in Lydia receiving a box of documents from her boyfriend’s mother, Judge Beryl Howell, who prosecuted the original 1980s case.
  • “She kind of demystified [the law] for me. And then I wanted to do that in my reporting.” (B, 01:34 – 02:31)
• First case for Judge Howell: As a brand-new federal prosecutor, Howell inherited a daunting case involving heroin trafficking through women in mahjong clubs.

2. Chinatown and Historical Context

• Chinatown as Enclave: Lydia’s research spotlighted Chinatown’s very formation as a result of historical anti-Chinese exclusion and violence.
  • “Chinatowns were formed as kind of like safe havens because Chinese immigrants felt excluded and attacked...” (B, 05:52 – 06:37)
• Intergenerational Immigrant Experience: Lydia confessed she knew little of this legacy prior to reporting the podcast.

3. Investigative Reporting Challenges

• Tracking Down Sources: Many involved were hard to find after decades; language barriers and unfamiliarity complicated reporting.
  • “A lot of times the people who answered the doors didn’t speak English. So it was really great to have someone who could translate with me.” (B, 06:49 – 07:38)
• Human Element: Gaining the trust of “Tina” and “Wa,” two central figures, required patience and sensitivity.

4. Social Forces Behind Gang Activity

• Lack of Opportunity: Youth in Chinatown faced limited upward mobility and discrimination, making gang life alluring for a sense of belonging and financial promise.
  • “There wasn’t a ton of like, job opportunities that felt open. And one way to get a lot of money is to join a gang... being a member of this gang, you felt powerful. You felt like you had a sense of belonging.” (B, 09:41 – 10:49)
• Law Enforcement Inattention: Authorities largely ignored the violence until it spilled out of ethnically-bound territory.

5. Details of The Heroin Scheme

• Operational Method: Women at mahjong parlors received boxes containing stuffed animals, peppers for scent-masking, tea boxes, and hidden heroin.
  • “These boxes...contained some variation of stuffed animals, peppers to mask the smell, tea boxes...and...millions of dollars worth of heroin.” (B, 11:00 – 11:29)
• Ambiguity of Guilt: Most women likely suspected but did not explicitly know they were handling drugs.
  • “There’s deciding not to know, and there’s literally not knowing...I would say it was option two...most people were landing.” (B, 11:32 – 12:05)

6. Portraits of Main Characters

• Johnny “Onion Head” Ng: Head of the Flying Dragons gang, he shifted operations from local gambling to international heroin trafficking.
  • “When he took over the gang, he decided...I know a way we can make a ton more money because he had connections to the triads in Hong Kong who were bringing in heroin.” (B, 12:24 – 13:33)
• Tina: Mixed Portuguese and Chinese descent, she faced the moral dilemma of betraying her best friend versus a long prison sentence.
• Wa: Charismatic “center of life in Chinatown,” able to “make you feel so alive when you’re with her.”
  • “How do you get people to do whatever you want for you?”
  • “Because I’m smart.” (Wa, 16:31 – 16:33, quoted in podcast exchange)
  • “She just makes you feel like when you’re with her, like up is down and down is up...” (B, 16:41 – 16:47)

7. Aftermath for the Women Involved

• Long-lasting Consequences: Tina’s career and social life were upended; Wa continues to carry shame about the events.
  • “It had a huge. A huge impact on her life. And Wa...still has a lot of shame.” (B, 18:03 – 18:48)

8. Judge Howell’s Perspective and Empathy in Justice

• On Fairness over Toughness: Judge Howell advocated for fairness and empathy in justice, understanding that trust in the system is vital.
  • “She’s less interested in being tough than being fair. And it was really important to her...whether the women...felt like they had been treated fairly.” (B, 19:48 – 20:55)

9. Themes of Survival and Human Resilience

• Lydia sees the heart of the podcast as a story of survival, not just true crime:
  • “I think it’s more about survival and less about the true crime story.” (B, 21:03 – 21:13)
• The women’s—indeed all the main characters’—paths serve as role models of resilience.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the meaning of the case:
  “I felt like if I explored it and understood it, I would also understand how she came to do the law the way that she does the law...” (B, 02:00)
• On Chinatowns as enclave:
  “That wouldn’t have happened if Chinatown didn’t become this, like, enclave that it did as a result of this racism and exclusion.” (B, 06:37)
• On Onion Head:
  “[Onion Head’s] hair stood up like an onion.” (B, 13:24)
• Wa on her own charisma:
  “Because I’m smart. I can convince them, you know, I’m smart.” (Wa, 16:33 – 16:36)
• On survival vs. crime:
  “Yes, I think it’s about...I think it’s more about survival and less about the true crime story.” (B, 21:03 – 21:13)

Important Timestamps

• [01:34] – Lydia explains receiving the case from Judge Beryl Howell.
• [05:52] – The roots of Chinatown and their significance to the story.
• [06:49] – The investigative challenge of tracking down involved women.
• [09:41] – Explaining the allure of gang life in 1980s Chinatown.
• [11:00] – The heroin smuggling method.
• [12:24] – “Onion Head” shifting the gang into international drug trafficking.
• [13:42] – Tina’s introduction and dilemma.
• [15:20] – Who Wa is and her personality.
• [16:14 – 16:36] – Wa jovially recalling her time in jail and her power of persuasion.
• [18:03] – Real-life consequences for Tina and Wa.
• [19:48] – The importance of fairness in justice.

Takeaways

• The Chinatown Sting podcast is not just a true crime exposé but a layered account of survival, difficult choices, and the social forces shaping immigrant communities.
• The story reveals how law, crime, and everyday life intermingle in underrepresented enclaves, and how justice can only function if infused with fairness and empathy.
• Through vividly-drawn characters and meticulous reporting, Lydia Jean Cott brings forward the untold stories of women on the margins, and the complexities of community, survival, and accountability.