The Burden – Lives of Crime | 2. Education of an Assassin Part 2

Podcast by Orbit Media, Host: Steve Fishman | Aired March 31, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode, the second part of “Education of an Assassin,” continues the raw, firsthand account of Larry Maza’s evolution from a teenage delivery boy in Brooklyn to a trusted member of a mafia crew and ultimately a cold-blooded assassin. Through Larry’s first-person narrative, listeners are taken inside his tangled relationships, mentorship under the feared “Grim Reaper” Greg Scarpa, the escalating moral descent of mafia life, and finally, his break from the organization that gave him purpose and identity. Larry’s story is starkly honest, filled with the twisted logic, thrill, regret, and self-reflection unique to those who “cross the line.”

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Falling Deeper into the Mob World

• New Camaraderie: After Greg discovers Larry’s affair with his wife, Linda, the dynamic shifts to camaraderie. Greg not only tolerates Larry, he begins grooming him for a more significant role.
  • [02:49] “There were true feelings between me and Linda, and they just grew stronger and stronger. Greg knows — he’s okay with it. Now that Greg knows, the weight of the world is off my shoulders. Greg and I have this new camaraderie, this new friendship.” – Larry
• Mob Mentorship: Greg introduces Larry to the mechanics of the club — money lending, numbers, and criminal strategy. Larry is drawn in by Greg’s charisma, adopting his style and being enamored by his approval.
  • [04:10] Larry mimics Greg’s way of dressing: “He had a gold watch. I had a gold watch… He was my role model.”

2. Breaking from Family and the Legitimate Path

• Turning Point: The family’s legitimate business (a supply warehouse) burns down under suspicious circumstances, ending Larry’s excuses for staying within the law and pushing him to fully embrace the mob world.
  • [06:00] “Was it a setup? Was it an insurance job? I never found out, but there was no more supply company. I took myself off the fire department list, and now I’m in no man’s land...”
• Spurning Police Work: Linda violently objects to Larry’s suggestion of joining the police, emphasizing the mob’s worldview and loyalty.
  • [06:45] “‘Police? You can’t take that.’ And I says, ‘Why?’ ... She got mad. She jumped down my throat. ‘No, you can’t be a cop.’”

3. Early Criminal Tasks & Moral Erosion

• Rapid Promotion: Greg skips normal mafia protocol, keeping Larry close and using him in the numbers business—escalating Larry’s involvement and status quickly.
  • [07:00] “He bypassed putting me with all the younger guys. He kept me direct with him. That sort of made me unofficial equal to Greg Jr.”
• Becoming an Earner: Larry quickly proves himself smarter and more industrious than many regulars, boosting earnings with innovations like football parlay cards.
  • [09:10] “Now I went from making $200 a day to $400 a day.”
• Exposure to Violence: Larry’s first brushes with violence are indirect—he learns about beatings and murder (Bucky). He rationalizes his proximity and inaction as innocence, but feels the erosion:
  • [12:40] “Once you justify the beatings, you go to the next step. I knew there was an issue with a member of our crew named Bucky… Here I am hearing a guy got killed and it’s just normal conversation.” – Larry

4. First Acts of Complicity

• Flat Tire Incident → Death: Greg asks Larry to give a rival a flat tire. The man is murdered while fixing it. Larry knows he is involved in something far more serious than he intended.
  • [13:55] “I see one of the headlines, ‘Man killed fixing flat.’ Most people would never put themselves in that position… Deep down, I knew I was part of that. But it was easy to say, well, I didn’t do it.”
• Grave Digging: Greg orders Larry and Greg Jr. to get shovels and dig a grave, a pivotal moment:
  • [15:30] “I didn’t think Greg was taking up gardening, but I knew to keep my mouth shut... Within 15, 20 minutes, it was pitch black… I was sweating because it’s hard work, and the ground was harder because it was cold. I’d never dug a grave before.” – Larry
• Thrill and Pride: Disturbingly, each criminal act brings approval from Linda and Greg, fueling Larry’s transformation.
  • [17:03] “Every time I did something… Linda was always beaming. She was proud. She loved to tell Greg, ‘See, I told you he was a tough guy.’”

5. First Murder Witnessed—No Turning Back

• Donnie’s Execution: Larry is present for a murder over allegations that Greg is a “rat.” The killing is shocking in its suddenness and ritual.
  • [21:15] “If somebody calls you a rat, you have the right to kill them on the spot… Greg reached into the drawer, pulled out a .38, and shot him from about two feet away… Greg walked from behind the desk and put one more behind [Donnie’s] ear. That’s his trademark.” – Larry
• Casual Aftermath & Dark Humor: The group jokes about the mismatched carpet they use to remove the body, showing the normalization of violence.
  • [22:20] “We all just start laughing… Bobby Zam is color-blind and nobody knew it. The wrong color carpet might have been a major irritation to Greg, but in my mind, I just witnessed a man being killed.”

6. Becoming The Trigger Man

• Attempted & Successful Hits: A “message” leads to an attempt on rival Nikki Black. Technical mishaps mean Larry becomes the shooter, resulting in Nikki’s death and a marked escalation in Larry’s criminal identity.
  • [26:50] “As we pull up, adrenaline’s going. You feel those butterflies… Greg’s going to grab his rifle. He hits the wrong button—no bullets. Now I was the main shooter. I leaned out the window… and I pulled the trigger.”
  • [28:40] “When you become a triggerman, there is a big difference… I felt now that I was the powerful force Greg was… He would come over, grab my hand in a hearty shake, pull me closer, give me a kiss on the cheek, like it was something sacred that just happened.”
• Surreal Normalcy: After the murder, Larry and Jimmy go home, pour scotch, and watch Seinfeld—a chilling juxtaposition.
  • [29:15] “The wife was a little upset that we got there late and the first thing we do is pour two scotches and put on Seinfeld. We were hysterical, watching Jerry run down the street.”

7. Reflection and Regret

• Loss of Innocence: Larry acknowledges the ethical gulf between his former life and his reality as a killer.
  • [30:50] “How did I go from a young, innocent, well-brought-up teenager to a cold-blooded assassin?… Being the shooter made me safe. No longer was I the hunted. Now I’ve become the hunter.”
• Lingering Remorse: The episode ends with Larry’s candid emotional struggle—unable to fully forgive himself and always wrestling with the consequences of his choices.
  • [31:13] “It does make me emotional because there are two Larrys—the one before I got into mob life, and the one who could talk cold-hearted about doing some very bad things. I could never completely forgive myself. And it’ll be a lifelong battle.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [02:49] “I was enamored by Greg. I dressed like him. He had a gold watch; I had a gold watch. He had a pinky ring; I got a pinky ring.” – Larry
• [06:46] “‘You can’t be a cop.’ She got mad. She jumped down my throat.” – Larry, on Linda forbidding the idea of police work.
• [13:55] “Keep your mouth shut. Most people would never put themselves in that position. And those are the things that went through my head. How am I here? Deep down, I knew I was part of that.” – Larry
• [17:43] “It’s way past ankles, it’s way past knees... I gave a guy a flat—he’s dead. I dug a grave. I know somebody’s laying in that grave.” – Larry, on his own descent.
• [21:20] “Greg reached into the drawer, pulled out a .38, and shot him from about two feet away, right across the desk... That’s his trademark.” – Larry on the Donnie murder.
• [28:12] “When you become a triggerman, there is a big difference. And I felt it.” – Larry
• [31:13] “There are two Larrys—the one before I got into mob life, and the one who could talk cold-hearted about doing some very bad things... It’ll be a lifelong battle.” – Larry

Key Segment Timestamps

• [02:49] Larry’s new relationship with Greg and entry deeper into the mob
• [07:00] Larry joins the numbers business, begins earning big money
• [09:10] Rapid rise and innovations in mob business
• [12:40] First exposure to murder (Bucky) and mafia “tests”
• [13:55] Flat tire incident and realization of complicity in murder
• [15:30] Larry digs his first grave – initiation into deeper violence
• [21:15] Witnessing the murder of Donnie
• [26:50] Attempted and successful hit on Nikki Black
• [29:15] The surreal aftermath—watching Seinfeld after murder
• [30:50] Final reflection, regret, and struggle for self-forgiveness

Final Reflection

The episode closes with Steve Fishman explaining that Larry, after serving 10 years in prison for four murders (receiving a lighter sentence due to cooperation), ultimately became a government informant—ironically mirroring the Grim Reaper Greg, his mentor and “mob daddy,” who had informed for the FBI for decades. The story, both chilling and tragic, asks the listener to consider the moral gray zones, seductive logic, and human cost of life in organized crime.

Recommended Reading:

• The Life: A True Story About a Brooklyn Boy Seduced into the Dark World of the Mafia by Larry Maza

Produced by Orbit Media, hosted by Steve Fishman.