The Chinatown Sting - Podcast Rankings and reviews

Love this series! The second episode really hooked me. It’s such a good set up and the host is so warm and catches all
these remarkable moments - feels like you’re there in the room. Such a cool portrait of the many layers of NYC Chinatown. This podcast takes audio journalism and storytelling to the next level - beyond what Serial and S-town could have imagined!

What a great balanced perspective on such an intense lawsuit involving the government’s continued pursuit of RICO cases; the impact of racial discrimination against immigrants (and especially against the Chinatown community in NY; and the always relevant push and pull between the effort to protect well meaning citizens in the face of crime and the harsh nature of sentencing following the War on Drugs. Highly recommend. The interviews, especially one with a parrot, were so captivating, keeping the podcast light despite the difficult issues it addresses. The hosts do an amazing job of analyzing the implications of the case in light of changing philosophies on all these issues now that it’s been 30-40 years since the case. As a former public defense attorney, I found Judge Barrell’s insights refreshingly human. Highly recommend!!!

Lydia Jean Kott has truly brought the cause and effect of this tumultuous drug gang’s downfall, and brought to life all the players, pushers, and homemakers involved in a brilliant way. She is so good because everyone wants to be a part of any conversation she is in, including participants that are generally hard to interview.

What a shame that this podcast has been dinged for the host’s voice versus the incredible amount of work that she and her team obviously put into making this. It’s a fascinating story and insight into a story/world that most people would otherwise not have access to. Thank you for this!

I love Pushkin content so much, and this story sounded interesting. Two out of two checked. However, like other reviewers, I was super disappointed that the narration brought back memories of being a first grader being read to by a fifth grader. The sources and interviewees voices are in such contrast with the childish sounding narrators voice that it became too distracting to try and get past it and just focus on the story.