In 1942, concerns were arising about the vulnerability of New York Harbor to sabotage. To secure the waterfront and combat potential German and Italian agents, Naval intelligence officer, Commander Charles Radcliffe Haffenden, devised a clandestine plan to recruit members of La Cosa Nostra as spies. With the Mafia gangs of New York holding control over the docks, Haffenden knew that they were the perfect enforcers to keep the longshoremen, stevedores, shopkeepers, and boat captains in line. Even from his prison cell in Dannemora State Prison, notorious criminal Charles "Lucky" Luciano wielded immense power and was willing to offer his contacts in Italy to assist the Allies in tracking the movements of the Nazis. With Luciano's help, the U.S. invasion of Sicily in July 1943 was a success, making Operation Underworld a remarkable tale of espionage and unexpected alliances between the Mafia and the U.S. Government, ultimately aiding in the