The Burden
Orbit Media
The Burden is a documentary series that takes listeners into the hidden places where justice is done (and undone). It dives deep into the lives of heroes and villains. And it focuses a spotlight on those who triumph even when the odds are against them.
Season 3 - The Burden: Avenger
Miriam Lewin is one of Argentina’s leading journalists today. At 19 years old, she was kidnapped off the streets of Buenos Aires for her political activism and thrown into a concentration camp. Thousands of her fellow inmates were executed, tossed alive from a cargo plane into the ocean. Miriam, along with a handful of others, will survive the camp. Then as a journalist, she will wage a decades long campaign to bring her tormentors to justice.
Avenger is about one woman’s triumphant battle against unbelievable odds to survive torture, claim justice for the crimes done against her and others like her, and change the future of her country.
Season 2 - The Burden: Empire on Blood
Empire on Blood is set in the Bronx, NY, in the early 90s, when two young drug dealers ruled an intersection known as “The Corner on Blood.” The boss, Calvin Buari, lived large. He and a protege swore they would build an empire on blood. Then the relationship frayed and the protege accused Calvin of a double homicide which he claimed he didn’t do. But did he? Award-winning journalist Steve Fishman spent seven years to answer that question.
This is the story of one man’s last chance to overturn his life sentence. He may prevail, but someone’s gotta pay. The Burden: Empire on Blood is the director’s cut of the true crime classic which reached #1 on the charts when it was first released half a dozen years ago.
Season 1 - The Burden
In the 1990s, Detective Louis N. Scarcella was legendary. In a city overrun by violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. “The Hulk” was his nickname.
Then the story changed. Scarcella ran into a group of convicted murderers who all say they are innocent. They turned themselves into jailhouse-lawyers and in prison founded a lway firm. When they realized Scarcella helped put many of them away, they set their sights on taking him down. And with the help of a NY Times reporter they have a chance.
For years, Scarcella insisted he did nothing wrong. But that’s all he’d say. Until we tracked Scarcella to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, where he started to talk..and talk and talk. “The guilty have gone free,” he whispered. And then agreed to take us into the belly of the beast.
Welcome to The Burden.
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Top 10 The Burden Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Burden episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Burden for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Burden episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
05/31/24 • 50 min
Soon after correctional officer Valentino Rodriguez starts working at New Folsom prison, he gets caught up in a bad incident. An incarcerated man ends up in the hospital with horrific injuries, and the prison starts an investigation. Valentino feels pressured to back up his fellow officers’ version of the story, even though he thinks it might not be the truth. Then he gets an opportunity he’s dreamed of — to join an elite unit investigating crimes in the prison.
When correctional officer Valentino Rodriguez first stepped behind prison walls, he wasn’t just starting a job, he was joining a family. What he didn’t know was that he was now bound by an unwritten code that would ultimately test his loyalty to his oath and his fellow officers. Five years later, Valentino’s sudden death would raise questions from the FBI, his family and his mentor in the elite investigative unit where they both worked. This season, join us as we follow in Valentino’s footsteps to uncover the secrets hidden inside the most dangerous prison in California: New Folsom. If you have tips or feedback about this series please reach out to us at [email protected].
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06/18/24 • 30 min
What would you do if someone you knew turned out to be a serial killer? In the 1970s, Steve Fishman was an intern at his local newspaper. One day, he hitched a ride back home from Boston with a kind stranger who graciously picked him up and dropped him off at his destination. What Steve didn’t know however, was that this stranger was hiding a dark secret: by the time he picked up Steve, he had already killed three people - all hitchhikers. But this fateful ride was just the beginning of Steve’s story. While this may have been the first time Steve met the man he’d come to know as Red, it wouldn’t be the last... Featuring exclusive interviews and never-before-heard tapes, join Steve as he tells his chilling story for the first time and unravels the lingering questions surrounding this wild chapter of his life. Why did Steve get spared by the killer during their first meeting? And what could have possibly driven Steve back to the same killer he had just escaped? Find out on Smoke Screen: My Friend, the Serial Killer - available now wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes right now, completely ad-free.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/the-binge/id6442475215
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06/11/24 • 43 min
Steve and Dax dive into the case that made Louie Scarcella famous.
The Burden is a production of Orbit Media in association with Signal Co. No1
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06/07/24 • 40 min
Deep Cover is a show about people who lead double lives. Season four, The Nameless Man, tells the epic tale of two federal agents who investigate a rumor about a murder that supposedly took place 15 years prior. It is also the story of a family searching for answers about why their brother was killed. These two storylines collide in a courtroom in Philadelphia, PA where murder, memory, and morality go on trial.
If you enjoy this clip, listen to Deep Cover: The Nameless Man wherever you get your podcasts.
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Empire on Blood | 1. Calvin's Last Shot
The Burden
08/07/24 • 39 min
Calvin Buari, who once drove BMWs and dealt crack from a violent corner in the Bronx, has served 22 years of a life sentence. The charge: double homicide. Cal insists he’s no murderer — someone else even confessed to the crime. Things are looking up for Cal when a legendary defense lawyer agrees to take on his final appeal. But then it all comes crashing down.
Empire on Blood is a production of Orbit Media in association with Signal Co. No1
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
08/07/24 • 38 min
Allen Karen was one of the best homicide prosecutors in the Bronx. He devotes his life to fighting crime – and to rescuing the 20 turtles that roam his bachelor pad. Karen uses his considerable skills – and his power to offer deals – to land a conviction in a three year old case no other prosecutor even wanted to try. Calvin Buari is in his sights. And Turtle Man is determined to take him down.
Empire on Blood is a production of Orbit Media in association with Signal Co. No1
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
07/01/24 • 2 min
There and Gone: South Street digs into the case of Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone. Danielle and Richard left a bar in Philadelphia and were never seen again. Nearly two decades later, they have yet to be found. Unlike most cases, there is not a single piece of physical evidence. But the FBI knows there was foul play. In There and Gone: South Street, the podcast team begins their own investigation of Danielle and Richard’s disappearance with unprecedented access and cooperation from the FBI. Listeners will hear from the family of the missing, close friends who were the last to see Danielle and Richard, as well as others haunted by this case nearly two decades later. This podcast seeks to find answers to this decades-long cold case with the hope of bringing justice to Danielle and Richard’s families
Listen here and subscribe to There and Gone: South Street on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts!
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07/03/24 • 19 min
Louie Scarcella takes Steve to Coney Island where he moonlighted as a carnival barker and fixed games of chance.
The Burden is a production of Orbit Media in association with Signal Co. No1
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
03/19/24 • 38 min
Episode 2 of 10
Steve chases down the legendary detective. He hasn’t talked in years, but after tracking him to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, Louie starts to sing. We learn about his uncle, the mobster who Louie must investigate for murder.
The Burden is available everywhere you get your podcasts.
All episodes will be available one week early and ad free, along with exclusive bonus content on Orbit’s newly launched “True Crime Club House” subscription channel on Apple Podcasts.
The Burden is a production of Orbit Media in association with Signal Co. No1.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Introducing: The Burden
The Burden
03/12/24 • 2 min
The Burden - available everywhere on March 19
Detective Louis N. Scarcella was a legendary figure in New York City during the '90s. In a city overrun with violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. But the story changed when a group of convicted murderers-turned-jailhouse lawyers made a startling discovery that linked all their cases: Scarcella was the cop who helped put many of them away. They made a vow: Take down Scarcella. And with the help of a relentless New York Times reporter, they did just that. Thirty years later, 20 people who Scarcella helped put behind bars have since walked free. In the media, he’s known as the disgraced, rogue cop who hoodwinked an entire system. But was this really the workings of one person?
We spent hundreds of hours talking with witnesses who were coerced, jailhouse lawyers, outraged attorneys, and righteous cops. Scarcella insists he didn’t do anything wrong. And after finally tracking him down, he agreed to take us into the belly of the beast... where justice is done (and undone). Welcome to The Burden.
The Burden is a production of Orbit Media in association with Signal Co. No1.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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FAQ
How many episodes does The Burden have?
The Burden currently has 46 episodes available.
What topics does The Burden cover?
The podcast is about True Crime and Podcasts.
What is the most popular episode on The Burden?
The episode title 'The Burden | 1. The Scoop' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on The Burden?
The average episode length on The Burden is 32 minutes.
How often are episodes of The Burden released?
Episodes of The Burden are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of The Burden?
The first episode of The Burden was released on Mar 12, 2024.
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