Paul Camacho

In this engaging discussion, Paul Camacho, a retired IRS special agent and board member at the Mob Museum, dives into the fascinating history of tax enforcement and organized crime. He illuminates how the IRS transformed from a financial agency into a powerful crime-fighting force during Prohibition, particularly in the pursuit of Al Capone. Camacho also reveals the unique roles played by government officials in law enforcement and explores the evolving relationship between taxation and public trust, all set against the backdrop of America's tumultuous history.

Joe Thorndike, tax historian who studies U.S. tax policy, and Paul Camacho, retired IRS criminal agent with mob investigation experience, trace how the hunt for Al Capone remade tax enforcement. They discuss the creation of IRS intelligence, the use of tax law against criminals, political fights over wealth taxes, and the lasting impact of wartime withholding on federal power.