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Episode 440: Il Polpo 3: Truth Is Not A Choice: Part 1 (Patreon)

Published:
2025-02-27 13:55:17
Edited:
2025-02-27 14:39:01
Imported:
2026-06
Tags:

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Content

We return to Somalia, this time via a close read of book-length interview with Giancarlo Marocchino — The Moroccan. He rubs shoulders with killers, insults Admirals, dodges cannon fire, and delivers unmarked sealed crates (no questions asked) across Mogadishu.

Discover more episodes at podcast.trueanon.com.

Files

Comments

landon

you know it’s going to be crazy when part 3 is a part 1

Dixie normus

The way I literally just landed in Mogadishu…

Matt Jolo

"Be careful what you wish for." Time to crack out my notes.

Gabe P

Giancarlo Maraschino!! 🤌

coochykatana

is that yung chomsky voicing giancarlo - the range

Mangomoosh

going back to listen to number one! I can confirm your podcast is NICE. Thank you

IAN

I could NOT find part 1 and 2 for a FEW minutes because Pulpo USED to be spelled POlpa APPARENTLY!! Thank you all

Brent

If you want to listen to the earlier episodes, use the Somalia tag instead of searching. It took me awhile. I’m slow.

TrueAnonPod

You can search tags, titles, and descriptions at podcast.trueanon.com

Tim O'

Fuck yes, the Octopus returns! 🐙

IAN

IL P worked for me, thank you trueanon podcast CREATOR

K W

When the True Anon Players do one of their little 1940s Radio Play openings? 👌👌👌

j

I cannot believe you guys are nearing 500 episodes what it in goodness name.

Jg Bfly

TIL Conoco didn't have stations in California--which explains the pronunciation in this episode.

Salex

This book reads like a Victorian serial, very Sherlock Holmes

Major Pisano

All right! This series makes me happy in a depressing way. Thanks you TA team and your fearless leader Liz. Fantastic sonic adventure YC. Brace, you add flavor no one knew they were looking for when exploring topics of such magnitude. Grazie.

Tim O'

Sick Simon & Garfunkel drop at 11:19

Tim O'

This episode is such a gift to Yung Chomsky heads ❤️

gibbypatrol

these are by far my favorite types of episodes. the reason I subscribe

Rob

Newer listener here. The link to the podcast directory was very helpful! Excited to get through all of these!

Jorjor Wel

I’m scared to press play

Gromp

This is huge for Mogadishu heads.

D. Elwood

Appreciate Young Chomsky doing a very Far Cry 2/Jackal style reading at the beginning

The Master

Baby brace would say this

O

YC heads feasting with this one

Brian Ward

He would have loved il polpo

I am become reply guy

Why does Giancarlo talk like a Bond villain? Was he formally educated? Like, how many small business owners wax poetic about Sophocles? Is he just Italian?

Johan Stefonski

I staying alive to listen to this after work.

Tea for the Tillerman

They are 76 stations here. Carl’s Jr/Hardees situation. Checkers/Rallys.

Brian Ward

Combo of Italians and chatgpt

Mark Owen

Just watched an Anna Magnani documentary. When Ingrid Bergman went to Italy to work with Rossellini he split up with Anna, and Ingrid got the lead role in Stromboli. So Anna made a movie on Vulcano called Vulcano. In the press it was the War of the Volcanoes. I've seen Stromboli but did not know the whole story.

Brian Riewer

How do you find an English copy of this book?

jsobrie

Well well well, the truth finally comes out. Brace and his Bernie brethren WERE involved with Klan shit in 2016. Wait til the school bond dogs hear about this

Alexandria

Where can I try some khat stateside

Cait Reynolds

Can you make this series a collection on Patreon?

The Marvelous Meredith Marks

can you release an emergency episode on these dumbfucks getting "the epstein files" that any good gumshoe has had for years and years and years.

burkina fatso

liz you can’t just say “they’re going doggie-style on their own” and get away with it

CL

For real, I’d love to get my grubby hands on it

Brent

S.S. Hot Pocket

TrueAnonPod

Back room Yemeni hookah place on Atlantic

Jeffrey power

I know what I'm having for dinner tonight

malfeasance

34:02 Liz speaking for the people 🫡

The Marvelous Meredith Marks

I could not be happier with how the epstein files release turning out. The dumbest influencers and sycophants in the world got suckered into being part of a distraction that immediately discredits all of them and tanks both their credibility and the administrations credibility with their base. They got a binder filled with docs that anyone could have if they printed off the basic internet. Not the dark web. The internet. Nothing more than what Gawker - real journalists - published in 2015.

Jesse

Didn’t follow a minute of this but could feel how much fun you guys were having and sometimes it’s just nice to get that second hand dopamine.

Luccia

Absolutely fabulous ep

Kevin Kirch

Every time I hear "Last Time on TrueAnon, I expect to hear "And now the conclusion" in Majel Barrett's voice at the end of the summary.

Laura Bouchard

I think this is one of the best True Anon episodes I’ve heard. Operating at a whole other level!

buttface

One of the best intro theme remixes yet @YC

treat

Podcasts are the worst vehicle for conveying dense and complicated information but spacing the related episodes months apart really helps 💞

Goodie

Goddamn Yung Chomsky needs to get on that audible narrator tip

Zakir KH

I am stupid I need a list of characters to follow this shit. This is like the Utah episodes, Giancarlo this Giancarlo that. No idea what is happening.

Patrick Sullivan

My blinds aren’t the best and if I nap during the day I often have crazy dreams on the account of the sun pouring in on me. As an experiment, today I went to the sunniest part of my house, turned the podcast on, and took a nap. I had a dream in which I was aware of some apocalyptic conspiracy headquartered on a boat docked on some part of the remote coast of Somalia. There was a guy on the boat trying to get the word out but his communication was being suppressed, and so I was trying (and failing) to get to him in person so I could get the word out. The best part of all of this was Liz was narrating my dream, like a voiceover in a RPG. I’m now going to go back and listen to the pod, but I think I might have just discovered a breakthrough WRT having really cool dreams.

Redwing Farm

A movie focusing on Giancarlo with the Ilaria murder as a background piece would be so fascinating.

Chris Stewart

I haven't understood a word of any of this thank you

Jack

Glad I spent 4 hours re-listening to the previous 2 episodes because the Liz joking about Stromboli and it being true was incredible.

Jack

David Portnoy’s tweet being so confused why Trump didnt give us a list of Epstein buddies was hilarious

eduard karpoev

Guys love the series, but outside the website cane you make more collections on this page? It would make it a lot easier to listen to & find series

PrinceVocalFry

My wife and I got engaged in the Aeolian Islands on Lipari. I lied about my nautical experience and rented a boat that we took around Stromboli. It is indeed very beautiful. Highly recommend

Shiv

Looking forward to getting lost in the sauce

Blank

Release the YC full Italian cut

Robert Sayre

"RAI" is "Radiotelevisione Italiana", basically the BBC in Italy. "RAI 1" would be "rah-ee-uno". In France, the equivalent is "France 2", but they both have nationalized channels on 3, 4 etc. The imam must have said "I will guarantee you safe passage", not "I will bring you safe conduct". This one sounds like the translator was good at Italian, but didn't know the English cliché.

Leah

Love this series. Fun fact: a Somalian college track star who claimed his uncles invented the Somalian language babysat my infant child in 1993.

root bier

Best theme song by far

sarahkam

Haven’t retained any information from this series but I had a great time

Your Mum

I put on these episodes and immediately cease to do auditory processing

ResilientBastard

“I went outside to find Somalis shooting-up in celebration.” Woah ok, didn’t know they got down like that.

Logan Ausherman

Can we stop saying neocons were trots? If you actually read the history you'd find that these neocons were actually expelled from the trotskyist movement.

Alexis

This is the kind of story that would drive Matt from Ghost Stories crazy for like 10 months straight. Great job with the time you guys have... can't wait for the next one

Ben

Idk this series is lost on me

Michael S. Judge

I'm pretty sure Giancarlo is called The Moroccan because Marrochino means "The Moroccan"

Major Pisano

I’m pretty sure that’s facts.

Major Pisano

Oh man. It’s just getting through some layers at ep:440 II pulpo 3: part 1 … ep:441 II pulpo 4: part 2 will capture your attention. I know it’s not a deep dive into types like Otto Skorzeny or Viktor Bout and such ilk but trust, this is all part of a great octopus spider network worth diving headfirst into. It’s good actually.

drizzly_november

*Cam'ron voice" Swoop in, and the swap off, Mogadishu, Marrochino Pop in, then it pop off, pop her cherry, Maraschino

LET ME DELETE MY ACCOUNT YOU FUCKING ASSHOLES

Stromboli is like a calzone, but insteaded of a folded over pizza its a log shape, sometimes round. Its named after a volcano because the hot cheese sauce insides are like lava.

Brent

We had Stromboli for dinner last night. Coincidence? …probably.

Grant M

Is there a gourmand supercut out there? Need one if not

Iammax

Much love to Team True Anon! Love these intros YC! I love you all in this unhealthy, ostensibly one-sided parasocial–redundant–relationship. From, it just so happens, an extremely small village on the west coast of Sicily. Ma ci sono un gringo, nato in America, la prima venti anni sono habiti in Florida. Pero mi papa nato qua. E cento percento Siciliano ... and obviously he didn't teach me Italian. I don't speak Italian well at all. I'm sure what I've just written is understandable but laughably fucked in a grammatic sense... or fucking whatever! There are frequently full pots in various relatives' refrigerators w a big ol' polpo morte waiting to be boiled. It can be unsettlingly fun to find and open one. Ok.

Alexandria

The little meatballs at the park watching an adult man yelling FUCK I CAN'T END UP LIKE THAT 👁️👁️

Iammax

Not fluent in Italian but living in western Sicily for ~10 yrs now, and my dad is 100% Siciliano... but the way I've observed it used is to just refer to Moroccan's in general. 'Un marrachino' would be 'a Moroccan' but 'IL marrachino' would be a more apt translation of an individual called The Moroccan. Those are both singular... obviously. To just say marrachino/marrachini is essentially to say Moroccan/Moroccans and depending on the... not prefix, but whatever the dif versions of 'the' would be called, is what modifies 'Moroccan' more in one direction or the other. Often, in Sicily and southern Italy, it's just used as a slang catch-all term used to describe Arab immigrants: "Gaurda questi morrachini" is yeah, technically, "look at all these Moroccans" but people will just say that shit like, they know where these folks are from. A lot of close mindedness down here. But general xenophobia has become a thing less hard to understand with the 'immigrant situation' getting a bit out of hand... Anyway, big fan of death/corner, send you six euros and dieci centesimi tutti mesi. Also 'Americana' was the first Dellio novel I read, so I picked up the reference right away and thought that whole thing was really neat, despite knowing I'm in a vast minority and that numbering your episodes as if a continuation of the fictional program, has caused myriad headaches upon headaches. Anyhow, blah blah blahing on here...thanks for all you do. Hope you're well, in mind and body.

Leo

This shit is incomprehensible

Doug Cartel

Now where does K'naan fit into all this now that hes cancelled?

cirquesun

I feel this way too. There are some episodes/ series where I really need a dumb down.

Ben

This comment is as indecipherable as the series. Perfect.

J

I’ve been stepped on by a camel. Still have the scar on my foot

Blake

Really like the structure of reading from the book and commenting on it, it makes an insanely complex story a bit more comprehensible

Evan Mathews

It feels like too much work for a podcast, but what I found helps is I get the real live pictures of the people and write their name below. For some reason that makes it so I can parse what the hell's going on

Gallo Altanero

How to get into Somalia: Fly-US to Cairo 12hr. Train-Cairo to Aswan 12hr. Boat-Lake Nasser 18hr. Train Wadi Halfa to Khartoum 48hrs. Boat-Blue Nile to Addis Ababa, Somaliland embassy dirt road past Awraris Hotel 48hr. Hargeisa to Garoowe (armed guards, understand Islamic/Clan law) 14hr. Old Russian plane, old Russian pilot, emptied vodka bottles (to deliver and pick up Khat for Yemen and Djbouti) 4hr. Arrival Mogadishu. Somalia.

.

He shouted this series out on one of his end of the year eps. Told everyone to check it out.

Gallo Altanero

Also love camel milk and meat and only around 50-500 US for a Somali camel. They are smaller than the stuff you see in Egypt.

Iammax

My silly ass started looking at the comments as soon as the episode started, generally don't even look at them and if i do it's post-listen... and so i wrote that reply like ten minutes in, not realizing the simplicity of what you were saying, Michael. My b if that came off as kind of pedantic and overwritten, of which it certainly is, and with that, a good day to you sir.

Ethan Schulz

I cackle every time “Somalia is in…Africa?” echoes around

Nick Ramirez

Can we have part 2 today, thank you

Michael S. Judge

No I get it, I think, that apart from the guy's literal name, "Marrochini" there is like "Mexicans" in Central Texas, i.e., they could come from about 9 countries

Michael S. Judge

circumcise the glock, safety off, hay peligro, travel only with the bands on my mans Marrochino

Zhou Biden

Food not bombs Food, not. BOMBS!

MoldyTolge

You *KILLED* Naomi. Really looking forward to the continuation/growth of this series, it’s such a murky and fascinating time and topic, I thank you White Chinese Jesus 🙏 🙏🙏

MoldyTolge

It’s a modern classic, makes me chuckle every time

MoldyTolge

Thank you so much for sharing this is mad

Charlie

big fan of this episode, I am ready for the polpo pipe

Hardcore Virgin

What is this with this pronunciation of “conoco”

Michael S. Judge

it's crazy that Congress could, and would, balk at dirty war money (for Poppy Bush, no less) in 1989, and now that's just not even remotely plausible

Hardcore Virgin

Here’s a fairly evil advert with a diverse and community oriented set of employees all “saying” the name (in the last ten seconds) https://youtu.be/9yo3Tp4dsRg I blame brace. He said it wrong first and it spread to Liz and YC.

Michael S. Judge

I'm not 100% certain it's the same guy, but I found corporate records for Giancarlo Marocchino being director of a British company called Stolz Group International from 2013 to 2015, a company that describes its official Nature of Business as, quote, "To be provided on next annual return," and which then legally dissolved before having to file that paperwork

Braedon

Ko-noko is a wild way to say conoco, Liz is really screwing with the boys’ pronunciation

Iammax

Exactly. Totally apt analogy.

J

Rare shout out to COD, where my Chaparrals at get in here

Hardcore Virgin

I feel obligated to point out that the second part of this series made this point already.

Hardcore Virgin

Slander. Brace started it. I know it in my bone. 🍖

Killer Dan

Everyone loves a colon - some say true anon has the best colons

John H

Food Knot bombs... in first live performance, film at 11.

John H

Food: naught - Bombs: (too much)

John H

It's legitimately wild that they're intentionally bugging themselves.

John Mitchell

I just LOVE the AI yung chomsky narrative!!!!

Braedon

Stromboli is the name of a volcano in Italy, as brace said. And that’s what the ship and the food is named after. Also, if you said past it at night you can see it glowing it’s very cool.

cl

Me too! Great job guys ")

cl

A camel swallowed my hand as a kid. Caused quite the scene.

Mood Slut

Omg the spaghetti western style theme music 🤌

Jacob King

30 witnesses can’t be wrong.

Jeremy Olivier

I know it’s just a word, and you can say it anyway you want, but saying “It’s short for Continental Oil Company” then pronouncing it CO-noco and not CON-oco is wild.

jdewd

We crave Lamest Show on Earth IV (also, good ep 💪🏼)

Blank

Thank god for Napoleon and the civil code he spread throughout Europe—a shorter constitution/codified laws let alone pure common law system would have provided far less protection

zo

How’d you find the book? I can’t find it online. Would like to read the original

Timothy

Love the way you all pronounce monsignor (probably correctly.) We American Catholics pronounce it mon-senior. Makes it sound more mundane

joey

Hi y’all I have a guest request - Liz Pelly, author of “Mood Machine: The rise of Spotify and the cost of the perfect playlist”. her book has been blowing my mind

Quinn

Need an emergency episode ASAP!

Gwennie

It’s definitely him - companies house has his dob as 24 March 1942 which matches. Another company is at the same address at the same time called ‘Swiss fiducal services inc’ and is registered in the Seychelles. There is actually also an address for GM in Rome as the sole shareholder for Stolz group (in 2013).

CD

My crazy uncle was in Somalia in '93 apparently?? with the air force but who knows who he was working for according to family rumors. What should I ask him!!

Seeking Treatment

Yes! I'm pretty sure she also mentioned her next project will be on this scandal in Somalia specifically, soooo a perfect guest?

Isaac

Ask him if he knew/ knew of “The Moroccan” Giancarlo! I mean according to Giancarlo himself, everyone in the country seemed to know and/or look up to him.

Isaac

Imagine if he had the Communist Manifesto in his pocket. That bitch is basically a zine–it ain’t stopping shit.

Isaac

Were you jogging when you snapped that picture?

Blank

All volumes of kapital as a vest 💪

Pelican Grief

Just hit dry land fresh on leave from a tour on the USS Hot Pocket, what i miss?

Kai

Love this episode. I retained more than I expected. Excited to listen back and for more episodes to drop!

Alex Gullen

Did Young Chomsky travel back in time to live an alternate life as a voiceover artist with Pathe News for this one?

N

This is the episode that made me admit to my family that I like to ski alone bc i want to listen to podcasts

Casey

Excellent job! I love the style of this one and the yung chomsky bit set it apart and broke it up really nice. A real pleasure to listen to.

M D

Genuinely one of the best mini-series done yet! By far some of my favorite episodes. The story telling and dialog was incredibly entertaining. Loved it! Thanks Liz, Brace and YC!

Cortni

The way that Brace is saying Conoco is taking me out

Norbur

"he Sued in Italian, so who knows"

Donnie Ka

Next up on True Anon merch: the General Morgan hooping Champion sweatshirt

Killer Dan

Daynille ain’t just a river west of Mogadishu baby

Gumboot

YC did great on the theme

Chelsea

This is probably the best episode that you've ever done. I devote a lot more time and attention to these episodes, so it took a while to get around to listening. Incredible work, amazing to break this story to the anglosphere

jrab

How did you guys know Brigadier General Le Booty was my stripper name 😭

Orbus Terrarum

"if any of you had just came to somalia, and dont tell me you cant do it" = "its okay come outside we wont jump you"

i am a bird now

They don’t teach us the ABC’s, we play out on the hard concrete

Aja johnson

Just relistening to this series again, totally my favorite and I wish it were like 20 episodes, but I had almost forgotten how good the score is! Excellent job YC!

punchrockgroin

Have been relistening and just saw this comment. There’s also a Stolz document that has names connected to Marsh Mclennin the largest private insurance and risk assessment company in the world. This whole thing is madness.