Crook County
Tenderfoot TV and iHeartPodcasts
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About This Podcast
Ken Tekiela was a celebrated Chicago firefighter and a loving father of two who led a secret double life as a hitman for the Chicago mafia. Is it even possible to keep a life of crime hidden from your wife and kids for two decades? Yes, it is. I know because Ken is my father. In 2013, after a lifetime of deception, he broke down and told me everything, and our whole world changed…
CROOK COUNTY is the shocking true-crime podcast about my father's rise through the ranks of the legendary organized crime syndicate, the Chicago Outfit. From whorehouse doorman at the age of 17, to ruthless assassin in his 20's, and the many years that followed covering up crimes for the mafia and crooked cops alike while working as a firefighter/paramedic for the Chicago Fire Department. To finally, moving to the suburbs with his new wife and kids and trying desperately to put it all behind him, until it all came crashing down. We explore in great depth and detail my father’s life of crime and its profound and lasting impact on my family to this very day.
From Tenderfoot TV and iHeartPodcasts, I’m Kyle Tekiela, welcome to CROOK COUNTY.
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Recent Episodes
Kenny Needs Your Help
Kenny “The Kid” is facing the most difficult challenge of his life. After years of battling extreme PTSD and mental instability, Ken is now homeless and has been in and out of hospitals for the past…
Inside the Investigation with Payne Lindsey, Dennis Cooper, and Kyle Tekiela
Have you ever wondered what happens off mic in an investigative podcast? Join Payne Lindsey (Up and Vanished), Dennis Cooper (Culpable), and Kyle Tekiela (Crook County) for a candid look inside…
S1 Unanswered Questions
Get ready for a thrilling Crook County bonus episode! Kyle dives into the voicemails you, our passionate fans, have sent in, tackling your burning questions and sharing raw, unfiltered reactions to…
S1 Inside Crook County: Behind the Mic with Kyle Tekiela
Your backstage pass to Crook County. In this candid interview, host & producer Kyle Tekiela shares some honest details that were too raw for the show, and talks music, family, burnout, and the…
S1E8 8 | The Rear View Mirror
Ken's new civilian life has a fiery collision with the underworld resulting in death and destruction. A life full of secrets takes its toll on the family.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy…
S1E7 7 | The Devil Won't Leave Me Alone
Like the old saying goes, “Just when I think I’m out, they pull me back in!”, Ken achieves his goal of becoming a firefighter and paramedic and negotiates his way out of the outfit, but he soon…
S1E6 6 | Fire In The Sky
Kenny witnesses American Airlines Flight 191 crashing out of O’Hare Airport killing everyone on board and reveals a newfound purpose. Things take a dark turn when a girl disappears and Ken takes…
S1E5 5 | Bully
We meet a new mafia boss who gives Ken orders for his first hit. Ken's twin brother Rich shares stories of their troubled youth. Ken discovers a new hobby that helps him cope with his demons.See…
S1E4 4 | Keeper Of A House Of Prostitution
Ken settles into his new life in The Outfit. We meet the working girls and some more mafia goons, and learn the ins and outs of how a house of prostitution is run. A robbery at the club puts Kenny in…
S1E3 3 | Coming Clean
Ken walks us through his current day-to-day as he attempts to atone for his life of crime. Then we dive back into the past to his first years inside the mob -- dealing drugs and helping with…
S1E2 2 | The Ties That Bind Us
With the help of some old home videos, Kyle embarks on a journey to the past to uncover the family secret and try to pick up the pieces of a broken home. Kyle's mom, Holly, tells the harrowing story…
S1E1 1 | Give Me Your F**kin Money
Meet Kenny “The Kid”, a Chicago mafia soldier and hitman for nearly 25 years. After hearing a brutal firsthand account of a mafia hit, we learn how and why Kenny was recruited as 17 year old kid,…
S1 Meet Ken
For over 20 years he was a celebrated firefighter, living a secret double life as a hitman for the Chicago mob. Who is Ken Tekiela? He's my father, and I didn't know any of this until now. Crook…
S1 Welcome to Crook County (Official Trailer)
Welcome to Crook County, a den of thieves, where a celebrated firefighter, husband and loving father led a secret double life as a hitman for the legendary organized crime syndicate, the Chicago…
Frequently Asked Questions
Crook County has published 14 episodes since February 2025, covering topics in Documentary, Personal Journals.
Crook County is currently dormant with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 33m.
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