Kriti Mehrotra
While Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is often referred to as The City of Brotherly Love, it was far from it in the 1990s, owing to a power struggle within the local crime family. Netflix’s ‘Mob War: Philadelphia vs. The Mafia’ explores all that with the help of archival footage as well as former associates, enforcers, law enforcement officials, and lawyers close to the matter. Amongst them were none other than the then-FBI Supervisor of the Organized Crime Unit, Charlotte Lang, and then-renowned federal United States civil and criminal prosecutor, Barry Gross.
Charlotte Lang Prefers to Lead a Quiet Life Today
Although Charlotte Lang is now arguably one of the most prominent individuals associated with the FBI owing to her contributions to the organization, her background is far from this industry. She actually kick-started her career as an educator as well as an administrator in states like Connecticut and Virginia before deciding to join the corporate world for a much more lucrative path. According to reports, she was a sales professional at IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) until she realized she wanted her work to have a meaningful impact on someone’s life.
Therefore, when Charlotte came across a newspaper advertisement recruiting for the FBI one day, she didn’t hesitate to reply, unaware it would soon turn her entire world upside down. She was definitely hardworking, yet she never expected to not only thrive in the training academy but also be selected to be an active field agent working across several departments. She admittedly had to move a few times during her early years in the bureau before finally being stationed in New York to work in the Organized Crime Unit at a time when it was pure chaos. The city was reportedly controlled by the mob in the 1970s and 980s, and she was one of the agents who helped take them down, as chronicled in Netflix’s ‘ Fear City: New York vs The Mafia.’
It was after Charlotte had succeeded in the Big Apple that she was promoted to FBI HQ, where she became the first woman to ever hold the position of Supervisor in the Organized Crime Unit. That’s when she was given the task of dismantling the Philadelphia mob family, too – she did, and thus testified in even more federal trials, which raised the number of threats she received. She hence decided it was finally time for her to take on a white-collar role within the bureau, so she worked towards a transfer and comfortably served in that position for a few years. The agent turned supervisor turned executive eventually took early retirement – in her early 50s – upon realizing she had worked and earned enough to cozily enjoy the rest of her life.
Charlotte had bought a second home in Vermont while in the role of Supervisor in the 1990s, so upon her retirement after over 2 decades of service, she split her time between her two homes. Ultimately, though, she sold her initial property in New Jersey to relocate to the Green Mountain State, where she gradually lost touch with the FBI world before completely leaving it behind. However, from what we can tell, she is currently based in New Hampshire, where people know little about her career or experiences. She doesn’t mind talking about it if asked, but she likes that no one immediately knows her background or the people associated with it. That’s because all she wants to do now is enjoy a quiet life surrounded by her loved ones, and hopefully, travel as much as possible without having to look over her shoulder.
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Barry Gross Continues to be Involved in the Legal World
While Barry Gross was once regularly engaged in high-profile cases involving federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) violations, he is now a proud private attorney. He has actually always preferred to keep the details surrounding his educational qualifications and early experiences private, but we do know he was a renowned US prosecutor in the 1990s. In fact, he was the one who handled many of the cases involving the Philadelphia mob, especially since he was based in the city and had a deep understanding of the situation. That’s because he worked alongside the FBI to not only help one another strengthen their cases against the mafia but also ensure nothing slips through the cracks.
Since then, though, Barry has arguably chosen a much more balanced and lucrative path by parting ways with the world of federal trials in exchange for private civil and criminal litigation. After all, he became a Partner at Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP in 2007, and in 2020, he joined Faegre Drinker as an attorney, both of which are roles he proudly maintains to this day. According to reports, the former Adjunct Professor at Widener University School of Law and Temple University Beasley School of Law is still regularly involved in white-collar cases across the nation.
As per records, Barry is one of the few individuals who has not only successfully prosecuted RICO cases at trial but also defended them, especially following his role as a federal prosecutor. In fact, the current Fellow at the American College of Trial Lawyers has led more than 200 federal and state jury cases to trial verdict as well as argued several more in the Court of Appeals and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. In other words, still residing in his beloved hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Barry continues to serve as a white-collar, commercial litigation, and RICO attorney today. As for his personal experiences, considering his field of work, he understandably prefers to keep his private life well away from the limelight.
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