Is the Amish Mafia real? Well, if you believe everything on TV, this new series from the award-winning Discovery Channel might be just for you. Amish Mafia makes a sneak peek on Discovery Channel tonight at 10:30pm ET/PT, and then moves into its regular timeslot on Wednesdays at 9pm ET/PT beginning Dec. 12.
The opening scenes of the show describe the Amish mafia as a secretive subculture that operates within its own set of rules and values. To ensure the safety of innocent Amish members, a disclaimer also runs that says “select reenactments of events must be used” and to protect participants and their family members, some identifying information and property has been changed. It’s a TV show, so dramatizations are part of it.
While the Amish church denies the existence of the mafia, the series looks to expose a small organized group of men who are said to be protecting and serving an Amish community in Lancaster County, PA, using their own laws and values. The leader of the mafia is Lebanon Levi who is described as being the “courthouse, bank and insurance company.” At first glance he resembles more of a droopy-eyed, middle-class neighbor you’d grab a beer with. His posse consists of his right-hand man Alvin, somewhat of a Gilligan to the Skipper, who speaks softly but is said to carry a big stick. According to Alvin’s bio, you can’t get to his best friend Levi without going through him. Alvin, however, has a dark side, but has Levi’s complete trust.Then there’s John, described as the newest member of the group, who is looking to make his move into the boss’ chair constantly scheming to get ahead. John’s also the brother to Levi’s love interest, Esther. Lastly, there’s Jolin, “Levi’s righteous soldier,” who is a Mennonite. Levi values Jolin for this, as he can do things that the Amish guys in the crew can’t.
The need for “mafia-like” protection from such a closely guarded and historically safe community stems from the 2006 school shootings in Lancaster County where five young Amish girls were killed and five more seriously injured by a non-Amish milk truck driver. One of the cast members of the show, Esther, explains that it was the result of this horrific act that left a “big wound in the Amish community” and caused them to seek protection. Esther is described in press materials as knowing Levi since they were children. She lives just two miles from where the shootings took place. “She uses his interest in her to get what she wants. She sees herself as the power behind the man.”
Levi’s team engages in a life outside of Amish and non-Amish community codes as he quietly exerts his influence and control. Levi’s brand of order is precise as he seeks to keep outside forces from infiltrating the Amish community, while keeping the principles and morality within the community in check.
The series will provide eyewitness accounts of the incidents, misdeeds and wrongdoings within the Amish community, as well as, a rare look at Levi and his team members who work together to maintain harmony.
Pictured from left to right: John, Alvin, Levi, Jolin. Photo Credit: Discovery Channel
Discovery was all about science, then something happened to them and everything is fake reality.
Who took over and turned it into the Jerry Springer Channel?
Even their science shows are dumbed down.
Is it demographics or lowest common denominator?
I LIVE this show and could care less how accurate it is… It’s called entertainment people!!!
Damn auto correct… That was suppose to say I love this show.. Not live..lol
Levi is a gay pansy. One shot from a 500 mag will take care of all these fakers.
The premise for this “show” is alledged to be a response to the massacre of Amish girls at a school some years ago by a mentally disturbed man who was an “English” who drove a mild deliver truck. He and his wife had a young daughter who was very ill and despite ther fervent prayers for her healing, died from her illness.
As is the case for many such heinous acts, the reasoning is the product of a tormented soul, and remains forever imponderable for the rest of us.
The full account of this event is told in the book, “Amish Grace”, and is a story that bears reading in the face of recent events in Connecticut. Suffice it to say, the Amish believe in practicing the prayer Jesus taught to his disciples, “forgive us our sins, as we forgive others” and as he did his tormentors while hanging on the cross.
The Amish are not perfect, and have never claimed to be.
So called reality shows are rightly being called out for what they “really” are.
They are to the broadcast media what comic books are to the great literary classics.
This truly brakes my heart. You were the last un-corupted , un defiled, God loving people. You have allowed one secular event , evil as it was, you have forever defiled God, purity , and honor for your family , GOD, and the last un-corupted religion.GOD FORGIVE US.
No way with this show…I’m so hooked ! yup
I’m gay and I like these bad boys.
lol
the weakest mafia ever, ill take them all at once
Fuckin idiots
Cutting off their hair and beards is a true fact of Amish Mafia if you will. But this is stupid.
I forget tosay, I do enjoy the show
It is just a TV show and designed for entertainment purposes, now I have to get back to reality and go play some video games.
Hamster you goo sooo hard!!!
I Like this show! Can’t wait to see what’s next!! Pretty good looking men too!!
Liz you sound like a real nice lady
Levi has f’in highlights…..reallY??
The bad grammar we see here is most likely from Amish posters.
This guys not messing around! Don’t mess with him he could bring his ass back to PA and f***ing beat your ass with the remote control. Real scary man. Go shoot some more porch monkeys on your playstation and shut the f**k up. Maybe if u get a job you wouldnt have time to watch tv all the time.
Porchmonkeys!! Really take offens to that…. a-hole
This fat guy ” Lunchmeat Levi” wouldn’t last a minute in Philly or any other city.. The skinny henchman you call soldiers are an absolute joke!!
This show is about as real as Santa Clause and the tooth fairy, these guys would get their asses kicked at a middle school football game in my town. The sad thing is people actually believe this crap, that’s why they keep putting this garbage on the air
I think these are a bunch of fkn thugs hiding amoung the Amish doing shit and black mailing the Amish that they THINK they can get by with…..if you LEVI think you all that and bag of fkn chips….REPLY TO THIS…..AND I WILL SHOW YOU….YOU NOT SHIT IN MY BACK YARD AND I WILL BRING MY ASS BACK TO PA AND SHOW YOU WHAT A REALLLLL BAD BOY IS ALL ABOUT
so scary
lmfaoo ur names hamster and your trying to thug it out in all caps rage:)
Edit your work before posting it.