8.7/1062 votesLoading...#1 - Desert Justice
Season 2 Episode 17 - Aired 3/22/1988
The Justice Department must deal with crooked cops and feuding brothel owners when Pauli's prostitute-girlfriend is murdered.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.5/1092 votesLoading...#2 - The Saint Louis Book of Blues
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 9/30/1986
Mobsters support Luca's nationwide gambling scheme. A publicity-seeking sheriff hampers Torello's arrest of one of Luca's men.
Director: Leon Ichaso
Writer: N/A
8.5/1083 votesLoading...#3 - Protected Witness
Season 2 Episode 13 - Aired 2/2/1988
In return for the man's testimony, Torello offers government protection to a Chicago mobster with a contract on his life.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.5/1058 votesLoading...#4 - Last Rites
Season 2 Episode 14 - Aired 2/9/1988
After Manny is stricken by a heart attack, Luca demands that he be the first heart-transplant recipient. Max convinces Steve to put a hit on Luca.
Director: Colin Bucksey
Writer: N/A
8.4/1089 votesLoading...#5 - Fatal Crossroads
Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 1/9/1987
Torello is subpoenaed to testify for Luca. An enraged Abrams jumps to Torello's defense. Luca orders Torello and Abrams killed.
Director: Gary Sinise
Writer: N/A
8.4/10100 votesLoading...#6 - Top of the World
Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 3/6/1987
Luca's jubilation over his growing business turns to fear that his associates are setting him up. Luca's insatiable lust for violence proves his undoing when he rapes Pauli's girlfriend. Pauli testifies for the prosecution in Luca's trial.
Director: Michael Mann
Writer: N/A
8.3/1098 votesLoading...#7 - Shadow Dancer
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 9/27/1986
Torello gains a major advantage when one of Luca's burglars is connected to a robbery-homicide of a coin collector's wife. Torello finds out Julie is pregnant.
Director: Leon Ichaso
Writer: N/A
8.3/10100 votesLoading...#8 - The War
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 10/7/1986
A book intercepted by Torello jeopardizes Luca's nationwide gambling operation. The Torellos meet with tragedy.
Director: Leon Ichaso
Writer: N/A
8.3/1057 votesLoading...#10 - Robbery, Armed
Season 2 Episode 6 - Aired 11/10/1987
A Chicago thug, preparing for the heist of a Las Vegas casino, shoots Krychek on the eve of Torello's birthday.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.2/10105 votesLoading...#11 - Final Transmission
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 9/20/1986
With Torello's MCU hunting a psychopath, Luca plots jewel heists and the takeover of a sports-gambling operation.
Director: Leon Ichaso
Writer: Richard Christian Danus
8.2/1099 votesLoading...#12 - Torello on Trial
Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 1/16/1987
Breitel brutally cross-examines Torello. Acquitted Luca moves to Las Vegas. Torello gets a new assignment.
Director: Gary Sinise
Writer: N/A
8.2/1072 votesLoading...#13 - The Battle of Las Vegas
Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 2/6/1987
To take over Las Vegas casinos, Luca murders the head of a resort-workers union to put his own man in the position.
Director: Aaron Lipstadt
Writer: N/A
8.2/1072 votesLoading...#14 - The Pinnacle
Season 1 Episode 19 - Aired 2/27/1987
Luca's greedy ploy to take over another casino puts his entire gambling empire in jeopardy.
Director: John Nicolella
Writer: N/A
8.2/1054 votesLoading...#16 - Byline
Season 2 Episode 18 - Aired 3/29/1988
Torello's writer-friend plans to take down Luca by exposing him in an article.
Director: Eugene Corr
Writer: N/A
8.1/1089 votesLoading...#17 - Old Friends, Dead Ends
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 11/4/1986
Torello confronts his new friend, now laundering money for the Mob. Federal investigators indict Luca and Bartoli.
Director: Bobby Roth
Writer: N/A
8.1/1072 votesLoading...#18 - The Kingdom of Money
Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 1/30/1987
Torello and Krychek join the Federal Task Force planning to raid Luca's new gambling business in Las Vegas.
Director: Michael Mann, James A. Contner
Writer: David J. Burke
8.1/1094 votesLoading...#19 - The Survivor
Season 1 Episode 18 - Aired 2/13/1987
Torello falls in love with a Justice Attorney's former wife, only to find out that the attorney has been molesting his adopted daughter. Molestation charges jeopardizes the Unit's investigation of Luca.
Director: Alan Myerson
Writer: N/A
8.1/1084 votesLoading...#20 - Ground Zero
Season 1 Episode 21 - Aired 3/13/1987
After his murder mistrial, Luca clashes with a crime kingpin over plans to split up control of the sinking Luca gambling empire. Pauli changes his mind and rescues Luca from Torello as they hide in a house in the desert, a target site for nuclear testing.
Director: Peter Medak
Writer: N/A
8.1/1082 votesLoading...#21 - The Senator, the Movie Star, and the Mob
Season 2 Episode 1 - Aired 9/22/1987
An overzealous senator outrages crime bosses by subpoenaing them to appear before an organized crime commission. An actress with a shady past falls for Torello.
Director: John Nicolella
Writer: N/A
8.1/1072 votesLoading...#22 - Blast from the Past
Season 2 Episode 2 - Aired 9/29/1987
Torello confronts his feelings for Julie when she asks him to rescue her kidnapped husband, who is a doctor forced to tend to one of his injured kidnappers.
Director: Eugene Corr
Writer: N/A
8.1/1065 votesLoading...#23 - Little Girl Lost
Season 2 Episode 7 - Aired 11/24/1987
An investigator searching for a man's girlfriend, who happens to be Weisbord's granddaughter, is murdered before he gives information to Torello. Luca offers a drug-addicted Abrams a position on his staff.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.1/1080 votesLoading...#24 - Love Hurts
Season 2 Episode 8 - Aired 12/8/1987
Luca falls for an actress in a movie he is financing and discovers she is more than even he can handle.
Director: David Soul
Writer: N/A
8.1/1057 votesLoading...#25 - Moulin Rouge
Season 2 Episode 10 - Aired 1/5/1988
The Justice Department tries to deal with troubles at a new nightclub - including bombings, extortion, and racial threats - owned by a beautiful black woman.
Director: David Soul
Writer: N/A
The Best Episodes of Crime Story
Every episode of Crime Story ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Crime Story!
The hard-boiled saga of hair-trigger cop Lieutenant Mike Torello and his obsessive pursuit of ruthless gangster Ray Luca.
Genres:CrimeDramaAction & AdventureMystery
Network:NBC
Best Episodes Summary
"Desert Justice" is the best rated episode of "Crime Story". It scored 8.7/10 based on 62 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 3/22/1988. This episode scored 0.2 points higher than the second highest rated, "The Saint Louis Book of Blues".
