User reviews

For me, the biggest issue with the show isn't the fake ness (which if you read any other reviews, is certainly a problem), but the boring and predictable nature of the events they depict. The idea of an Amish mafia is stimulating (and perhaps it could be a good fictional drama series on HBO or Showtime), but a bogus reality TV show about "real" Amish people who think they are tough like a mafia gang is not interesting television (note, whether these people are "real" Amish people is certainly in question).

A mafia consists of an interconnected group of criminals who work above the law, and while the Amish are slightly separated from American justice, they are not immune from getting arrested. But the criminal record for these Amish people only consists of DUI and Theft charges, which is not very hardcore.

The "hardcore ness" that takes place in this show comes in the form of the Amish people taking an ax, hammer, or bat to a motor vehicle, buggy, mailbox, or even bottles of milk? I mean sure, this is like level one mafia business, but this is the roughest their business ever gets. Some of them hold guns and practice shooting, but they never seem to carry them when doing their "business".

Another real problem of this show is simple, and I'm going to address it assuming the characters of the show are really who they say they are, and do what they say they do. You can't have a REALITY TV SHOW be about CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, because believe it or not, people aren't going to commit crimes when there's a camera crew around. So immediately, the audience knows that none of the characters are going to get killed, or even beaten up badly, because the character in question would be in trouble for murder or assault. Sometimes there will be moments in the show when one of the characters tells the cameraman, "hey, you guys can't come in for this," or "you guys can't shoot this," but this is not so much the Amish people hiding their criminal activity as it is the producers making the events seem more exciting by hiding the boring events that are actually occurring (like the Hitchcock technique, it's more frightening if you can't see it). And it's been stated by the police in their area that if any criminal business is going on with the Amish, they would have picked them up.

So in conclusion, I'd just like to say that Discovery should be ashamed of what they're doing with this crappy TV show. For one, they're shaming the Amish community, by trying to profile and reduce their people (I'm not even religious, but it feels like they stepped over the line). And secondly they're shaming the reality TV audience, by assuming they're dumb enough to believe this show, and bored enough to have real interest in it.

I can believe the Amish might use their own "police" force rather than depend upon outside authority. And I can believe that drugs and prostitution have probably found their way into the community and are generally hushed up. I can even be persuaded that the cars Levi uses are paid for from the earnings of his privately owned company rather than from money extorted from his community. And there are manipulative women, thugs, and both simple and stupid men in the communities around the Amish, so why wouldn't they also exist inside the Amish community. All of this I can believe.

What I can not believe at this point is that a rival Amish "police" group from Ohio would try to start an interstate take-over of the group in Lancaster, Pa. These are relatively small communities with small groups of thugs that can barely maintain control over their own communities let alone attempt to take control of other communities over three hundred miles away from their home territory.

This show is should be taken as "Entertainment" (if that's even remotely the case) and not as actuality... Almost NOBODY in the actual Amish communities even know this show exists, but the very few I've talked to about this is outraged about it... For one, it's listed as "Reality TV" which unfortunately is mistaken for "'Real' TV..." There is NO such thing as the Lancaster County Police or anything of the sort, and NONE of the Amish portrayed in the show have any Amish-like physical features or, really, anything related to the Amish to begin with (yes, even the clothing is off...) I wouldn't have as much of an issue with this show if it were listed as something other than "Reality TV." I would be OK with it being listed as Entertainment, Drama, or something of the sort, but "Reality TV" is pushing the lines a little too much...

Also, with everything I just mentioned, as well as the actual setup for the show itself, I expected A LOT more out of Discovery Channel with this... this would be more of TLC quality or something, but NOT Discovery....

It's another ridiculous fake show pushed as some kind of reality. I'm shocked that other reviewers of this show seem to be skeptical or suggest that "maybe" this isn't real. Of-course it isn't real. It's ridiculous to think it is. Most reality TV is fake or faked in some way. This show pushes the envelope on fake reality, perhaps to test just how much fakery audiences will consume thinking it's real.?? Dunno. In any case, real? Not in any way. It's just pure bogus all the way around. I'm not sure why these cable TV producers need to try and push content that is clearly faked, as real. Why not just push it for what it is, which is a unique take on crime fiction with some dabs of history thrown in?

That being said, it's pretty cool acting and action with some decent story lines.

Most people posting reviews seem to think "Amish Mafia"'s "validity" should be based on whether it's "real" or not. People, it's basura whether or not it's the truth. *

"Amish Mafia" exists for only one reason -- to pander to the public's taste for the trashy and disgusting -- in the name of revealing the "truth". Instead of a thoughtful, carefully researched series on Amish life -- of which the "Amish mafia" would be a legitimate part -- we are instead "treated" to some of the rottenest Bible-spouting "human beings" one can imagine, with the implication that most Amish are only slightly less-bad.

I watched /none/ of the first season, and recently watched the last five episodes of the second, plus the "wrap up" episode, to see if it was as bad as some people said. "Vile" is the kindest thing I can say. Its only value is as a negative -- extremely negative -- example of how people /should not/ lead their lives. I won't be watching any more, and my only disappointment will be not being around to see Esther receive her comeuppance for betraying her brother.

Discovery has largely abandoned high-quality programming, instead presenting phony "documentaries" about mermaids and giant prehistoric sharks. "Alaska the Last Frontier" is perhaps the best of its reality programming, showing how intelligent, responsible people lead their lives. "Fast n' Loud" is a charming bit of fluff, with Richard a model of good small-business management. "Mythbusters" remains one of the best non-fiction TV shows /ever/, but I hope Adam and Jamie will find the courage to move to some other network, to evade the stink wafting in from Discovery's other "offerings".

"Amish Mafia" is television at its absolute worst. It deserves a negative rating for the harm it causes, to both the Amish and the viewers.

* I suspect it's largely true. However, this page says it's completely scripted (though without any hard evidence). I wouldn't be surprised.

http://kindofviral.com/10-rigged-reality-shows/10/

Living in the Amish country for a number of years I find your phony Amish program culturally offensive. They speak more English than true Pennsylvania Dutch. They drive cars -not in the Amish culture-the violence does not happen in Amish culture. Even the image of the church in the introduction -not Amish don't have churches. They also don't allow themselves to be photographed. Mennonites speaking Dutch no they don't they don't even mix with the Amish -they are considered English and are treated as such. None of this represents true Amish culture and absolutely refuse to watch it and inform my family who don't live in Amish country and friends as well about the bad image you try to inflict on the Amish culture the peace loving people!

How could discovery go from greatness like shark week and american chopper to absolutely horrendous, truly dreadful and completely incomprehensible junk like this piece of trash, lebanon levi who looks like a pillsbury doughboy who is a leader of the amish mafia terrorizing many amish people, everybody else is amazingly dreadful in this one, it's a shame that discovery cannot do something like this, this is a truly shameful and a piece of junk that thankfully was the single worst tv of the decade and soon to be single worst tv of the 21st century, truly amazingly bad.

If the amish mafia leader would do a cake battle with buddy valastro of cake boss, i would root for the cake boss.

They are having a "Holy War" how cute! This show is just a little bit better than playing space invaders (a 35 yr old video game that truly suk'd). Calling their fellow Americans "The English" is no different than us "English" calling South America natives "The Mexicans" lol.

The dirty deeds the "Amish Mafia" do,and worse also happen every day in rural America! I know many Amish, Mennonites... all of them good people. The show just capitalizes on the worst of them, which ain't bad compared to the rest of the world.

When is Discovery going to do a show about Reveren Poppoff? Lol. I would like to see some background on these folks that are getting the miracle healings!

Really who is scared of these people? Maybe a horse? I think even the horses are laughing at these dumbasses! I watched a full length episode of this crap one night and like to have killed myself laughing! Oooooo who is really scared of levi? He looks like a little ignorant boy and these people who go out and try to collect payment for him I am sure are just as dumb as he is. I hope levi reads this please oh please I hope he reads this!!! Come on down to Alabama you dumb hick! And the way they talk is really stupid. So do us all a favor and go get a real job you're making amish people look retarded. And the woman, you know who you are, you are as stupid as he is, so just give yourself to him and be done with it! I'm sure you are the town bicycle, everybody has had a ride!! Gross I almost made myself throw up!

It's just an awesome show, I saw 2 seasons in 2 days!

I understand why people find it offensive by calling it reality tv, they do inform you that some scenes are staged and reacted, but I think maybe most of the show is. It's series/movies like this in almost every religion but please call it action/drama, not reality or documentary (That's what it's categorized in Norway), that's not right, FIX IT!

But if you can look past that, the show got action, it's funny and very entertaining! It's worth a try if you like shows that are a little weird and not "mainstream". I say weird because Amish Mafia, who would believe that.

I see a lot of reviews saying how fake the show is. It very clearly says at the beginning that a lot of parts are reenacted and are based on stories. This show definitely doesn't deserve the awful rating its gotten. People claiming that its not a "real" mafia, are comparing it to actual mobsters. The Amish community would be completely different then what we consider the mafia. Destroying a buggy or kicking out "English" people might seem like vandalism to us, but to them it would be considered a huge offense. They live by completely different rules then we do. So comparing them to Italian Mobsters or Cartel kingpins just isn't viable.

Now, do I think this is all real and that everything they show is what is actually happening? No. I certainly don't think that. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that some camera angles or footage would be impossible to get with out it being faked or reenacted. But the director, the writers do a good job telling a story. The story is good, even the acting is decent. The camera work isn't that bad. Overall the show is very watchable, doesn't seem overly fake, overly real. Just enough to make it enjoyable.

And lastly. For critics saying that the reason they dislike it so much is because it is overly fake. That the Amish and Minutenites driving Mercedes Benz and Cadillacs is completely unrealistic and that making that much money from what they do is a lie. I can tell you I know for a fact that its true. I've personally seen them drive those vehicles and my brother works as a CBP officer at a Mexican boarder. And has told me numerous times that the Minutenites are some of the most criminally involved people he has ever encountered. Not all hardcore criminal activity. But the transferring of drugs over the boarder and the smuggling of money into Mexico is such a problem that the majority of loads of drugs they catch have some sort of Minutenite involvement. And that they declare they're money coming in and out of the US and its easily over the tens of thousands of dollars AND in Cadillacs and Mercedes. So it's not completely far fetched to assume that there's some truth to these stories.

Okay so let me get this clear I live in A county very close to Lancaster county. And it is very close to where the show "Amish mafia" is produced. The show has some very stupid things on I must say myself but...not all of the people on it are. for example Alan Beiler is a criminal. He was actually in a incident where he had been caught with drugs in his car and yes he tried to run from the cops. But I mus say some of the stuff on that show is entirely fake. A few reason are. 1 Amish do not like being captured on camera (the whole time of the show they are on camera) 2 please tell me that everybody knows that Amish do not drive cars(they strictly only drive horse buggy's. And I have a Amish friend I had asked him about he show and he said "no I have never heard of it" the after I had him watch a show off it and he was just completely blown away because he said that it is pretty much all fake. But I will admit...I watch the show because of the stupid humiliating things they do it just makes me wonder what is going through the producers head while they are making these scenes.

Just watched Amish mafia and lost all respect for Discovery channel. I CANT'T STAND A LIAR. And the producers lied to the AMISH AID (The name Discovery said would be the name of the show) from day one. Liars cannot be trusted at all, so as far as i know all of your shows are BxxxxxxT!

And since you have just proved to all of your viewers that you lie, how do we know that anything you show is true or just more BxxxxxxT! And when they confront you about your lies then you try to get back at them by airing all the things you promised not to film.

But since you'r all liars we don't know if they are true or not. If you want to reveal a crime you can't prove anything if your a known liar because nobody will believe you. Try that crap with Judge Judy.

I could care less if the show is real or faked. It just pxxxx's me off that Discovery comes into our homes and tells us and our children that lying is OK as long as you get what you want. At the same time telling the whole world that Americans condone lying.

You would think that Discovery would want to have a good reputation since the shows are about discovery and learning not lying.

I XXXXXXG HATE LYERS!

Sincerely

Colin

It hard to believe anyone could believe this show is any good. I live in Amish country and they are a peaceful people that stay to themselves and bother know one. This show is why people learn to live more like them and shut off cable and satalite television. Just trash TV.

I don't understand they had a good thing, and they used the Amish people that when I was a young boy my parents brought me there, we had a good time. The culture was so much different to us, why would they portray these people like this, was it to bring community dollars in? Or is this what goes on their Discovery Channel left the viewers out in the cold. The cars blowing up, was this a stunt, looked like it because what they did was destroy garbage. The losers at the end won, they went against their own people and culture.

Alan Beiler destroyed his own peoples' property he got away with this what a joke you showed the viewers corrupt people winning. Caleb a rot wins at the end Levi was the best person on the show, and he was portrayed at the end as a no one don't get it?

Discovery Channel never had a sidekick of the show, which they should have. To see how all these guys are now. What was told online, not good.

It's now 6 years later, they should do something, I don't see those other reviews as anything we watched and used our imagination.

I dont watch TV , but somehow stumbled across this series. It is HILARIOUS.... I am on season 3... Merlin and the talk to the kids about Santa Claus was over the top. Very very entertaining. You find yourself hating and then loving all the characters except for evil Caleb Meyer, who is disturbed, self serving and cares about no one but himself.

are you clowns who took the time to write poor reviews due to the show being fake kidding? of course none of the stuff is ACTUALLY real. they even disclaim it right in the beginning: 'The Amish Church denies the existence of the Amish Mafia. To ensure the safety of innocent Amish, select re-enactments of events must be used.'

wow, so everyone saying the show is fake can read!! good job guys! that fact that you're so upset and up in arms that the show is fraudulent is hilarious. Do you think John Gotti, or any other mafia member would let a camera crew film their business? of course these guys aren't going to allow cameras to film illegal activities. if you expect otherwise, it's probably a good thing you aren't involved in some type of criminal activity because you'd end up dead or in jail in about 3 minutes.

I'm not saying the show is amazing and i'm not saying it sucks, but is it so far-fetched to believe that the general idea of the story lines could actually have happened int he past? no, it really isn't. it's not like the show is portraying these guys out to be ruthless hit men. they collect insurance money to help other Amish since they probably don't use Geico (oh how i wish they were hit men, then maybe they could take Flo out for good for trying to sell Progressive to the Amish or for trying so desperately hard to be funny), which other Amish are probably happy to pay, because they'd like to have that help if something happens to their chicken pot pie business. they run parties, buggy races/competitions, and do other dumb stuff to make money. if you're looking for some Amish version of the Godfather like these other geniuses who are so mad that the show isn't reality, then you will be disappointed too. the worst kind of 'mafia' work I've seen is them attempting to do is driving an "English" guy away from their town for selling cell phones to the Amish.

take it for what it is meant to be, an entertaining look into a guy helping to look out for his fellow Amish. my main knock on the show is that they try to make "Lebanon" Levi so intimidating when the dude is no doubt softer than a teddy bear (he also resembles one, so there's that...)

I have read a lot of posts online & the majority of the naysayers are upset because portions of the show are staged. It is a TV show, not the nightly news folks, so get a grip! Does it completely and accurately portray everything about daily Amish life? Probably not. I won't say yes or no because I didn't grow up Amish! However, does it give someone like me a picture of just how different their lifestyle and culture is, good and bad? Yes, I believe it does. Obviously no lawyer is going to allow their clients to be filmed committing felonious acts. Duh! But does stuff like that really happen? Probably. Have any of you people ever read the Old Testament? Not so different, my point being it has been around since the beginning and no one is immune, because human nature is what it is. But the show tells a lot of things about everyday Amish life. Why would anyone who has ever watched Oprah or Dr. Phil be surprised that women like Esther and Mary have suffered abuse that was never reported? Sadly, it happens every day and no community is immune. My heart goes out to them both and I'm glad they now feel empowered enough to speak out. Maybe that will empower other women in their community to speak out as well. I give full credit to the producers and crew who have worked hard to show us an interesting slice of Amish life and manage to make it really entertaining. One more thing: my dad wasn't raised Amish, but he was an old country boy who only had an 8th grade education but grew to be a very successful businessman. He told me stories about stuff he and his friend (who grew up to be a judge) did as boys. Not much different than some of the stuff Lebanon Levi and his crew do on the show. I'll take this show any day over "Survivor" as "reality" TV. Much less offensive and much more entertaining!!!

I don't care whether it's for real or not, and I don't see how it could be. However, the characters are a sheer delight to watch. It is highly entertaining.

Esther - is sort of the "moll" as they used to call the girlfriend of the gangsters back in the real Mafia days.

John - her brother - probably couldn't tie his own shoe laces without help.

Jolin - is a fascinating character with those big, powerful guns.

Alvin - a quiet, faithful 'foot soldier'

Merlin - he's an enigma wrapped up in a riddle! And there are others equally interesting.

But my absolutely favorite is Lebanon Levi. Lebanon is allegedly the leader of the Amish Mafia, but he gives the appearance of being a big, ol' teddy bear - even when he's hollering in John's face: "Don't be talking back!"

There are more contradictions than you could shake a stick at on this show. One example of many is Merlin, who "talks" to God, and recently got shunned - yet he apparently has never been baptized or he couldn't possibly be doing the things he is shown doing.

This is true for all of these people. If they were really Amish wouldn't they have to have either gotten baptized and joined the church or have had to leave the community by now? One would think so.

Many things are never really explained - like how Jolin, a Mennonite, is able to speak the low German/Pennsylvania Dutch language the Amish speak. That is - if all of them are really speaking that language, since I frequently detect words that are definitely English when they are supposed to be speaking only Amish German.

For entertainment value I think this show can't be beat.

8 stars - and it just keeps getting better and better!