"Colorado Experience examines one of the lesser-Known chapter in American organized crime: the story of the Smaldones, an Italian -American crime family that operated out of Denver. Brothers Clyde and Eugene Smaldone took control of Denver's underworld in 1933, after then-crime boss Joe Roma's body was found riddled with bullets in his-home. They specialized in bootlegging during the years of prohibition and , later bookmaking and gambling. To some,...

"In 1859, two surveyors travelling just north of Colorado City stopped in awe as they stumbled upon the Garden. One gentleman remarked this spot, surrounded by towering red geological features would be a "capital place for a beer garden," to which his companion replied "Beer garden! Why this is a place fit for the gods to assemble!" With a 3000 year history stemming from Native Americans to today's thrill seekers, discover the beauty and history of...

As the highest vehicular tunnel in the world with an elevation of 11,155 feet, the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel is a massive engineering achievement. Armed with 150 security cameras and serving over 30,000 motorists per day, 365 days per year, the Tunnel today runs as a well-oiled machine. However, years of political, geological and logistical challenges almost prevented this "gateway to the high country".

aLiving West Water: What happened to the Ancient Puebloans of Mesa Verde and Goodman Point? After settling in southwest Colorado for over 700 years, they suddenly left their cliff dwellings and spring side kivas, leaving behind a variety of archaeological treasures. Historians and archaeologists discuss the possibility that this drastic move was caused by a devastating drought in the southwest region. Discover the similarities in conditions and what...

Sometimes referred to as the "People's Constitution," the Colorado Constitution was ratified in 1876, earning Colorado the nickname "The Centennial State" . Since then, the Constitution has never been rewritten, but has been amended over 152 times. This fact has established the Colorado Constitution as one of the most easily amended state constitutions in the country. From it's early days as a tri-lingual document written in English, Spanish and German,...

NORAD: Cheyenne Mountain, located south of Colorado Springs, served as the command center for the North American Aerospace Defense Command Center (NORAD) from 1966-2008. The bi-nation defense organization, currently stationed at Peterson Air Force Base, continually adapts to modern-day challenges, while simultaneously protecting the citizens of the United States and Canada. Colorado Experience goes inside this top-secret headquarters for a view few...

Hydro Power: In 1891, due to a lack of timber fuel and the challenge of steep mountain passes, all mining operations in Telluride were in danger of being shut down. Cue Lucien L. Nunn. This Colorado pioneer financed Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant, the first in the world to generate alternating current electric power for industrial application. Thanks to this historic milestone, Telluride's Gold King Mine remained open and hydroelectric plants...

"Before he was the World Heavyweight Champion and a cultural icon of 1920s, William Harrison Dempsey spent his youth as a miner, cowboy, and farmhand in the Rocky Mountain Region. A native of Manassa, Colorado, Dempsey was born to poor Mormon parents who traveled throughout Colorado and Utah looking for work wherever they could find it. Robust and powerful, Dempsey demonstrated a talent for fighting, and, with the guidance of his brother, Bernie,...