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He Was a Violent Neo-Nazi Leader. Then He Found Out He Was Jewish

I first interviewed Frank Meeink years ago and I've been wanting to get his full story ever since. There are very few people whose lives read like his. And although he says he wasn't the inspiration for the movie American History X, his life runs parallel in many ways to one of the most powerful films ever made about hate in America. Frank grew up in South Philadelphia with an abusive stepfather, a mother addicted to drugs and alcohol, and no one who seemed to care. At 13, his older cousin, who had a poster of Hitler in his bedroom, recruited him into the white supremacy movement. For the first time in his life, people were interested in him. That was all it took. By 16, he was one of the most notorious skinhead gang leaders on the East Coast. By 17, he had his own cable TV show preaching neo-Nazi ideology. By 18, he was doing hard time in an Illinois prison for kidnapping and beating a teenager.

English
  • Originally Aired May 26, 2026
  • Runtime 139 minutes
  • Network United States of America YouTube
  • Created May 27, 2026 by
    BiboPenta
  • Modified May 27, 2026 by
    BiboPenta