Spotlight: Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi

With 21 years in the field, former Brooklyn homicide prosecutor Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi knows a thing or two about true crime. She’s shared her expertise as the former host of True Conviction and current host of the podcast “Anatomy of Murder,” and now she is at the helm of the first season of the new Wolf Entertainment podcast “Law & Order: Criminal Justice System,” which dives into the world of the American Mafia in New York City, chronicling the real downfall of the most notorious criminal organization in history. We spoke with Anna-Sigga about what she learned throughout her career, what it’s like to see your job in action when watching Law & Order, and why she’s excited for audiences to listen to this new true crime podcast.

Q: How did you become interested in pursuing a career as a homicide prosecutor?

A: From my first semester in law school, I just knew that being a prosecutor was what I was supposed to do. Once I started in the DA’s office in Brooklyn and got into the courtroom, I truly found my calling as a trial lawyer. From there, getting to homicide is the top of the ladder, at least the way that we view it professionally. Of my 21 years as a prosecutor, I spent 17 of them as a homicide prosecutor, and I loved everything about it. The challenge of ‘the solve’ and of putting the pieces of each case together for the jury was exciting, and I learned something new from every case. Most importantly, being a voice for the voiceless has always been meaningful to me. I’ve seen the devastation left in homicide’s wake from as far back as when I was a child; when a cousin of mine was murdered, her parents became shells of their former selves, and they were never the same. While there are so many different types of cases that deserve our attention, I felt that homicide was the avenue I needed to pursue in order to be that voice. 

Q: How would you describe your experience of being a female homicide prosecutor?

A: To sum it up: fun and demanding. When I first started as a homicide prosecutor, there weren’t as many women in the field as there are today. Overall, we were treated well, though of course there were a few people that didn’t respect us. I’ll never forget one judge who would not speak to me directly; he would only speak to my male counterpart. But I saw that as a challenge. Go ahead and underestimate me — we’ll see what happens in the courtroom. Today, there are significantly more female homicide prosecutors overall, and I love that. I think it speaks to the fact that more women are saying I can do anything I want.

Q: How was your job similar to what we see on Law & Order, and how was it different?

A: I kid you not — Law & Order is my favorite TV series ever! Part of the reason is because it’s so close to real life. Even though there is some Hollywood flair to it, the show really gets what we do. I appreciate that they highlight the good and don’t shy away from the bad, both of individual characters and of the system as a whole. The truth is, it’s not a perfect system, and we’re not perfect people, but most people are doing their jobs the best that they can, fairly and honestly. I will tell you — their offices look better than ours! I also never gave a perfect three minute summation like Jack McCoy was able to do. But even so, I saw my life mirrored on television when I watched the show.

Q: What are some life lessons that you learned from your time as a prosecutor?

A: First, love what you do. I didn’t make much money for many years, but I loved each and every day on the job, and with so much of our lives spent working, that’s invaluable. Similarly, I’m doing exactly what I want to be doing now, and that’s important to me. Second, be prepared. That is key. There’s no excuse for not knowing your case. I think I view a lot of things in life the same way — I try to think things through in advance, because there will still be surprises, and overall knowledge helps us better navigate it all. Lastly, never take life and the people you love for granted. For decades, I’ve watched people lose loved ones every single day, and their lives are never the same. Seeing their pain was the hardest part of my job, but conversely the most rewarding thing is to be able to hold someone’s hand through their grief. I often remind myself that everything can be gone in an instant.

Q: Tell us about “Law & Order: Criminal Justice System.”

A: Our first season tackles the topic of organized crime, specifically the American Mafia in New York City. Mob stories have held the public’s fascination for decades, but seeing them through the lens of those that actually worked the cases or have been impacted by their reach, is on a whole different level. This show brings that perspective to the listener, and gives an inside look at how the government tackled this massive organization. I’m so happy that Law & Order has decided to take this iconic series one step further, telling these stories through voices of those that have lived it.

Q: What do you hope people learn or take away from the podcast?

A: Where there’s a will, there’s a way. In the case of the stories we cover this season, law enforcement and prosecutors were confronted with what they thought was the insurmountable task of bringing down an organization that had dominated New York City for years. Even so, they didn’t give up and instead they thought outside of the box, coming up with novel approaches. When things didn’t work out the way they expected, they pivoted, and still got to the right place, albeit by a different road. I think that if we do that in life, we can get to exactly where we need to be. It’s a great example of the criminal justice system in motion, which is at the heart of this podcast. 

“Law & Order: Criminal Justice System” will be live on iHeart and Apple Podcasts starting on Monday August 22nd. Check out the official trailer here.