Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob

Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob
Average customer rating:

Perfect

The First Book

Frightening account of corruption

Incredible Book

More to come??

Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob
Dick Lehr , and Gerard O'neill
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Brothers Bulger: How They Terrorized and Corrupted Boston for a Quarter Century

Brutal: The Untold Story of My Life Inside Whitey Bulger's Irish Mob

Street Soldier: My Life as an Enforcer for Whitey Bulger and the Boston Irish Mob

All Souls: A Family Story from Southie (Ballantine Reader's Circle)

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ASIN: 0060959258
Release Date: 2001-05-22

Amazon.com

In the spring of 1988, Boston Globe reporters Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill set out to write the story of two infamous brothers from the insular Irish enclave of South Boston: Jim "Whitey" Bulger and his younger brother Billy. Whitey was the city's most powerful gangster and a living legend--tough, cunning, without conscience, and above all, smart. Billy, president of the state Senate, was a political heavyweight in Massachusetts. These facts alone make for an intriguing story, but as Lehr and O'Neill found out, this was only the beginning.

John Connolly, a rising FBI agent and fellow "Southie," had known the Bulgers since boyhood when Whitey rescued him from a playground fight. After investigating organized crime in New York, Connolly was reassigned to the bureau's Boston office in 1975, and was determined to make a name for himself by relying on his old connections. He succeeded in a big way by lining up Whitey as an FBI informant in an effort to bring down the Italian Mafia--a major coup for both the FBI and Connolly. In exchange, Bulger received protection. Though heavily involved in extortion, intimidation, assassination, and drug trafficking, Connolly's "good bad guy" did not receive so much as a traffic infraction for over 20 years. In time, however, the deal changed, and information began flowing the other direction, with Bulger manipulating Connolly and a small group of corrupt FBI agents to further his nefarious network. The criminals and the lawmen eventually became virtually indistinguishable.

Black Mass expertly details the twists and turns of this complex story, painting a vivid portrait of Boston's underbelly and its inclusive political machine, as well as exposing one of the worst scandals in FBI history. It's also an examination of loyalty--to family, home, and heritage--and "a cautionary tale about the abuse of power that goes unchecked." As a final favor, Connolly tipped off Bulger that he was to be indicted on racketeering charges in 1995, allowing him time to go on the lam (he's reported to have access to secret bank accounts across the country). He was added to the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted List" in 1999. --Sharon M. Brown

Book Description

John Connoly and James "Whitey" Bulger grew up together on the streets of South Boston. Decades later, in the mid 1970's, they would meet again. By then, Connolly was a major figure in the FBI's Boston office and Whitey had become godfather of the Irish Mob. What happened next -- a dirty deal to being down the Italian mob in exchange for protection for Bulger -- would spiral out of control, leading to murders, drug dealing, racketeering indictments, and, ultimately, the biggest informant scandal in the history of the FBI.

Compellingly told by two Boston Globe reporters who were on the case from the beginning, Black Mass is at once a riveting crime story, a cautionary tale about the abuse of power, and a penetrating look at Boston and its Irish population.

Customer Reviews:

Perfect.......2007-03-14

This item was exactly what i ordered in the exact condition that i ordered it in. Would definitly do business with seller again! Thank you

The First Book.......2007-02-23

This book was the first book to be written on the Bulger/FBI scandal. For those who don't know; James "Whitey" Bulger ran Bostons Irish mafia for almost 20 years. He also was a Top Echelon Informant for the FBI. As such, they let him get away with all types of crimes, including murder. Making matters worse, his younger brother Billy was the Senate president of the Mass. state Senate. Another brother, Jackie, was a juvenile court judge. This family took corruption to new heights. Eventually they fell. Whitey is now one of the top 10 fugitives. This book by two Boston Globe reporters, details the Bulger brothers, their history, Boston politics, and how they all came together. This is a good book. The only problems are because it was written in 1998-1999, some things have changed ( For example, Bulgers partner in crime, Steven Flemi, has pleaded guilty to several murders, and is doing life without parole ). Also, there wasn't enough written about the Top Echelon Informant program and all the problems with it. I'd recomend getting 2 other books along with this to get a complete picture. 1 is Dangerous Alliances by Ralph Ranelli; the other is The Brothers Bulger by Howie Carr. All 3 books should give you a complete view of this scandal.

Frightening account of corruption.......2006-10-20

Black Mass is an unbelievable account of the illicit relationship between two Irish mobsters from South Boston (Whitey Bulger and Stevie Flemmi) and their FBI handlers (John Connolly and John Morris).

The book begins with background on South Boston and the "us against them" mentality of the residents. As a young boy, John Connolly looked up to and admired Whitey Bulger, a local gangster, and left an indelible impression on Connolly one day when Bulger rescued Connolly from a fight. Years later, when Connolly was assigned to the Boston FBI office, he sought out Bulger to turn him into an informant, hoping to make a name for himself. Bulger's younger brother was president of the state senate and Whitey by this time was head of the Irish mob in Boston, both highly regarded in their own circles.

Though Connolly may have begun the relationship with good intentions, it very quickly turned corrupt, and the information Bulger supplied Connolly was self-serving, and Connolly, never having grown out of his idolization of Bulger, did all he could to keep Whitey's record clean. The Irish and Italian mafias had a tenuous relationship, so for Bulgur, informing on his competition got them out of his way, and as long as he worked with the FBI, he was untouchable. Bulger's partner in crime, Stevie Flemmi, as it turned out, had been an informant for several years before Bulger. Rather than the FBI handling them, Bulger and Flemmi cultivated a bond with Connolly and Morris to ensure that they could do anything without fear of punishment. Reports were made up, lost, or taken; phone calls from other law enforcement agencies were ignored; Bulger and Flemmi's importance was inflated; and they were always one step ahead of a sting. Under the protection of the FBI, Bulger and Flemmi were involved in racketeering, gun running, drugs, and over a dozen murders - and got away with it.

What amazes me is that supposedly Connolly and Morris only benefited by $7000 during the two decades that Bulger and Flemmi were informants. Initially I believe that Connolly just wanted notoriety, but he is also flamboyant and likes living the high life, which it appears he did.

Eventually Morris' conscience bothered him enough to start talking, but it still took several years before Bulger, Flemmi, Connolly and Morris were indicted. Connolly warned Bulger, enabling him to escape. Flemmi, on the other hand, still thought that Morris would tell the court that this was all a mistake, and get Flemmi off as he had done for so many years.

As far as I know, Bulger is still a fugative and on the 10 Most Wanted List. I hope that regulations are now being followed to ensure FBI handlers are accountable for their action or inaction, and that the chain of command is aware of what the agents are doing. This was a well-written and engrossing story.

Incredible Book.......2006-08-19

I've had an interest in Boston and the organized crime around Boston for a while. I've actually had a big interest in the mafia in general. This is a great book with a lot of information that is very useful in understanding how corruption in the system allows organized crime to become more powerful and almost unstoppable.

More to come??.......2006-08-05

One might ask after reading this excellent book whether 2 kids,say brothers, were groomed to follow in the Bulger's footsteps but perhaps something went awry??

I know of 2 brothers from Massachusetts. Both were raised in state care during Bulger's reign. The older brother went into the army and a couple years later the younger was being harassed by activities a man who bore the same name in the same town, as if the younger brother had another identity created and which was made to look bad to hurt him in the identity confusion following. It is speculated the older brother set up the younger brother, both from Woburn,Mass and that the older brother after a name change went into FBI service at his younger brother's constant expense.Wherever the younger brother went the older followed and bad thingsalways happened to the younger as a result. There is a lot that went on but it looks as a duplicate of the Bulger's good guy/bad guy pairing for controlling different levels of influence was going on.

When the Mob Ran Vegas: Stories of Murder, Mayhem and Money

Average customer rating:

Great Read
Entertaining as well as informative
If you are interested in Vegas ... You'll love this book!
For Mobster Fans!
Why These Men Gave Their Money

When the Mob Ran Vegas: Stories of Murder, Mayhem and Money
Steve Fischer
Manufacturer: Berkline Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0977065804
Release Date: 2005-07-07

Product Description

Vegas like you've never seen, tales you've never heard -- until now. Sizzing, behind-the-scenes stories about the men, the Mob, movie stars, and missing money that made '50s and '60s Vegas such a hot spot in the Nevada desert. On opening night at the Cal-Neva Lodge, Sinatra's guests included Marilyn Monroe, Joe Kennedy and his son, John F. Kennedy. Also there that weekend were Johnny Roselli and Sam "Momo" Giancana. Uninvited and hiding up in the hills around the casino lodge was an FBI surveillance team with long-range lenses . . . From the chapter Frank Sinatras Cal-Neva Lodge "On Sept 22, 1953, the Riviera Hotel was approved, the name was changed from the Casa Blanca to the Riviera just before this meeting . . . and the list of newly approved owners included Harpo (Arthur) Marx, movie star, comedian; his brother, Gummo (Milton) Marx, comedian" . . . From the chapter Does the Riviera Still Kill Its Executives? The Tropicana partners included Rossellis bosses in Chicago: Sam Giancana, Paul Rica, Camel Humphries, Meyer Lansky, Frank Costello, and Carlos Marcello . . . Fronting for the Chicago Outfit was Ben Jaffe. He owned the giant Fountainbleu Hotel in Miami, and also owned a little insurance company in Indiana . . . From the chapter Frank Costello Builds the Tropicana "In every showroom in Las Vegas, there are certain inviolate rules. Rule Number One the headliners go for 60 minutes. Not 64. Those extra 4 minutes represent 4 minutes of lost revenue on the casino floor . . . Then Deano came out on stage with his signature, "Who are all you people, and what are you doing in my room?" and so started the two and a half hours of the Rat Pack Show!" From the chapter Coffee Shop Stories: Rat Pack and the Sands 21 stories packed with intrigue and mystery, a thoroughly research book, vintage photos.

Customer Reviews:

Great Read.......2007-05-25

The book was excellent. A lot of names were mentioned so one should really read it twice and to get the full impact take some notes as to the persons involved as the accounts have what one might count as flash backs.
For those that want to know what Las Vegas was all about when the Mob & their associates were involved this is a MUST read. Highly recommended.

Entertaining as well as informative.......2007-03-12

I could not put this book down! A lot of nonfiction books have all the allure of required reading in school. This book is written in an almost
conversational style. I learned a lot of things I did not previously know about Las Vegas history. I have loaned it to others, urging them to read it.

If you are interested in Vegas ... You'll love this book!.......2007-03-09

I have lived in Las Vegas since 1992 and this book is very accurate for the period of time that it covers. I've met and talked to a lot of "old-timers" and they have filled me in on the "mob-run" Vegas so I knew some of the info written in the book ... however this book filled in the blanks (so to speak). A GREAT read!!

For Mobster Fans!.......2007-01-10

If you loved the Gofather, Goodfellas, The Untouchables, Sopranos... and so forth. You will love this book. Some parts to drag on but for the most part a great book. Interesting facts about the real mobsters which later were used to make movies like Casino and The Godfather. Also some great storied or I guess "myths" about President Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe.

A must read for you mob fans

Why These Men Gave Their Money.......2006-10-20

The Kefauver Committee is a 1951 flashback on the Las Vegas of the 1940's. The original charge of the committee was to combat crime of any type which crossed state boundaries. What the committee ended up investigating was gambling. One witness was Frank Costello
who raspy voice was imitated by Marlon Brando in The Godfather. "On advice of counsel" Costello took the 5th Amendment 138 times in five days of testimony. Meyer Lansky was subpoenaed as were Joey Adonis and Virginia Hill. Kefauver quizzed Hill about the death of her former boyfriend, Bugsy Siegel. Hill handled the questions easily. Then Kefauver made the mistake of wanting to know why men gave her money for no apparent reason. "Senator, are you sure you want to know why these men gave me money?" Hill asked. The Kefauver Committee hearings were broadcast live on network TV. There was no time delay to censor Hill's response.

What is now the commonly conceived of view of Las Vegas began in 1945 when an attorney by the name of Bautser bought the Folsom Guest Cottages on US 91, which were at that time six miles south of Las Vegas. The buyer was one of Ben (don't call me Bugsy) Siegel's men. The planned project was The Flamingo. Siegel got lumber and pipe for the project from movie studios in Hollywood and Culver City. Marble came from the Mexican black market. Siegel made friends with a US Senator named Pat McCrarran who reprioritized the building needs of southern Nevada so that Siegel get copper fixtures and tiling in time for the Flamingo to open by Christmas 1946. Siegel had a competitive racing service in Vegas run by James Regan. During the Flamingo's grand opening, Regan was shotgun blasted in half.

Siegel had already begun to scare off the movie stars. Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn declined the Flamingo's grand opening. Clark Gable got a cold. Marlene Dietrich sprained her ankle. Gary Cooper said his mother had become very sick. At this time these stars were MGM stars and William Randolph Hearst ran the studio. Hearst hated Siegel because the latter had had a series of one night stands with starlet Marion Davies. Siegel in turn owned the Screen Actors Guild. The opening night of the Flamingo was disastrous. George raft was the only well known loser. Raft said he lost $75,000, but that didn't matter as the house was down $200,000 on just its first night. The next night was worse. Rose Marie (remember her from the Dick Van Dyke Show?) played to fewer than 20 people. Jimmy Durante played to the smallest crowd he had ever seen. New Year's Eve faired a little better with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez. In 65 days the Flamingo closed while losing close to three quarters of a million dollars.

It will be quite a number of pages before Fischer finishes his story. Along the way one will run into Meyer Lansky, Elvis, Joe Kennedy and his son John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Howard Hughes, Marilyn Monroe, Harpo Marx, and on and on. There are more big names than in front of Grumman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Fischer ends his story with Lefty Rosenthal leaving Las Vegas in the early 80's. There was no question that the Sands just had to close. Fischer and his wife take one more trip to Vegas and have to put up with a Jerry Lewis who is way too loud. Buddy Hackett does a show that under 18's can not enter and which has Frank Sinatra rolling on the floor. In the Rat Pack years of the early 60's the sands was "mobbed up." The Sands closed in 1996.

Brutal: The Untold Story of My Life Inside Whitey Bulger's Irish Mob

Average customer rating:

Less Truthful About the "Real" Whitey than Eddie Mac
Fairy tale
Brutal history of a "hit" man
New York Times bestseller
To be brutally honest, I couldn't put it down!

Brutal: The Untold Story of My Life Inside Whitey Bulger's Irish Mob
Kevin Weeks , and Phyllis Karas
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Irish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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Paddy Whacked: The Untold Story of the Irish American Gangster

ASIN: 0061148067
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Book Description

I grew up in the Old Colony housing project in South Boston and became partners with James "Whitey" Bulger, who I always called Jimmy.

Jimmy and I, we were unstoppable. We took what we wanted. And we made people disappear—permanently. We made millions. And if someone ratted us out, we killed him. We were not nice guys.

I found out that Jimmy had been an FBI informant in 1999, and my life was never the same. When the feds finally got me, I was faced with something Jimmy would have killed me for—cooperating with the authorities. I pled guilty to twenty-nine counts, including five murders. I went away for five and a half years.

I was brutally honest on the witness stand, and this book is brutally honest, too; the brutal truth that was never before told. How could it? Only three people could tell the true story. With one on the run and one in jail for life, it falls on me.

Customer Reviews:

Less Truthful About the "Real" Whitey than Eddie Mac.......2007-10-19

I'm an Irish-Catholic guy in his 40's who grew up in Boston in the late 60's and 70's. I've read Streeet Soldier and Brutal several times each, and I personally believe much more of what Eddie Mac has to say about the "real" Whitey, as opposed to the relatively reverant tone in which Weeks still speaks of Whitey. Sure, Eddie Mac and Weeks are both equally dangerous sociopaths, and will surely go to Hell (assuming it exists) for all the evil they inflicted on their fellow human beings over the years. Having said that, Weeks still seems to be loyal to Whitey, and probably knows exactly where he is hiding out these days. For that reason, I don't believe a word he says when he defends Whitey against allegations that he was a rapist, a child molester, etc. Eddie Mac definitely gives the reader more insight into what Whitey was really like...and isn't that why we all read these books, anyway?

Fairy tale.......2007-08-06

I'm sorry ,but reading this book was like reading a fairy tail.
Kevin not only followed in his mentor footsteps and became a rat ,but told the biggest fantasy story in the past 100yrs
You don't work your way up the ladder of an organization like Whitey's with out paying your dues.
How convenient that Kevin was never involved in any of the murders ,only the clean up and disposal.
His hands were dirty , plain and simple ,but to get the plea bargain he received he had to lie through his teeth to the feds ,and has told the story so many times , he now believes it.
I have read every book written about Whitey and the South Boston rat pack , and this one is by far the biggest fabrication since Snow White.

Brutal history of a "hit" man.......2007-07-09

This book has a killing almost every page. Well not exactly but his antics are very interesting. It really happened is the interesting thing.
You will enjoy it.

New York Times bestseller.......2007-06-09

There are probably many reasons why this became a best seller. I'll give you one reason to read this book. It's a fantastic read. An incredible 'true crime' story told by Kevin Weeks. I hope he writes more books.....

To be brutally honest, I couldn't put it down!.......2007-05-18

This book had my attention the whole time. An unbelieveable story. To know that Weeks was hanging out with Jimmy Bulger and Stevie Flemmi regularly made it anything but dull. These guys basically did whatever they wanted to with permission. You could say at the time they were getting away with murder. It seems like Weeks shows some remorse for chosing to live his life that way and I'm glad he wants to redeem himself. He should be sorry for causing pain to families of the victims. To learn that so many people were living a lie including the supposed good guys.In the end just about everybody was a rat! Pretty right about the title. If you're into this stuff you'll probably love the book.

Average customer rating:

Son of the Mob
Lightly Humorous, Heavily Unrealistic
Son of the mob
Great Book!
Son of the Mob

Son of the Mob
Gordon Korman
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Son of the Mob
No More Dead Dogs
Born to Rock
Bronx Masquerade
The First Part Last

ASIN: 0786815930
Release Date: 2004-08-09

Amazon.com

Vince Luca, 17, has a problem. His wealthy family runs the, uh, vending machine business in New York, and Vince is determined not to be part of it. Especially after a hot date is ruined when he finds that his older brother Tommy has conducted some business with Jimmy the Rat and hidden the messy and temporarily unconscious body in the trunk of Vince's car. His dad, the King of the Mob, is reasonable, sensible, lots of fun, gives great presents to his kids--and his name strikes the hearts of other mobsters to stone.

Although Vince keeps a low profile at school, his family connection brings him unwanted advantages, like the birthday Porsche that gets him arrested on stolen vehicle charges, or the football game in which he makes touchdown after touchdown because word has gotten around and nobody is willing to tackle him. Even private conversations at home have to be carried on in the basement because the FBI has bugged the house and an agent is always listening. Vince's life is inextricably tangled up with the family business, no matter how hard he tries to stay out of it. How can he show them he's serious? Then he meets Kendra, and when she innocently reveals that her father's an FBI agent--that FBI agent--it's a match made in heaven. He thinks.

Gordon Korman, author of (No More Dead Dogs) and over 30 other witty YA novels, is at his best in this Sopranos-style spoof about a teen's home life with the Mob. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell

Book Description

Vince Luca is just like any other high school guy. His best friend, Alex, is trying to score vicariously through him; his brother is a giant pain; and his father keeps bugging him to get motivated. There is just one thing that really sets him apart for other kidsæhis father happens to be the head of a powerful crime organization. Needless to say, while Vince's family's connections can be handy for certain things-like when teachers are afraid to give him a bad grade as they can put a serious crimp in his dating life. How is he supposed to explain to a girl what his father does for a living? But when Vince finally meets one who seems to be worth the trouble, her family turns out to be the biggest problem of all. Because her father is an FBI agent-the one who wants to put his father away for good.

Customer Reviews:

Son of the Mob.......2007-10-05

The Son of the Mob is a great book about the hecttic life of a teenage boy. The weird thing is that Vinces the main characters dad is the Mob leader of NYC (the Godfather). Vinces love Kendra is a big part of his life but her father is a FBI agent trying to get Vinces dad away forever. Although this book is very slow it was lightly funny overall it was pretty good.

Lightly Humorous, Heavily Unrealistic.......2007-08-09

Gordon Korman's SON OF THE MOB gets as much mileage as possible out of a funny situation -- the teenaged son of a mobster falls in love with the daughter of the FBI agent investigating said mobster -- but ultimately runs out of gas while taking unrealistic turns that at times make little sense. Of course, you could argue that a book written to be humorous does not have to drive over the suspension bridge of disbelief, but I'll argue that it sure would get the narrative from here to there a lot faster.

Vince Luca is the protagonist with a heart, Alex is his dweeby friend, and Kendra Bightly (set up for the gag line, daughter of "Agent Bite-Me") the girlfriend. Vince has a bad-boy older brother named Tommy, a Godfather-type dad named (guess what?) Anthony, and a mother who lives to feed her family too much like an Italian (fancy that!) grandmother. The Luca family has a lot of "uncles," if you know what I mean, and Vince commands a lot of respect simply because of his name. I can hear the stereo even as I type!

There's a few good gags in the book, and the plot is carefully constructed, it's just that the actions and the twists and turns don't seem terribly real. Vince does not want to be a mobster's son, yet takes advantage of many of its perks. Anthony Luca is ruthless, but has a heart. Mom cooks, but turns out to hold a larger than expected (or to be believed) role (pass the butter). It's all breezy and maybe entertaining, if you like this sort of thing.

Kids looking for a lot of bang-bang, shoot-em-up, Mario Puzo-type stuff will be disappointed, as this is more skewed toward the trials and tribulations of first love and fitting in with the family than with any violence. It's also safely clean, language, sex, and violence-wise. More for boys, but perhaps of interest to girls as well, SON OF THE MOB is one of those books that will work for you if you embrace both the situation and the characters. I had some trouble with both, making it what mobsters would call "my problem."

Son of the mob.......2007-05-25

The book is very deep in detil and it goes deep into the mob. in alot of the parts it's very suspensful and there is close dangerous action. you can barley put the book down and if you like the mob you'll love this book. It goes deep into the FBI falling the mob boss or godfather.

Great Book!.......2007-02-14

Son of the Mob, by Gordon Korman is a thrilling realistic fiction book about a boy, normal in every sense, except for the fact that his dad is the leader of one of the most known crime organizations in the city, the mob. Vince Luca, 16, has to deal with his dad's title on a daily basis. Son of the Mob is all about how Vince tries to help two guys, James Ratelli (Jimmy Rat) and Ed Manakin. While all of this is going on, he has to keep struggling relationship going with Kendra Brightly, an FBI agent's daughter, with out spilling the beans about his dad. Vince ha

Son of the Mob is a great books for teens, because it talks about all the things that we have to deal with in our everyday lives. I would definitely recommend it to any and all of my friends. but I would not recommend it to any kids under 12-13, because of some scenes in the book, and adults probably wouldn't enjoy it as much. Son of the Mob is not in a series, and it is not a prequel, or a sequel.
My point of view is that he did the right thing, most of the time. This book is about organized crime, mystery, and realistic fiction. The themes are about doing the right thing, love, and lots, lots more. Gordon Korman has written more than 50 books for teens. I give it a 4 stars, out of five.

- Matt Hupy

Son of the Mob.......2006-05-26

Ages 13 and up. Vincent Luca, a 17 year old now a senior in high school, is a mob prince in 'Son of the Mob'. His best friend Alex helps him through his tangeled life with his dad's business, also called 'The Life'. Vince has lovelife problems, until this one amazing girl, Kendra Bightly enters his life; who happens to be the daughter of a FBI agent who is trying to put Vince's dad in prison for a long time. Kendra happens to be the miracle of Vince's life. Would Vince reveal his identity to Kendra? What will he do next? Get your hands on this sensational, comical and amazing book by Gordon Korman.

A Criminal and an Irishman: The Inside Story of the Boston Mob-IRA Connection

Average customer rating:

Amazing
Good solid book
How do you serve as a marine and not think of yourself as an American?
Another bonkers avowed bad guy writes a page turner
An Irishman and a criminal

A Criminal and an Irishman: The Inside Story of the Boston Mob-IRA Connection
Patrick Nee , Richard Farrell , and Michael Blythe
Manufacturer: Steerforth
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Irish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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Legends of Winter Hill: Cops, Con Men, and Joe McCain, the Last Real Detective

ASIN: 1586421034
Release Date: 2006-03-14

Book Description

A Criminal and an Irishman is an incomparable account of Pat Nee's life as an Irish immigrant and Southie son, a Marine, a convicted IRA gun smuggler, and a former top associate of Whitey Bulger's. His narrative transports the reader into the criminal underworld, inside the planning and preparation for an armored car heist, inside gang wars and revenge killings. Pat Nee details his evolution from tough street kid to armed robber to dangerous potential killer. He discloses for the first time how he used his underworld connections and know-how as a passionate and effective IRA operative. For years law enforcement and the media have speculated about important events with Pat Nee near or at their center: the Mullen-Killeen gang war for control of South Boston, the Valhalla smuggling operation (seven tons of heavy weapons aboard a fishing boat from Gloucester, Massachusetts, bound for Ireland), the murder of John McIntyre, and many other episodes. Pat NeeÕs stories are sometimes dark and brutal, but they shed light on the world in which we live, and are stories that only he can tell.

Customer Reviews:

Amazing.......2007-05-04

This is the best book in its class. Nee is everything that Mac, Weeks, Shea aren't. He is truthful and honest. Nee's story puts it all into perspective and negates all the other fiction. Nee's story is the one that you want to hear about. Recounting the events of his life, that he remembers. The South Boston gang war chapter is outstanding, and the valhalla chapter is almost a "how to smuggle" for those of you interested. Nee's story is both moving and compelling, with his sentiment towards his brother and his belief in the IRA as opressed people. Nee's image of Whitey Bulger is outstanding. This is a definite good read. buy it.

Good solid book.......2007-01-28

This is a solidly wriiten book on criminal activity in Boston and arms smuggling to Ireland. The author pulls no punches about what he did and offers no apologies to the lifestyle he choose. You can either love or hate him but he seems to be a respectable guy from this book. The co-authors do a pretty good job putting his voice into a readable manner.

How do you serve as a marine and not think of yourself as an American?.......2007-01-01

I had high hopes for this one, in light of the pros working with Nee. It just seemed to degenerate into a political polemic, however, about half way through; almost like two mini-books with stange pacing by the editor. Without trying to, I found myself mentally substituting "Al Qaeda" for IRA, trying unsuccessfully to differentiate in my mind why these guys were substantially different from middle eastern "freedom fighters". Left unexamined was the tragic way his family started him on his path in life, making him a really angry guy in general. Despite service in the USMC, he doesn't refer to himself as an American throughout most of the book. I really wish I could have liked this one more but I know plenty of guys like Nee who made better life choices.

Another bonkers avowed bad guy writes a page turner.......2006-06-01

You don't have to approve of the lifestyle choices of this thug to enjoy what is a great story. This is not really a morality tale per se although from the writer's warped perspective there is the redeeming aspect of the the whole in that Nee's passion was supporting the IRA terrorists by buying and shipping a huge magnitude of firearms for the "soldiers" to use to fight for their freedom. ( Great pains are taken to keep the arms dry so they are outfitted with plastic bags that the IRA soldiers store in the bogs ) A million dollars worth are shipped "free of charge" by the Boston irish patriots-I won't spoil all the fun for you readers. Whitey is only a supporting player in this particular shenanigans , but he does get artfully dissed which is a small pleasure... The bottom line is that all that honor and bravery aside,
there was no small amount of criminal shake downs, thefts, and all sorts of nefarious doings that supported the criminals self and family , but then again- he never said he was a "good guy" !

An Irishman and a criminal.......2006-04-12

I absolutely loved this book. Richard Farrell captured the essence of Patrick Nee and put the words to paper beautifully. I read the book in three days, I couldn't put it down. It has already been stolen from me by my mother! Kudos' to a job well done.

True Tales from Another Mexico: The Lynch Mob, the Popsicle Kings, Chalino, and the Bronx

Average customer rating:

Not the tourist destination, not the paradise for expats
Leadership in plural in Mexico.
Give us more!
Chalino is the bomb!!!
A must read.

True Tales from Another Mexico: The Lynch Mob, the Popsicle Kings, Chalino, and the Bronx
Sam Quinones
Manufacturer: University of New Mexico Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Course of Mexican History

ASIN: 0826322956

Book Description

As journalist Sam Quinones convincingly demonstrates, much of Mexico was already changing before the July 2000 presidential elections which ousted the PRI and presented the world with President-elect Vincente Fox. Fox's victory marked the triumph of another Mexico, a vital, energetic, and creative Mexico tracked by Quinones for over six years.

"This side of Mexico gets very little press. . . . yet it is the best of the country. . . . people who have the spunk to imagine something else and instinctively flee the enfeebling embrace of PRI paternalism. . . . newly realistic telenovellas show the gray government censor that the country is too lively to abide his boss's dictates. . . . Some twelve million Mexicans reside year-round in the United States. . . . [so] the United States is now part of the Mexican reality and is where this other side of Mexico is often found, reinventing itself."--from the introduction.

Quinones merges keen observation with astute interviews and storytelling in his search for an authentic modern Mexico. He finds it in part in emigrants, people who use wits and imagination to strike out on their own. In poignant stories from north of the border--about Oaxacan basketball leagues in southern California and the late singing legend Chalino Sánchez whose songs of drug smugglers spurred the popularity of the narcocorrido--Quinones shows how another Mexico is reinventing itself in America today. But most of his stories are from deep inside Mexico itself. There a dynamic sector exists. It is made up of those who instinctively shunned the enfeebling embrace of the PRI's paternalism, including scrappy entrepreneurs such as the Popsicle Kings of Tocumbo and Indian migrant farmworkers who found a future in the desert of Baja California. Here, too, are true tales from ignored margins of society, including accounts of drag queens and lynchings. From the fringes of the country, Quinones suggests, emerge some of the most telling and central truths about modern Mexico and how it is changing.

"This book expands our knowledge of modern Mexico many times over. Quinones unearths a wealth of material that has in fact gone unnoticed or been hidden."--Professor Francisco Lomelí, University of California, Santa Barbara

Customer Reviews:

Not the tourist destination, not the paradise for expats.......2007-06-04

Another reviewer pointed out that Quinones' accounts are "researched", and this is true; he's done what he needed to do to find his facts. But I would add that the overwhelming note, for me, is that the man has "been there". I heard about "True Tales" from a reviewer of Elijah Wald's "Narcocorrido", and would now agree with that reviewer that the Quinones piece on Chalino Sanchez tells us a lot more about his world than Wald's book, valuable but a bit touristy, a bit arch, and a bit academic. There is an immediacy in these chapters by Quinones, of grittiness, suffering, delusion, terror, helplessness, of all the qualities of the many Mexicans Quinones met and listened to. His description of the lynching is the most direct, realistic and frightening I've ever read; this can happen anywhere, anytime. These stories are unadorned realities of Mexico and the Border, and the entire world as well.
As Edward Abbey said, of the same country, "this is the real world, muchachos, and you are in it."

Leadership in plural in Mexico........2005-08-26

It is clear from the book there is more than one Mexico. It's not what you think. The border is a focus but hardly all. Gangs are a focus. The book raises a major question. Is Mexico changing and how?Quinones presents many portraits from gangbanger singer Chalino Sanchez to the dead women of Juarez. Each sketch adds a different and fascinating dimension to a complex perception of what Mexico is. No other book presents that plurality as well. The book is a page turner, a fast paced quick read. It is not, however, superficial but in-depth coverage. It is fascinating.

Give us more!.......2004-09-01

This book will blow your mind. Quinones is able to totally take you into worlds rarely heard about before. Who knew there was a thriving basketball hotbed in Oaxaca that has been transported to LA? The whole genre of narcocorridos (basically, traditional Mexican "country" [ranchero] music with a gangsta slant) started in LA, too.

The topics of lynchings in rural Mexico, the popularity of telenovelas at home and in Eastern Europe(?) and the religious cult at Neuva Jerusalen are all so fascinating and far beyond anything anyone has probably imagined Mexico to be.

He has an inate ability to dig up and find the most fascinating stories in the most out-of-the-way places yet also show how they often are a microcosmic reflection of how Mexican society operates in general.

The question is: When is Sam Quinones going to compile a Tales 2?

Chalino is the bomb!!!.......2003-10-09

IN MANY OF THE STATEMENTS THAT I READ I SEEN THAT MANY SAID A LOT ABOUT THE WRITTER WELL WE ALL HAVE MANY OPINIONS I PERSONALLY HAVE MY OWN OPINION I THINK IS ONE MY GREAT BOOKS THAT I HAVE TO READ IN MY FREE TIME LIKE SCHOOL OR JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE BUT JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT I LOVE CHALINO AS THE PERSON HE WAS A WHILE BACK WITH HIS MUSIC I ADMIRE HIM AS A FATHER AND I AM IN LOVE WITH HIS SON 4-SHO!!!

A must read........2002-02-07

This book is fantastic. I don't often actually buy non-fiction because I usually don't plan to re-read it. This is a rare exception. Quinones is 1st & foremost a great storyteller. You'd hardly notice that it's all true if it weren't for the fact that these tales are simply too good to be fiction. Quinones has a knack for noticing the seemingly invisible. The best example being the tale of Chalino Sanchez (who graces the cover). How could someone who completely misses the U.S. radar of popular culture become a folk hero and single-handedly create a musical genre selling millions of copies of albums in the process & then having at least 1,500 songs written about him? Quinones manages to make it sound perfectly believable. If you're anything like me you'll be mesmerized by these essays.

The State Line Mob: A True Story of Murder and Intrigue

Average customer rating:

the State Line Mob- Great Read!
An Amazing Story. A Must Read For Any Pusser Fan
fascinated reader
A Must For Buford Pusser Fans and Foes
Pretty good account of what really happened

The State Line Mob: A True Story of Murder and Intrigue
W. R. Morris
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Murder & Mayhem | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Walking Tall Trilogy Boxed Set

ASIN: 1558538615

Book Description

From the man whose first book inspired the movie Walking Tall now comes this startling, true account of ruthless criminals who reigned for decades.

Customer Reviews:

the State Line Mob- Great Read!.......2007-03-24

Once I started reading the book, it was hard to put it down. I live only a few counties north of where all this was taking place. I only thought I
had an idea of what was taking place and about the people who were running the gambling, illegal whisky, and prostitution operation. That was one tough
area vs one tough sheriff who had to "fight fire with fire".

An Amazing Story. A Must Read For Any Pusser Fan.......2006-11-13

It took only one day to read this book. It was like a magnet in my hands I could not put it down. I have seen
the movies, and heard stories of Buford Pusser, but now
I know the facts. What an awesome book.

fascinated reader.......2005-10-31

as a little boy who grew up thinking sheriff andy taylor had a cool job, i've always found the sheriff pusser stories interesting.(in a 21 year law enforcement career, i found the job required a little buford pusser and a lot of andy taylor) i read the twelveth of august back in high school and thought the story fascinating but poorly written. the state line mob was better written and after meeting w.r. morris,his lovely wife cathy and spending an afternoon riding the roads of mcnairy county, i began to understand the relationship between him and the sheriff pusser. he couldn't tell the story inthe state line mob while sheriff pusser was living. i think he did a good job of telling the story. he told me about getting into a discussion with one of the characters in the book, who was voicing his displeasure with his portrayal in the book and mr. morris asked him one question: did i lie about you in the book? the man answered to the negative but he still didn't like being mentioned in the book. i've just order my second copy seeing how i loaned my first out to a so-called friend who never returned it. it's a keeper.

A Must For Buford Pusser Fans and Foes.......2004-09-17

This book will probably only be of interest to followers of the Buford Pusser story (the Sheriff of "Walking Tall" fame). It is the final book in Morris' Buford Pusser trilogy (the first two are "Twelfth of August" and "Buford"). Morris was the Tennessee Sheriff's official biographer but fell from favor with Pusser before his death and thus the book is written with a slightly unfavorable view of the late lawman. Morris reveals Pusser to be "less than the idealistic hero" of the Walking Tall movies in this book. The book tells the story of the "State Line" area that was the backdrop for Pusser's adventures as Sheriff. It tells the sordid stories of the individuals and the establishments of the region (Alcorn County MS and McNairy County TN).

The book itself is not nearly as well written as "Twelfth of August." Morris attempts to dramatize the stories and only makes them less credible by the way he does so. Be cautioned as it is filled with profanity. It also contains sexual content (unnecessarily I might add). It should be noted that many consider Morris to be a poor authority on the Pusser/State Line story and that he wrote only for profit, embellishing and exagerating the stories he tells for effect. He is villified by both sides of the story today. Personally I have found no reason to doubt him outright and he is the only source of information about the Pusser Legend.

Pretty good account of what really happened.......2002-04-19

As a resident of McNairy Country, I have grown up with the legend of Buford Pusser. I remember watching Walking Tall in my high school class. The movie made me sick. I hate the hero status that Buford Pusser has taken when he is the farthest thing from it. When people hear where I am from, they always say "Buford Pusser is the greatest: and I have to refrain from telling them all the horrible details. Although this book really didn't center him, it touched on the fact that he wasn't the greatest lawmaker to ever live. I would love to see a book that told the real story about Pusser.

Average customer rating:

Great read
[...]
Not what it seems, BORING
gotti
gotti

Mob Star: The Story of John Gotti
Gene Mustain , and Jerry Capeci
Manufacturer: Alpha
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0028644166

Customer Reviews:

Great read.......2005-02-22

This book was accurate and for someone who is intrested and enjoys reading about John Gotti this is a great book for you to read. A little dragged out in some areas such as the Trials but very interesting. I enjoyed reading this book very much, as i believe you will as well

[...].......2005-02-06

as far as i could tell, the book was ok. the best part out of the entire book for me was the pictures but they should of added more. reading some of the chapters were so damn booooring. theye need to get better writers or something. is jerry capeci was the best writer of organized crime how come this book was so boring then? i see other books and then see only half truths and authors twisting the words and stuff. someone needs to write a real book that has the real truth, not making it up or just writing it to get publicity for Gotti's name which i find very sick bcuz the authors glorified and even said in the book in the first pages or so that they and lots or prosecutors and FBI agents and judges and attorneys all became bestsellers and very very successful because of John Gotti's name. I swear. Especially since they glorified in saying that in the book, i find that very disgusting and very low for people like them who are suppose to be professionals, especially gloating from the man who died of cancer. I wouldn;t care if he was osama bin laden, i thought the thing about the authors saying that they became successful because of Gotti's name is disgusting and they're making money because of it. that's very very low. Disgusting. and Spare me about how gotti was a criminal if you were an author writing about him, you wouldn't brag that you became successful because of his name. total lack or professionalism in my view and very disgusting. [...] Some of the stuff that he typed in the first chapters saying that John Gotti blew a basketcase about how his grandson said that he wanted to become a criminal and how he yelled at his grandson for saying that was such a exaggeration because i heard the tapes. Complete and total exaggeration. I guess with books of [...] like these, you have to be really careful about what the author writes because they can exaggerate the truth since this is part of the media thing after all. i give it only one stars cuz the pictures were the most interesting part of the book. Rest of it [...]. It disgust me that people would do anything to make money. I guess the disgusting thing is money makes the world go round.

Not what it seems, BORING.......2004-03-20

When I picked this book up I thought I would get a nice history of Gotti. That was true to some extent but the majority of the book was devoted to the trials. If you are a lawyer or someone who is interested in that sort of thing then this book is for you. If you want a good read then pick up the Capeci book on Gotti,that is top of the line! You can also read this if you are having problems sleeping....

gotti.......2003-04-08

John Gotti started out as a nobody from Queens,New York, who would later become the biggest know name in the mafia today. After he assassinated Paul Castellano, the boss of the Gambino family John started to climb his way up in the mafia life.Through out the book the authors go into great detail about John and the family. John was always a fan of the press and media, he wanted his name to be know to all. That was also exactly what happend. John was the most feared man in New York for most of the 80's and the early 90's. After gettin extreamly popular the FBI and RICO started to fallow him and bug his hidouts and homes. In the mid 90's John and his two main men Sammy and Frankie were arrested and sentenced to life in prison.After that the Gambino family fell apart.

The book Mob Star was thrilling and exciting. After reading the first chapter it was hard not to put this book down. The way the authors go into great detail about what is going on and how it happens, you feel like you were in the same room with john at every moment.Mob Star is a very fast reading book,only because you can not wait to see what John Gotti gets into next.I would recomend this book to anyone who likes the Mafia or just wants to read an excilent book.

gotti.......2003-04-08

The book Mob Star was thrillin and exciting. After reading the first chapter it was hard not to put this book down. The way the authors go into great detail about what is going on and how it happens, you feel like you were in the same room with john at every moment.Mob Star is a very fast reading book,only because you can not wait to see what John Gotti gets into next.I would recomend this book to anyone who likes the Mafia or just wants to read an excilent book.

Mob: Stories of Death and Betrayal from Organized Crime
Average customer rating:

Nasty compilation of good books...

MOB is the best book I've ever read.

A realistic, thrilling story

Nice sampler from the mob buffet

Read it or else....

Mob: Stories of Death and Betrayal from Organized Crime

Manufacturer: Thunder's Mouth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Joey the Hitman: The Autobiography of a Mafia Killer (Adrenaline Classics Series)

ASIN: 156025324X

Book Description

Adrenaline Books' search for the world's best and most exciting stories has taken readers from the peaks of Everest to the jungles of Papua, New Guinea to the battlefields of World War II. Now, the editor of publishing's most successful adventure literature series takes readers into the heart of organized crime. Some of our culture's greatest literary talent has been drawn to this topic, which taps into our culture's deepest preoccupations--greed, violence, desire. Mob features work from best-selling writers such as Peter Maas, William Kennedy, Martin Cruz Smith, and Mario Puzo; from acknowledged masters of the genre such as Nicolas Pileggi (Wiseguy, Casino) and Joseph Pistone (Donnie Brasco); and from law enforcement insiders and mobsters such as Sammy Giancana and Joseph O'Brien.

Customer Reviews:

Nasty compilation of good books..........2007-10-20

You're much better off going to the original books this compilation rips off. There are editing mistakes galore in this volume, and the editor adds nothing new (except some typos). I'd sell mine as a used book but I don't want to rip off someone else with this trash.

MOB is the best book I've ever read........2004-03-09

This book is great,it is what got me hooked on stories about the mob and mafia. I would recomend it to any one who is intrested in organized crime.

A realistic, thrilling story.......2003-05-08

Overall, I think that this book was exceptional. The stories contained are, for the most part, gripping and real. I couldn't put the book down when I read the story by "Joey", the anonymous hitman. The most exciting thing about this book is the reality of it. The mojority of stories contained are about real people and real things. I recommend this book to everyone

Nice sampler from the mob buffet.......2002-10-22

Only the most ardent organized crime reader probably won't find something new in this collection of short stories dealing with reader fascination with dangerous lifestyles. This sampler of mob-lore covers stories allegedly by the folks who lived and died it, and some history to add dessert to your meal.

For those who like the relative safety of their reading chair, we get a step-by-step process of the so-called "hit men" of the mob. They are so-called because most members who have reached any decent level of leadership have all done at least one hit, so the true full-time professional is not that common. For this profession though, we do get an evolution of the man, and his general techniques.

The stories here are excerpts from other works, so if your a mob junkie, you might have read a lot of it already. I previously had read the Sammy Gravano book that contributed this excerpt. You not only get a sample of the self-admitted bad man, but also a taste of what I didn't like in the full-length book, which was a constant jabbering of what a decent, honorable guy Sammy really is. This book, was, of course, before the guy got busted out West for running meth labs while in witness protection.

My favorite of the "true life" stories was the one that inspired the movie "Donnie Brasco". Here we have the story of how a guy had to sacrifice a lot of family time over a period of years to do his undercover work, even once having to spend Christmas with mobsters when he promised his own family some quality Holiday time. The book I'm reviewing is good because now I want to read the whole "Brasco" saga.

In the history part, we do get a brief glimpse of how this whole type of society came about. True, the people of Italy were extremely oppressed at the time of it's formation, but it also tells how the local culture first establishes male "honor", then expects him to prove it via competition, and if you won by using your own rules, that made you that much more of a worthy opponent. To his credit, the editor of this compilation does not glorify this behavior, and makes it clear to the audience that any honorable "codes" only last as long as is convenient for anyone involved.

Read it or else...........2002-07-30

Fans of The Sopranos, the Godfather, and mob/crime fiction/nonfiction will find this Clint Willis-edited book a virtual Hometown Buffet of delicious crime treats. If you like mob fiction/nonfiction and don't read this you deserve to wake up with a horse's head in your bed.

A sign of this book's huge success is that it truly leaves you wanting more. You'll be so fascinated that you'll DEFINITELY want to go to each of the primary sources and read them too. It's a fast, fascinating read: chapters comprised of well-edited excerpts from books, magazine articles and two works of fiction.

I was especially fascinated (and motivated) by the excerpt from the fictional (I think) Godfather. I read the book when I came out, saw the flicks a zillion times but realized in reading this excerpt how great the original book was and how it differs from the movie (the Michael character actually seems stronger in the original story). I'll be re-reading that book soon.

Every chapter is a gem and there are too many to go into here. My favorites included Peter Maas' excerpt from Underboss, the story of Sammy the Bull Gravano; an excerpt from mob hitman "Joey's" book Killer (the code of honor, precisely how he makes a hit with such efficiency and low risk); part of Nicholas Pileggi's Casino, describing how a horrified businessman one day found himself cemented to mob-connected business partners; Defending the Mafia, the eye-opening and ultimately sad story of mob lawyer Gerald Shargel's use of his considerable talent to keep mafiosos out of jail; part of Boss of Bosses, the bittersweet saga of aging Don Paul Castellano, eventually murdered by ambitious John Gotti's skilled associates; and the saddest and most poignent piece of all, Jeffrey Goldberg's The Don Is Done, about the lives of children of bigwig mafiosos.

This book MOVES. And it'll send you scrambling to read more. A MUST to read or to gift.

Mafia Allies: The True Story of America's Secret Alliance with the Mob in World War II
Average customer rating:

Engrossing.

Informative, readable, generally believable

The Mafia Goes to War!

Mafia Allies: The True Story of America's Secret Alliance with the Mob in World War II
Tim Newark
Manufacturer: Zenith Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0760324573

Book Description

The Mafia is one of the most feared and powerful criminal organizations the world has ever known. It was also, briefly during World War II, America’s allyâa fact that had a profound effect on the fortunes of the Fascists, and on those of the Mafia, whom Mussolini had effectively crushed. This book brings to light a little-known chapter in the history of World War II, and of organized crime. It tells how Cesare Mori, deputized by Mussolini to âcauterize the sore of crime in Italy,â waged all-out war on the Mafia in the name of fascism; and how the Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943 (Operation Husky) gave the Mafia an opening to regain its strengthâand its hold on political powerâin the vacuum created by the Fascists’ defeat. A provocative account of how the rise and ultimate defeat of fascism in Italy affected the world’s largest and most notorious criminal organization, Mafia Allies also illuminates a dark truth about the unexpected long-term consequences of wartime alliances of convenience.

Customer Reviews:

Engrossing........2007-06-17

The Mafia is the most powerful criminal network in the world - but it was nearly destroyed by Mussolini, prospered in the U.S., and has even had condoned relationships with the U.S. government. Eyewitness accounts, intelligence documents, and newly available source material lend to an in-depth coverage of Mafia history and politics which reveals events not surveyed elsewhere. Both specialty collections covering terrorism and organized crime and general-interest public lending libraries will find MAFIA ALLIES engrossing.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Informative, readable, generally believable.......2007-05-12

Author Tim Newark establishes himself as an authority on military-Mafia cooperation during the Second World War and on the historical context of that unholy alliance. His book is well organized, readable and very informative. Readers will encounter details of the underworld's early fight against Nazis and Fascists, of the mobsters who attempted to rehabilitate their images by aiding (or appearing to aid) the war effort, and of the Allies' willingness to embrace Old World Mafiosi as they attempted to penetrate Hitler's Fortress Europe.

The excitement Newark generates during his well documented discussion of Mafia-Navy cooperation to secure U.S. Atlantic waters and ports fizzles out a bit as the story moves across the Atlantic to deal with U.S. and British efforts to enlist Mafia aid in the Sicily landings. The author's myth-busting conclusions are entirely justified by the facts but anticlimactic.

A couple of caveats:
- Casual readers might be put off by the frequent use of extended quotations. (However, many are very interesting and worth the momentary distraction from the narrative.)
- Hardcore mob historians will certainly be put off by the frequent use of excerpts from the suspect "The Last Testament of Lucky Luciano." (While the supposed Luciano quotes add to the color of the story, they subtract just a bit from its credibility.)

(Along the same lines: The Luciano Project: The Secret Wartime Collaboration of the Mafia and the U.S. Navy by Rodney Campbell, McGraw-Hill, 1977.)

The Mafia Goes to War!.......2007-04-10

With Mafia Allies, Tim Newark presents an absorbing account of the often shaky collaboration between Allied intelligence organizations and the American and Sicilian underworlds during World War II. It's an admirable work providing new details and shattering some popular myths along the way. Beginning with Mussolini's repression of the Sicilian Mafia and carrying on through the efforts of New York mobsters against Nazi and Fascist sympathizers, to Luciano's involvement in securing the waterfront, and on to the conquest of Sicily and the headaches inflicted afterward to the AMG through black marketeering and corruption and the Mafia's postwar involvement with Giuliano and the Sicilian Separatist movement. It's a great book, though I at first found the quotes from the dubious "Last Testament of Lucky Luciano" somewhat distracting.

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