I posted above ^^^ that I hope Deitche' s hitmen book isn't as thin as his Garden state gangland book.
So ,just received the book and its 110 pages of writing. 10 of photos. And an incredible 50 pages of notes.
That's very poor going. For instance, DeStefanos books are around 250 pages and Dimatteo's around 220 pages.

Review of Hitmen, THE PURPLE GANG by Deitche.

Is Ok, not good, just okay. Said^^^^ that book is lacking in the pages area.
Sure, their's probably not a huge amount of info about the purples to write about. But 110 odd pages is skimpy.

Photos are not great either. Over half are locations snaps that show the present rather than what the St/ building was like in the 70s.

Main gripe is there is no personal stories/ input from anyone involved with the gang. Be they gang or law enforcement. You learn nothing about the people involved.

Also, minor point, but there are lots of gangsters who are related.
So lots of people with the same surname, few with same full name as there dad.
Gets very confusing.
Overall, I should of waited until it's been reviewed by others on goodreads.
And buy it second hand.

CARMINE AND THE 13th AVENUE BOYS: Surviving Brooklyn's Colombo Mob
https://www.amazon.com/CARMINE-13th-AVENUE-BOYS-Surviving/dp/1957288108

For the genre it's 4/5 stars; and for research, narrative, etc. its 4.5-5/5. It's one of the few organized crime, true crime, reads that I'll tolerate where the back-stories - neighborhood, demographics, etc. - represent a large proportion of the effort. But in this case, they are so well-crafted from Carmine's recollection and retold by the author so as to be compelling. I could feel being transported there via a historical virtual reality metaverse. I can write the same of the latter section of the story; this in the Midwest and without the support of the crime narrative. Again here, Carmine and the author had me compelled through his experiences surviving - tales of Carmine leveraging his street-survival skills - and thriving personally and professionally. This book is 4 of 5 stars and not 5/5 (for the genre) as much of what is anticipated via a lived experience - murder plots, brutal violence - is short of the "linguine and bullets" eyewitness account expected of mobophile readers. Overall, very well done for a genre that has gone from solid first-hand accounts to ship-shod poorly written 3rd person accounts.

The book of above has a timeline in the preview. Imbiale was born in 1957, and in 1973 is already a gangster, by 1974 he is with the Mafia and had encounters with Joe Columbo. All this by age 16-17.

I did a short-hand of birth date while reading and considered what you're noting, but this is someone that I believe dropped out of high school and was already a street predator. Personal encounters with Colombo? Maybe noting what he heard, etc. Most of the other timelines appear reasonable.

Anyone have any opinions on which pizza connection book I've got is better?

1. The pizza connection
2. Last Days of the Sicilians
seems the 1st is about the trial.

1 of the 2 is my next read. Got the Gotham Unbound book ,also. About unions and the mob. got it for my collection , rather than any interest in the topic. Might be good

Finished GOTHAM UNBOUND. About the NYC MAFIA's influence on legit industries through their control of certain unions.
Definitely, not for everyone as the book is more ' academia '. Could be someone's thesis/ dissertation.

But, you can see that the mob must of been making big money from 40s/ 50s through to the mid 90's.
Lucchese's must of been a really well run/ wealthy family .
Book makes clear that they had huge union influence. I'd say, up there with the Gambinos and just behind the Genovese. Colombos had a bit of the unions ( scopo etc . Bonannos the least, had a couple of things, that's it.

If, like me, you're trying to build up a mob book collection, get it. Cheap

La Source is available as of yesterday.

I just finished Selwayn Raab's 5 familes, and am about to start the family secrets book. Is it any good for those that have read?

Personally, I found it hard going. Stopped reading after awhile. Not saying book isn't good but not for me. Bought the other book on the case, family affair, by giancana + burnstein. Haven't checked it out yet.

Find the idea of a son ratting on his father pretty unpalatable, maybe that's why.

Currently reading, first family, on morello et al. Like it, authors dredged up more info than you'd think on guys from 1880s to 1920s

I will have to check out family affairs. I enjoyed family secrets, but I agree. Hard for me to feel a whole lot of remorse for Frank Jr who by his own admission stole 800K from his father, then wore a wire on him.

Sale alert, which I received just this morning via email, re: this newly released English translation of La source:

Inside the Montreal Mafia: The Confessions of Andrew Scoppa

I'm not sure whether this is a 1-day sale or not. I'll check again tomorrow and report back.

Available on Kobo Canada for $4.99 ($4.49 if you have a VIP membership):
https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/07aaad2d-b1f2-4468-81dc-0f1eceb20338

Available on Kobo US for $4.99:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/inside-the-montreal-mafia

-------------------------

Not sure whether the $9.99 USD price on Amazon US is the regular price, but it's still a good deal -- see below.

https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Montreal-Mafia-Confessions-Andrew-ebook/dp/B09MXG35TW

^^^^
Still on sale today (Sunday) on both the Kobo Canada and Kobo US sites.

PERSICO by Dimatteo, good book. Then again plenty to write about with Persico.
That guy was basically involved with the justice system his whole life. From mid teens involved in murder cases, shootings etc. Even when he was out on the streets in the 60s he was in four ? trials for cargo theft. 70s in jail ,out few years , then life.

Persico is definitely an interesting subject. However I don't trust the author, Dimatteeo is an embellisher, and he claims to have been close to the Gallo brothers, who were enemies with Perscio. He is all over Facebook promoting his books, and does have photos of himself standing near Al Gallo. As an author he seems to just say anything without serious evidence to backk things up, or he just repeats myths and stories that have been around for years. That and his pro Gallo anti-Perscio bias add up to him not being very credible.

@jace
But he says his ' dad ' was a gallo gunman, especially for Larry.
Truthfully I didn't think he came across as a bullshi*ter in his president St book. No " I was a top dog, wanted by all the 5 families"
I don't know what he does on social media but I liked the 2 books of his so far. His godfather was also one of Joe gallos top shooters.
Got his carmine dibiase book as well but I'm sure there isn't a books worth of info on him. Also got his Anastasia book.

** is Larry mazza book only a ebook?

Sorry you didn't like it. Hopefully, you'll like one of my others.

On the photos, unfortunately, I wrote this during the height of COVID, so everything at the federal level was shut down in terms of accessing FOIA and other materials, so I was unable to go through some of my usual sources to access photos. First time that's ever happened to me with a book.

Didn't know you posted. To be fair, I said it's OK.
Currently reading your Garden State book. . Now that is a good book.

I know some of you still can't order a paperback of this as it releases later on in Canada/USA but if you read ebook, this one is currently a great read, so personal and well written!

https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/chasing-the-mafia

Appreciate the feedback on Garden State. I'm good with whatever people think. Not everyone's going to like my stuff. Just wanted to clarify on the photos, because that was not my plan originally. As you can see in Garden State, I like mugshots!

I got the audio book. Very well researched. Especially on the beginnings of the Families there. I often wonder how powerful the Decavalcantes and Philly would have been if it was one Family. Or even if they just had a few key guys like Ritchie the Boot and Tony Bananas Caponigro

Thank you.

Appreciate the feedback on Garden State. I'm good with whatever people think. Not everyone's going to like my stuff. Just wanted to clarify on the photos, because that was not my plan originally. As you can see in Garden State, I like mugshots!
[/quote]

I got the audio book. Very well researched. Especially on the beginnings of the Families there. I often wonder how powerful the Decavalcantes and Philly would have been if it was one Family. Or even if they just had a few key guys like Ritchie the Boot and Tony Bananas Caponigro
[/quote]


Finished Garden State and ,yes, it is very good. Chapters on all the different era's and families made it a good read.

Got Body Mike about Cantalupo. Didn't even know he had a book out.

https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/chasing-the-mafia

50% off until 17 July

Chasing the Mafia
'Ndrangheta, Memories and Journeys

By Anna Sergi

BODY MIKE about Colombo and crime inc rat joe cantalupo. Good book because he was close to Joe Colombo. Plenty of mentions of well-known mobsters.
These books by ' associates ' i find to be better than books by made guys who turned rat. Not so much of the ' I was a man of honor , I was forced to turn informer by others ' rubbish.
Ps, talks about a Johnny russo genovese loanshark in the 1970s. But I'm sure it ain't the one called pussy. Nothing came up when I done a quick search. Any info ?

SONNY by SJ PEDDIE
Good book , but like author explains not easy to write about a 100 year old guy when all his contemporaries are dead. Author had some face to face interviews in the ( poor people) nursing home JF was in. ( none of his his kids let him stay, or their mother ). Hardly anything on early career but gets better once it gets to the mid 60s.

Pretty sure the law was out to get him. Clean or dirty. Went the dirty way in a 50 !! year sentence for supposedly running a bank robbery crew with a gang of lowlifes.
This ended up in repeated parole violations so back to jail many times. All the way up to the 90's.

His children from his first wife are not ever mentioned but the kids from his second wife were a mess except 1 daughter.
The little bits on Michael don't show him in a good light at all. He arranged his mother's funeral but didn't attend. And had her, who prided herself on her appearance, buried in a hospital gown!!

Michael's biological father was a guy called Louis Grillo from mums first marriage. So let's hope that question is cleared up.

Now to John, much more in the book than Michael. But what a loser. Bottom of the barrel junkie who had nothing but the Franzese name.
This scumbag wore a wire against his 90 year old dad. The book says that he was sober and clean at the time. I find it hard to believe, a junkie loser all adulthood, I'm thinking the FBI were giving him daily money to buy his smack so he could function.
Sent his 90 odd dad back to jail. What a scummer.

It's good book.

Spot on….. I agree with you 100%. Very good book.

I find myself reviewing and re-reading many parts of it often as I did today and was wondering if it had been mentioned on this site and thread.
Glad to see your review and thanks, I took your recommendation and downloaded it to my book reader in may.

Born in the life : G Borello
Pains me to say it but this is kinda engrossing. GB is a proper thug , half crim/ half bully. The book is non stop tales of loan shark beatings, fights and lots of treachery. His ' boss' Bonanno capo R. Giallanzo is a more interesting character, super loaded it seems.
Naturally, GB turns rat when it's time to pay the piper.
Better than I thought it would be, shines a light on the 21st century mob.

eBook sale alert:

The eBook EPUB version of Anna Sergi's new book, Chasing the mafia: 'ndrangheta, memories and journeys, is available from Bristol University Press for 75% off the regular price till EOD Sunday, July 31. Regular price before VAT: USD $36.95. Discounted price before VAT: USD $9.24.

https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/chasing-the-mafia

When you click on the above link, select the "EPUB" version, click on "Add to basket," and then type EBOOK75 in the "Voucher / promotional code" field.

The publisher is offering 75% off all EPUB versions of its published eBooks. Sergi's book does have content about the Greater Toronto Area, Montreal, and Hamilton.

The ebook is on sale again. The Kobo Canada and Amazon Canada sites are selling it for CAD$4.99; the Kobo US site for USD$4.99.

The Amazon US site is currently selling it for USD$3.66 -- see https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Montreal-Mafia-Confessions-Andrew-ebook/dp/B09MXG35TW.