Some day, some day

Are you Irish, stavka?

I updated my home library list of mob-related books and wanted to share it here:

• "Accardo: The Genuine Godfather" by William F. Roemer, Jr.
• "American Mafia: A History of its Rise to Power" by Thomas Repetto
• "Barboza" by Joe Barboza & Hank Messick
• "Big Bankroll, The: The Life and Times of Arnold Rothstein" by Leo Katcher
• "Boardwalk Jungle, The" by Ovid Demaris
• "Brotherhood of Evil: The Mafia" by Frederic Sondern, Jr.
• "Bummy Davis vs. Murder, Inc.: The Rise and Fall of the Jewish Mafia and an Ill-Fated Prizefighter" by Ron Rossi
• "Capone" by John Kobler
• "Coffey Files, The: One Cop’s War Against the Mob" by Joseph Coffey and Jerry Schmetterer
• "Complete History of the Mafia, A" by Jo Durden Smith
• "Crime Boss Killings: The Castellammare War" by Art Montague
• "Crime Incorporated" by William Balsamo & George Corpozzi, Jr.
• "Donnie Brasco" by Joseph D. Pistone
• "Dutch Schultz Story, The" by Ted Addy
• "Enforcer, The: Spilotro - The Chicago Mob’s Man Over Las Vegas" by William F. Roemer, Jr.
• "Everything Mafia Book, The" by James Mannion
• "Family History, A: The Sopranos" by Allen Rucker
• "For the Sins of My Father" by Albert DeMeo
• "Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather Trilogy" by Nick Browne
• "Frank Costello" by Henry A. Zeiger
• "Frank Costello: Prime Minister of the Underworld" by George Wolf
• "Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight, The" by Jimmy Breslin
• "Gang Wars" by Helena Katz
• "Gangs & Gangsters" by Hank Messick & Burt Goldblatt
• "Gangster" by Lorenzo Carcaterra
• "Gangsters, The" by Timothy Jacobs
• "Gangster City: The History of the New York Underworld 1900-1935" by Patrick Downey
• "Gangsters and Hoodlums: The Underworld in the Cinema" by Ramond Lee & B.C. Van Hecke
• "Gangsters: From Little Caesar to The Godfather" by John Gabree
• "Godfather, The" by Mario Puzo
• "Godfather Book, The" by Peter Cowie
• "Godfather Companion, The" by Peter Biskind
• "Godfather Journal, The" by Ira Zuckerman
• "Godfather Legacy, The" by Harlan Lebo
• "Godfather Legacy, The - Revised and Updated" by Harlan Lebo
• "Godfather Movies, The: A Pictorial History" by Gerald Gardner & Harriet Modell Gardner
• "Godfather Papers, The" by Mario Puzo
• "Goodfella’s Guide to New York: Your Personal Tour" by Henry Hill
• "Goombata" by John Cummings & Ernest Volkman
• "Gospel According to Tony Soprano, The" by Chris Seay
• "Honor Thy Father" by Gay Talese
• "Idiot’s Guide to the Mafia, The" by Jerry Capeci
• "Joey" by Donald Goddard
• "Killers of Murder, Inc., The" by David Hanna
• "Killing of Joey Gallo, The" by Harvey Aronson
• "Last Don, The" by Mario Puzo
• "Last Gangster, The" by George Anastasia
• "Last Testament of Lucky Luciano, The" by Martin A. Gosch & Richard Hammer
• "Legs Diamond" by Sam Curzon
• "Little Man: Meyer Lansky and the Gangster Life" by Robert Lacey
• "Luciano Project, The" by Rodney Campbell
• "Luciano Story, The" by Sid Feder & Joachim Joesten
• "Lucky Luciano: The Father of Organized Crime" by Cat Klerks
• "Lucky Luciano Story, The" by Ovid Demaris
• "Made Men" by Greg B. Smith
• "Mafia!" by Fred J. Cook
• "Mafia Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the Gambino Crime Family" by John H. Davis
• "Mafia Encyclopedia, The: From Accardo to Zwillman" by Carl Sifakis
• "Mafia is Not an Equal Opportunity Employer, The" by Nicholas Gage
• "Mafia Marriage" by Rosalie Bonanno
• "Mafia U.S.A." by Nicholas Gage
• "Man Who Invented Murder, Inc., The: Bugsy Siegel" by David Hanna
• "Man of Honor, A" by Joseph Bonanno
• "Meyer Lansky: The Shadowy Exploits" by Art Montague
• "Mickey Cohen: Mobster" by Ed Reid
• "Mob Star: The Story of John Gotti" by Gene Mustain & Jerry Capeci
• "Mobs and the Mafia, The: Illustrated History of Organized Crime" by Hank Messick & Burt Goldblatt
• "Mobsters and Gangsters: Organized Crime in America" Time-Life Books
• "Most Evil Mobsters in History, The" by Lauren Carter
• "Murder, Inc.: The Story of the Syndicate" by Burton Turkus & Sid Feder
• "Murder Machine" by Gene Mustain & Jerry Capeci
• "My Life in the Mafia" by Vincent Teresa
• "On the Run: A Mafia Childhood" by Gregg and Gina Hill
• "Overlook Film Encyclopedia - The Gangster Films" by Phil Hardy
• "Pictorial History of the Mafia" by Don Maclean
• "Playboy’s Illustrated History of Organized Crime' by Richard Hammer
• "Raging Bull" by Jake LaMotta
• "Revolt in the Mafia: How the Gallo Gang Split the New York Underworld" by Raymond V. Martin
• "Rise and Fall of the Jewish Gangster in America, The" by Albert Fried
• "Sicilian, The" by Mario Puzo
• "Sixth Family, The" by Peter Diapoulos and Steven Linakis
• "Sopranos: Selected Scripts From Three Seasons" by Warner Books
• "Tao of Bada Bing, The: Words of Wisdom from the Sopranos" by HBO
• "Tough Jews: Fathers, Sons and Gangster Dreams" by Rich Cohen
• "Uncle Frank: The Biography of Frank Costello" by Leonard Katz
• "Underboss" by Peter Maas
• "Valachi Papers, The" by Peter Maas
• "War of the Godfathers" by William F. Roemer, Jr.
• "Way of the Wiseguy, The" by Joseph Pistone
• "Westies: Inside the Hell’s Kitchen Irish Mob" by T. J. English
• "When the Mob Ran Vegas" by Steve Fischer
• "Wise Guy: Life in a Mafia Family" By Nicholas Pileggi
• "Wiseguys Say the Darndest Things" By Jerry Capeci

Wow that's brilliant SC. Thanks for sharing.

Anyone know if this one is worth reading?
Is it only about the mob, or does it feature all kinds of ethnic organized crime?

"Gangster City: The History of the New York Underworld 1900-1935" by Patrick Downey

Man that is some collection i have aroung 15-20 mafia related books and i thought i had alot.

Has Any body read this booked,just ordered and was wondering what others think on this Book


The Mafia Killed the Presidant

Thought that I would revive this topic from the old boards.

Has anyone read this book?



The inside story of the law's battle to remove the influence and corruption of organized crime from Sin City's streets and casinos.


In the 1970s and thru the mid-1980s, the Chicago Outfit was the dominant organized crime family in Las Vegas, with business interests in several casinos. During those years the Outfit and its colleagues in Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Cleveland were using Sin City as a cash cow. Commonly referred to as the “skim,” unreported revenue from Outfit-controlled casinos was making its way out of Vegas by the bag full and ending up in the coffers of the crime bosses in those four locations.

The skim involved large amounts of money. The operation had to be properly set up and well managed to ensure a smooth cash flow. To accomplish that goal, the gangsters brought in a front man with no criminal record to purchase several casinos. Allen R. Glick, doing business as the Argent Corporation (Allen R. Glick Enterprises) purchased the Stardust, Fremont, Hacienda, and Marina. They next installed Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal as their inside man, and the real boss of the casino operations. Rosenthal was a Chicago native and considered to be a genius when it came to oddsmaking and sports betting. Under Lefty’s supervision the casino count rooms were accessible to mob couriers.

But even with the competent Rosenthal in charge, there remained room for problems. What if an outsider tried to muscle in on the operation? Or just as bad, suppose one of their own decided to skim the skim? To guard against such possibilities the Chicago bosses decided to send someone to Vegas to give Rosenthal a hand should trouble arise. The successful applicant had to be a person with the kind of reputation that would deter interlopers from horning in, and make internal theft too risky to try. But the mob’s outside man had to be capable of action as well as threats. In other words, he had to be a man who would do whatever it took to protect the Outfit’s interests. So, in 1971, 33-year-old Tony Spilotro, considered by many to be the “ultimate enforcer,” was sent to the burgeoning gambling and entertainment oasis in the desert. Spilotro, sometimes called “tough Tony,” or “the Ant,” was a made man of the Outfit and a childhood friend of Rosenthal. He was known as a man who could be counted on to get the job done.

Being an ambitious sort, Tony quickly recognized that there were other criminal opportunities in his new hometown besides skimming from the casinos. Street crimes ranging from loan sharking to burglary, robbery, and fencing stolen property were all in play. It wasn’t very long before Tony had his hands into every one of these areas. As the scope of his criminal endeavors grew, Tony brought in other heavies from Chicago to fill out his gang. The five-foot-six-inch gangster was soon being called the “King of the Strip.”

Federal and local law enforcement recognized the need to rid the casinos of the hidden ownership and control of the mob, and shut down Spilotro’s street rackets. They declared war on organized crime and the battle was on. It was a hard fight, with plenty of tough guys on both sides. But it was a confrontation the law knew it had to win.


The Battle for Las Vegas relates the story of that conflict, told in large part by the agents and detectives who lived it.



Don Cardi

I've recently seen a translated book, "Cose di cosa nostra" by Falcone. did anybody read it?

The one written together with Marcelle Padovani?

I've that book in my collection. It's a very nice book. It contains a lot of info about Falcone himself and how he did his work. Maybe it's to difficult to understand the book if you don't know all the names/situations in Sicily at that time, but than still it's a good read.

Has anybody read either of the new "mafia cops" books ?

Has anyone read this book?

But He Was Good to His Mother : The Lives and Crimes of Jewish Gangsters
by Robert A. Rockaway




Don Cardi

"The Brotherhoods," by Guy Lawson and William Oldham

This fairly new book is nominally about Steven Caracappa and Louis Eppolito, the two NYC detectives who were recently convicted of giving secret info and doing hits for Anthony (Gaspipe) Casso, the Luchese underboss who turned rat. I say "nominally" because it's mostly about the Mob. There lies the book's weakness and strength. On the one hand, it's almost obsessively detailed--tedious at times. No nuance of Mob life, or of someone's background, escapes author Lawson, an investigative journalist, or misses comment from Oldham, a former NYC detective turned Federal investigator who ultimately nailed the two cops. On the other hand, if you can bear with the details, you get some fascinating, in-depth stories about Mob guys and their activities, especially Casso, Little Vic Amuso and a bunch of others whose names are familiar.

Caracappa rose to become Detective First Class and head of the NYPD's organized crime unit. Eppolito, a former bodybuilder gone to fat (he was seen briefly as "Fat Andy," one of the guys Henry Hill introduced near the beginning of "Goodfellas"), was his partner. Caracappa, slim and silent, was the diametric opposite of Eppolito, whose bragging extended to writing a book, "Mafia Cop," about his family's Mob connections. Both of them literally got away with murder during the NYPD's most corrupt periods. Despite being investigated numerous times, they were never indicted or even suspended, and got more than $350k from the Mob before retiring to Vegas.

But by far the most fascinating character in the book is Burton (Downtown Burt) Kaplan, a crooked businessman and fixer who was the intermediary twixt Casso and the cops. Kaplan, a multitalented entrepreneur (jewelry, clothing, refrigeration) could have been and sometimes was a successful legitimate businessman. But he was also a degenerate gambler and serial, can't-stay-away-from-it criminal: pot, stolen securities, anything to make a quick, illegitimate buck. Despite innumerable arrests and even more numerous breaks from the law, he couldn't stay away from the criminal life. His antics eventually led him to ask for help from Christy Tick Furnari, a high-up Luchese, and to his eventual assignment to Casso. Together, they made zillions. Ironically, Casso turned rat, but his pathological lying and bad behavior in prison led the Feds to void their deal with him. Kaplan never ratted.

This is a good read if you're dedicated to Mob stuff and can stay with it.

I've noticed there's not much info on Aniello Dellacroce. I've read Mobstar, Five Families and Underboss, and each book touches on him a little but, but nothing major. Is that because there is actually not much know about Neil or what? Obviously just about every book will mention him a little, but is there any book out there that has a good bulk of info on him?

Not much at all. I've done extensive searches looking for information about him, and basically came up empty. And as you pointed out most books just touch on him and do not go into his background at all.

A very interesting mobster that I would love to find out more information about.


Don Cardi

"Mr. Neil" got some coverage in "Boss of Bosses" and "Murder Machine," but as you and DC observed, he really hasn't gotten the attention a figure of his stature deserves. Perhaps it's because he spent five critical years in prison on a tax rap, which probably caused Gambino to pass him over in favor of Castellano (the fact that Castellano was his cousin and brother in law didn't hurt Big Paul either). Maybe, too, it's because he was ill with brain cancer for quite a while. About all you get in most books was that he was Gotti's mentor and protector.

Had John Gotti not been so high profile, we'd really know next to nothing about Dellacroce, which is just the way he would have wanted it.

Much is unknown about the soldiers and capos of that era, because publicity was just unheard of in those days.

Other than reading about who the actual bosses were, the general public knew nothing about "the life" in those days.

Unless someone like a Jerry Capeci or a Selwyn Raab were to take on a project that actually focused on Dellacroce, we're not likely to find out anything new about him.

I wish they would. It'd be a very interesting read.

Minnesota Rag

Government Corruption-The (mostly) Jewish syndicate of Minneapolis. Bigoted publishers( one soon to be murdered) of scandal sheets and the Chicago Tribune.


Stopping The Presses-The Murder Of Walter Liggett

Another tale of Murder and corruption in Minnesota.
Written by The daughter of Walter Liggett.
She witnessed her Fathers death.




The soon to be deceased Walter Liggett on trial (framed) for statutory rape. Note the shiner. He'd recently been beaten by members of the "Minneapolis Combination".




Journalist Walter Liggett

Gunned down in front of his wife and daughter in the alley behind their apt.

18th St and Park ave S. Minneapolis 1934.

John Dillinger Slept Here.

"TAKEDOWN - THE FALL OF THE LAST MAFIA EMPIRE"by Rick Cowan and Douglas Century.

This covers the three-year undercover effort by Cowan, a NYC detective, to infiltrate and bring down the Mafia's garbage collection and recycling cartel. The waste racket was one of the Mob's biggest most profitable and seemingly invulnerable enterprises. Yet Cowan, to hear him tell it, brought it down almost singlehandedly. His entry point was Sal Benedetto, the law abiding chief of a legit hauling and recycling company being pressured by the Mob to join one of their "associations." Sal allowed Cowan to pose as a Benedetto cousin joining the business, and managed to ingratiate himself into inner Mob circles as they attempted to recruit him.

For almost three years, Cowan stalled, conned and stonewalled various Mob thugs and associates who pressured him to join. We get a detailed look at how the rackets worked (mainly by bid-rigging, intimidation, and extorting new members to pay off existing members for "stops" they "stole" before joining). This stuff soon exhausts itself. Thereafter, Cowan simply recreates just about every conversation he had with every Mob guy or associate (all of whom sound alike with their "youses" and "dees and doze"), as well as detailed descriptions of what they wore and ate. There's precious little action or drama--and a surprising lack of violence or even overt threats. In the one violent act recounted, a Benedetto driver is beaten and nearly killed by Mob thugs without intervention by Cowan or his backup--the assailants aren't even arrested or charged. In fact, there's no dramatic denouement as in "Donnie Brasco": Cowan gets his last secretly taped incriminating tidbit from a conversation with a Mob guy, and he's pulled off the case while indictments are prepared and handed down. This book manages the considerable task of taking an inherently interesting subject and making it tedious.

Brought this book yesterday.

Looks interesting. Please post a review when you're ready.

Hi everybody, this is my first post.
Iv read five families, donnie brasco and the iceman not to mention most of mario puzos books and was wondering what other mafia book people here would recommend me reading.

This is not really a mafia book per se but read the Mark Brandon "chopper" Read books.He was a standover man who was at war with Mafia families in Melbourne,The first book is an international best seller.

yeah im familiar with chopper, iv read bits and pieces of his second book and it was fairly good but im looking for something more to do with the mafia in ny. thanks anyway though

No worries.Read his first Book though.You would love that.

The Outfit by Gus Russo its not about the ny mob like you asked for but the chicago outfit it is an excellent book detailing well over a hundred years of the chicago outfit a really good read,once i got two pages into the book i couldnt put it down.

http://www.amazon.com/Outfit-Gus-Russo/dp/1582342792
Hope this helps

Well i finished this book and its worth the read,you probley know most of the stuff in there but its worth a flick.

Explains the lives of many Top Boss's,traditions,worldwide spread of the "mafia" and my particular fav part is how they helped the allies in WWII.

Its worth the read..