The Vinny Basciano book was awful, really awful. There was no substance, whole decades of his life were glossed over, and no new info, it should of been a chapter in the Joey Massino book.

The Al D'arco book was disappointing but very readable. Too much hisforical stuff and not enough about the actual "life." I don't know how his junkie son got his button.

The Leonetti book was awesome, one of the best mob books I've read. Great insight into what was going on in that era starting with bruno getting wacked. The fight to take over the family with all the backstabbing and what not. The relationship with NY and all the stuff threy did. It did a great job of showing Scarfo as the psycho he was, Leonetti was just as evil if you ask me, though he downplays it.

"Kill the Dutchman!", a 1971 book by longtime New York Post author and editor Paul Sann is available online at the following website:

http://www.killthedutchman.net/

Since it's written by a newspaper journalist, the writing is a tad "sensational" but it's a good read nonetheless. Check it out.

Anyone read
Sam the Plumber: The Real-Life Saga of a Mafia Chieftain, and what were your thoughts?

Also, I bought the Gotti Tapes not too long ago and found it very interesting. Does anybody know any other books that have a lot of mobs transcripts in them?

The Way of the Wiseguy, by Joe Pistone (Donnie Brasco) includes a CD which has recordings of Donnie talking with mobsters. They captured phone conversations with Lefty, when Donnie was in hot water. The book is worth a read.

What's up everyone been looking at this site for a while. Just decided to post lol.

I agree the leonetti book. Mafia Prince was very good. Great insight to my hometown LCN. I am in the process of waiting for Underboss by Sammy gravano. I am now reading MOB Stories of death and betrayal from organized crime. It's ok just basically some stories that we all already no but it gets a little more into scarpa's relationship with the FBI.

Nice to be on a good sight with great facts and articles that everyone here gets.

I just got the Mafia Encyclopedia third edition by Carl Sifakis for Xmas, and its a really good read. Has alot of info about mobsters that i didnt know about.

I have that book also The way of the wise Guy. By Donnie Brasco, the CD is kinda funny. Just the way sonny get mad at him.

Almost done reading "the black hand" the bloody rise and redemption of Rene "boxer" enriquez a Mexican mob killer

Very good read if your interested in the Mexican mafia

Over the years I've read all of the Roemer books and a few others but here are the recent ones and a few thoughts.

Five Families - Seems like a legit documentary of the history of the families. Not a "ton" of depth on any of them, but certainly very comprehensive.

The Oufit - Definitely the most in depth book I've read about Chicago CN, one interesting thing that Russo went into was saying that Torrio after leaving Chicago to Capone was instrumental in founding the Commission and that he was guiding Luciano. I'd never heard that, not sure if it's true.

The Boys of the Chicago Heights - Worst book of the 4. Poorly written but documents one of the most brutal crews in CN history. If they didn't kill each other I'm sure they'd still be a force today.

When Corruption was King - This is a book I suggest everyone reads. Whether your an Outfit buff or not this book is pretty riveting. Just to know how far the tentacles of the Outfit reached, not just in Chicago, but statewide and national.

They don't have that pull anymore but still have associates in unions and in state government here as anyone in IL knows, but this book really explains the political pull they had, and doesn't ever go into the teamsters, etc. Good stuff.

Next up is Donnie Brasco, and I think Underboss.

I am a new member, but just thought I would list some of my favorites. I'm not interested in anything after the early 60's, and my reading reflects that. Some of these have no doubt surfaced here before.

1. Murder, Inc, Feder and Turkus. Not always accurate, but still a classic.
2. I'll Do My Own Damn Killin', Gary Sleeper. Great stuff on the Texas mob and the war between Benny Binion and Herb Noble. A fine book on a very neglected area.
3. Capone, John Kobler. Another oldie but goodie.
4. The Life and Times of Lepke Buchalter, Paul Kavieff. Very dry, well documented, and factual, which I like.
5. The Green Felt Jungle, Ovid Demaris and Ed Reid. Fun and informative. Guaranteed to destroy any romantic sucker illusions about the 'glories' of old Vegas.
6. Barbarians in Our Midst, Virgil Peterson. A classic and very thorough account of the Outfit in its glory days.
7. Washington Confidential, Jack Lait and Lee Mortimer. Pulpy and hysterical, but contains some information about gambling and vice in Washington and Baltimore and the little-known and less written-about outfits that ran the rackets in those places.
8. Tough Jews, Rich Cohen. Often sloppy and embarassingly fanboyish, but it is a fun read in places and contains some things that you can't find in Turkus and Feder.
9. The Murderers, Harry Anslinger. The dope racket as seen by the man who fought it for 30 years.
10. Kill the Dutchman, Paul Sann. Another familiar title, written by an old time reporter who knew the story.
11. and 12. Welcome to the Tiger Inn and Crimetown, USA, Allan R. May. The story of the Youngstown rackets from the 30's to the early 60's, two highly detailed works by an expert on the subject.
13. East Side, West Side, Alan R. Block. Covers the development of the mobs in New York from the late 20's to the early 40's. Heavy on theory in places, but has much precious information about Murder Inc., Mangano-Anastasia on the docks, and Zwillman et al in Jersey.

How was Harry Anslinger's book?

I was unaware that he wrote one. It has potential if he covered Luciano, Genovese, Hoover, Havana conference, etc...

just read joe pistone's second book, "unfinished business" - i was surprised how bad it was written in my opinion. He repeats every fact like 10 times, the timeline is in complete disarray, so he jumps from '78 to '81 back to '68...forgeddaboudit. But the stuff is very interesting and informative, no doubt.

Currently reading Frankie Calabrese's Story, so far: fantastic written, very good and interesting stories. i do recommend "Operation Family Secrets"!

If you are looking for details of major events and controversies, then I am afraid you will be disappointed. The book is mostly a collection of colorful stories (with names omitted)that illustrate the FBN's methods and successes, as Anslinger saw them. He does give some attention to the Lepke-Katzenberg network, which was a big FBN success. He does not discuss Hoover at all, really; Anslinger was too smart a bureaucrat to publish his disagreements with the FBI.

The book is well-written, though, and the best thing about it is that Anslinger's personality and attitudes come through very strongly. He gives some details about his younger days and his early encounters with dope and Italian mobs in his native Pennsylvania, and you see why he hated gangsters and dope smugglers so much. He was a very hard, tough man, and that is evident in his book.

I know Anslinger gets a terrible press from today's hipsters, but he was one of the mob's most dangerous enemies for 30 years and he made cases against some important bosses. He really deserves a full, modern biography, and I am amazed that no one has written one.

Thanks for the reply. Too bad, he probably had some incredible stories to tell about mobsters involved with drug trafficking.

read al d'arcos book. I liked it but could of talked more about his time as capo and the boss. the ins and outs not the main historic parts.
So I have ordered Mafia Prince and Vinny Basciano book..even though there has been some bad reviews

Has anyone ever read Andrew DiDonato's book ?

I have, it's pretty good. Reading that front-to-back with the Charles Carneglia book will give you a decent look at the Gambinos post-Gotti.

The Vinny Basciano book is a dull one. The book is good for those who suffers from insomnia. Puts you to sleep in a minute!

ha so your saying to start on mafia prince? you read? Seems mostly positive reviews

I just got 'Underboss' and I think it's a good read .

Mafia Prince is a good book, as is Underboss by Sammy Gravano. I re-read Vinnie Gorgeous again and liked it better the second time. I still think there is more to the Vinnie Basciano story than was covered in the book. Maybe someone else will do a second book on him.

American desperado.

anyone read mob killer? about carneglia?

[quote=short841]anyone read mob killer? about carneglia? [/quote
yes I read it and it is an interesting read about this psycho. I recommend it to others with an interest in the mob (All of you) He liked to use a knife, unlike most mobsters.

Hey everyone-- I published my debut novel last year, For Blood And Loyalty, which takes place in our favorite world in Queens, New York over the summer of 1999. And, I need to get more exposure and reviews for it on Amazon.com. AKA, I will give a free eBook copy to anyone willing to help out by leaving an honest review on Amazon after reading it. If you're interested send me a PM and I will send you a book. THANKS!!! --Don Kasparoza

http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Loyalty-Don-...7423&sr=1-1

I'm in the process of reading in the godfathers garden , it's a pretty good read so far

Just read Mafia Prince, and was great, Stunned that he met Nicky Jr while in witsec unless its bullshit?

Junior Corozzo’s family ties have gotten the mob lawyer into a bind.
A Brooklyn federal judge today booted the mob-scion attorney — whose dad is is reputed Gambino consigliere Joseph "Jo Jo" Corozzo and whose uncle Nicholas is a family capo — from the defense team of a Colombo wiseguy facing murder charges.
Federal prosecutors consider Joseph Corozzo Jr. to be the "house counsel" of the Gambinos but he's also know to represent wiseguys from other families.
In the current case, Junior Corozzo was representing Dino "Little Dino" Saracino, who is charged in Brooklyn federal court with two mob rubouts. Also the recent Queens case of long time Gambino Soldier Ernest "The Falcon" Seguna on armed robbery, the shack down of drug dealers and narcotics trafficing.
Prosecutors alerted Judge Brian Cogan to a potential conflict of interest with Corozzo, saying the lawyer had arranged a meeting between a mobster who is now a cooperating witness and Theodore "Teddy" Persico Jr., an acting Colombo capo.
Persico and the other mobster, identified by sources as Sebastian "Sebby" Saracino, met at Corozzo’s residence in the summer of 2009 and discussed illegal loansharking and gambling debts, prosecutors said.
Saracino is expected to testify for the government against his brother Dino.
After hearing the evidence, Cogan booted Corozzo from the Dino Saracino case.
The feds also announced that Corozzo is the subject of yet another criminal investigation relating to his mob connections.
A previous probe of the attorney dates back to 2008, when Brooklyn federal prosecutors said they had intercepted Corozzo on a secretly recorded tape that showed he was involved in the mob extortion of Hudson & McCoy, a Long Island fish restaurant.
Corozzo Jr. declined to comment.

http://fivefamiliesnyc.blogspot.com/

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brook...H#ixzz1IbBrXtAR

Yea it was okay, went into his using the acid and apparently put the bones in someones soup. Talked about his junk yards and stuff (I think that's what he owned it's been a while since I read it to be honest). It was a good read, had some interesting info.