Damn I just ordered a used copy of Blood Oath off Amazon and I am really looking forward to reading it so when I get it ill let you know if my copy says anything crazy like that. I hope it dont though... How is it otherwise?

How do you mess this up? Someone who has been studying the mob for two days would know this statement is wrong.

People say it's underrated. Reading it so far, it's a good read, but there's some things that are complete contradictions of things we know to supposedly be true today. Like, he says when Testa took over he moved to eliminate all the guys who were close to Bruno, as he felt they could be a powerful "pro-Bruno" camp, he says Frank Sindone was a part of this came he was killed because of his closeness to Bruno and the fact that he was looked at as Bruno's logical successor, instead of himself. Yet, we now commonly hear that Sindone was a part of the murder plot on Bruno. Fresolone says that theory is backward. Says Johnny Keys Simone was done in for the same reason. He claims Testa extended this to other guys who were considered "pro-Bruno" and powerful enough to matter, he says Pete Casella was a part of this camp, and that Pete Casella killed Testa first, because he feared Testa would kill him. Nothing is said of the whole Chickie Narducci offering him a million dollars to retire and name him boss after Testa was whacked, as being the primary reason behind Testa's murder. Claims Casella & his brother Tony were the masterminds behind that murder, not Narducci. Along with Casella fearing Testa would have him hit, he claims Casella felt that he should've been boss, and felt he was the better choice over Testa, because he had done 20 years in a stand up fashion. That means he was a guy who actually wanted to be boss, which means he wouldn't have went for the whole "I'll pay you to make me boss" thing. He says after Testa's death, that it really looked as if Harry The Hunchback would've been made boss, he claims he began to lobby the captains around him, and that had it been up to Philly, he probably would've been made boss. He says Chickie Narducci was killed for this reason, because Nicky Scarfo felt Narducci was going to align himself with Riccobene. He also claims that a lot of guys weren't happy with the fact that NY had so much say with who should be boss, and that a lot of guys felt that as their own family, the decision should be left up to them.

I'm only in the third chapter, but those are a few of the interesting things that I've come across so far.

Sounds good! Cant wait til my copy gets here. I tracked it and it said the 14th-30th but I ordered it on the 6th and its not coming from very far away..

Said mines wouldn't arrive until the 14th, but I got it on the 7th.

I got Blood Oath last night Saturday night when I came home from work it was in the mail box. so it took exactly a week, but my other two books still havent arrived yet. Only read a few pages but already I did come across it saying Chuckie Merlino was killed by Scarfo..

Fresolone's description of Nicky Jr: "He was spot-spoken and unusually polite, but at the same time he was ambitious and --as I would learn later-- he had a real mean streak in him just like his father."


Once again, another account of Nicky Scarfo Jr that contradicts the image that some like to put off as a meek, little pushover whom only was a wiseguy because his father told him to be. If Fresolone's account is anything to go by, sounds like Nicky Jr was a wiseguys wiseguy.

I finally got Five Families. Three chapters in and pretty impressed so far.

Anyone ever read Closing Argument: Defending (and Befriending) John Gotti, and Other Legal Battles I Have Waged by Rene Saporta and Bruce Cutler or Mob Lawyer by Frank Ragano and Selwyn Raab?

I like Blood Oath. But I just can't get over that inacccuracy of the claim that Nicky Scarfo had Chuckie Merlino whacked. Fresolone says it more than once too, throughout the book. In the chapter "Wired" pg. 184, he's discussing Nicky Jr being shot, and this is what he says "I felt it was much more likely the shooter was either Joey Merlino or someone hired by him. Nicky Sr. had had Joey's father Chuckie whacked, and Joey still took it very hard."...How, how can someone who was supposedly super close to Patty Specs & Anthony Piccolo make that mistake?

Overall, the book is a good read, but that's just one of the things that really just slightly sit in the back of my mind that makes me wonder what Fresolone actually knew.

Maybe what fresolone meant the whole time in his mind was that scarfo "took down" chuckie, & it is known that joey took that very hard??

joey is lucky to be alive from what i read he was shitting himself (anyone would shit themselves this is nicky scarfo) the crow and charlie white had to tell him to stop coming around he was hiding joey before scarfo got busted. Marty took a beating from scarfo junior and scadfi because he was associating with joey merlino

I thought about that, but it's blatantly written more than once that Scarfo had Merlino killed. Fresolone also specifically said Scarfo had Joey's father whacked. I don't know how he could've meant "took down" considering that.

Fresolone was all fuckin' mixed up obviously in his head.. & a fuckin' rat 2 boot.

Past news also said b4 he croaked, he was cleaning celebrities mansions,(Cher, for instance)..

I've been thinking about buying two mob books: "Five Families" and "Way Of The Wiseguy". I heard a lot about them. I wanna know what I'm buying, though. That's why I'm posting. Are these sources correct? You know, book covers and all that: http://www.amazon.com/Five-Families-Resurgence-Americas-Powerful/dp/0312361815 and http://www.amazon.com/Way-Wiseguy-Joe-Pistone/dp/0762423846. I just want to make sure before buying. I'm not from America so I'd need a hand.

Thank you.

Yes, both books are the real deal. "The Five Families" is a definitive, authoritative book on the NY Mafia families--a must-read. "Way of the Wiseguy" is a quick, pleasant, not very profound read.

Has anyone read this book?

http://colombobook.com/ ...If so, is it worth the buy?

Five families is the most definitive of all mob books ever in my op.S.Rabb cant be beat in any forum i.m.opinion..Top shelf .!

Although,George Anastasia's "Blood & Honor" I have read about a 136 times in the past 20 some odd yrs.

Whats the name of Nicola Gentiles book?

Vita di Capomafia

Linda Scarpa's book is out, and it's a very good read .

Is there any new info on Scarpa?..or is it more about Linda?

It's more about Linda, but it talks about her family too .

Thanks for the response, MobMan...I might have to give that one a whirl.

New Greg scarpa book by his daughter is dumb. The books 300 pages and she mentions her uncle whose Greg's brother a made guy once or twice her own brother Greg Jr comes up twice. Just a boring book hey you don't want to talk about all your fathers victims whose families still live around you on Staten island don't write it. The whole book she dodges answering shit or telling what she knows is the truth. Just a bad book it is well written thou. One little facts she tells and its the most interesting part of the book is carmine sessa knew he was dying and still treated him well and when orena wanted sessa dead scarpa wasn't gonna let anything happen and had sessa back more then anyone else.

Some of my favorites that I just finished

"The underboss" by Gerard Oneil and Dick Lehr

" Killing Pablo" by Mark Bowden

"Smoke" by Meli Cadi

"American Desperado" by John Roberts and Evan Wright

"Zero zero zero" by Robert Saviano

And I even picked up "The Lufthansa heist" by Hill and Simone


My fav was American desperado .. needs to be a Hollywood film

I just downloaded Five Families on my Kindle and so far I think it will be a good book. I have heard it mentioned for so many years and for some reason never picked it up. Looking forward to the rest of it.

Picked up " White Devil " by Bob Halloran

I just read the description and ordered it to my kindle, sounds good.

Never really interested in Asian organized crime but the story sounds very interesting with him being he only white to be not only a member but becomming the highest ranking authority.

Thanks BG