If you want a serious book that covers Apalachin in detail-- using the primary sources of the police and FBI-- check out The Mob and the City: The Hidden History of How the Mafia Captured New York.
How can I disregard the words of a mobster, and go solely with an FBI report that came from under the corrupt jurisdiction of J Edgar Hoover who denied the mafia even existed.
I really hate the idea of history being written by Hoover. I can't stress it enough.
If you were an agent working under Hoover's FBI, how could you even write a report that would go against his narrative?
I hear you Alfa. I wouldn't rely solely on Hoover for anything. I'm very critical of Hoover in the book.
My answer is: I don't. My basic theory is to try to: (1) get as broad array of primary sources as possible; (2) corroborate them against other sources; and (3) test them against facts and logic. (Nothing original about this--it's what good mob historians like David Critchley and Mike Dash do, too).
So, the book cites to:
(1) Mob memoirs: Nicola Gentile's Vita de Capomafia, Henry Hill's classic Wiseguy, Joe Valachi's 1000-page handwritten memoir "The Real Thing," and a dozen others.
But I don't just swallow what these guys say either. I try to corroborate them with other sources whenever possible, and test them against facts and logic.
For example, Joe Valachi downplays his drug-dealing. However, there are FBN diaries going back to 1944 discussing none other than "Joe Cargo." So, I cite that against him.
(2) New York State Police reports and the Commission of Investigation: The New York State Archives in Albany has dozens of boxes of the State Police and the Commission of Investigation. It's pretty amazing stuff-- first-hand accounts of the roundup, and follow-up investigative reports (there was even a copy of the dropped business cards). I'll try to post some of the DD5s to this site.
(3) Trial testimony: I got a copy of the trial transcript of Joe Masseria from back in 1913. It's the first time I've ever seen the actual words from Joe the Boss.
(4) FBI wiretap transcripts: I DO think that FBI's wiretap transcripts are reliable-- it's the words of the wiseguys themselves. The Magaddino wiretaps are a goldmine. They're on the Mary Farrell website.
(5) FBI informants: Less reliable, but still important are the informant reports from the early 1960s.
(6) The 1963 McClellan Committee hearings: The charts are sometimes off, but this is a goldmine of information. There are all kinds of facts and records buried in the report that haven't gotten enough attention.
Incidentally, the 50-year-time limit for the seal on the 1963 hearings just expired. I'm told there are over 80 boxes.
