Which mob guy was the basis for the Gold Coast?

A friend gave me a book called "The Gold Coast" by Nelson DeMille.

It's about a guy in the mob in the North Shore of Long Island named "Frank Bellarosa" for the book.

http://nelsondemille.net/books/gold_coast.asp?id=desc

The book has to do with the person in the mob being accused of murder and his lawyer getting him off. Apparently something like this did happen in the 40s, 50s, or 60s. Trucking companies that are fronts, and truck hijackings are also hinted about in the book and apparently the guy in the mob in the book had stuff to do with those too in or around NYC.

Who was this character based on?

I read that book over twenty years ago. I think Bellarosa was a composite. It was written during Gotti's heyday, and DeMille is a Queens-Long Island guy. I think he still lives in Garden City. So in my opinion, Bellarosa being so flashy was clearly based on Gotti.

Oh, and the long awaited sequel, "The Gate House," was even more far fetched and ridiculous than the original. At least "The Gold Coast" was a good "beach read."

OK who else can the composite be based on?

I did not like the main lawyer character at all in the book. As he was stuck up and snobby.

The book has to do with the person in the mob being accused of murder and his lawyer getting him off. Apparently something like this did happen in the 40s, 50s, or 60s. Trucking companies that are fronts, and truck hijackings are also hinted about in the book and apparently the guy in the mob in the book had stuff to do with those too in or around NYC.

Who was this character based on?


I haven't read the book, but your description could be any number of different mobsters given the 30 year time frame given. I'm sure there were quite a few mafioso who were accused of murder and walked in the mob's heyday.

good book?

It's OK so far but I don't like how it's written from the perspective of the snobby lawyer.

Then you may as well close the book now. Because the narrator just gets more pompous and obnoxious as the book progresses.

Yeah I did put it aside and have stopped reading it since I am reading other books instead.