Ben this might be a little late but The Idiot's guide to the mafia, it has sections on almost every one of the pooints you listed.

DMC,

Is that book worth buying?

To me it was actually. It gives a great overview and explanations of how the mafia made its money (loan sharking, betting etc...) It's one thing to hear that so and so made money through collecting bets and it's another to really understand how he did it and what's involved (to me at least).
It's not very in depth but more of just a very good overview from Lucciano to Gotti and everything in between.

Well DMC, you just convinced me to read it. Thanks!

Your welcome. Now I can get my $2 kickback for selling the book, $0.10 cents to me for delivery along with the money the publishing company is paying me for "labor peace".

It's all explained in the book

Did some of you guys read "The Valachi Papers"?
I just bought it. Is it well worth reading??

I'm just finishing up "Mafia Dynasty- The Rise and Fall of the Gambino Crime Family"
Or as I like to call it "Mafia Dynasty Dynasy Mafia Dynasty" I have found myself at least 10 times already checking to see if I was on the correct page and not re reading a page I had already read. The author repeats EVERYTHING, to the point where it just gets flat out irritating. John Gotti's "We're gonna, gonna bust him up" line must have been used 10 times in 3-4 pages.

And I thought that it was me. I had the same problem with this book. Pissed me off to no end. While there are many areas of the book that are somewhat interesting and informative, for the most part I too found this book to be very repetative throughout.


Don Cardi

DMC, I don't know if you saw this post that I made earlier about some books that I picked up over in Barnes And Noble. They are in trade paperback fromat and are part of a series of books under the heading of True American Amazing Stories.

Meyer Lansky " The Shadowy Exploits Of New York's Master Manipulator." $7.95

Lucky Luciano "The Father Of Organized Crime." $7.95



Gang Wars "Blood and Guts On The Streets Of New York." $7.95

I am going to pick up the other two books in this series today as they were on backorder.

.


Dutch Shcultz "The Brazen Beer Baron Of New York."

Crime Boss Killings "The Castellmmarese War."

I am interesting in reading the Dutch Shultz book as I have yet to see, before this one, any books out there specifiaclly about Dutch Schultz


Don Cardi

Yay! I've just bought my "Cosa Nostra" by John Dickie! It's finally translated, and I got it. I waited so long! I even considered buying English version through Amazon, but that's too expensive with shipping!
Can't wait to start!

DC, I didn't see your 2nd post before. Have you started reading them? Any thoughts yet?

You won't regret buying it, this book is very good!

You won't regret buying it, this book is very good! [/b][/quote]Thanks Enzo! I'll certainly post my raptures here!

I picked up the last two that I listed above, yesterday. I just started to read the Dutch Shultz one as I have never read anything solely dedicated to Shultz himself. I'll give you an update as soon as I get a little deeper into the book.


Don Cardi

I have in my collection "The Dutch Schultz Story" by Ted Addy. Apparently it was part of a series ("Public Enemies of the 1930's") published by Tower Books. Its a paperback that originally sold for 75¢ back in 1968 when it was first sold as a paperback.

Its an easy read and has 16 pages of pix. Let me know if you wanna borrow it, DC.

I just ordered a few of the ones you suggested above.

SC who else was in the "Public Enemies of the 1930's" collection?

Dunno (unfortunately). I can't find a list, but I'd like to know, too.

I'll give you $1.50 for it, double the cover price!


I may try to locate a copy of it. But if I cannot find one, then I'll take you up on your offer. Thanks.


Don Cardi

I checked the website Bookfinder4u.com - click here to see the results for The Dutch Schultz Story.

Lots of copies available at varying prices.

Signor V.

Grazie Signor. I did find them at abebooks.com and have placed my order. I appreciate it my friend.


Don Cardi

I'm about halfway through the Dutch Schultz, Beer Baron book. It's pretty fast and easy reading. Enjoyable but not too detail oriented. This series of books is good for those who are begining to read books about the mob and mobsters. A great "introductory" series of books on the mob. But a definite have for any mob/crime collector's library.

I just ordered these books :

The "Dutch" Schultz Story
The Gangster Chronicles
Frank Costello:Prime Minister of the Underworld
Lucky Luciano: The Man Who Organized Crime in America


Don Cardi

I am currently writing a thesis on the Italian Mafia...so most of the books are more academically orientated.

I would recommend John Dickie's Cosa Nostra for the most current information and theory on the Mafia.

Other books that are good to read include Octupus by Claire Sterling for a more international perspective on the Mafia.

Excellent Cadavers by Alexander Stille provides a substantial amount of information on the lives of Falcone and Borsellino. There's also a movie based on the book, but it is pretty uniformative and boring.

Men of Dishonor by Pino Arlacchi is the account of the mafioso Antonino Calderone and provides a unique perspective. It is somewhat similar to Tim Shawcross and Martin Young's Men of Honor which is Tommaso Buscetta's confessions. Both provide some good accounts of individual members of the Sicilian Mafia and good description of a number of events. Take their stories as you will-they do offer insight into the Mafia, but both are "pentiti" and have a tendency to portray their enemies in a more negative light than their friends.

Mafia and Mafiosi by Henner Hess is strictly academic-he puts forward a number of theories about what a mafioso is, what the nature of the Mafia is, ect.

Fighting the Mafia and Renewing Sicilian Culture was written by the mayor of Palermo, Leoluco Orlando. It is quite useless if you want to learn about the Mafia and is more self-glorifying than anything, but at the very least you can document some of the changes that have occurred in the last two decades.

Men of Honor was written by Giovanni Falcone, who was above anyone else, instrumental in bringing Mafia information into the public light and the Maxi Trial of the 80s. Most of this information can be found in other books, but its always good to read the primary source.

Fascism and the Mafia by Christopher Duggan is the only book that I know of that covers the time period from the early 1900s to the end of WWII so extensively.

The Allies, Separatism and the Mafia covers a little bit of the Fascist period, but really focuses on the links between the FBI, American Mafia and Sicilian Mafia.

Mafia Brotherhoods by Letizio Paoli gives another good historical overview of the Mafia and the political connections.

If you have finished that...is it possible to post it on the forum. I'm dying to read that.

If you have finished that...is it possible to post it on the forum. I'm dying to read that. [/b][/quote]Yes, please! Sounds impressive!

hello sir.

I am currently writing my dissertation (thesis) on the political & social impacts of the american mafia on c20th american life.

Is your thesis purely on italy?!

Do you know any academic books that would benefit myself?!

Also, once completed, would you like to swap a copy of each?! I would like to read someone else's atttempt.

Anyone know any good books on the Mafia with ties to the US Goverment?

Many books that deal with the JFK assassination discuss the link between the Mafia and the C.I.A. and their plot to kill Castro.

Contract on America : The Mafia Murder of President John F. Kennedy.
by David E. Scheim


Don Cardi

DC- I think it was Bill Bannano that killed Kennedy Oh no I mean it was Oswald who based his shooting style on Bannano :rolleyes:

Or maybe it was Henry Hill!

Between the two of them, one lies and the other one swears.


Don Cardi

Ok well even though my first post was said to be funny, I picked up the book and on page 4 Bill Bannano says he knows WHO and WHY President Kennedy was killed.

Later he will explain who opened the drapes and who killed the Tahoe assasins

Are you serious? You see, what did I tell you yesterday about him and why I don't particulary care to read what he writes? He's soooo full of himself, it's not even funny.


Don Cardi

Are you serious? You see, what did I tell you yesterday about him and why I don't particulary care to read what he writes? He's soooo full of himself, it's not even funny.


Don Cardi [/b][/quote]Uh, that isn't all he's full of... :rolleyes:
The number of people who claim to know WHO and WHY President Kennedy was killed might actually exceed the number of people who "know" who and why Jimmy Hoffa was killed--and where he was buried. :p

"BLOOD RELATION" by Eric Konigsberg

The nominal subject of this book is Harold (Kayo) Konigsberg, legendary NJ thug and shtarker,who may have committed as many as 20 murders, most of them for the Genovese Family and for Anthony (Tony Pro) Provenzano, Genovese capo and Teamster official who may have been behind Jimmy Hoffa's disappearance. The author is Eric Konigsberg, a capable writer who is Konigsberg's great-nephew. Eric got interested in Kayo after finally finding out the family secret: their blood relationship to Kayo.

Eric visited the 79-year-old Kayo several times in Auburn (NY) Prison, where he's doing a life bit. The visits weren't all that revealing, but Eric did a massive job of researching his career, and especially finding and interviewing people whose paths crossed Harold's--his family, former criminal associates, family members of Kayo's victims, judges, prosecutors, defense lawyers, etc. What emerges is a picture of a true lunatic--equal parts Luca Brasi, Don Rickles and Clarence Darrow. Kayo was absolutely fearless, not because of courage, but out of sheer malevolence, and his drive for getting his way no matter what. As a small kid, he started rocking the ladder of a painter working on his parents' house. "Don't do that, you'll make me fall," the painter chided. "I want you to fall," the little kid replied. As a boxer, Kayo just stood in the ring, swinging away. If someone got in his way, he knocked him out; otherwise his opponents won decisions. But it didn't matter: Kayo waited for them outside the arena after the fight, and beat them to a pulp.
Illiterate into his twenties, Kayo taught himself to read, and then boned up on law. His greatest passion, seemingly, was to match wits with judges and prosecutors, filing endless motions and challenges, gaining endless delays, wising off in the courtroom. No stunt was too outrageous, no lie too obvious, for Harold. It didn't matter in the end: he spent (and is spending) most of his life in prison. Winning seemed almost irrelevant in those courtroom battles: Kayo basked in the publicity and recognition he got (I bet SC and plaw remember some of those trials), as well as the pleasure he took in pissing off his legal foes. He also had an uncanny ability to manipulate other people into doing his bidding and providing him with information, which he used to good advantage in and out of court, usually by intimidating witnesses. Yet, most of the lawmen Eric interviewed seemed to like him, and one FBI guy even asked if he could do anything for Kayo. As Mario Puzo wrote of Luca: he was like a natural force.
In the end, Kayo wound up threatening Eric--who, after researching Kayo's life, believed Kayo could reach him even behind bars. His grandmother intervened.
Not a real crime book, more a personal journey. But most of the stories aren't about Eric, they're about real people whose confidenced Eric earned. All in all, interesting, thoroughly researched and informative. A decent and fast read.

Brutal: The Untold Story of My Life Inside Whitey Bulger's Irish Mob

Co-Authored by Kevin Weeks & Phyllis Karas


The book describes more than 20 years Weeks spent working with Bulger before he fled the country. Weeks was arrested in 1999, two years after he discovered that Bulger and another associate, Steve Flemmi, had been working as informants for the FBI.

I grew up in the Old Colony housing project in South Boston, a tough, working class, mostly Irish neighborhood. I went from being a Golden Gloves boxer to a bouncer in a popular Southie bar called Triple O's. I got into many fights, knocked out a lot of people, and got noticed by one person in particular. People paid him a great deal of respect, came to him with their problems. Sure, I knew who he was. I'd heard stories. He was tough. He could be vicious. He ran the rackets in Southie. His name wasJ ames "Whitey" Bulger, although I always called him Jimmy.



Anyone pick this book up yet?


Don Cardi