"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.