THE TRIADS by Martin Booth
THE DRAGON SYNDICATES by Martin Booth

Two excellent books on the Triads international organized crime. They both cover alot of the same ground though I believe THE TRIADS concentrates more of the earlier history whileas THE DRAGON SYNDICATES covers more of the later 19th and 20th history. They bookend each other quite nicely, but if given a choice between the two, I would choose Booth's second book, THE DRAGON SYNDICATES. Of course after Booth wrote them, he had to go under hiding.

DRUG LORD by Terrence E Poppa

From the Library Journal

Pablo Acosta was a living legend in his Mexican border town of Ojinaga. He smuggled tremendous amounts of drugs into the United States; he survived numerous attempts on his power--and his life--by rivals; and he blessed the town with charity and civic improvements. He was finally slain in 1987, during a raid by Mexican officials with the cooperation of U.S. law enforcement. Poppa, a news reporter and Pulitzer Prize finalist for his work on this story, has turned out a detailed and exciting book, covering in depth Acosta's life; the other drug factions that battled with him; the village of Ojinaga; and the logistics of the drug operation. The result is a nonfiction account with enough greed, treachery, shoot-outs, and government corruption to fascinate true crime and crime fiction readers alike. Highly recommended.

CITIZEN SOMERVILLE by Bobby Martini, Elayne Keratsis

Review
Underworld dramas in Boston have made headlines for decades but we've never heard from the supporting cast, the women and children. In Citizen Somerville their tales make for an eye-opening, fascinating read. Laura Raposa --The Boston Herald

An instant classic by a true insider, it will have you turning pages late into the night. Dripping with authenticity, and the rough-and-tumble characters within are alternately harrowing and hilarious. A great read! --Writer/Director Bobby Farrelly

A truly magnificent work. A gripping account of the Winter Hill Gang and other remarkable events that occurred in and around Boston over decades. One of the best books I've read in a long time. Get it! --Ed Begley, Jr.
Product Description
In the early 1960's a bloody civil war broke out between the two powerful Irish Mob families in the Somerville Massachusetts neighborhood known as Winter Hill. Over sixty men were murdered, including the leader of the Winter Hill Gang, James "Buddy" McLean. The leadership of one of the most influential non-Italian crime organizations in the United States was inherited by his childhood friend, Howard T. "Howie" Winter. In CITIZEN SOMERVILLE the events during his tenure offer a true picture of an era in Boston's pre-Whitey Bulger history when the streets were protected by a close-knit group of Irish-Italian "businessmen." The son of one of Winter's closest friends, BOBBY MARTINI has laid his own history bare to depict a life of survival in the rough streets of Somerville, stopping just short of entering the Mob life. The death of Martini's two brothers as well as the murders and suicides of scores of others reveal the darker personal side of a small New England town. CITIZEN SOMERVILLE slices a layer deeper than a crime memoir by allowing a usually ostracized faction to speak - the women. After decades of silence, three strong and very different females lift the Mob veil and voice their own struggle to survive in Somerville's criminal circle. Often painfully poignant and yet frequently hilarious, CITIZEN SOMERVILLE is a microscopic view of a generation struggling to walk the moral tightrope between societal decency and the loyalty of criminality. THE BOSTON HERALD'S Laura Raposa writes..."Stories of Howie Winter and his lieutenants are legendary in Boston, but 'Citizen Somerville' brings them back to life with a bonus: the stories behind the stories. The underworld dramas in the Boston burg have made headlines for decades, but we've never heard from the supporting cast, namely the women and children. Their tales make for an eye-opening, fascinating read."

NOTE: 31 5-STAR AMAZON.COM REVIEWS AND COUNTING!

I am currently reading Robert Saviano's GOMORRAH, nearly half way through and find it less than satisfying. Saviano is all over the place covering a whole lotta ... nothing ... just spouting facts rather than solid on-the-scene cutting edge journalism.

BTW, aren't there 6 Southern Italy crime organizations? Basilischi based in Basilicata, Camorra in Naples, Cosa Nostra in Sicily, La Stidda in Sicily, Ndrangheta in Calabria, Sacra Corona Unita in Puglia. And 1 Northern Italy crime organization? Mala Del Brenta in Veneto. Sans foreign emigrating COs. I am seeking to increase my knowledge of international crime organizations.

Hey, I found this forum through searching for mob book recommendations and have collected plenty from this thread, thanks!