I've just picked up two books, which are "Honor Thy Father" by Gay Talese with Bill Bonanno, and "Mafia Princess" by Marisa Merico. I realise there is another book by this title, but written by Sam Giancana's daughter Antoinette. This is not it.

The first is one Ive never been particularly keen to read, knowing as I do the habits of Joe & his son Bill to rewrite their own roles as common gangsters into noble exceptions; however, I am finding myself enjoying it, especially the early parts of the book that describe the Banana Wars, Bonanno's falling out with the Commission & early Bonanno/Maranzano/Castellamarese mafia family history.

Actually, I am far more impressed by this work so far then "A Man Of Honor", which I always thought had been written first. I have since realised that this came first, & also that Joe was apparrantly unhappy with the book, stating to Talese that his son Bill had been "too sincere" with him. Even with the benefit of knowing more now then was then available (for example, the description of Bonanno's attendance at the Hotel de Palmes mafia summit of October '57 as a "visit to childhood friends") i am finding it to be quite good.

The second book, "Mafia Princess" relates the story of an Anglo-Italian womans whose father & other relatives are Calabrian Ndrina, specifically the Di Giovine & Serraino clans which were involved in the series of skirmishes that became known as the Second Ndrangheta War. She is related to a well known female boss, a position much more common in the Caabrian mafia then any other.
So far, meh. Nothing realy interesting. Its picks up a bit when her fugitive father Emilio Di Giovine spends time in America, spedifically New York, where she claims he fell in the Cherry Hill Gambino's (incorrectly describing John Gambino as Carlo's son)as a drug supplier & links him to John Gotti. Its not that the idea of a Calabrian connection to the Cherry Hill crew is so unbelievable, more the idea that an Italian illegal previously unheard of in New York mafia history got so close to Gotti himself, who supposedly "protected" Di Giovine.
Hopefully it picks up soon, because I do find the Calabrian model to be very interesting.

I picked up both these books for a buck each at an op-shop. Cheering eh? Especially since Mafia Princess was only published last year.

Also I picked up & absolutlely demolished "Westies: Inside Hells Kitchen's Irish Mob", TJ English's definitive account of the Westies duing the reign of Jimmy Coonan & Mickey Featherstone. Ive never been too interested in Coonan & co, apart from his dealings with Roy DeMeo, but this was actually one of the best book on OC Ive ever read.