Frank Dimatteo strikes me as a man exaggerating and lying about his knowledge. Everything he says about Persico, form the Garfield Boys gang to his early arrests have been in older books or discussed multiple times on the internet. He grew up near the Gallos, but was not in their crew or close enough to know as much as he claims. I doubt he even knew Persico. Maybe he said hello to him once as a teen, that is not enough to fill a book. He'll still do it and make money.
He indicated in that article that he didn't know Persico but, due to his being around the Gallo crew, was raised to think Persico was a "rat." I've never read his first book so I have no idea how much he claims to have seen or heard. It helps that Michael Benson, a researcher, is there to help him write the book.
I the has Benson as a researcher, and I assume he is a good one, do you think the research will play a bigger part than DiMatteo's own knowledge? DiMatteo already wrote a book and has published many articles in his own magazine, I just can't believe him anymore. I looked at the article and everything he says is old news known for years.
