Here are some books that i've read these past weeks :
- The Life by Larry Mazza : I was reluctant to read it because his story is so well known but i was pleasantly suprised. I thought the book gave a pretty interesting account of the Scarpa crew and the Persico/Orena war.
- The Mafia hitman's daughter by Linda Scarpa : I read it in order to complete the Scarpa story but it wasn't worth it. There's nothing really new or interesting.
- La Mafia non lascia tempo by Gaspare Mutolo : it's the story of famous sicilian informant Gaspare Mutolo (made guy in one of the Palermo families and a one time close associate of Toto Riina). It was a good read but i wish he 'd have talked more about his day to day life within his family. He covers a lot of subject, especially the links between Cosa Nostra and Italian politics. He was the first informant to give a detailed testimony on that matter. He also talked about his business with the Gambino family (The FBI actually brought him to America to testify against John Gambino).
- Rat Bastards by John Shea : Shea was a mid-level member of the Boston Irish Mob. He was running a big drug network for Whitey Bulger and the Winter Hill Gang. It's your typical South Boston story. It's rather similar to other southie mob books (Kevin Weeks, Eddie Mackenzie, Pat Nee...) except Shea was the only Bulger's lieutenant not to turn informant. He talks about his life in jail where he befriended Ray Patriarca Jr and Carmen Tortora.
- Repenti by Claude Chossat : Chossat is the first ever Mafia informant in France. He was the enforcer of one of the main Bosses of the Corsican Mafia and when he became an informant, the French justice, for the first time, had to create some sort of Witness protection program. So he is kind of the French Joe Valachi or Tommaso Buscetta if you will, because he made the French public and authorities realized the extent and the power of the Corsican Mafia. His book, which was published last year, is a detailed account of the way the main Corsican criminal clan operate and control legal and illegal businesses in Paris, Marseille, the French Riviera and Africa.
