Born to Steal

When the Mafia Hit Wall Street

By: Gary Weiss

Narrated by: Frank Whaley

Length: 5 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

This is the astounding, true story of the rise and fall of a fast-talking stock hustler, as well as a shocking portrait of the insidious ways the Mob infiltrates and fleeces Wall Street. From outrageous scams to out-of-control strip-club parties, Born to Steal takes you inside the lives of brash young men who flaunt their ignorance of stocks, bonds, and PE ratios even as they become the perfect foot soldiers in a vast campaign to separate honest people from their money.

Trading his jeans and T-shirt for a $90 suit, Louis Pasciuto arrived on Wall Street in 1992 to join a "chop house," a crooked brokerage firm set up by a charismatic Mob-connected overlord. Working out of seventeen brokerage firms, Louis sold often worthless or nonexistent stocks to gullible retirees right under the nose of financial regulators. Stuffing his money into a mayonnaise jar - because he didn't have a clue how to invest it - he was quickly making thousands of dollars a day, and ready to strike out on his own. But a shark wanted a piece of Louis's action. Enter Charlie Ricottone, a mobster straight out of The Sopranos, who pummeled people in public, painted his bald spot in private, and was just the advance guard of a money-hungry army of wiseguys.

Suddenly Louis's lifestyle - the stripper girlfriend, his looming marriage to an entirely different woman, the Rolexes, Armanis, celebrity friends, orgies, and three-day cocaine binges - was about to go up in smoke. When the violence escalated and the FBI finally stepped in, Louis had to pull off the ultimate heist: join the Feds and steal back his life.

©2003 Gary Weiss (P)2003 Time Warner AudioBooks, A Division of the AOL Time Warner Book Group

Critic reviews

"Fast-moving, tragic, funny, highly entertaining." (AudioFile)
"A remarkable glimpse into the essentially lawless, virtually unregulated turf of easily manipulated penny stocks...and...broker strategies." (St. Petersburg Times)

Wolf of Wall Street meets the Mob

Can't describe it any better. It's a wild ride. Don't understand the low ratings. It's entertaining, wild and the fact that it isn't fiction just made the ride that much more wild.
I enjoyed it.

Bummer on Wall St

I love the stock market. I love books about people who made it from the bottom and did well in business. But sorry to say that this book is just plain depressing. Real life story of a kid from NY that got sucked into the crack rock lifestyle of chop houses and made a ton of money ripping people off. He lied and cheated everyone in his life and I still felt bad for the guy in the end. When it finally ended I just felt sad.
Great narrator, good documentary style writing and a cool interview with the author at the end. Those redeeming qualities give it 3 stars. 2 1/2 would be more acurate.

Good story, bad language

This was a very interesting story. Not that it was right, but certainly interesting. My one and only complaint is that some particular words are repeaded excessively. Words I won't repeat, but I could certainly stand NOT to hear. Oh well, no book is perfect.

Great writer! Brilliant narration!

I will listen to this again soon. Most stories are hilarious. It is an entertaining glimpse into the criminal mind. Yet, there is so much valuable information about the stock market and how people are set up for losses in this legal gambling arena. If you grew up in New York, you knew people like this subject and his associates. The storytelling is artful and dynamic, Don't deny yourself the pleasure of reading it.

a great listen

This is one of my favorite types of audio books -- interesting, very well read, easy to follow and listen to over several interrupted sessions... and compelling. I'm not saying it's perfect. And it's abridged, which I don't usually prefer. But, if you like true crime, it's the kind of book where you don't mind getting in the car to do some errands because you have this fun read to keep you company. I might add once again that Frank Whayly does an incredible job, both of narration and of capturing the lead character.

Funny

This book is funny. This guy was a nut. The Wall Street version of the Jerky Boys. Quite entertaining. The reader is excellent, great tones and voice changes.

A truly enjoyable story for anyone that trades.

If you could sum up Born to Steal in three words, what would they be?

Open Your Eyes

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

I actually felt like the person telling the story had done what he was talking about. He tells the story well and it was very easy to listen to.

What does Frank Whaley bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Frank brings an incredible amount of emotion in his speaking style, not monotone and definitely not boring.

If you could give Born to Steal a new subtitle, what would it be?

A Hustler's guide to selling stocks.

Strong, exciting well read drama . . .

The rise and fall of a young fast talking sales man addicted to easy money and the perks of influence is at the core of this book. It is a well acted drama that is enticing and provocative. It provides an in depth look into the seedy ugly side of wall street in the 1990s. The book using alot of profanity that may seem over the top to some. As you hear Lewis spiral out of control you can't help but feel a little sorry for him and at times depressed. This is a book that holds interest as an audio page turner; full of humor, drama, money, and intrigue.

Too ghetto

Do not waste your time or money on this swill.
I am getting a refund and just trying to delete this from my library. The reader is a slightly higher caliber than the matter.

I have never heard such a badly written book

It’s a real shame great story but so badly written author keeps jumping from 1st person to 3rd person. It almost unlistenable terrible narration