-
Five Families
- The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires
- Narrated by: Paul Costanzo
- Length: 33 hrs and 54 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $25.79
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Wiseguy
- By: Nicholas Pileggi, Martin Scorsese - introduction
- Narrated by: Ari Fliakos, Corey Brill, Hillary Huber, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the true crime best seller that was the basis for Martin Scorsese’s film masterpiece GoodFellas, which brought to life the violence, the excess, the families, the wives and girlfriends, the drugs, the payoffs, the paybacks, the jail time, and the Feds...with Henry Hill’s crackling narration drawn straight out of Wiseguy and overseeing all the unforgettable action.
-
-
Finally unabridged
- By Rodney on 12-16-19
By: Nicholas Pileggi, and others
-
Mafia Prince
- Inside America's Most Violent Crime Family and the Bloody Fall of La Cosa Nostra
- By: Phillip Leonetti, Scott Burnstein, Christopher Graziano
- Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
- Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mafia Prince is the first-person account of one of the most violent eras in Mafia history - "Little" Nicky Scarfo’s reign as boss of the Philly family in the 1980s - written by Scarfo’s underboss and nephew, "Crazy" Phil Leonetti. The youngest-ever underboss at the age of 31, Leonetti was at the crux of the violent downfall of the traditional American Mafia in the 1980s when he infiltrated Atlantic City after gambling was legalized, and later turned state’s evidence against his own.
-
-
Guilty pleasure.
- By A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. on 03-28-14
By: Phillip Leonetti, and others
-
The Ice Man
- Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer
- By: Philip Carlo
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 19 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Richard "The Ice Man" Kuklinski led a double life beyond anything ever seen on The Sopranos, becoming one of the most notorious professional assassins in American history while hosting neighborhood barbecues in suburban New Jersey. Now, after 240 hours of face-to-face interviews with Kuklinski and his wife and daughters, author Philip Carlo tells his extraordinary story.
-
-
You must buy this audio only if...
- By Eileen C on 08-15-09
By: Philip Carlo
-
Mob Boss
- The Life of Little Al D'arco, the Man Who Brought Down the Mafia
- By: Jerry Capeci, Tom Robbins
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 16 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alfonso "Little Al" D'Arco, the former acting boss of the Luchese crime family, was the highest-ranking mobster to ever turn government witness when he flipped in 1991. His decision to flip prompted many others to make the same choice, including John Gotti's top aide, Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano, and his testimony sent more than fifty mobsters to prison. In Mob Boss, award-winning news reporters Jerry Capeci and Tom Robbins team up for this unparalleled account of D'Arco's life.
-
-
Well written, accurate information, great narrator
- By Lisa on 12-01-13
By: Jerry Capeci, and others
-
Murder Machine
- A True Story of Murder, Madness, and the Mafia
- By: Gene Mustain, Jerry Capeci
- Narrated by: Victor Bevine
- Length: 15 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
They were the DeMeo gang - the most deadly hit men in organized crime. Their Mafia higher-ups came to know, use, and ultimately fear them as the Murder Machine. They killed for profit and for pleasure, following cold-blooded plans and wild whims, from the mean streets of New York to the Florida Gold Coast, and from coast to coast. Now complete with personal revelations of one of the key players, this is the savage story that leaves no corpse unturned in its terrifying telling.
-
-
stop browsing and just get it.
- By Patrick on 04-20-21
By: Gene Mustain, and others
-
The Keeper: Mary Bennet's Extraordinary Journey
- The Bennet Wardrobe, Book 1
- By: Don Jacobson, a Lady
- Narrated by: Amanda Berry
- Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As Meryton burns, a new character is forged and refined. Love ignites in the fiery ashes and smolders until the couple can be reunited. Mary Bennet spent her life fighting to be herself. If only she knew what that was. For years, trying to be exceptional, she buried her nose in the fusty musings of Fordyce’s Sermons to Young Women. With Jane and Elizabeth wed and gone, Mary must find her way as Longbourn’s eldest daughter.
-
-
Heartwarming and Engaging Time Travel Magic!
- By Sophia Rose on 08-24-18
By: Don Jacobson, and others
-
Wiseguy
- By: Nicholas Pileggi, Martin Scorsese - introduction
- Narrated by: Ari Fliakos, Corey Brill, Hillary Huber, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the true crime best seller that was the basis for Martin Scorsese’s film masterpiece GoodFellas, which brought to life the violence, the excess, the families, the wives and girlfriends, the drugs, the payoffs, the paybacks, the jail time, and the Feds...with Henry Hill’s crackling narration drawn straight out of Wiseguy and overseeing all the unforgettable action.
-
-
Finally unabridged
- By Rodney on 12-16-19
By: Nicholas Pileggi, and others
-
Mafia Prince
- Inside America's Most Violent Crime Family and the Bloody Fall of La Cosa Nostra
- By: Phillip Leonetti, Scott Burnstein, Christopher Graziano
- Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
- Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mafia Prince is the first-person account of one of the most violent eras in Mafia history - "Little" Nicky Scarfo’s reign as boss of the Philly family in the 1980s - written by Scarfo’s underboss and nephew, "Crazy" Phil Leonetti. The youngest-ever underboss at the age of 31, Leonetti was at the crux of the violent downfall of the traditional American Mafia in the 1980s when he infiltrated Atlantic City after gambling was legalized, and later turned state’s evidence against his own.
-
-
Guilty pleasure.
- By A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. on 03-28-14
By: Phillip Leonetti, and others
-
The Ice Man
- Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer
- By: Philip Carlo
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 19 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Richard "The Ice Man" Kuklinski led a double life beyond anything ever seen on The Sopranos, becoming one of the most notorious professional assassins in American history while hosting neighborhood barbecues in suburban New Jersey. Now, after 240 hours of face-to-face interviews with Kuklinski and his wife and daughters, author Philip Carlo tells his extraordinary story.
-
-
You must buy this audio only if...
- By Eileen C on 08-15-09
By: Philip Carlo
-
Mob Boss
- The Life of Little Al D'arco, the Man Who Brought Down the Mafia
- By: Jerry Capeci, Tom Robbins
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 16 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alfonso "Little Al" D'Arco, the former acting boss of the Luchese crime family, was the highest-ranking mobster to ever turn government witness when he flipped in 1991. His decision to flip prompted many others to make the same choice, including John Gotti's top aide, Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano, and his testimony sent more than fifty mobsters to prison. In Mob Boss, award-winning news reporters Jerry Capeci and Tom Robbins team up for this unparalleled account of D'Arco's life.
-
-
Well written, accurate information, great narrator
- By Lisa on 12-01-13
By: Jerry Capeci, and others
-
Murder Machine
- A True Story of Murder, Madness, and the Mafia
- By: Gene Mustain, Jerry Capeci
- Narrated by: Victor Bevine
- Length: 15 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
They were the DeMeo gang - the most deadly hit men in organized crime. Their Mafia higher-ups came to know, use, and ultimately fear them as the Murder Machine. They killed for profit and for pleasure, following cold-blooded plans and wild whims, from the mean streets of New York to the Florida Gold Coast, and from coast to coast. Now complete with personal revelations of one of the key players, this is the savage story that leaves no corpse unturned in its terrifying telling.
-
-
stop browsing and just get it.
- By Patrick on 04-20-21
By: Gene Mustain, and others
-
The Keeper: Mary Bennet's Extraordinary Journey
- The Bennet Wardrobe, Book 1
- By: Don Jacobson, a Lady
- Narrated by: Amanda Berry
- Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As Meryton burns, a new character is forged and refined. Love ignites in the fiery ashes and smolders until the couple can be reunited. Mary Bennet spent her life fighting to be herself. If only she knew what that was. For years, trying to be exceptional, she buried her nose in the fusty musings of Fordyce’s Sermons to Young Women. With Jane and Elizabeth wed and gone, Mary must find her way as Longbourn’s eldest daughter.
-
-
Heartwarming and Engaging Time Travel Magic!
- By Sophia Rose on 08-24-18
By: Don Jacobson, and others
-
A Man of Honor
- The Autobiography of Joseph Bonanno
- By: Joseph Bonanno
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 14 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born in Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, Joseph Bonanno found his future amid the whiskey-running, riotous streets of Prohibition America in 1924, when he illegally entered the United States to pursue his dreams. By the age of only 26, Bonanno became a don. He eventually took over the New York underworld, igniting the "Castellammarese War", one of the bloodiest Family battles ever to hit New York City.
-
-
A must read
- By E. Orlando on 05-03-17
By: Joseph Bonanno
-
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
- A History of Nazi Germany
- By: William L. Shirer
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 57 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since its publication in 1960, William L. Shirer’s monumental study of Hitler’s German empire has been widely acclaimed as the definitive record of the 20th century’s blackest hours. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich offers an unparalleled and thrillingly told examination of how Adolf Hitler nearly succeeded in conquering the world. With millions of copies in print around the globe, it has attained the status of a vital and enduring classic.
-
-
Held my interest for 57 hours and 13 minutes
- By Jonnie on 11-08-10
-
Chin
- The Life and Crimes of Mafia Boss Vincent Gigante
- By: Larry McShane
- Narrated by: Paul Costanzo
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Vincent "Chin" Gigante. He started out as a professional boxer - until he found his true calling as a ruthless contract killer. His doting mother's pet name for the boy evolved into his famous alias, "Chin", a nickname that struck fear throughout organized crime as he routinely ordered the murders of mobsters who violated the Mafia code. Vincent Gigante was hand-picked by Vito Genovese to run the Genovese Family when Vito was sent to prison. Chin raked in more than $100 million for the Genovese Family, all while evading federal investigators.
-
-
Not as good as others
- By KM528 on 02-05-17
By: Larry McShane
-
Double Cross
- The Explosive Inside Story of the Mobster Who Controlled America
- By: Sam Giancana, Chuck Giancana, Tim Newark - foreword, and others
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 13 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the most feared Chicago mobsters, Sam Giancana, clawed his way to the top of the Mafia hierarchy by starting as a hit man for Al Capone. He was known as one of the best vehicle escape artists, a tenacious business man, and a ruthless killer. He partied with major stars such as Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe and did business with agents ranging from the CIA to the Vatican to the shah of Iran. When politician Joe Kennedy gave Giancana the chance to use mob muscle to get his son John elected, Giancana jumped at the task.
-
-
Kennedy Assassination Solved
- By Darlene A. Geloso on 05-30-20
By: Sam Giancana, and others
-
The History of the Ancient World
- From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome
- By: Susan Wise Bauer
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 26 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the first volume in a bold new series that tells the stories of all peoples, connecting historical events from Europe to the Middle East to the far coast of China, while still giving weight to the characteristics of each country. Susan Wise Bauer provides both sweeping scope and vivid attention to the individual lives that give flesh to abstract assertions about human history. This narrative history employs the methods of "history from beneath" - literature, epic traditions, private letters, and accounts - to connect kings and leaders with the lives of those they ruled.
-
-
An Historic Achievement
- By Ellen S. Wilds on 04-25-14
By: Susan Wise Bauer
-
The Source
- A Novel
- By: James A. Michener
- Narrated by: Larry McKeever
- Length: 54 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the grand storytelling style that is his signature, James Michener sweeps us back through time to the very beginnings of the Jewish faith, thousands of years ago. Through the predecessors of four modern men and women, we experience the entire colorful history of the Jews, including the life of the early Hebrews and their persecutions, the impact of Christianity, the Crusades, and the Spanish Inquisition, all the way to the founding of present-day Israel and the Middle East conflict.
-
-
Unlistenable
- By GGS Engineering on 09-11-15
-
The Gotti Wars
- Taking Down America's Most Notorious Mobster
- By: John Gleeson
- Narrated by: Adam Grupper
- Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
John Gotti was without a doubt the flashiest and most feared Mafioso in American history. He became the boss of the Gambino Crime Family in spectacular fashion—with the brazen and very public murder of Paul Castellano in front of Sparks Steakhouse in midtown Manhattan in 1985. Not one to stay below law enforcement’s radar, Gotti instead became the first celebrity crime boss. His penchant for eye-catching apparel earned him the nickname “The Dapper Don;” his ability to beat criminal charges led to another: “The Teflon Don.”
-
-
Corrupt prosecutors and Defendant
- By Mark on 12-13-23
By: John Gleeson
-
Gaspipe
- Confessions of a Mafia Boss
- By: Philip Carlo
- Narrated by: Alan Sklar
- Length: 12 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso, the boss of New York's Lucchese crime family, was a Mafia superstar, responsible for more than 50 murders. Currently serving 13 life sentences at a federal prison in Colorado, Casso has given journalist and New York Times best-selling author Philip Carlo the most intimate, personal look into the world of La Cosa Nostra ever seen.
-
-
The author fails the objectivity test
- By William on 11-29-08
By: Philip Carlo
-
The Mob and the City
- The Hidden History of How the Mafia Captured New York
- By: C. Alexander Hortis
- Narrated by: LJ Ganser
- Length: 9 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Forget what you think you know about the Mafia. After reading this book, even life-long mob aficionados will have a new perspective on organized crime. Informative, authoritative, and eye-opening, this is the first full-length book devoted exclusively to uncovering the hidden history of how the Mafia came to dominate organized crime in New York City during the 1930s through 1950s.
-
-
Hard one to rate....
- By Jeffery D. Giuliani on 09-24-20
-
The Westies
- Inside New York's Irish Mob
- By: T. J. English
- Narrated by: James Anderson Foster
- Length: 13 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's men like Jimmy Coonan and Mickey Featherstone who gave Hell's Kitchen its name. In the mid-1970s, these two longtime friends take the reins of New York's Irish mob, using brute force to give it hitherto unthinkable power. Jimmy, a charismatic sociopath, is the leader. Mickey, whose memories of Vietnam torture him daily, is his enforcer. Together they make brutality their trademark, butchering bodies or hurling them out the window.
-
-
Great book
- By Julio on 06-28-18
By: T. J. English
-
Killing Jesus
- A History
- By: Bill O'Reilly, Martin Dugard
- Narrated by: Bill O'Reilly
- Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Millions of people have thrilled to best-selling authors Bill O'Reilly and historian Martin Dugard's Killing Kennedy and Killing Lincoln, works of nonfiction that have changed the way we view history. Now the anchor of The O'Reilly Factor details the events leading up to the murder of the most influential man in history: Jesus of Nazareth. Nearly 2,000 years after this beloved and controversial young revolutionary was brutally killed by Roman soldiers, more than 2.2 billion human beings attempt to follow his teachings and believe he is God.
-
-
The Jesus story in context
- By Kimberly on 10-01-13
By: Bill O'Reilly, and others
-
Black Mass
- Whitey Bulger, The FBI, and a Devil's Deal
- By: Gerard O'Neill, Dick Lehr
- Narrated by: John Rubinstein, Christopher Evan Welch
- Length: 13 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this gritty New York Times best-seller, the true story of a crooked deal between the FBI and the Irish Mob is exposed. By providing a penetrating look into the mean streets of mid-1970s South Boston, the author shows how two kids from the neighborhood cross paths again years later, ending in the biggest informant scandal in FBI history.
-
-
Excellent!
- By John L. Mahan on 06-18-15
By: Gerard O'Neill, and others
Publisher's summary
Genovese, Gambino, Bonnano, Colombo, and Lucchese. For decades these Five Families ruled New York and built the American Mafia (or Cosa Nostra) into an underworld empire. Today, the Mafia is an endangered species, battered and beleaguered by aggressive investigators, incompetent leadership, betrayals, and generational changes that produced violent, unreliable leaders and recruits. A 20-year assault against the five families in particular blossomed into the most successful law enforcement campaign of the last century.
Selwyn Raab's Five Families is the vivid story of the rise and fall of New York's premier dons, from Lucky Luciano to Paul Castellano to John Gotti and more. The book also brings the listener right up to the possible resurgence of the Mafia as the FBI and local law enforcement agencies turn their attention to homeland security and away from organized crime.
Critic reviews
More from the same
Related to this topic
-
The Quiet Don
- The Untold Story of Mafia Kingpin Russell Bufalino
- By: Matt Birkbeck
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Secretive - even reclusive - Russell Bufalino quietly built his organized crime empire in the decades between Prohibition and the Carter presidency. His reach extended far beyond the coal country of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and quaint Amish farms near Lancaster. Bufalino had a hand in global, national, and local politics of the largest American cities, many of its major industries, and controlled the powerful Teamsters Union. His influence also reached the highest levels of Pennsylvania government and halls of Congress, and his legacy left a culture of corruption that continues to this day.
-
-
Important But Edited By Lawyers?
- By Ted on 04-03-14
By: Matt Birkbeck
-
American Mafia
- A History of Its Rise to Power
- By: Thomas Reppetto
- Narrated by: Paul Costanzo
- Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Organized crime - the Italian American kind - has long been a source of popular entertainment and legend. Now Thomas Reppetto provides a balanced history of the Mafia's rise - from the 1880s to the post-World War II era - that is as exciting as it is authoritative. Structuring his narrative around a series of case histories featuring such infamous characters as Lucky Luciano and Al Capone, Reppetto draws on a lifetime of field experience and access to unseen documents to show us a locally grown Mafia.
-
-
Mob at its best
- By Thomas on 02-14-23
By: Thomas Reppetto
-
The Mob and the City
- The Hidden History of How the Mafia Captured New York
- By: C. Alexander Hortis
- Narrated by: LJ Ganser
- Length: 9 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Forget what you think you know about the Mafia. After reading this book, even life-long mob aficionados will have a new perspective on organized crime. Informative, authoritative, and eye-opening, this is the first full-length book devoted exclusively to uncovering the hidden history of how the Mafia came to dominate organized crime in New York City during the 1930s through 1950s.
-
-
Hard one to rate....
- By Jeffery D. Giuliani on 09-24-20
-
The Corporation
- An Epic Story of the Cuban American Underworld
- By: T. J. English
- Narrated by: Timothy Andrés Pabon
- Length: 19 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
By the mid 1980s, the criminal underworld in the United States had become an ethnic polyglot; one of the most powerful illicit organizations was none other than the Cuban mob. Known on both sides of the law as "the Corporation", the Cuban mob's power stemmed from a criminal culture embedded in south Florida's exile community - those who had been chased from the island by Castro's revolution and planned to overthrow the Marxist dictator and reclaim their nation.
-
-
uncle joey approved
- By Anonymous User on 04-14-18
By: T. J. English
-
The Tangled Web
- The Life and Death of Richard Cain—Chicago Cop and Mafia Hitman
- By: Michael Cain
- Narrated by: Clinton Wade
- Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Tangled Web tells the dramatic story of detective Richard Cain's criminal career as revealed by his half-brother, Michael. Cain led a double-life—one as a well-known cop who led raids that landed on the front pages, and the other as a "made man" in one of Chicago's most notorious mob families.
-
-
Reviews
- By G. D. Hoppe on 11-19-20
By: Michael Cain
-
L.A. Noir
- The Struggle for the Soul of America's Most Seductive City
- By: John Buntin
- Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
- Length: 17 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Midcentury Los Angeles: A city sold to the world as "the white spot of America", a land of sunshine and orange groves, Midwestern values, and Hollywood stars, protected by the world's most famous police force, the Dragnet-era LAPD. Behind this public image lies a hidden world of "pleasure girls" and crooked cops, ruthless newspaper tycoons, corrupt politicians, and East Coast gangsters on the make. Into this underworld came two men - one L.A.'s most notorious gangster, the other its most famous police chief - each prepared to battle the other for the soul of the city.
-
-
A good (but a little corny) history of LA
- By Jimmy on 10-23-12
By: John Buntin
-
The Quiet Don
- The Untold Story of Mafia Kingpin Russell Bufalino
- By: Matt Birkbeck
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Secretive - even reclusive - Russell Bufalino quietly built his organized crime empire in the decades between Prohibition and the Carter presidency. His reach extended far beyond the coal country of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and quaint Amish farms near Lancaster. Bufalino had a hand in global, national, and local politics of the largest American cities, many of its major industries, and controlled the powerful Teamsters Union. His influence also reached the highest levels of Pennsylvania government and halls of Congress, and his legacy left a culture of corruption that continues to this day.
-
-
Important But Edited By Lawyers?
- By Ted on 04-03-14
By: Matt Birkbeck
-
American Mafia
- A History of Its Rise to Power
- By: Thomas Reppetto
- Narrated by: Paul Costanzo
- Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Organized crime - the Italian American kind - has long been a source of popular entertainment and legend. Now Thomas Reppetto provides a balanced history of the Mafia's rise - from the 1880s to the post-World War II era - that is as exciting as it is authoritative. Structuring his narrative around a series of case histories featuring such infamous characters as Lucky Luciano and Al Capone, Reppetto draws on a lifetime of field experience and access to unseen documents to show us a locally grown Mafia.
-
-
Mob at its best
- By Thomas on 02-14-23
By: Thomas Reppetto
-
The Mob and the City
- The Hidden History of How the Mafia Captured New York
- By: C. Alexander Hortis
- Narrated by: LJ Ganser
- Length: 9 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Forget what you think you know about the Mafia. After reading this book, even life-long mob aficionados will have a new perspective on organized crime. Informative, authoritative, and eye-opening, this is the first full-length book devoted exclusively to uncovering the hidden history of how the Mafia came to dominate organized crime in New York City during the 1930s through 1950s.
-
-
Hard one to rate....
- By Jeffery D. Giuliani on 09-24-20
-
The Corporation
- An Epic Story of the Cuban American Underworld
- By: T. J. English
- Narrated by: Timothy Andrés Pabon
- Length: 19 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
By the mid 1980s, the criminal underworld in the United States had become an ethnic polyglot; one of the most powerful illicit organizations was none other than the Cuban mob. Known on both sides of the law as "the Corporation", the Cuban mob's power stemmed from a criminal culture embedded in south Florida's exile community - those who had been chased from the island by Castro's revolution and planned to overthrow the Marxist dictator and reclaim their nation.
-
-
uncle joey approved
- By Anonymous User on 04-14-18
By: T. J. English
-
The Tangled Web
- The Life and Death of Richard Cain—Chicago Cop and Mafia Hitman
- By: Michael Cain
- Narrated by: Clinton Wade
- Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Tangled Web tells the dramatic story of detective Richard Cain's criminal career as revealed by his half-brother, Michael. Cain led a double-life—one as a well-known cop who led raids that landed on the front pages, and the other as a "made man" in one of Chicago's most notorious mob families.
-
-
Reviews
- By G. D. Hoppe on 11-19-20
By: Michael Cain
-
L.A. Noir
- The Struggle for the Soul of America's Most Seductive City
- By: John Buntin
- Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
- Length: 17 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Midcentury Los Angeles: A city sold to the world as "the white spot of America", a land of sunshine and orange groves, Midwestern values, and Hollywood stars, protected by the world's most famous police force, the Dragnet-era LAPD. Behind this public image lies a hidden world of "pleasure girls" and crooked cops, ruthless newspaper tycoons, corrupt politicians, and East Coast gangsters on the make. Into this underworld came two men - one L.A.'s most notorious gangster, the other its most famous police chief - each prepared to battle the other for the soul of the city.
-
-
A good (but a little corny) history of LA
- By Jimmy on 10-23-12
By: John Buntin
-
Gangsters of Harlem
- The Gritty Underworld of New York City's Most Famous Neighborhood
- By: Ron Chepesiuk
- Narrated by: J. D. Jackson
- Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Author Ron Chepesiuk chronicles the little known history of organized crime in Harlem.
African American organized crime has had as significant an impact on its constituent community as Italian, Jewish, and Irish organized crime has had on theirs. Gangsters are every bit as colorful, intriguing, and powerful as Al Capone and Lucky Luciano, and have a fascinating history in gambling, prostitution, and drug dealing. In the late 1800s, Harlem became a highly fashionable neighborhood.
-
-
weak --reader is terrible!
- By Meyer Rosenbloom on 10-18-13
By: Ron Chepesiuk
-
Where the Bodies Were Buried
- Whitey Bulger and the World That Made Him
- By: T. J. English
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 16 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
New York Times best-selling author T. J. English, the acclaimed master chronicler of the Irish Mob in America, offers a front row seat at the trial of one of the most notorious gangsters of all - Whitey Bulger - and pulls back the veil to expose a breathtaking history of corruption and malfeasance.
-
-
The post-trial story of the Bulger legacy
- By Hugh F on 09-28-15
By: T. J. English
-
The Brothers Bulger
- How They Terrorized and Corrupted Boston for a Quarter Century
- By: Howie Carr
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This fresh account of Massachusetts' infamous Bulger brothers unveils a stunning criminal alliance, and with its dual biography format, goes deeper than the New York Times best-selling Black Mass. For the first time, journalist Howie Carr reveals the real story behind the infamous Bulgers, two brothers from South Boston who grew up to control a state.
-
-
ZZZZZZzzzzzzzz
- By Tory on 11-18-06
By: Howie Carr
-
Kings of Cocaine
- Inside the Medellin Cartel - An Astonishing True Story of Murder Money and International Corruption
- By: Guy Gugliotta, Jeff Leen
- Narrated by: Paul Woodson
- Length: 14 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the story of the most successful cocaine dealers in the world: Pablo Escobar Gaviria, Jorge Luis Ochoa Vasquez, Carlos Lehder Rivas, and Jose Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha. In the 1980s, they controlled more than 50 percent of the cocaine flowing into the United States. The cocaine trade is capitalism on overdrive - supply meeting demand on exponential levels. Here you'll find the story of how the modern cocaine business started and how it turned a ragtag group of hippies and sociopaths into regal kings.
-
-
Almost Perfect.
- By Nick on 10-31-18
By: Guy Gugliotta, and others
-
Animal
- The Bloody Rise and Fall of the Mob's Most Feared Assassin
- By: Casey Sherman
- Narrated by: Jim Goad
- Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Joe Barboza knew that there were two requirements for getting inducted into the Mafia. You had to be Sicilian. And you had to commit a contract killing. The New Bedford-born mobster was a proud Portuguese, not Sicilian, but his dream to be part of La Cosa Nostra proved so strong that he thought he could create a loophole. Barboza’s legacy, buried for years thanks to the murders or deaths of its participants, is finally coming to light and being told in its unvarnished brutality by one of America’s most respected true crime writers.
-
-
Well done. 5 stars.
- By robert price on 03-03-19
By: Casey Sherman
-
Mafia Summit
- J. Edgar Hoover, the Kennedy Brothers, and the Meeting That Unmasked the Mob
- By: Gil Reavill
- Narrated by: Keith Szarabajka
- Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a small village in New York, mob bosses from all over the country - Vito Genovese, Carlo Gambino, Joe Bonanno, Joe Profaci, Cuba boss Santo Trafficante, Jr., and Paul Castellano - were nabbed by Sergeant Edgar D. Croswell as they gathered to sort out a bloody war of succession. For years FBI director J. Edgar Hoover had adamantly denied the existence of the Mafia, but Robert Kennedy immediately recognized the shattering importance of the Apalachin summit....
-
-
Something I Didn't Know
- By Kevin on 03-29-13
By: Gil Reavill
-
Crime Beat
- A Decade of Covering Cops and Killers
- By: Michael Connelly
- Narrated by: Len Cariou, Nancy McKeon, Carl Franklin
- Length: 6 hrs and 12 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Before he became a novelist, Michael Connelly was a crime reporter, covering the detectives who worked the homicide beat in Florida and Los Angeles. In vivid, hard-hitting articles, Connelly leads the reader past the yellow police tape as he follows the investigators, the victims, their families and friends, and, of course, the killers, to tell the real stories of murder and its aftermath.
-
-
Disappointment
- By Traci on 11-07-11
By: Michael Connelly
-
The Last Gangster
- From Cop to Wiseguy to FBI Informant: Big Ron Previte and the Fall of the American Mob
- By: George Anastasia
- Narrated by: Chris Monteiro
- Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a cop, Ron Previte was corrupt. As a mobster, he was brutal. And in his final role, as a confidential informant to the FBI, Previte was deadly. The Last Gangster is his story—the story of the last days of the Philadelphia Mob, and of the clash of generations that brought it down once and for all. Convinced that the honor of the "business" was gone, he became the FBI's secret weapon in an intense and highly personalized war on the Philadelphia mob, operating with the same guile, wit, and stone-cold bravado that had made him a force in the underworld.
-
-
Beautifully done! Exceptional.
- By none on 12-15-23
By: George Anastasia
-
The Hidden History of the JFK Assassination
- The Definitive Account of the Most Controversial Crime of the Twentieth Century
- By: Lamar Waldron
- Narrated by: Paul Heitsch
- Length: 16 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
November 22, 2013 marks the 50th anniversary of the tragedy that has haunted America ever since. For the first time, this concise and compelling book pierces the veil of secrecy to fully document the small, tightly-held conspiracy that killed President John F. Kennedy. It explains why he was murdered, and how it was done in a way that forced many records to remain secret for almost 50 years. The Hidden History of the JFK Assassination draws on exclusive interviews with more than two dozen associates of John and Robert Kennedy.
-
-
Tedious, redundant and speculative
- By J on 04-15-19
By: Lamar Waldron
-
Betrayal in Dallas
- LBJ, the Pearl Street Mafia, and the Murder of President Kennedy
- By: Mark North
- Narrated by: Erik Davies
- Length: 6 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here's what we now know: John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas by Mafia contract killers hired by Louisiana mob boss Carlos Marcello. Kennedy was killed in that city because it was the only place in the country where a crime of that magnitude could be committed without fear of punishment. Long-time local district attorney Henry Wade, an LBJ crony who would have sole jurisdiction over the prosecution of those responsible, had been corrupted by the local Civello crime family. Lyndon B. Johnson, while a U.S. senator during the 1950s, had accepted bribes from the same mobsters so that they could avoid deportation.
-
-
The Gangland Point of View
- By margot on 10-20-13
By: Mark North
-
Revolution’s End
- The Patty Hearst Kidnapping, Mind Control, and the Secret History of Donald DeFreeze and the SLA
- By: Brad Schreiber
- Narrated by: Brad Schreiber
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Revolution's End fully explains the most famous kidnapping in US history, detailing Patty Hearst's relationship with Donald DeFreeze, known as Cinque, the head of the Symbionese Liberation Army. Not only did the heiress have a sexual relationship with DeFreeze while he was imprisoned, she didn't know he was an informant and a victim of prison behavior modification.
-
-
Interesting spin
- By jay rollins on 08-29-20
By: Brad Schreiber
-
Mafia Spies
- The Inside Story of the CIA, Gangsters, JFK, and Castro
- By: Thomas Maier
- Narrated by: Fred Stella
- Length: 15 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mafia Spies is the definitive account of America’s most remarkable espionage plots ever - with CIA agents, mob hitmen, “kompromat” sex, presidential indiscretion, and James Bond-like killing devices together in a top-secret mystery full of surprise twists and deadly intrigue. In the early 1960s, two top gangsters, Johnny Roselli and Sam Giancana, were hired by the CIA to kill Cuba’s Communist leader, Fidel Castro, only to wind up murdered themselves amidst Congressional hearings and a national debate about the JFK assassination.
-
-
Stick to history
- By Amazon Customer on 05-04-19
By: Thomas Maier
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
Gotti's Boys
- The Mafia Crew That Killed for John Gotti
- By: Anthony M. DeStefano
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Anthony M. DeStefano takes you inside John Gotti's inner circle to reveal the dark hearts and violent deeds of the most remorseless and cold-blooded characters in organized crime. Men so vicious even the other mafia families were terrified of them. Meet Gotti's Boys....
-
-
Great Book
- By Arthur F. on 09-20-19
-
The Sixth Family
- The Collapse of the New York Mafia and the Rise of Vito Rizzuto
- By: Lee Lamothe, Adrian Humphreys
- Narrated by: Danny Campbell
- Length: 22 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On May 5, 1981, three rebellious members of New York's Bonanno crime family were gunned down in a Brooklyn social club. One of the gunmen was Vito Rizzuto, a man who would rise to the top of the underworld in Canada and then expand his reign across continents to become a global superboss. The Sixth Family, now revised and updated, reveals the hidden history of the rise of the Rizzuto clan, the alliances it forged around the world, and the bloody events that led to charges against Vito Rizzuto in the United States and Italy for racketeering and corruption.
-
-
The most boring book I ever read
- By D. G. on 01-15-20
By: Lee Lamothe, and others
-
Mob Boss
- The Life of Little Al D'arco, the Man Who Brought Down the Mafia
- By: Jerry Capeci, Tom Robbins
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 16 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alfonso "Little Al" D'Arco, the former acting boss of the Luchese crime family, was the highest-ranking mobster to ever turn government witness when he flipped in 1991. His decision to flip prompted many others to make the same choice, including John Gotti's top aide, Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano, and his testimony sent more than fifty mobsters to prison. In Mob Boss, award-winning news reporters Jerry Capeci and Tom Robbins team up for this unparalleled account of D'Arco's life.
-
-
Well written, accurate information, great narrator
- By Lisa on 12-01-13
By: Jerry Capeci, and others
-
Double Cross
- The Explosive Inside Story of the Mobster Who Controlled America
- By: Sam Giancana, Chuck Giancana, Tim Newark - foreword, and others
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 13 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the most feared Chicago mobsters, Sam Giancana, clawed his way to the top of the Mafia hierarchy by starting as a hit man for Al Capone. He was known as one of the best vehicle escape artists, a tenacious business man, and a ruthless killer. He partied with major stars such as Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe and did business with agents ranging from the CIA to the Vatican to the shah of Iran. When politician Joe Kennedy gave Giancana the chance to use mob muscle to get his son John elected, Giancana jumped at the task.
-
-
Kennedy Assassination Solved
- By Darlene A. Geloso on 05-30-20
By: Sam Giancana, and others
-
Cosa Nostra
- A History of the Sicilian Mafia
- By: John Dickie
- Narrated by: Tom Lawrence
- Length: 17 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hailed in Italy as the best book ever written about the mafia in any language, Cosa Nostra is a fascinating, violent, and darkly comic account that takes us deep into the inner sanctum of this secret society. John Dickie uses startling new research to reveal the inner workings of this secret society with a murderous record. He explains how the mafia began, how it responds to threats and challenges, and introduces us to the real-life characters that inspired the American imagination for generations, making the mafia an international, larger than life cultural phenomenon.
-
-
Required reading for any mafia buff.
- By Amazon Customer on 12-23-23
By: John Dickie
-
The Republic of Pirates
- Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down
- By: Colin Woodard
- Narrated by: Lewis Grenville
- Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the early 18th century, the Pirate Republic was home to some of the great pirate captains, including Blackbeard, "Black Sam" Bellamy, and Charles Vane. Along with their fellow pirates - former sailors, indentured servants, and runaway slaves - this "Flying Gang" established a crude but distinctive democracy in the Bahamas, carving out their own zone of freedom in which servants were free, Blacks could be equal citizens, and leaders were chosen or deposed by a vote.
-
-
Audible is better
- By CaptainRavick on 01-19-16
By: Colin Woodard
-
Gotti's Boys
- The Mafia Crew That Killed for John Gotti
- By: Anthony M. DeStefano
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Anthony M. DeStefano takes you inside John Gotti's inner circle to reveal the dark hearts and violent deeds of the most remorseless and cold-blooded characters in organized crime. Men so vicious even the other mafia families were terrified of them. Meet Gotti's Boys....
-
-
Great Book
- By Arthur F. on 09-20-19
-
The Sixth Family
- The Collapse of the New York Mafia and the Rise of Vito Rizzuto
- By: Lee Lamothe, Adrian Humphreys
- Narrated by: Danny Campbell
- Length: 22 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On May 5, 1981, three rebellious members of New York's Bonanno crime family were gunned down in a Brooklyn social club. One of the gunmen was Vito Rizzuto, a man who would rise to the top of the underworld in Canada and then expand his reign across continents to become a global superboss. The Sixth Family, now revised and updated, reveals the hidden history of the rise of the Rizzuto clan, the alliances it forged around the world, and the bloody events that led to charges against Vito Rizzuto in the United States and Italy for racketeering and corruption.
-
-
The most boring book I ever read
- By D. G. on 01-15-20
By: Lee Lamothe, and others
-
Mob Boss
- The Life of Little Al D'arco, the Man Who Brought Down the Mafia
- By: Jerry Capeci, Tom Robbins
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 16 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alfonso "Little Al" D'Arco, the former acting boss of the Luchese crime family, was the highest-ranking mobster to ever turn government witness when he flipped in 1991. His decision to flip prompted many others to make the same choice, including John Gotti's top aide, Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano, and his testimony sent more than fifty mobsters to prison. In Mob Boss, award-winning news reporters Jerry Capeci and Tom Robbins team up for this unparalleled account of D'Arco's life.
-
-
Well written, accurate information, great narrator
- By Lisa on 12-01-13
By: Jerry Capeci, and others
-
Double Cross
- The Explosive Inside Story of the Mobster Who Controlled America
- By: Sam Giancana, Chuck Giancana, Tim Newark - foreword, and others
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 13 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the most feared Chicago mobsters, Sam Giancana, clawed his way to the top of the Mafia hierarchy by starting as a hit man for Al Capone. He was known as one of the best vehicle escape artists, a tenacious business man, and a ruthless killer. He partied with major stars such as Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe and did business with agents ranging from the CIA to the Vatican to the shah of Iran. When politician Joe Kennedy gave Giancana the chance to use mob muscle to get his son John elected, Giancana jumped at the task.
-
-
Kennedy Assassination Solved
- By Darlene A. Geloso on 05-30-20
By: Sam Giancana, and others
-
Cosa Nostra
- A History of the Sicilian Mafia
- By: John Dickie
- Narrated by: Tom Lawrence
- Length: 17 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hailed in Italy as the best book ever written about the mafia in any language, Cosa Nostra is a fascinating, violent, and darkly comic account that takes us deep into the inner sanctum of this secret society. John Dickie uses startling new research to reveal the inner workings of this secret society with a murderous record. He explains how the mafia began, how it responds to threats and challenges, and introduces us to the real-life characters that inspired the American imagination for generations, making the mafia an international, larger than life cultural phenomenon.
-
-
Required reading for any mafia buff.
- By Amazon Customer on 12-23-23
By: John Dickie
-
The Republic of Pirates
- Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down
- By: Colin Woodard
- Narrated by: Lewis Grenville
- Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the early 18th century, the Pirate Republic was home to some of the great pirate captains, including Blackbeard, "Black Sam" Bellamy, and Charles Vane. Along with their fellow pirates - former sailors, indentured servants, and runaway slaves - this "Flying Gang" established a crude but distinctive democracy in the Bahamas, carving out their own zone of freedom in which servants were free, Blacks could be equal citizens, and leaders were chosen or deposed by a vote.
-
-
Audible is better
- By CaptainRavick on 01-19-16
By: Colin Woodard
-
Mafia Prince
- Inside America's Most Violent Crime Family and the Bloody Fall of La Cosa Nostra
- By: Phillip Leonetti, Scott Burnstein, Christopher Graziano
- Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
- Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mafia Prince is the first-person account of one of the most violent eras in Mafia history - "Little" Nicky Scarfo’s reign as boss of the Philly family in the 1980s - written by Scarfo’s underboss and nephew, "Crazy" Phil Leonetti. The youngest-ever underboss at the age of 31, Leonetti was at the crux of the violent downfall of the traditional American Mafia in the 1980s when he infiltrated Atlantic City after gambling was legalized, and later turned state’s evidence against his own.
-
-
Guilty pleasure.
- By A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. on 03-28-14
By: Phillip Leonetti, and others
-
Something Ain't Right
- By: Roger Stringer, Zachary Stringer
- Narrated by: Roger Stringer, Zachary Stringer
- Length: 1 hr and 53 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Roger Stringer grew up in rural Mississippi, hunting and eating everything from deer to rabbits. When he had two sons, Zac and Justin, he gave them guns and took them to the woods as well. Then one day when the boys were home alone, he got a call from Zac that Justin had been shot. What follows is an intimate and gripping memoir about the shooting’s aftermath. The story moves between the perspectives of Roger and Zac as they take us through their journey of betrayal, redemption, and ultimately confrontation with a company that had kept its corruption a secret for decades.
-
-
The Journey for Truth
- By samsararose on 05-19-23
By: Roger Stringer, and others
-
The Gotti Wars
- Taking Down America's Most Notorious Mobster
- By: John Gleeson
- Narrated by: Adam Grupper
- Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
John Gotti was without a doubt the flashiest and most feared Mafioso in American history. He became the boss of the Gambino Crime Family in spectacular fashion—with the brazen and very public murder of Paul Castellano in front of Sparks Steakhouse in midtown Manhattan in 1985. Not one to stay below law enforcement’s radar, Gotti instead became the first celebrity crime boss. His penchant for eye-catching apparel earned him the nickname “The Dapper Don;” his ability to beat criminal charges led to another: “The Teflon Don.”
-
-
Corrupt prosecutors and Defendant
- By Mark on 12-13-23
By: John Gleeson
-
The Ice Man
- Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer
- By: Philip Carlo
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 19 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Richard "The Ice Man" Kuklinski led a double life beyond anything ever seen on The Sopranos, becoming one of the most notorious professional assassins in American history while hosting neighborhood barbecues in suburban New Jersey. Now, after 240 hours of face-to-face interviews with Kuklinski and his wife and daughters, author Philip Carlo tells his extraordinary story.
-
-
You must buy this audio only if...
- By Eileen C on 08-15-09
By: Philip Carlo
-
Chin
- The Life and Crimes of Mafia Boss Vincent Gigante
- By: Larry McShane
- Narrated by: Paul Costanzo
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Vincent "Chin" Gigante. He started out as a professional boxer - until he found his true calling as a ruthless contract killer. His doting mother's pet name for the boy evolved into his famous alias, "Chin", a nickname that struck fear throughout organized crime as he routinely ordered the murders of mobsters who violated the Mafia code. Vincent Gigante was hand-picked by Vito Genovese to run the Genovese Family when Vito was sent to prison. Chin raked in more than $100 million for the Genovese Family, all while evading federal investigators.
-
-
Not as good as others
- By KM528 on 02-05-17
By: Larry McShane
-
Wiseguy
- By: Nicholas Pileggi, Martin Scorsese - introduction
- Narrated by: Ari Fliakos, Corey Brill, Hillary Huber, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the true crime best seller that was the basis for Martin Scorsese’s film masterpiece GoodFellas, which brought to life the violence, the excess, the families, the wives and girlfriends, the drugs, the payoffs, the paybacks, the jail time, and the Feds...with Henry Hill’s crackling narration drawn straight out of Wiseguy and overseeing all the unforgettable action.
-
-
Finally unabridged
- By Rodney on 12-16-19
By: Nicholas Pileggi, and others
-
The Medici
- Power, Money, and Ambition in the Italian Renaissance
- By: Paul Strathern
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 16 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Against the background of an age that saw the rebirth of ancient and classical learning, Paul Strathern explores the intensely dramatic rise and fall of the Medici family in Florence as well as the Italian Renaissance, which they did so much to sponsor and encourage. Interwoven into the narrative are the lives of many of the great Renaissance artists with whom the Medici had dealings, including Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Donatello as well as scientists like Galileo and Pico della Mirandola.
-
-
Fun Story Bad History
- By Elizabeth Barrett on 05-09-16
By: Paul Strathern
-
We Few
- US Special Forces in Vietnam
- By: Nick Brokhausen
- Narrated by: George Spelvin
- Length: 14 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A Green Beret's gripping memoir of American Special Forces in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War.
-
-
Is there such a thing as funny war genre ??
- By dax on 11-04-18
By: Nick Brokhausen
-
Shattered
- The True Story of a Mother's Love, a Husband's Betrayal, and a Cold-Blooded Texas Murder
- By: Kathryn Casey
- Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
- Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Creekstone, Texas, a small, quiet suburb of Houston, football was king and David Temple was a prince. A former high school and college gridiron-star-turned-coach, he had a fairy-tale marriage to bright, vivacious Belinda Lucas, a teacher at the local high school who was so warm and popular her colleagues called her "The Sunshine Girl". The fairy tale ended savagely on January 11, 1999, when Belinda's lifeless body was discovered in a closet. Her skull had been shattered by a shotgun blast at close range. She was eight months pregnant.
-
-
WELL DONE STORY IN A DECLINING GENRE
- By The Louligan on 02-03-14
By: Kathryn Casey
-
The Colombo Mafia Crime Family
- The Complete History of a New York Criminal Organization (The Five Families)
- By: Mafia Library
- Narrated by: Lee Sterry
- Length: 3 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dive into the clandestine world of one of the most notorious crime syndicates in American history with this comprehensive book on the Colombo Mafia Crime Family. This meticulously researched work unveils the dark and complex web of activities, power struggles, and influential figures that shaped the Colombo family's legacy. From the early rise of Joe Profaci, the mastermind behind the family's establishment, to the turbulent times of Carmine Persico, this book covers a vast timeline, shedding light on the intricate operations of the family.
-
-
Get your facts right, these stories are false
- By Eugene Favor on 03-16-24
By: Mafia Library
-
Mafia Hit Man
- Carmine DiBiase, the Wiseguy Who Really Killed Joey Gallo
- By: Frank Dimatteo, Michael Benson
- Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Joey "Crazy Joe" Gallo and his President Street mob waged a deadly Mafia civil war with the Colombo crime family, and in particular, Carmine "the Snake" Persico. And on that fateful night of April 7, 1972, in a Little Italy restaurant, Gallo was assassinated...by Carmine "Sonny" DiBiasi. This is the true story of who really whacked "Crazy Joe" Gallo on that fateful night of April 7, 1972.
-
-
Zesty, perfectly paced, great storytelling
- By Philo on 10-17-21
By: Frank Dimatteo, and others
-
Gaspipe
- Confessions of a Mafia Boss
- By: Philip Carlo
- Narrated by: Alan Sklar
- Length: 12 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso, the boss of New York's Lucchese crime family, was a Mafia superstar, responsible for more than 50 murders. Currently serving 13 life sentences at a federal prison in Colorado, Casso has given journalist and New York Times best-selling author Philip Carlo the most intimate, personal look into the world of La Cosa Nostra ever seen.
-
-
The author fails the objectivity test
- By William on 11-29-08
By: Philip Carlo
What listeners say about Five Families
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mark
- 10-13-16
7326451
To be perfectly honest, one of the reasons I chose this book was that I’m getting towards the end of my credits for this year, and so I was looking for a long book. I’m quite interested and curious about the mafia, and so, at 33 hours, I thought this would be a good listen.
It has many merits: It’s a pretty comprehensive account of organised crime in America in centuries 20-21, and it can't have been an easy story to unearth. The Cosa Nostra has been a phenomenally secretive and devious organisation throughout its lifespan. All members of the fraternity are bound by their most sacred rule ‘Omerta’- meaning, literally, ‘being a man’, but in practical terms ‘Omerta’ refers to secrecy rather than manliness; a strict code of silence, under pain of death, to which all Mafiosi are sworn.
There’s a certain amount of romanticism surrounding the Mafia. I’m as much a sucker for this as the next person. I realise it’s probably the result of gangster movies from the thirties with stars like Edward G Robinson and Jimmy Cagney, and, more recently, the brilliant 'Godfather trilogy'. In the early years the mafia gained a foothold by providing some popular services deemed illegal by a prudish establishment. They provided alcohol during prohibition and facilitated gambling – banned by the government but craved by the populace.
The public was happy to turn a blind eye to this criminal activity and often saw the mafia as the good guys and the authorities as the bad guys - But in reality the mafia have always been a very nasty bunch of people, heaping misery on the everyday American, a parasite on the backs of honest, hardworking citizens.
This book tells that story. The authors overcame the secrecy barrier by researching the evidence from rare cases where 'Omerta' was compromised – most of it coming from the few Mafiosi persuaded to testify against their fellow mobsters - and from wire taps. All credit to the authors for finding and collating this information.
But it takes more than this to make a really good listening experience. It isn’t enough for all the information to be there in the book, it also needs to be in a coherent order.
I’m sorry to say that, here, it isn’t. So many times I lost track and thought ‘who are we talking about now?’ and ‘where does this bit fit into the big narrative?’
It felt like ‘7326451’ instead of ‘1234567’.
Verdict: Definitely worth a listen – I did learn a lot about the mafia – but the story was out of order.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
147 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Rik B
- 12-30-15
Great!
Love me some mob stuff! I've been fascinated with La Cosa Nostra since I was a teen in the 80's. I've read many books and have watched everything I know of concerning it. I'm not as expert level as Selwyn Raab, though I'm well informed. This is a great and fairly deep history of the American mob. Starting with it's roots in Sicily on through to the 00's. I learned of many "characters" and tidbits about the dysfunctional mob family that I didn't know of before, which thrilled me. I put it on at a random spot at night and listen to stories until I fall asleep. For me it's well worth the price of admission.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
69 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Claire
- 07-19-19
Encyclopedic, but no story
How can a story that includes intrigue, murder, back-stabbing, and a culture of rich traditions be boring? "Five Families" manages to make the most interesting real-life plot lines a snooze. The book is an enormous collection of unsorted facts, the history is listed instead of told, and Raab makes no attempt to gather all of those facts to make a journalistic point or tell an epic story. It's got all the excitement of a tax form, with tons of weird non-sequiturs dropped in occasionally distracting from the story. Who cares what pictures were on the bathroom door in the restaurant? The men he describes were obviously all strong and compelling characters, but but you couldn't tell that from this flat, forgettable and confusing telling. Raab makes very little effort to develop the characters or build tension between the different players, or make you care about what happens to them and the robotic narrator is probably no help. The whole thing reads more like a wiki of mafia history than a book. Would not recommend it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
42 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ruth
- 10-01-16
Narrator pacing makes this a difficult listen
I'm only 8 hours into this mammoth book, so can't comment on its entirety, but I have to take a break for a few days. The narrator has a clear and pleasant voice, but he puts very tiny pauses in the wrong places, especially with dependent clauses. That makes the phrase seem like it belongs to either the previous or following sentence. It becomes very irritating.
Also, this is just too long. There is a lot of interesting material, but I think it would be one book I'd prefer to have in an abridged version.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
30 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Adventure Boy
- 01-26-16
100 years of mafia headlines
The book tries to cover the entire history of the mafia in New York since 1900. Even though the book is very long, it only has time to skim the surface. It also makes the book seem repititious, as mobster after mobster engages in the same loan sharking or union tampering, and vies for promotion. There is very little new in this book that has not already appeared in the press. The writing is clear and the narrator is good, but this was a disappointment.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
18 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jerry in Binghamton
- 07-28-17
A Multitude of Fascinating Mob Stories
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I would absolutely recommend this. Would make a great gift.
What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?
This is well-told, entertaining, very informative set of interconnected and factual short stories about the Mafia, centered on NYC, but tales take the listener to Tampa, Nevada, LA, Chhicago, Upstate NY, New Orleans...so many connections, so many GREAT stories.You'll get to know about the early mobsters, at the turn of the century - the actual beginnings of the 5 big families of NYC...through the depression, into WWII (did you know Lucky Luciano had been deported to Italy in the '30s, and lived there through the war...and made a ton of $ because of it?), the political machine in NYC...multiple Congressional Queries, the Kennedy Assassination, so much more....Can't recommend the book highly enough. Truly a 5-Star experience.
What does Paul Costanzo bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Paul did a great job. So many different characters he played - excellent. Would definitely be interested in checking out other audio performances by Mr. Costanzo.That said, on the recording itself, there were some hiss and volume issues (in Volume 1, I think), hence only 4 stars on the Performance.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
All the stories about Hoover willfully ignoring (and/or not believing in the existence of) the 'Commission' was interesting and very entertaining. I literally laughed out loud at times...Hoover was a real 'piece of work'...ha!
Any additional comments?
So many names and so many great stories, sometimes a little hard to keep track...lol.The next time I listen, I'm going to setup a cork-board (just like in the movies), with cutout photos with dates, push-pins and strings connecting everything. Ha! That's the only issue I have with Audible - if there are maps, illustrations, diagrams, charts...etc... in a book, you'll not be getting these. You've gotta do the work to find similar information in these formats. :-(
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
17 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Fan
- 10-29-15
A very good history of the mob
Would you listen to Five Families again? Why?
Yes, Raab is an excellent author and is an expert in this field. Also, I like the narrator.
What does Paul Costanzo bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
He adds drama and pace to an already interesting story.
If you could give Five Families a new subtitle, what would it be?
A real history of the Mafia.
Any additional comments?
I was very happy that I bought this book. I highly recommend to anyone who is interested in the Mafia.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
14 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Adrian
- 05-26-17
My first audiobook
This was my first audiobook and I loved it. I'm a big fan of Selwyn Raab and he did an amazing job.
My biggest issue and the reason for 4 stars is because I had problems keeping up sometimes, it was hard to follow. I wish the narrator lived more into it.
I highly recommend watching the mini series "The Making of the Mob: New York". Selwyn Raab is featured a lot in the series and he also helped writing it. So it's kinda like having parts of the book in a TV Show.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
13 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- J. Niskanen
- 04-24-16
Disappointed
Crimelibrary or Wikipedia is superior. Cut'n'paste drivel, mashed up articles. stay away.. disappointed to say the least, the amount of repetition is staggering.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
10 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Sam Fredericks
- 02-09-16
Enlightening
After listening to this I feel like I've just taken Mafia 101. Included is a history of Cosa Nostra in New York, including a biography of main players, reactions and tactics of law enforcement, a basic introduction to he rackets or the ways the mob makes money, it's structures, and hours of entertainment. I personally found it riveting and finished it very quickly. If you've been at all interested in the Mafia at some point in your life and want to delve into the whole, fascinating story, than I highly recommend this.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
10 people found this helpful