-
Being Oscar
- From Mob Lawyer to Mayor of Las Vegas
- Narrated by: Oscar Goodman
- Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins
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 $17.35
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
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.
-
-
Anastasia further discredits himself and career
- By Eric M on 01-07-23
By: George Anastasia
-
Mobfather
- The Story of a Wife and a Son Caught in the Web of the Mafia
- By: George Anastasia
- Narrated by: Tom Beyer
- Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
George Anastasia exposes what it really means to be married to the mob—and fathered by it. As revealed in their personal accounts, life for the wife and sons of Thomas "Tommy Del" DelGiorno became a descent into hell. In the end, guilty of a raft of crimes that included multiple murders, Tommy Del served less than a year in prison in exchange for turning government witness during a dozen trials against fellow mobsters. Based on years of reporting, thousands of pages of court testimony, and extensive interviews, Mobfather takes the listener deep into the heart of corruption.
-
-
The accent on this guy! lol
- By George on 12-27-22
By: George Anastasia
-
Gotti's Rules
- The Story of John Alite, Junior Gotti, and the Demise of the American Mafia
- By: George Anastasia
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The notorious Gotti family is the stuff of mob legend. The "Dapper Don", John Gotti Sr., and his son John A. "Junior" Gotti ran New York's powerful Gambino crime family and were well known for their flamboyant style and brutal ways, an image perpetuated in popular Mafia mythology. John Alite, a mob hit man, associate, and close friend of the Gottis, has a very different story to tell.
-
-
Garbage read
- By Ray on 09-02-15
By: George Anastasia
-
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. 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.” This is the captivating story of Gotti’s meteoric rise to power and his equally dramatic downfall.
-
-
Amazing book!
- By Linda A. Sommers on 11-21-22
By: John Gleeson
-
At the Sands
- The Casino That Shaped Classic Las Vegas, Brought the Rat Pack Together, and Went Out with a Bang
- By: David G. Schwartz
- Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The lights are coming down. Frank, Dean, and Sammy are about to take the stage. This is the moment we remember, when Las Vegas became classic. And it was at the Sands. Built in 1952 over the ashes of Hollywood Reporter publisher Billy Wilkerson’s last chance in Las Vegas, the Sands was a collective effort. Underworld figures like Meyer Lansky, Doc Stacher, and Frank Costello provided the cash.
-
-
At the Sands
- By Deedra on 10-14-21
-
The Irishman (Movie Tie-In)
- Frank Sheeran and Closing the Case on Jimmy Hoffa
- By: Charles Brandt
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 15 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Irishman is an epic saga of organized crime in post-war America told through the eyes of World War II veteran Frank Sheeran, a hustler and hitman who worked for legendary crime boss Russell Bufalino alongside some of the most notorious figures of the 20th Century. Spanning decades, Sheeran’s story chronicles one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in American history, the disappearance of legendary union boss Jimmy Hoffa, and offers a monumental journey through the hidden corridors of organized crime: its inner workings, rivalries, and connections to mainstream politics.
-
-
Don't give up!
- By Grace Azul on 05-30-10
By: Charles Brandt
-
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.
-
-
Anastasia further discredits himself and career
- By Eric M on 01-07-23
By: George Anastasia
-
Mobfather
- The Story of a Wife and a Son Caught in the Web of the Mafia
- By: George Anastasia
- Narrated by: Tom Beyer
- Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
George Anastasia exposes what it really means to be married to the mob—and fathered by it. As revealed in their personal accounts, life for the wife and sons of Thomas "Tommy Del" DelGiorno became a descent into hell. In the end, guilty of a raft of crimes that included multiple murders, Tommy Del served less than a year in prison in exchange for turning government witness during a dozen trials against fellow mobsters. Based on years of reporting, thousands of pages of court testimony, and extensive interviews, Mobfather takes the listener deep into the heart of corruption.
-
-
The accent on this guy! lol
- By George on 12-27-22
By: George Anastasia
-
Gotti's Rules
- The Story of John Alite, Junior Gotti, and the Demise of the American Mafia
- By: George Anastasia
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The notorious Gotti family is the stuff of mob legend. The "Dapper Don", John Gotti Sr., and his son John A. "Junior" Gotti ran New York's powerful Gambino crime family and were well known for their flamboyant style and brutal ways, an image perpetuated in popular Mafia mythology. John Alite, a mob hit man, associate, and close friend of the Gottis, has a very different story to tell.
-
-
Garbage read
- By Ray on 09-02-15
By: George Anastasia
-
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. 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.” This is the captivating story of Gotti’s meteoric rise to power and his equally dramatic downfall.
-
-
Amazing book!
- By Linda A. Sommers on 11-21-22
By: John Gleeson
-
At the Sands
- The Casino That Shaped Classic Las Vegas, Brought the Rat Pack Together, and Went Out with a Bang
- By: David G. Schwartz
- Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The lights are coming down. Frank, Dean, and Sammy are about to take the stage. This is the moment we remember, when Las Vegas became classic. And it was at the Sands. Built in 1952 over the ashes of Hollywood Reporter publisher Billy Wilkerson’s last chance in Las Vegas, the Sands was a collective effort. Underworld figures like Meyer Lansky, Doc Stacher, and Frank Costello provided the cash.
-
-
At the Sands
- By Deedra on 10-14-21
-
The Irishman (Movie Tie-In)
- Frank Sheeran and Closing the Case on Jimmy Hoffa
- By: Charles Brandt
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 15 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Irishman is an epic saga of organized crime in post-war America told through the eyes of World War II veteran Frank Sheeran, a hustler and hitman who worked for legendary crime boss Russell Bufalino alongside some of the most notorious figures of the 20th Century. Spanning decades, Sheeran’s story chronicles one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in American history, the disappearance of legendary union boss Jimmy Hoffa, and offers a monumental journey through the hidden corridors of organized crime: its inner workings, rivalries, and connections to mainstream politics.
-
-
Don't give up!
- By Grace Azul on 05-30-10
By: Charles Brandt
-
Grandissimo: The First Emperor of Las Vegas
- How Jay Sarno Won a Casino Empire, Lost It, and Inspired Modern Las Vegas
- By: David G. Schwartz
- Narrated by: Eric Martin
- Length: 11 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sarno's casinos - and his ideas about how to build casinos - created the template for Las Vegas today. Before him, Las Vegas meant dealers in string ties and bland, functional architecture. He taught the city how to dress up its hotels in fantasy, putting toga dresses on cocktail waitresses and making sure that even the stationery carried through with the theme. He saw Las Vegas as a place where ordinary people could leave their ordinary lives and have extraordinary adventures.
-
-
Great Listen - Thanks to Dr. Dave
- By Andrew on 09-08-14
-
Whale Hunt in the Desert
- Secrets of a Vegas Superhost
- By: Deke Castleman
- Narrated by: Ed Walters
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whale Hunt in the Desert divulges the unbridled lengths to which casinos go to bag the world's biggest gamblers - the whales. This definitive exposé reveals the shrouded world of ultra-high rollers and the Faustian pacts they forge with their hosts, the casino representatives whose job it is to part them from their fortunes. Private jets, penthouses, personal chefs, show-up money, rebates on losses, and the most beautiful women on Earth - nothing is too excessive.
-
-
Robot Narrator
- By Raj Bhatti on 05-04-19
By: Deke Castleman
-
Vegas and the Mob
- By: Al W. Moe
- Narrated by: Jason Sullivan
- Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Las Vegas was the Mob's greatest venture and most spectacular success, and through 40 years of frenzy, murder, deceit, scams, and skimming, the FBI listened on phone taps and did virtually nothing to stop the fun. This is the truth about the Mob's control of the casinos in Vegas like you've never heard it before, from start to finish.
-
-
From Bugsy to Binion
- By Patrick King on 08-20-14
By: Al W. Moe
-
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
-
When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead
- Useful Stories from a Persuasive Man
- By: Jerry Weintraub, Rich Cohen, George Clooney - foreword
- Narrated by: Jerry Weintraub
- Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here is the story of Jerry Weintraub: the self-made, Brooklyn-born, Bronx-raised impresario, Hollywood producer, legendary deal maker, and friend of politicians and stars. No matter where nature has placed him - the club rooms of Brooklyn, the Mafia dives of New York's Lower East Side, the wilds of Alaska, or the hills of Hollywood - he has found a way to put on a show and sell tickets at the door.
-
-
Great stories!
- By Myles on 12-31-14
By: Jerry Weintraub, and others
-
Five Families
- The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires
- By: Selwyn Raab
- Narrated by: Paul Costanzo
- Length: 33 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
7326451
- By Mark on 10-13-16
By: Selwyn Raab
-
Phil
- The Rip-Roaring (and Unauthorized!) Biography of Golf's Most Colorful Superstar
- By: Alan Shipnuck
- Narrated by: Alan Shipnuck
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Phil Mickelson is one of the most compelling figures in sports. For more than three decades he has been among the best golfers in the world, and his unmatched longevity was exemplified at the 2021 PGA Championship, when Mickelson, on the cusp of turning fifty-one, became the oldest player in history to win a major championship. In this raw, uncensored, and unauthorized biography, Alan Shipnuck captures a singular life defined by thrilling victories, crushing defeats, and countless controversies.
-
-
Not a fan (anymore)
- By Ziggy on 05-23-22
By: Alan Shipnuck
-
Battle for Las Vegas
- By: Dennis N. Griffin
- Narrated by: Michael Taylor
- Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the 1970s and thru the mid-1980s, the Chicago Outfit was the dominant organized crime family in Las Vegas, with business interests in several casinos. During those years the Outfit and its colleagues in Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Cleveland were using Sin City as a cash cow. Commonly referred to as the “skim,” unreported revenue from Outfit-controlled casinos was making its way out of Vegas by the bag full and ending up in the coffers of the crime bosses in those four locations.
-
-
Too short
- By Anonymous User on 08-28-20
-
Las Vegas the Grand: The Strip, the Casinos, the Mob, the Stars
- By: Mike Carpenter
- Narrated by: Randal Schaffer
- Length: 4 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Las Vegas really is unique in so many ways. One of them is that its history, which is short but intense, can be told through the birth and demise of the resorts that dot the Strip, the rise and fall of its casino industry titans. This brief history of the Las Vegas Strip presents every casino hotel built along Las Vegas Boulevard South, the most celebrated and most visited stretch of asphalt on Earth, starting in 1941 with the El Rancho Vegas.
By: Mike Carpenter
-
It's a Long Story
- My Life
- By: Willie Nelson, David Ritz - contributor
- Narrated by: Christopher Ryan Grant
- Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"Unvarnished. Funny. Leaving no stone unturned"...So say the publishers about this audiobook I've written. What I say is that this is the story of my life, told as clear as a Texas sky and in the same rhythm that I lived it. It's a story of restlessness and the purity of the moment and living right. Of my childhood in Abbott, Texas, to the Pacific Northwest, from Nashville to Hawaii, and all the way back again. Of selling vacuum cleaners and encyclopedias while hosting radio shows and writing song after song, hoping to strike gold.
-
-
An Enjoyable Listen
- By Patrick on 05-19-15
By: Willie Nelson, and others
-
The Rise and Fall of a "Casino" Mobster
- The Tony Spilotro Story Through A Hitman's Eyes
- By: Frank Cullotta, Dennis N. Griffin
- Narrated by: Clay Lomakayu
- Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tony Spilotro was the Mob's man in Las Vegas. A feared enforcer, the bosses knew Tony would do whatever it took to protect their interests. The "Little Guy" built a criminal empire that was the envy of mobsters across the country, and his childhood pal, Frank Cullotta, helped him do it. But Tony's quest for power and lack of self-control with women cost the Mob its control of Vegas; and Tony paid for it with his life.
-
-
Complete waste of money.
- By Nick on 08-02-17
By: Frank Cullotta, and others
-
Sun, Sin, Suburbia
- The History of Modern Las Vegas Revised and Expanded
- By: Geoff Schumacher
- Narrated by: Douglas R. Pratt
- Length: 11 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Las Vegas is gambling's mecca - Sin City the Entertainment Capital of the World with 40 million visitors a year. But that's just part of the story. This carefully documented history tracks the rise of Las Vegas from its vital role in World War II, of the Rat Pack era of the 50s, the explosive growth of the 90s, and it's colossal collapse in the post 2008 real-estate crash. It offers a history of the iconic Strip, but also profiles the neighborhoods where over 2 million people live.
-
-
Good History of Vegas - old, modern and mundane
- By Amazon Customer on 06-13-14
By: Geoff Schumacher
Publisher's Summary
In Being Oscar, one of America's most celebrated criminal defense attorneys recounts the stories and cases of his epic life. The Mafia's go-to defender, he has tried an estimated 300 criminal cases, and won most of them. Goodman's roster of clients reads like a history of organized crime: Meyer Lansky, Nicky Scarfo, and "Lefty" Rosenthal, as well as Mike Tyson and boxing promoter Don King, along with a midget, a dentist, and a federal judge.
After 35 years as a defender, Goodman ran for mayor of Las Vegas, and America's greatest Mob lawyer became the mayor of its sexiest city. He was so popular his image appeared on the $5, $25, and $100 chips. While mayor of Vegas, Goodman starred on the big screen in Rush Hour 2 and on TV in CSI. He is as large a character in the history of organized crime as any of his clients and as legendary a figure in the history of Las Vegas as the entrepreneurs (his friends and clients) who built the city. This is his astonishing story - the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
What listeners say about Being Oscar
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Eric Schurr
- 11-16-14
Not as good as I expected
This book is moderately interesting, but I got bored with it and returned it. After a while all the stories pretty much sounded the same, and his voice isn't the easiest to listen to after a while.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Savor
- 09-17-14
Somewhat interesting bio; lousy performance
How did the narrator detract from the book?
Goodman's narration was like that of a kid reading aloud from an assigned book in English class. Phrasing and emphasis were largely random.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
- Donald Howard
- 02-23-17
great story
it always fascinates me hearing the stories of mob lawyers. these are amazingly talented guys. an inspiration to young lawyers like me
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kayla
- 07-28-16
Oscar is my hero
I am native to LV and I remember Oscar as the 2nd best mayor in LV history. (1st being Carolyn). this book is true to the attitude of Vegas and so is Oscar. I would recommend this to anyone who wants some insight into why many of us say that mob-run Vegas was safer and better than government run Vegas. of you're. a local you'll be surprised by how much Oscar really did for LV but o can assure you no one else has done so much.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Dana
- 06-29-15
Found Stories to be good... Reader, not so good
What did you love best about Being Oscar?
All the stories and interaction he had with most of the mob individuals.
What other book might you compare Being Oscar to and why?
None come to mind at this time...
What do you think the narrator could have done better?
Had someone else read the book. His stories are interesting but his reading takes away from the story some.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No, listen to while driving back and forth to work
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Shelly Dee
- 08-10-14
Wow!
If you could sum up Being Oscar in three words, what would they be?
I never heard of this guy before, but what an amazing life he has had! What's the audio equivalent of a page-turner? Whatever that is, this book is.
Related to this topic
-
The Irishman (Movie Tie-In)
- Frank Sheeran and Closing the Case on Jimmy Hoffa
- By: Charles Brandt
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 15 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Irishman is an epic saga of organized crime in post-war America told through the eyes of World War II veteran Frank Sheeran, a hustler and hitman who worked for legendary crime boss Russell Bufalino alongside some of the most notorious figures of the 20th Century. Spanning decades, Sheeran’s story chronicles one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in American history, the disappearance of legendary union boss Jimmy Hoffa, and offers a monumental journey through the hidden corridors of organized crime: its inner workings, rivalries, and connections to mainstream politics.
-
-
Don't give up!
- By Grace Azul on 05-30-10
By: Charles Brandt
-
When Corruption Was King
- How I Helped the Mob Rule Chicago, Then Brought the Outfit Down
- By: Robert Cooley
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the story of a Mob lawyer turned mole with a million-dollar contract on his head, a man who has clanged back and forth between sin and sainthood like a church bell clapper - a turbulent youth, a stint on Chicago's police force, law school, and then the inner sanctum of Chicago's leading mobsters and corrupt political officials. With wild abandon he chased crooked acquittals for the likes of Pat Marcy, an Al Capone protégé, who had become the Mob's key political operative.
-
-
Very enjoyable
- By steve finkelstein on 10-18-20
By: Robert Cooley
-
Last Gangster in Austin
- Frank Smith, Ronnie Earle, and the End of a Junkyard Mafia
- By: Jesse Sublett
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ronnie Earle was a Texas legend. During his three decades as the district attorney responsible for Austin and surrounding Travis County, he prosecuted corrupt corporate executives and state officials, including the notorious US congressman Tom DeLay. But Earle maintained that the biggest case of his career was the one involving Frank Hughey Smith, the ex-convict millionaire, alleged criminal mastermind, and Dixie Mafia figure. With the help of corrupt local authorities, Smith spent the 1970s building a criminal empire in auto salvage and bail bonds.
-
-
Such a great story!!
- By linda mccoy-schriever on 12-06-22
By: Jesse Sublett
-
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. 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.” This is the captivating story of Gotti’s meteoric rise to power and his equally dramatic downfall.
-
-
Amazing book!
- By Linda A. Sommers on 11-21-22
By: John Gleeson
-
Carmine the Snake
- Carmine Persico and His Murderous Mafia Family
- By: Frank DiMatteo, Michael Benson
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this blistering street-level account, "Mafia survivor" Frank DiMatteo teams up with true-crime master Michael Benson to take down one of the most notorious figures in the American La Cosa Nostra. This is the real inside story of Carmine "The Snake" Persico, from his crime-filled childhood on the streets of Brooklyn to the long-term jail sentences that didn't stop him from controlling his criminal empire, with the help of his brother - the equally kill-crazy Alphonse "Allie Boy" Persico.
-
-
Excellent in depth book.
- By Jeffery D. Giuliani on 09-21-18
By: Frank DiMatteo, and others
-
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 Irishman (Movie Tie-In)
- Frank Sheeran and Closing the Case on Jimmy Hoffa
- By: Charles Brandt
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 15 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Irishman is an epic saga of organized crime in post-war America told through the eyes of World War II veteran Frank Sheeran, a hustler and hitman who worked for legendary crime boss Russell Bufalino alongside some of the most notorious figures of the 20th Century. Spanning decades, Sheeran’s story chronicles one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in American history, the disappearance of legendary union boss Jimmy Hoffa, and offers a monumental journey through the hidden corridors of organized crime: its inner workings, rivalries, and connections to mainstream politics.
-
-
Don't give up!
- By Grace Azul on 05-30-10
By: Charles Brandt
-
When Corruption Was King
- How I Helped the Mob Rule Chicago, Then Brought the Outfit Down
- By: Robert Cooley
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the story of a Mob lawyer turned mole with a million-dollar contract on his head, a man who has clanged back and forth between sin and sainthood like a church bell clapper - a turbulent youth, a stint on Chicago's police force, law school, and then the inner sanctum of Chicago's leading mobsters and corrupt political officials. With wild abandon he chased crooked acquittals for the likes of Pat Marcy, an Al Capone protégé, who had become the Mob's key political operative.
-
-
Very enjoyable
- By steve finkelstein on 10-18-20
By: Robert Cooley
-
Last Gangster in Austin
- Frank Smith, Ronnie Earle, and the End of a Junkyard Mafia
- By: Jesse Sublett
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ronnie Earle was a Texas legend. During his three decades as the district attorney responsible for Austin and surrounding Travis County, he prosecuted corrupt corporate executives and state officials, including the notorious US congressman Tom DeLay. But Earle maintained that the biggest case of his career was the one involving Frank Hughey Smith, the ex-convict millionaire, alleged criminal mastermind, and Dixie Mafia figure. With the help of corrupt local authorities, Smith spent the 1970s building a criminal empire in auto salvage and bail bonds.
-
-
Such a great story!!
- By linda mccoy-schriever on 12-06-22
By: Jesse Sublett
-
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. 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.” This is the captivating story of Gotti’s meteoric rise to power and his equally dramatic downfall.
-
-
Amazing book!
- By Linda A. Sommers on 11-21-22
By: John Gleeson
-
Carmine the Snake
- Carmine Persico and His Murderous Mafia Family
- By: Frank DiMatteo, Michael Benson
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this blistering street-level account, "Mafia survivor" Frank DiMatteo teams up with true-crime master Michael Benson to take down one of the most notorious figures in the American La Cosa Nostra. This is the real inside story of Carmine "The Snake" Persico, from his crime-filled childhood on the streets of Brooklyn to the long-term jail sentences that didn't stop him from controlling his criminal empire, with the help of his brother - the equally kill-crazy Alphonse "Allie Boy" Persico.
-
-
Excellent in depth book.
- By Jeffery D. Giuliani on 09-21-18
By: Frank DiMatteo, and others
-
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
-
Gotti's Rules
- The Story of John Alite, Junior Gotti, and the Demise of the American Mafia
- By: George Anastasia
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The notorious Gotti family is the stuff of mob legend. The "Dapper Don", John Gotti Sr., and his son John A. "Junior" Gotti ran New York's powerful Gambino crime family and were well known for their flamboyant style and brutal ways, an image perpetuated in popular Mafia mythology. John Alite, a mob hit man, associate, and close friend of the Gottis, has a very different story to tell.
-
-
Garbage read
- By Ray on 09-02-15
By: George Anastasia
-
Tulia
- Race, Cocaine, and Corruption in a Small Texas Town
- By: Nate Blakeslee
- Narrated by: James Boles
- Length: 13 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Early one morning in the summer of 1999, authorities in the tiny West Texas town of Tulia began a roundup of suspected drug dealers. By the time the sweep was done, over 40 people had been arrested and one of every five black adults in town was behind bars, all accused of dealing cocaine to the same undercover officer, Tom Coleman.
-
-
A Must Read
- By JOHN on 03-23-08
By: Nate Blakeslee
-
The Defense Lawyer
- By: James Patterson, Benjamin Wallace
- Narrated by: Stuart Slotnick
- Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Everyone deserves the best defense. Known for his sharp mind, sharp suits, and bold courtroom strategies, Bronx-native Barry Slotnick is known as the best criminal lawyer in the US. He calls himself “Liberty’s Last Champion”. Slotnick mediates Bette Midler’s bathhouse contract and represents John Gotti, “The Dapper Don”. He defends “Subway Shooter” Bernie Goetz and negotiates future First Lady Melania Trump’s pre-nup. His unparalleled legal brilliance defines a profession, a city - and an era.
-
-
Not what I expected
- By Jonny on 12-21-21
By: James Patterson, and others
-
Operation Greylord
- The True Story of an Untrained Undercover Agent and America's Biggest Corruption Bust
- By: Terrence Hake, Wayne Klatt
- Narrated by: Charles Constant
- Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Operation Greylord was the longest and most successful undercover investigation in FBI history, and the largest corruption bust ever in the US. It resulted in bribery and tax charges against 103 judges, lawyers, and other court personnel, and, eventually, more than 70 indictments. And it was led by Terrence Hake, a young assistant prosecutor in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office in Chicago, who worked undercover for nearly four years.
-
-
Historic investigation, excellently narrated
- By Craig on 08-12-15
By: Terrence Hake, and others
-
He Killed Them All
- Robert Durst and My Quest for Justice
- By: Jeanine Pirro
- Narrated by: Jeanine Pirro
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Former district attorney Jeanine Pirro was cast as the bad guy 15 years ago when she reopened the cold case of Kathleen Durst, a young and beautiful fourth-year medical student who disappeared without a trace in 1982, never to be seen again. Kathie Durst's husband was millionaire real estate heir Robert Durst, son of one of the wealthiest families in New York City - but though her friends and family suspected him of the worst, he escaped police investigation.
-
-
Enthralling Listen! Unique perspective of the jinx
- By Amanda Erickson on 12-15-15
By: Jeanine Pirro
-
Sonny
- The Last of the Old Time Mafia Bosses, John "Sonny" Franzese
- By: S.J. Peddie
- Narrated by: Tanya Eby
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
John "Sonny" Franzese reportedly committed his first murder at the age of fourteen. As a "made man" for the Colombo crime family, he operated out of his Long Island home specializing in racketeering, fraud, and other illicit deeds he would deny to his dying day. His career in organized crime spanned over eight decades - and he was sentenced to fifty years in prison for robbery. This is the true story of an old-school Mafioso as it's never been told. Newsday reporter S. J. Peddie interviewed Franzese in prison and uncovered a lifetime of shocking secrets from the legend himself.
-
-
Absolute BS
- By Brianicole on 04-20-22
By: S.J. Peddie
-
Vinny Gorgeous
- The Ugly Rise and Fall of a New York Mobster
- By: Anthony M. DeStefano
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A vain man of good looks, small means, and no family links to the mob, Vincent "Vinny Gorgeous" Basciano steadily worked his way up to acting boss of the Bonanno crime family, becoming its leader when official boss Joseph Massino went to the clink in 2003. But at a time when the Mob was crawling with secret operatives and informants caving to government pressure to flip, Basciano obeyed the code of La Cosa Nostra. "I got faith in one guy," he told a group of mobsters during a secretly taped meeting.
-
-
Dry and Boring
- By Deborah on 06-29-15
-
Mistrial
- An Inside Look at How the Criminal Justice System Works...and Sometimes Doesn't
- By: Mark Geragos, Pat Harris
- Narrated by: Mike Dawson
- Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The American legal system changed dramatically when the OJ Simpson trial became a television-ratings bonanza. Now it's all crime, all the time, from tabloid news to police procedurals. Americans now know more about the criminal justice system than ever before. Or do they?
-
-
Wish I could get my money back
- By Amazon Customer on 06-30-17
By: Mark Geragos, and others
-
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
-
Top Hoodlum
- Frank Costello, Prime Minister of the Mafia
- By: Anthony M. DeStefano
- Narrated by: L.J. Ganser
- Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Using newly released FBI files, eyewitness accounts, and family mementos, Top Hoodlum takes you inside the Mafia that Frank Costello helped build from the ground up, from small-time bootlegging and gambling to a nationwide racketeering empire. Sometimes shocking, sometimes amusing, and always riveting, these are the stories that have inspired American crime classics like The Godfather, Casino, Goodfellas, and The Sopranos. This is the man who made the Mafia such a powerful force in our nation's history. This is Top Hoodlum.