Carmine the Snake

Carmine Persico and His Murderous Mafia Family

By: Frank DiMatteo, Michael Benson

Narrated by: Johnny Heller

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.

This is the story of his deadly teen years as leader of the fearsome Garfield Boys; his recruitment into the Profaci - later the Colombo - crime family; his bloody betrayal of the Gallo brothers; his role in the hair-raising ambush and slaying of Albert Anastasia - the Lord High Executioner of Murder, Inc. - as he sat in a barbershop chair getting a shave; the terror he struck into the hearts of the New York Mafia's other families, and even his own crews; and the many courtroom trials where Persico walked after witnesses came down with sudden cases of "amnesia."

Today, Persico schmoozes with Ponzi king Bernard Madoff behind bars. There, at age 84, his legend - packed as it is with coldblooded brutality - continues to inspire goodfellas everywhere.

©2018 Frank DiMatteo and Michael Benson (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Interesting…

Book was good. Interesting story about the life of a well known (?) mob boss. Starts out in Brooklyn NY in the early 1950’s, so was very nostalgic for me on a personal level. Johnny Heller does a fantastic job with the narration!

My one major criticism is the constant introduction of new names and people, which became very difficult and frustrating for me to follow. Reading the book after listening will probably help with this!

Anyway, overall, a decent book for those who enjoy true stories about Organized Crime dating back to the mid-20th century.

awesome book

I usually don't fly through a book I got for free so fast. I love how I recognized so many of the mobsters names.

Fans of the genre will enjoy

Fans of the Mafia genre will enjoy this book. More serious Mafia buffs may have problems with it.
This was a good listen. The reader was very good. It’s a good story but there are glaring mistakes that deterred from my overall confidence in the story. The biggest error was saying Albert Anastasia was behind the attempt on Frank Costello.
That being said it was a good overview of Carmine Persico’s life in The Life. It was well written and an easy listen.

Great book

I loved this book, Carmine's son Allie boy lived up the road from me in our Federal Prison before he died.

Gripping informative listen

The narrator is first class, The story was very informative... i enjoyed this book very much .

The best crime book I’ve ever read

This is the most realistic, up close and personal book on the New York crime families I’ve read. The murders are disturbingly detailed and it sure sounds like the truth.

criminally insane

love this mafia book. Gives a good look into the mafia world. will listen to more than once

True Mafia ShotCaller

I have read many True Crime books about the Mafia, and without a doubt this book hit all the points. As a teen, I hung out in Red Hook, and South Brooklyn. I heard the stories of the neighborhood legends. Junior Persico was without a doubt the "True Shotcaller". Bigger than "Gotti", more ruthless than the " The Chin". Junior and his Family was a True Mafia Dynasty.

The Snake Was a Rat?

By coincidence, as I finish this book the NY Daily News is reporting that Carmine was a "Top Echelon Informant." Quite a twist, if true.

Anyway, the reader is excellent, with just the right Brooklyn mob guy tone. And when the book digs fairly deep into a specific set of facts, like the extended section on Carmine acting as his own lawyer, it's really interesting. But when it quickly rattles off multiple shootings by multiple shooters, it can feel a bit repetitive. Very good for the most part, though.

Great 👍

loved it. well told, well performed. great story, thanks for sharing. four words remaining