Gangsters of Harlem

The Gritty Underworld of New York City's Most Famous Neighborhood

By: Ron Chepesiuk

Narrated by: J. D. Jackson

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.

©2010 Ron Chepesiuk (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Excellent Book

I grew up in Harlem in the early 60's and have had a lot of contact with most of the characters via family members associated with them and seeing them on the streets.
It truly is sad what men like these men have done to the community they lived in, it is even worse what life choices the left for there children.

Many innocent people died due to their greed they never deserved any breaks.

True Crime Fans Will Eat This Up

I fell in love with the mobsters in Gangsters of Harlem just as many people have with the characters in The Wire or The Sopranos.

Despite their shady business, it was easy—disturbingly so—to become invested in these mobsters. One detail that's going to stick with me for a long time is Chepesiuk's description of the "Murder Stables," owned by Ignazio Lupo of the Morello Gang, where hundreds of his rivals were tortured and murdered in the early 1900s.

In a Wire-esque finale, Chepesiuk looks at the involvement of the NYPD with organized crime. If your cup of tea includes a dash of lethal bathtub gin, this is your hot toddy.

gangster comparison

I like the transparency of truth and the strongest illustration of theirs lives posssible,it almost placed you there back in their day

Good book

I never realized how many gangsters were in harlem. Great book to read abo it the underworld

great book loved all the great information

i loved it learned alot about African american gangsters i didn't know about. Only complaint is the reader couldn't pronounce the mobsters last names right