Top Hoodlum
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Carmine the Snake
- Carmine Persico and His Murderous Mafia Family
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- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 74
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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.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent in depth book.
- By Jeffery D. Giuliani on 09-21-18
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Double Cross
- The Explosive Inside Story of the Mobster Who Controlled America
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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.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Must read answers a lot of questions
- By Randall Mayer on 03-13-19
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Handsome Johnny
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- Narrated by: B. J. Harrison
- Length: 18 hrs and 55 mins
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 136
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 124
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 122
A rich biography of the legendary figure at the center of the century’s darkest secrets: an untold story of Golden Age Hollywood, modern Las Vegas, JFK-era scandal, and international intrigue from Lee Server, the New York Times best-selling author of Ava Gardner: Love Is Nothing....
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4 out of 5 stars
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Great book, not so great narration.
- By Richard on 12-19-18
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The Sixth Family
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- Length: 22 hrs and 16 mins
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 30
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 27
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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.
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1 out of 5 stars
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The most boring book I ever read
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Made Men
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 88
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 76
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For years, the DeCavalcantes, the most powerful Mob family in Jersey, labored in the shadows of the more famous families in New York - the likes of the Gambinos and the Columbos. Dismissed by the big-city capos, the DeCavalcantes finally came into their own when they found their lives mirrored in the television hit, The Sopranos. Overnight it legitimized the made men of the Garden State. Now they were a familia to be reckoned with. Unfortunately with high profile came high risk.
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3 out of 5 stars
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dry, procedural, colorless.
- By August on 08-23-19
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A Man of Honor
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 253
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 219
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 217
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.
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5 out of 5 stars
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amazing
- By Amazon Customer on 12-31-17
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Carmine the Snake
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- By: Frank DiMatteo, Michael Benson
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 74
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 67
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 66
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.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent in depth book.
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Double Cross
- The Explosive Inside Story of the Mobster Who Controlled America
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- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 13 hrs and 42 mins
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 228
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 209
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 207
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.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Must read answers a lot of questions
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Handsome Johnny
- The Life and Death of Johnny Rosselli: Gentleman Gangster, Hollywood Producer, CIA Assassin
- By: Lee Server
- Narrated by: B. J. Harrison
- Length: 18 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 136
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 124
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 122
A rich biography of the legendary figure at the center of the century’s darkest secrets: an untold story of Golden Age Hollywood, modern Las Vegas, JFK-era scandal, and international intrigue from Lee Server, the New York Times best-selling author of Ava Gardner: Love Is Nothing....
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4 out of 5 stars
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Great book, not so great narration.
- By Richard on 12-19-18
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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
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 30
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 27
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Story4 out of 5 stars 27
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.
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1 out of 5 stars
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The most boring book I ever read
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Made Men
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 88
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 76
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Story4 out of 5 stars 76
For years, the DeCavalcantes, the most powerful Mob family in Jersey, labored in the shadows of the more famous families in New York - the likes of the Gambinos and the Columbos. Dismissed by the big-city capos, the DeCavalcantes finally came into their own when they found their lives mirrored in the television hit, The Sopranos. Overnight it legitimized the made men of the Garden State. Now they were a familia to be reckoned with. Unfortunately with high profile came high risk.
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3 out of 5 stars
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dry, procedural, colorless.
- By August on 08-23-19
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A Man of Honor
- The Autobiography of Joseph Bonanno
- By: Joseph Bonanno
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
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- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 253
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 219
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 217
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.
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5 out of 5 stars
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amazing
- By Amazon Customer on 12-31-17
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Chin
- The Life and Crimes of Mafia Boss Vincent Gigante
- By: Larry McShane
- Narrated by: Paul Costanzo
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 135
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 119
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 119
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.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Not as good as others
- By KM528 on 02-05-17
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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
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 78
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 64
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Story4 out of 5 stars 64
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....
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great Book
- By Arthur F. on 09-20-19
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The Last Godfather
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- By: Simon Crittle
- Narrated by: Jonathan Yen
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- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 56
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 47
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Story4 out of 5 stars 47
As head of the Bonanno clan, Joey Massino was the last don, and ran his world with an iron hand - until he got hit with a murder rap, and turned on his own people. Here, for the first time, is his shocking true story - a glimpse inside the world of organized crime that we may never see again.
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3 out of 5 stars
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should've been longer and told more
- By Denver F on 01-13-20
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Tony Accardo Is Joe Batters
- By: Neil Gordon
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- Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 14
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Performance2.5 out of 5 stars 13
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Story4 out of 5 stars 13
Accardo killed everyone in his path: family, friends, cops, reporters, movie stars, and politicians. Operating from deep within the shadows, Tony influenced national policy, exploited the FBI, owned politicians, and fixed presidential elections.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Wow...the narrator obviously used some outfit influence to get the gig.
- By Amazon Customer on 06-16-20
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The Sinatra Club
- My Life Inside the New York Mafia
- By: Sal Polisi, Steve Dougherty
- Narrated by: Pete Simonelli
- Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 230
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 211
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 210
The Mob was the biggest, richest business in America...until it was destroyed from within by drugs, greed, and the decline of its traditional crime family values. And by guys like Sal Polisi. As a member of New York's feared Colombo Family, Polisi ran the Sinatra Club, an illegal after-hours gambling den that was a magic kingdom of crime and a hangout for up-and-coming mobsters. But the nonstop thrills of Polisi's criminal glory days abruptly ended.
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5 out of 5 stars
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The gangster with a heart of gold...
- By Rodney on 03-03-18
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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
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,029
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 928
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 925
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.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Guilty pleasure.
- By Nurture Learners and Able Observers on 03-28-14
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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
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 79
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 68
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 66
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.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Well done. 5 stars.
- By robert price on 03-03-19
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Lord High Executioner
- The Legendary Mafia Boss Albert Anastasia
- By: Frank Dimatteo, Michael Benson
- Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 16
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 13
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 13
Umberto "Albert" Anastasia was born in Italy at the turn of the century. Five decades later, he would be gunned down in a barber shop in New York City. What happened in the years in between is one of the most brutal and fascinating stories in the history of American organized crime. This in-depth account of the man who became one of the most powerful and homicidal crime bosses of the 20th century from Mafia insider Frank Dimatteo is the first full-length book to chronicle Anastasia's bloody rise from immigrant to founder of the notorious killer's club Murder, Inc.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great book
- By Christina Fox on 06-03-20
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Gaspipe
- Confessions of a Mafia Boss
- By: Philip Carlo
- Narrated by: Alan Sklar
- Length: 12 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 426
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 311
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 315
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.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Very good
- By J. M. Batista on 06-05-12
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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
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 239
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 223
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 221
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.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A terrific listen. Author and narrator were Great
- By rob on 07-19-17
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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
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 71
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 62
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 62
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.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Author’s transparent political views distract.
- By Adam Notch on 03-24-20
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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
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 128
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 114
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Story4 out of 5 stars 114
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.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Important But Edited By Lawyers?
- By Ted on 04-03-14
Publisher's Summary
The press nicknamed him "The Prime Minister of the Underworld". The US Treasury's Bureau of Narcotics described him as "one of the most powerful and influential Mafia leaders in the U.S." But to friends and associates, he was simply "Uncle Frank". Who was Frank Costello really? That's the question Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Anthony M. DeStefano sets out to answer in this definitive portrait of one of the most fascinating figures in the annals of American crime....
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.
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Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jeffery D. Giuliani
- 08-14-18
Excellent look at Frank Costello
I am a serious fan of this genre. This book gives a great overview of Frank Costello. You don't have to have previous knowledge and it doesn't assume you do. Narrator does a pretty good job.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Arthur F.
- 07-13-18
Great book!
I usually don't like books that are not first person. I think that they are redundant and often misinform. From everything I know about Frank Costello This Book is pretty spot-on. I think that the narrator does a great job as well. In fact if you like this narrator you should read Philip Leonetti's book Mafia Prince. if you are into mafia books then I would highly advise this one. It was a great read.
6 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Joseph
- 06-28-20
Slow burn . Great ending
For me, the book can get a little boring and hard to follow in the middle, particularly the descriptions of his trials or those trials related to him in someway. The book is best once the hearings begin. The famous hands, the “chin” incident etc...
Last part of the book really shines! Worth the effort to get there .
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dave
- 01-17-20
Uncle Frank
a great book very well written & narrated. loved it..
If like me you enjoy reading about the history of organised crime then this is for you.