20 Best Books On Mafia (2023 Update)

Research journalist mark w. curran tells the story of how organized crime built the town of las vegas into the glittering mecca it is today. learn how the mob built the most dazzling and decadent city in the west before being dismantled by federal prosecutors hell-bent on taking them down. through archival photos and first hand accounts from those who participated, american mafia: las vegas takes you inside the story from the people who know it best. based on the documentary 'american mafia: the rise and fall of organized crime in las vegas' interviews featuring: larry henry – broadcast journalist/columnist 'the mafia chronicles' jeffrey burbank – author 'las vegas babylon'/the washington post gary jenkins – crime investigator/mafia expert/host of gangland wire michael green – asst. professor of history – university of nevada, las vegas dr. j. michael niotta, phd. – author/crime historian/mob authority eric dezenhal – author 'the devil himself'/mafia crime historian

“it pours out spicy tales of mob lore to make its management points, an approach most execs couldn’t refuse.” —new york postformer mobster louis ferrante reveals the surprisingly effective management techniques of organized crime and explains how to apply them in any legitimate business. as an associate of the gambino family, he was part of some of the biggest heists in mob history. his talent for management led bosses like john gotti to rely on him. now he offers time-tested mafia wisdom based on true stories, such as: – three can keep a secret (if two are dead): build trust with your colleagues. – you don’t always need a gun to hit a target: lead people without force. – it’s never personal: when circumstances demand it, never hesitate to pull the trigger.

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 reads like fiction and takes us deep into the inner sanctum of this secret society where few have dared to tread.in this gripping history of the sicilian mafia, 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. dickie's dazzling cast of characters includes antonio giammona, the first "boss of bosses''; new york cop joe petrosino, who underestimated the sicilian mafia and paid for it with his life; and bernard "the tractor" provenzano, the current boss of bosses who has been hiding in sicily since 1963.

Organized crime is the greatest criminal phenomenon of our time. from al capone, who boldly claimed his bootlegging activities were a public service, to john gotti, the teflon don who died in prison, these criminals have garnered headlines and captured the public imagination with their flamboyant lifestyles and colorful attitudes. immortalized in books, movies, and popular television shows like the godfather and the sopranos, these gangsters, godfathers, hitmen, and dons have taken their place in criminal mythology, but the reality of their underworld endeavors is something entirely different. in the mafia encyclopedia, third edition, carl sifakis once again provides a fascinating survey of the mob s most influential perpetrators and personalities, including their hangouts and hideaways, their plays for power, their schemes and crimes, and their unique culture and jargon. more than 100 illustrations, nearly 500 entries, and a chronology demystify the mafia and provide an unflinching look at the brutal, sin-laden, and bizarre culture and characters of organized crime. more than 50 new entries include: chinese mafia construction rackets death penalty for godfathers "fbi badfellas" peter gotti hells angels "lovefellas" joseph c. massino prison gangs and the mafia russian mafia stock geniuses yakuza.

Updated edition, october 2007 “a gripping story. . . . from its roots in philadelphia's ghettos in the 1960's, it grew from a rabble of street toughs to a disciplined, ruthless organization based on fear and intimidation. known in its “legitimate” guise as black brothers inc, it held regular meetings, appointed investigators, treasurers and enforcers, and controlled drug dealing, loan-sharking, numbers rackets, armed robbery and extortion.its ferocious crew of gunmen was led by sam christian, the most feared man on philly's streets. they developed close ties with the influential nation of islam and soon were executing rivals, extorting bookies connected to the city's powerful cosa nostra crew, and cowing local gangs. police say the black mafia was responsible for over forty killings, the most chilling being the massacre of two adults and five children in a feud between rival religious factions. despite the arrests that followed, they continued their rampage, exploiting their ties to prominent lawyers and civil rights leaders. convictions and sentences eventually shattered their strength—only for the crack-dealing junior black mafia to emerge in their wake.author sean griffin, a former philadelphia police officer turned university professor, conducted scores of interviews and gained access to informant logs, witness statements, wiretaps and secret fbi files to make black brothers inc. the most detailed account ever of an african american organized crime mob, and a landmark investigation into the modern urban underworld.

Instant #1 new york times, wall street journal, and publishers weekly bestseller! in the tenth book in the multimillion-selling killing series, bill o’reilly and martin dugard take on their most controversial subject yet: the mob.killing the mob is the tenth book in bill o'reilly's #1 new york times bestselling series of popular narrative histories, with sales of nearly 18 million copies worldwide, and over 320 weeks on the new york times bestseller list.o’reilly and co-author martin dugard trace the brutal history of 20th century organized crime in the united states, and expertly plumb the history of this nation’s most notorious serial robbers, conmen, murderers, and especially, mob family bosses. covering the period from the 1930s to the 1980s, o’reilly and dugard trace the prohibition-busting bank robbers of the depression era, such as john dillinger, bonnie & clyde, pretty boy floyd and baby-face nelson. in addition, the authors highlight the creation of the mafia commission, the power struggles within the “five families,” the growth of the fbi under j. edgar hoover, the mob battles to control cuba, las vegas and hollywood, as well as the personal war between the u.s. attorney general bobby kennedy and legendary teamsters boss jimmy hoffa.o’reilly and dugard turn these legendary criminals and their true-life escapades into a read that rivals the most riveting crime novel. with killing the mob, their hit series is primed for its greatest success yet.

A 10th-anniversary edition of the new york times bestselling history of the mafia's infamous five families, featuring a new preface by the author.for half a century, the american mafia outwitted, outmaneuvered, and outgunned the fbi and other police agencies, wreaking unparalleled damage on america’s social fabric and business enterprises while emerging as the nation’s most formidable crime empire. the vanguard of this criminal juggernaut is still led by the mafia’s most potent and largest borgatas: new york’s five families.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 others. this definitive history brings the reader 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. this updated tenth-anniversary edition features a new preface by the author.

Will you survive the game of mafia? two teams compete in this delightfully deadly party game. based on the classic role-playing strategy game, it's kill or be killed as innocent city folk pit their wits against a mob of ruthless international gangsters. engage in a tangled web of intrigue, subterfuge, wild accusations, protestations of innocence and bluffing. includes 24 street character cards, crime-scene notepad and definitive game guide with rules, case files, tactical tips and ideas for advanced play. about the author angus hyland is an award-winning art director and partner at pentagram design london. his previous books include hand to eye and the book of the dog. about the illustrator shan jiang is an illustrator, graphic designer and art director. his works have been exhibited in the us, europe, shanghai and hong kong.

Even in chicago, a city steeped in mob history and legend, the family secrets case was a true spectacle when it made it to court in 2007. a top mob boss, a reputed consigliere, and other high-profile members of the chicago outfit were accused in a total of eighteen gangland killings, revealing organized crime’s ruthless grip on the city throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. painting a vivid picture of murder, courtroom drama, family loyalties and disloyalties, journalist jeff coen accurately portrays the chicago outfit’s cold-blooded–and sometimes incompetent–killers and their crimes in the case that brought them down. in 1998 frank calabrese jr. volunteered to wear a wire to gather evidence against his father, a vicious loan shark who strangled most of his victims with a rope before slitting their throats to ensure they were dead. frank jr. went after his uncle nick as well, a calculating but sometimes bumbling hit man who would become one of the highest-ranking turncoats in mob history, admitting he helped strangle, stab, shoot, and bomb victims who got in the mob’s way, and turning evidence against his brother frank. the chicago courtroom took on the look and feel of a movie set as chicago’s most colorful mobsters and their equally flamboyant attorneys paraded through and performed: james “jimmy light” marcello, the acting head of the chicago mob; joey “the clown” lombardo, one of chicago’s most eccentric mobsters; paul “the indian” schiro; and a former chicago police officer, anthony “twan” doyle, among others. re-creating events from court transcripts, police records, interviews, and notes taken day after day as the story unfolded in court, coen provides a riveting wide-angle view and one of the best accounts on record of the inner workings of the chicago syndicate and its control over the city’s streets.

From the new york times bestselling author of blood and honor and the last gangster—“one of the most respected crime reporters in the country” (60 minutes)—comes the sure to be headline-making inside story of the gotti and gambino families, told from the unique viewpoint of notorious mob hit-man john alite, a close associate of junior gotti who later testified against him.in gotti’s rules, george anastasia, a prize-winning reporter who spent over thirty years covering crime, offers a shocking and very rare glimpse into the gotti family, witnessed up-close from former family insider john alite, john gotti jr.’s longtime friend and protector. until now, no one has given up the kind of personal details about the gottis—including the legendary “gotti rules” of leadership—that anastasia exposes here. drawing on extensive fbi files and other documentation, his own knowledge, and exclusive interviews with insiders and experts, including mob-enforcer-turned-government-witness alite, anastasia pokes holes in the gotti legend, demystifying this notorious family and its lucrative and often deadly machinations.anastasia offers never-before-heard information about the murders, drug dealing, and extortion that propelled john j. gotti to the top of the gambino crime family and the treachery and deceit that allowed john a. “junior” gotti to follow in his father’s footsteps. told from street level and through the eyes of a wiseguy who saw it all firsthand, the result is a riveting look at a family whose hubris, violence, passion, and greed fueled a bloody rise and devastating fall that is still reverberating through the american underworld today.gotti’s rules includes 8 pages of black-and-white photographs.

Nearly forty years after jimmy hoffa vanished from the face of the earth his disappearance still remains one of the biggest mysteries in crime history. the labor boss was never seen again after july 30, 1975 marking one of the most unexplainable cold cases ever. in his new book titled vanished: the life and disappearance of jimmy hoffa, freelance journalist william hryb attempts to unravel the five-decade long riddle. the author painstakingly takes the reader behind the scenes of the man who made the teamsters the most formidable labor union in the united states. alleged to have close ties with organized crime, hoffa became the target of sensational congressional hearings into organized crime spearheaded by robert kennedy. hryb describes in vivid detail the life and times of jimmy hoffa, an iconic american character whose fascinating story comes alive in this intriguing one-of-a kind narrative

It is necessary for a prince wishing to hold his own to know how to do wrong, and to make use of it or not according to necessity. -niccolò machiavelli, the princegreed. lies. corruption. these are the foundational elements of the american mafia story. here, the pursuit of power overshadows even the desire for a dollar, and self-interest outweighs the greater good. it's a world that's foreign to the average american-or is it? the values of our democracy and those of mafia culture are separated by a thin line that's quickly disintegrating. no one sees this more clearly than former mob boss michael franzese. born into one of new york's most feared crime families, michael spent eight years in prison before he walked away from the mafia for good. now, he's sharing the undeniable parallels between mobster and politician. in mafia democracy, michael exposes our government for what it's become, revealing the psychology behind the gangster lifestyle and how these ideologies have infiltrated the landscape of american politics. with in-depth investigation and astounding examples, this book is your chance to see politicians through a new lens, hold them accountable, and reclaim the democratic ideals that once united our great nation.

On february 26, 1986, mafia underboss gennaro angiulo was convicted of racketeering and sentenced to forty-five years in prison. the federal bureau of investigation, aided in part by the irish mob's whitey bulger, entered the boston mafia's headquarters in boston's north end early one morning in 1981 and began to compile the evidence that would lead to the entire upper tier of one of the most profitable and ruthless criminal enterprises in america. originally published in hardback by st. martin's in 1989, the underboss became a national bestseller. information uncovered during the course of lehr and o'neill's black mass investigations adds new dimensions to the story and the authors include this new material-including whitey bulger's cagey manipulation of the fbi-in the underboss's revised text and in a new preface and afterword.

A complete history of the mafia presents an exciting and accessible introduction to the mob's most influential perpetrators and personalities – their crimes, schemes, hangouts and their unique culture and jargon. it also provides an in-depth history of the role of the mafia in sicily and america. with over 200 illustrations and a comprehensive glossary, this is an indispensable guide for anyone who wants to understand the violent forces that have shaped this group over the last century – and of course to learn the truth about organized crime..

"just a few years ago, mafia boss, michael franzese was named one of the biggest money earners the mob had seen since al capone, by vanity fair. at the age of 35, fortune magazine listed him as number 18 on its list of the fifty most wealthy and powerful mafia bosses?, just 5 behind john gotti. avoiding traditional mob domains, michael masterminded brilliant scams on the edge of the legitimate business world. from auto dealerships and union kickbacks, to financial services and the sports and entertainment industries, to a multi-billion dollar gasoline tax scheme, he earned millions in cash every week at his peak. not surprisingly, michael quickly became the target of manhattan's famed federal prosecutor, rudy guiliani. after promising michael 100 years behind bars after indicting him on racketeering charges, rudy only came up empty handed. escaping four more indictments, it seemed michael franzese truly was invincible. while producing knights of the city, a break dance movie filmed in florida, michael met a beautiful dancer from anaheim, california, named camille garcia, whose innocent beauty turned his world upside down. after falling in love and eventually marrying cammy, she convinced michael to take the rap on racketeering charges. michael pled guilty, accepted a 10 year prison sentence and vowed to do the unthinkable walk away from the mob. nobody of franzese's rank had ever just walked away and lived. until now. michael franzese is the only high ranking official of a major crime family to ever walk away, without protective custodies, and survive. he is now a man on a mission. determined to use the compelling experiences of his former life for the benefit of corporate executives, professional and student athletes, at-risk youth, church audiences, and for anyone seeking the inspiration to beat the odds and make positive changes in their lives, he has become a highly regarded motivator and a source of invaluable information. franzese candidly describes how he survived dozens of grand jury appearances, 5 major racketeering indictments, 5 criminal trials, 7 years in prison and a mafia death sentence. he tells how he engaged bankers, corporate executives, union officials and professional and student athletes in a wide variety of financial scams. his open and honest presentations are fresh and unique.

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 and unreliable leaders and recruits. a twenty 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 reader 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.

“one of the most spectacular cases of police corruption in the city.”—new york times friends of the family is a look deep inside the most notorious case to rock the nypd: the story of louis eppolito and stephen caracappa, the two police detectives who moonlighted as mob hit men. as told by tommy dades and michael vecchione—the cop and district attorney investigator who solved new york’s coldest case—along with co-writer david fisher, friends of the family is shocking true crime in the tradition of nicolas pileggi’s wiseguys and underboss by peter mass—a chilling, in-depth examination of what the new york daily news calls “the worst betrayal of the badge in the nypd’s history.”

“one of the most spectacular cases of police corruption in the city.”—new york times friends of the family is a look deep inside the most notorious case to rock the nypd: the story of louis eppolito and stephen caracappa, the two police detectives who moonlighted as mob hit men. as told by tommy dades and michael vecchione—the cop and district attorney investigator who solved new york’s coldest case—along with co-writer david fisher, friends of the family is shocking true crime in the tradition of nicolas pileggi’s wiseguys and underboss by peter mass—a chilling, in-depth examination of what the new york daily news calls “the worst betrayal of the badge in the nypd’s history.”

Relying on extensive court documents, police sources and sources in the family's home village in sicily, montréal journalists andré cédilot and andré noël reconstruct the history of the rizzuto clan, and expose how its business extends throughout canada and the world, shaping the criminal underworld, influencing politicians and bending the will of business leaders to their own self-satisfying ends.

Relying on extensive court documents, police sources and sources in the family's home village in sicily, montréal journalists andré cédilot and andré noël reconstruct the history of the rizzuto clan, and expose how its business extends throughout canada and the world, shaping the criminal underworld, influencing politicians and bending the will of business leaders to their own self-satisfying ends.