Author: Frank Monastra
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781621831365
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 324

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Book Description
For the better part of half a century, Frank Brancato was one of the most feared men in Ohio. The Sicilian immigrant claimed to be a humble tire salesman... ...but in reality he was the right-hand man of Cleveland Mafia Boss John Scalish. Brancato-Mafia Street Boss traces Frank's story from his days as a penniless Italian immigrant to his years as a wealthy and prosperous Cleveland businessman. His children and grandchildren knew him as a kind, soft-spoken, generous man. But others saw a different side of him. Entrepreneurs who were reluctant to share their bootlegging or gambling profits with the Cleveland "Family" were eliminated without delay. People who were suspected of talking too much found themselves taking a "one-way ride." For many years, FBI agents were under orders from their famous leader, J. Edgar Hoover himself, to observe Brancato's activities and try to collect information that would lead to his criminal conviction. Immigration officers tried long and hard to deport Brancato, including an unsuccessful attempt to "kidnap" him from a Cleveland Federal Building and whisk him away on a one-way trip back to his homeland in Italy. Police tried to pin various Mob "hits" on Brancato, but eyewitnesses frequently either died suddenly, or they mysteriously developed doubts about what they'd seen. People who made trouble for the Mafia frequently had their lives cut short by explosions or gunfire. Brancato was usually questioned in these incidents, but was released for lack of evidence. He was nearly "bulletproof..". ...except for the wound from a gunbattle that nearly took his life and led to his only prison term. Using newspaper reports, FBI and police files, and even stories told by family members, Frank Monastra chronicles the story of his grandfather, Frank Brancato, from his days as a Prohibition-era bootlegger and whiskey runner to his role in the rise of the gambling and nightclub industry. Brancato-Mafia Street Boss gives an insider look at the rise of the Sicilian Mafia in Ohio in its heyday, from the 1920s to the 1970s.

Author: Mike Campi
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1510783172
Category : True Crime
Languages : en
Pages : 351

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Book Description
The true story of FBI agent Mike Campi who led some of the most relentless and successful attacks on organized crime in American history. A unique and unexpected set of circumstances caused former FBI agent Mike Campi to finally step forward and reveal himself. The result is this tour de force, which details his years operating deeply in the trenches to devastate the mafia. You will learn how he took down a staggering array of mob bosses, underbosses, consiglieri, capos, soldiers, and other legends from all five New York crime families. He takes you inside his investigative, critical, make-or-break moments, which he navigated to achieve astonishing success. Along the way, he provides you with insight into the external and internal forces often working to undermine him. And he lifts the curtain to reveal the untold treachery and hypocrisy underlying the real American mafia, as illustrated by the words of one crime boss who was recorded by Mike describing his underlings: “They’re suckers—we just use them.” Mafia Takedown, to be released on the anniversary of the infamous November 14, 1957, Apalachin meeting of top mafia leaders from the US and Italy, is chock-filled with an array of stunning facts and truths. A sample includes: the Catholic priest who fled America to save his life from the mob; mafia members recorded describing in their own words their innermost secrets; how Mike and federal prosecutors obtained the boss of all bosses Vincent “the Chin” Gigante’s courthouse confession that his legendary crazy act was a fraud all along; what the Chin said when America was attacked on September 11, 2001; and the explosive, dark secret that almost undermined one of the most important undercover operations in the history of law enforcement. You’ll learn so much more: such as how and why the most important undercover mafioso in history wanted to work with Mike, and only with Mike; and how the Chin was only months away from escaping justice entirely. For fans of organized crime, of true crime, or simply of engaging and enjoyable stories—this book is an absolute must read.

Author: George Anastasia
Publisher: Running Press Adult
ISBN: 0762443707
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 354

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Book Description
The gangster movie is one of the most popular genres in film. From the Italian, Irish, and Russian "families" in America to similarly sinister groups in Europe, Japan, and beyond, the cinema has never shied away from portraying the evil exploits of these brutal outfits. In this highly entertaining and informative book, two accomplished and apropos authors put the genre in perspective like no other author or documentarian has done before. The Ultimate Book of Gangster Movies provides extensive reviews of the Top 100 gangster films of all time, including sidebars like "Reality Check," "Hit and Miss," "I Know That Guy," "Body Count," and other fun and informative features. Also included are over a dozen stand-alone chapters such as Sleeper "Hits," "Fugazi" Flops, Guilty Pleasures, Lost Treasures, Q&A Interviews with top actors and directors (including Chazz Palinteri, Michael Madsen, Joe Mantagna, and more), plus over 50 compelling photographs. Foreword by Joe Pistone, the FBI agent and mob infiltrator who wrote the bestselling book and acclaimed movie, Donnie Brasco.

Author: Frank Shanty
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 1598841025
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 849

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Book Description
This fascinating work is a two-volume guide to the shadow world, the critical issues, and the global reach of organized crime. Despite its impact on international security and the world economy, organized crime is an unusual topic for a reference book. Difficult to research, the high-profit, high-risk subculture of drug lords, diamond smugglers, and sex slavers is rarely investigated by scholars. Organized Crime: An International Encyclopedia ventures behind the scenes into this hazardous territory. In the first volume, expert contributors offer a global perspective on issues such as weapons and arms trafficking, high-tech and cyber crimes, the future of organized crime, and the connection between organized crime and armed conflicts. The second volume consists entirely of primary documents, national and international laws, and treaties that reflect the international community's many attempts—largely ineffective—to combat organized crime. Together the two volumes provide students and general readers with a road map to a shadow world with far-reaching impact on the world we know.

Author: Thomas Hunt
Publisher: Thomas Hunt
ISBN:
Category : True Crime
Languages : en
Pages : 214

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Book Description
Issue focuses on Nicola "Nick" Gentile, Mafia leader in U.S. and Sicily, author of 1963 tell-all autobiography. Informer provides Gentile's entire life story, building on original research by Mafia history experts, balancing Gentile's self-serving and self-aggrandizing autobiographical work with verifiable history, correcting misinformation and filling in wide gaps left in his personal account. In addition to studying Gentile's life and career, Informer provides biographical information for dozens of individuals who contributed in interesting ways to his life story. Also in this issue: - 1900s Mafia feuds in Los Angeles, - Book excerpts, - Book announcements, - COVID-19's impact on Mafia, - Obituary. Contributors: Thomas Hunt, David Critchley, Steve Turner, Lennert van't Riet, Richard N. Warner, Justin Cascio, Sam Carlino, Michael O'Haire, Jon Black, Margaret Janco, Bill Feather, Christian Cipollini.

Author: Wesley Jacques
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1620879018
Category : True Crime
Languages : en
Pages : 173

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Book Description
“Don’t let your tongue be your worst enemy.” —John “Sonny” Franzese “You can go a long way with a smile. You can go a lot farther with a smile and a gun.” —Al Capone “I never lie to any man because I don't fear anyone. The only time you lie is when you are afraid.” —John Gotti Despite the fact that secrecy is vital to the Mob, mobsters have revealed themselves to be notorious gossips, prone to bragging, and even outrageous loudmouths. Delve into the inner workings of the Mob and the mindset of those who run it through these mesmerizing quotes from some of the smoothest and most dangerous criminals, real and fictional, who ever made headlines. Whether they’re spilling to their lawyers or making blood-chilling threats, mobsters reveal startling insights on leadership, guilt, and loyalty. While at times shocking, crude, and even unintentionally funny, these quotes also help us to see the humanity behind these dark bosses of the underworld . . . and give us a little insight into the dark side of our own natures, as well.

Author: S. J. Peddie
Publisher: Citadel Press
ISBN: 0806541628
Category : True Crime
Languages : en
Pages : 365

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Book Description
“Couldn’t put it down.” —Nicholas Pileggi, author of Wiseguy (Goodfellas) and Casino The extraordinary life and times of a legendary crime boss who refused to squeal—but who finally agreed to talk to an award-winning New York Newsday reporter shortly before his death at age 103 . . . 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, loansharking, 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 charges. But even behind bars, Sonny Franzese never stopped doing business . . . This is the true story of an old-school mafioso as it’s never been told before. Newsday reporter S. J. Peddie interviewed Franzese in prison—and uncovered a lifetime of shocking secrets from the legend himself: * Why FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover had a very personal interest in Sonny. * How Sonny managed to juggle numerous affairs with women, including a famous model. * How Sonny spent a third of his life in prison—and still managed to earn untold millions for the mob. * How Sonny accidentally revealed some of his worst crimes—to a “friend” wearing a wire. Through it all, Franzese refused to break the Mafia’s code of silence. Authorities believe he may have murdered, or ordered the murders of, forty to fifty people. Yet he earned a grudging respect from law enforcement and an absolute reverence from his fellow gangsters. Eventually he managed to outlive them all—until his death in 2020 of natural causes, a rare event in the Mafia. Thanks to a series of exclusive firsthand interviews, the astonishing life story of John “Sonny” Franzese can be told in all its bold, brutal, and blood-spattered glory. This is a must-read for anyone fascinated with Mafia history—and a rare look inside a criminal mind that has become the stuff of legend.

Author: Carl Sifakis
Publisher: Infobase Publishing
ISBN: 0816069891
Category : True Crime
Languages : en
Pages : 529

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Book Description
More than 500 alphabetical entries provide information on the people, places and events associated with the Mafia.

Author: William J. Flynn
Publisher: DigiCat
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 140

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Book Description
DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "The Barrel Mystery" by William J. Flynn. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.

Author: Frank Monastra
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 214

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Book Description
The portrait of John Scalish will show a never-before view of his personal life inside and outside his criminal empire. Which led to the premise of why "John Scalish, became the mafia boss no one knew." In the begging, John was viewed to be a man of peace, who was apprehensive about becoming the crime boss of the third-largest Mafia controlled city in America. You will learn never released information about John's two brothers Tom and Sam. Their life and how they worked with John. You will now discover undocumented information about a conflicted man. John often struggled between his professional and private life with his wife and children, in contrast to his accomplished life of a well-respect crime boss. I will disclose never reported information about his health concerns, which John kept a secret to most if not all the friends and, of course, his enemies along with the everyday citizens in Cleveland, Ohio. Later, these ailments will bring about John's death at the young age of 67.