5 comments about The Ski Mask Way: Based on a True Story.

1. Although words can't be used to describe how truly HOT, this novel really is, I decided to pick a few of my favorite to give you an idea!
   
   SPLENDID, SUPERB, SUPERIOR, WONDERFUL...and the characters were...VICIOUS, WICKED, FIERCE FEROCIOUS!!!
   
   To say that I thorougly enjoyed this novel is an understatement. And the fact that it's based on a true story is CHILLING!
   
   From the very begginging Randy pulled me into the pages of this novel and I felt like I was right beside Ski through his entire journey. Although some disloyal people surrounded themselves around Ski, (disguised as friends) I smiled when I realized that in the end REAL friendship prevails.
   
   You are a fool if you call yourself a lover of "Street Fiction" and don't cop this book!
   
   It's a MUST READ!!!



2. Randy Thompson aka Ski had two options while growing up poor in Long Island New York, ball or be a baller. Randy had the skills neccessary to leave his hood behind and pursue his basketball dreams but sometimes even the most seemingly attainable goals can slip away. When's Randy's opportunity slipped away he still had to provide for his family and being a small time drug dealer just wasn't gonna cut it. Randy was gonna have to do things the Ski Mask Way and with his clique of childhood friends that wouldn't be hard at all.
   
   From Long Island to upstate NY nowhere was safe from the wrath of Ski and his crew. Jewelry Stores, Drug Dealers and Department Stores all got touched but would Ski's clique remained untouched? Or would Ski find out that becoming a baller by amassing ill gotten wealth would be even harder than going to school to pursue his NBA career. Especially when you have to overcome more than just the police but jealousy within his own clique. Read the Ski-Mask Way and find out what's harder balling or becoming a baller!



3. Randy Thompson aka "Ski" comes out hitting hard with this debut novel.. "SKI MASK WAY". In this story Isaiah "Ski" Thompson is a young man who is destined for great things. As he goes off to college to play basketball things take a turn and leaves him out of school and trying to make money, the ski mask way. The Go-Hard Crew, consisting of his childhood friends, rob anything, no business and no person is safe from this crew, because they definitely go hard for theirs.
   
   I have to be honest with you this book had me from the first page. My mouth literally dropped on some parts and I had to laugh at a few. Randy came out banging with this book, if you haven't copped this book I suggest that you do, because in my opinion this is THE BEST book that I have read in "2008". So he gets my vote for best new author and best book in "2008". Randy I will definitely support your future titles!



4. Young Isaiah "Ski" Thompson eats, breathes and lives basketball. It's his ticket to happily ever after. Despites the hustling lifestyle of his friends around him, Ski is steadfast in his pursuit of the NBA. However, life-altering circumstances soon snap Ski wide awake from his hoop dreams and find him going hard on the streets instead of the court. Can he be MVP or will he foul out?
   
   "Ski Mask Way" leaps from the pages with subplots and flashbacks, giving us Ski's adventures as a member of The Go-Hard Crew and his struggles with his hoop dreams versus his street reality.
   
   Thompson proves deft in his delivery of drama, action, comedy and grit and grime. As much as this book centers on Ski, however, readers will be charmed and tickled by his colorful friends. They can tell jokes, turn on the charm and keep it gutter. I felt like I was riding shotgun in the get away car. And as wrong as they were, I found myself hoping they'd get away. Was so into the book I almost missed an editing issue - book temporarily flipped from first person to third. But even with that flaw, " Ski Mask Way " is an adrenaline and emotionally-fueled story, with strong elements all around that I recommend.
   
   Readers will enjoy this well-told tale and leave many wondering: How much of Thompson's story might be closer to fact than fiction?
   
   4.5 stars



5. SKI MASK WAY tells the tale of a young man trying to forge a new life, a life of crime. Isaiah "Ski" Thompson's goal has always been to be a basketball player. With good grades and basketball skills it seemed as if he was on the fast track of doing just that. That is until tragedy strikes and what used to be important to Ski no longer is. Finally giving into peer pressure Ski chooses a new direction in life - drug dealing and stealing.
   
   There is plenty in Randy Thompson's debut to sate the appetites of readers starved for a good read. The tone ranges from carefree and fun to murder and mayhem. Undoubtedly, readers will find themselves fully absorbed in SKI MASK WAY. Thompson's descriptions of the sights, sounds and emotions bring the story to life with all of its horrors and satisfactions. Job well done.
   
   Intrigued, I look forward to SKI MASK WAY II.
   
   Reviewed by: Tracy

5 comments about Robert Maxwell, Israel's Superspy: The Life and Murder of a Media Mogul.

1. This is an E-Ticket Ride; in other words, a read with a roller-coaster effect obsorbing the reader's full attention. The revelations of Maxwell's high treason against the United Kingdom is alarming. Yet, what is more alarmimg is the complicity of the U.S. Justice Department and U.S. Senator Tower's treasonous activity against the U.S. Government and his apparent blackmailing of the White House... all orchestrated by Israels' Mossad via their willing agent, Maxwell. At the literal risk of their lifes, Dillon and Thomas have metciulously recorded the breathtaking facts we seldom, if ever, see in American media. This super-page-turner is THE hottest book on the market.



2. This is the story of the downfall of Robert Maxwell, a man who had almost everything that a simple mortal could dream with, a family, a billionary business, fame, important business and political contacts but with a huge megalomaniac complex that pushed him to play several dangerous games with the espionage of Israel, the industrial espionage and the underworld factions of the East mafias but his biggest mistake was when he try to play the blackmail game which put in jeopardy the security of the state of Israel and the Mossad agent around the world forcing then to "eliminate" this personage.
   Even though this is a wonderful work of investigation, I have some doubts about the sole responsability of Israel in this crime because of his several contacts within the Wall Street, the City of London moguls, the eastern mafias and the most important polititians of the world that he could put in danger with his downfall as a businessman or as a blackmailer, also it is very suspicious that many close collaborators died of sudden death or dissapeared.



3. What Carroll and Graf Publishers desperately need is 1. a fact checker and 2. a proof reader. Shameful display of factual errors. With sloppiness of this sort, why would I ever dream of believing the basic (and unbelievable) premise.
   Yvonne Adler



4. There are some good things and there are some very bad things about this book.
   
   First though, with the good. Although it's far from a literary masterpiece, it is interesting in its own way and it does keep one going. The writers follow Maxwell's life and by describing his modus vivendi & modus operandi, attempt to justify their version of how Maxwell met his untimely death.
   
   They portray him as a boisterous, pompous, bombastic megalomaniac, with an "unswerving belief in his own greatness, his total invincibility and readiness to bully and destroy anyone who dared to move against him". Extremely charismatic at charming into submission friends and foes alike, he's depicted as essentially inept at doing business. Born into extreme poverty, a Jew from Czechoslovakia, he always held Israel close to his heart, so mush so that he gladly agreed to become a spy for Mossad. In fact, he became one of Mossad's most valuable assets, that is before the truth about the shambolic state of his financial affairs started surfacing and his mental health further deteriorated. He then became a liability, and as with all liabilities he had to be gotten rid of.
   
   Although not watertight by any means, the case presented by Thomas and Dillon is plausible and, all things considered, does appear very likely. But...
   
   ...Let's get to the bad stuff now. Never have I seen clichés used in such abundance; stereotypes all over the place as if both writers were too bored to actually do some thinking and come up with appropriate characterizations; or the word "terrorist" used so liberally and carelessly and with such disregard to potential implications. What's more, the mistakes in historical details, the misspellings of names and places beggared belief. I mean, come on, proclaiming the jewishness of the Dome of the Rock can't be anything other than idiotic. Surely, Abd-ul-Malik, the 9th caliph who had the place built must be turning in his grave, poor soul. In any case, I still can't decide whether the writers had an agenda, were just ignorant, indifferent, downright stupid, or any combination of the above.
   
   Bottom line, if there were so many inaccuracies about things I did know and could easily double check, what about all those things I couldn't possibly know and couldn't possibly check? Judge for yourselves.



5. One of the best spy/Mossad books.
   you will not be able to put down this book once you start it.

5 comments about When Corruption Was King: How I Helped the Mob Rule Chicago, Then Brought the Outfit Down.

1. This is a great story of the past.We would like to know what the current situation is in Chicago? Who's in charge? Who is the new Pat Marcy? Will There be a Sequel?



2. This is a poorly wriiten account of one turncoat in the world of Chicago crime. Nothing new here and for the most part it is a boring story that I could not finish.



3. Robert Cooley was a former cop who studied law and became one of the top hustlers in the Criminal Courts Building. After years of fixing cases for the mob dominated First Ward Democratic Organization, Cooley turned informant and helped the United States Attorney for the Northeastern District of Illinois indict and convict a variety of political hoodlums.
   
   
   The negative publicity from the resulting scandal was so great that when the City Council proposed a redistricting map the former First Ward was eliminated and renumbered out of existence. The newly drawn First Ward no longer includes the downtown business district.
   
   Sadly, the book documents how the leading members of the city's legal profession and political establishment have tolerated widespread corruption and facilitated its longevity through bribing members of the local judiciary. Even murder cases could be fixed for a price.
   
   Cooley is not a hero or a saint and at times his claimed contrition seems somewhat false and selfserving. It does seem that he discovered some dregs of conscience about the same time he was about to be dropped by the leaders of the Outfit. Whether or not he was to be frozen out of the action or found dead in the trunk of an abandoned car is for the reader to decide. Cooley is now in the Federal Witness Protection Program.
   
   Local law enforcement and a series of elected Cook County State's Attorneys abandoned any pretense of prosecuting organized crime and political corruption decades ago. No meaningful prosecutions have occurred without the participation of the US Attorney. On many occasions, the power elite have succeeded in placing players in the Federal Prosecutor's office as well.
   
   What is particularly disturbing to many Chicagoans, even after repeated Federal prosecutions over the past quarter of a century, is the knowledge that many crooked political officeholders and judges remain in office having escaped the net. Some of the former Federal prosecutors who worked on the Operation Gambat (short for "gambling attorney" a code name that recognized Cooley's habitual gambling) cases are now in private practice defending the criminal suspects who are the successors to those that they formerly indicted and convicted.



4. Having lived in Chicago for years I relished this book. Reading it was like sitting in a dive bar and listening to the outrageous, hilarious, and probably sociopathic Sout' Side guy next to you tell tales of Windy City corruption so depraved you know they've got to be true.



5. great book, fast read, incredible content, very well written. this mafia lawyer snitch turned corruption fighting superhero is a must read. he presents all his own crimes, scummy dealings and ripoffs with an air of nobility, so take it with a grain of salt. the lawyer can't admit when he's wrong. the good thing is he can admit when the mafia is wrong, and goes about setting them up and recording them in the most outrageous fashion, netting mass convictions and (hopefully) forever altering the political and legal landscape of chicago.

4 comments about Smuggler's Blues: The Saga of a Marijuana Importer.

1. When I read the only review this book got, I tend to wonder if it wasn't written by the author of the other book with the same title. Personaly,I enjoyed this book. I found it well written and a page turner.Don't hesitate to buy this book. You won't regret it!



2. Yes, when a book cover has a dark shadowy picture of palm leaves and an old plane anchored in a lagoon you just know you're in for a real thriller. Not in this case.
   This may not be the worst book I've ever "almost" read (half way through I skipped to the last chapter to see if it had a decent ending - it didn't) but it's way up near the top.
   Poorly written drivel about the author's "buddies" but very little about the smuggling business. No excitement, no French Connection, nothing but blah, blah, and more blah.
   This dolt makes the most aggregeous error any author can make. He wrote a book that is just plain DULL.
   Please don't waste your money on this one. Let it rest in peace. It deserves a decent burial, but that's all.



3. Lance says: exciting - great customs scam - interesting characters - thought provoking [the horrors of prison life - would you loose your soul to kill someone?]- tells you what it was like to be young, wealthy and exploring the drug scene in a tropical paradise. I couldn't put it down! Hope you write more!



4. SB is an excellent fast paced read-unusual in that it was not written from a jail cell like so many books of this genre. I found the author to be credible in his story and insightful in his views. Highly recommended.

3 comments about Friend of the Family: An Undercover Agent in the Mafia (Hardcover).

1. I have not as of yet read the entire book, only excerpts from it, but I am sure that it will be amazing. This incredible story is about my Grandfather, Ed Robb!



2. Over the past several years there has been an immense body of literature, fiction as well as non-fiction, devoted to the topic of the Mafia. In fact, colleges are even offering courses analysing Mafia Literature. It seems we have an insatiable appetite when it comes to reading about these wise guys.

   The newest book to be unleashed is D. Lea Jacobs first work of non-fiction, FRIEND OF THE FAMILY. According to the inside flap of the book, Jacobs is an established author of historical fiction, writing under a different name. In view of Jacobs' previous writing experiences, it is not surprising that the book reads like an adventure novel rather than a non-fiction tale.

   The crux of the story centres around two of the most famous successful undercover criminal operations in the annals of the FBI, the Coldwater and Pizza II operations. The main protagonist is the FBI's first and probably one of the best undercover agents to work against the Mafia, Ed Robb, known as Tony Rossi to the Mob. It was Ed Robb who in fact pioneered the tactics, techniques, and procedures that continue to guide today's FBI covert operations.

   At times reading the multitude of facts, stories and players, seemed like I was watching a spider weaving its web and eventually capturing its prey. Although, I must admit, it was very often difficult to keep track of all of the names tossed around. However, thankfully, to rectify this problem, an appendix at the back of the book lists the cast of characters. It also indicates to which Mafia family each of the bad guys owed allegiance and who were the good guys.

   Apart from describing and analysing the various sting operations of the FBI, the book also explores the conflicts faced by the main protagonist. The mental stability of Ed Robb played an extremely important role in the overall undercover operation. As mentioned in the book, " a deep undercover penetration could change forever the mental makeup of the participant. Like the death of a loved one, a wrenching divorce, or any other extremely stressful emotional trauma, they are never forgotten and the effects are permanent."

   There is no doubt that the facts and insights Jacobs presents are by and large absorbing, and often unexpected. We are reminded that behind the tough guy mask of these criminals are often paranoid personalities who can concoct infantile schemes leading to their downfall. One moment they may be gentle, funny or sad, and in the next moment they believe they are invincible and that nothing can harm them.

   review by Norman Goldman




3. Over the past several years there has been an immense body of literature, fiction as well as non-fiction, devoted to the topic of the Mafia. In fact, colleges are even offering courses analysing Mafia Literature.
   

   
   It seems we have an insatiable appetite when it comes to reading about these wise guys.
   

   
   The newest book to be unleashed is D. Lea Jacobs first work of non-fiction, Friend Of The Family. According to the inside flap of the book, Jacobs is an established author of historical fiction, writing under a different name. In view of Jacobs' previous writing experiences, it is not surprising that the book reads like an adventure novel rather than a non-fiction tale.
   

   
   The crux of the story centres around two of the most famous successful undercover criminal operations in the annals of the FBI, the Coldwater and Pizza II operations.The main protagonist is the FBI's first and probably one of the best undercover agents to work against the Mafia, Ed Robb, known as Tony Rossi to the Mob.

   
   It was Ed Robb who in fact pioneered the tactics, techniques, and procedures that continue to guide today's FBI covert operations.
   

   
   At times reading the multitude of facts, stories and players, seemed like I was watching a spider weaving its web and eventually capturing its prey.
   

   
   Although, I must admit, it was very often difficult to keep track of all of the names tossed around. However, thankfully, to rectify this problem, an appendix at the back of the book lists the cast of characters. It also indicates to which Mafia family each of the bad guys owed allegiance and who were the good guys.
   

   
   Apart from describing and analysing the various sting operations of the FBI, the book also explores the conflicts faced by the main protagonist.
   

   
   The mental stability of Ed Robb played an extremely important role in the overall undercover operation.
   As mentioned in the book, " a deep undercover penetration could change forever the mental makeup of the participant. Like the death of a loved one, a wrenching divorce, or any other extremely stressful emotional trauma, they are never forgotten and the effects are permanent."
   

   
   There is no doubt that the facts and insights Jacobs presents are by and large absorbing, and often unexpected. We are reminded that behind the tough guy mask of these criminals are often paranoid personalities who can concoct infantile schemes leading to their downfall.
   One moment they may be gentle, funny or sad, and in the next moment they believe they are invincible and that nothing can harm them.
   

3 comments about Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History.

1. The book really is more about the context than the case itself, but Begg present solid research and writes very well. In terms of presenting the conditions of 1888 Whitechapel, it is probably the best book out there. For a history strictly of the JtR case, Sugden would be the way to go. However, Begg's new book, "Jack the Ripper: The Facts" (only available at amazon.co.uk now), which contains much of the research done in the past ten years, would be definitely worth getting from there. Still, this book is worth it for the Ripperologist.



2. I had to read this took for a Collage Class and have never enjoyed reading a "textbook" more.
   
   Paul Begg is a very entertaining author and gave alot of details concerning the Jack the Ripper Murders.
   
   At first he tells about the area of London called Whitechappel where it happened and then he talks about the Ripper Murders themselves.
   
   Not only does he give much detail about the Ripper Murders he talks about the Police investigation about it, as well as goes into detail about some of the people that historians and investigaters have claimed were Jack the Ripper.
   
   All in all a very comprehensive acount of the Jack the Ripper Murder case.



3. This book has helped me allot in regards to a project I am working on. When one recognizes the significance between Jack the Ripper and the media, and it's part in ascending him from serial killer to Victorian icon, it is impossible to ignore this book. I highly recommend it.

5 comments about Mr. Nice: An Autobiography.

1. This book takes the drug smuggling genre a step further. It's a thrilling read that not only wonderfully narrates his drug smuggling, but also is really well written. This was the first drug smuggling book I read and is definately the best! Enter the world of Howard Marks and you won't be able to put this book down!



2. this book was awesome, found it in some back alley in phnom phen for 25 cents and couldnt put it down. you want howard to keep smuggling and escape all the time. you can't help rooting for this guy. well written, and a great story. very enjoyable.



3. During the entire 466 pages, there was not one point were I lost interest. Unlike other books about adventures in smuggling, this one gives indepth background to his personal life in a way that the others have not captured, i.e. Blow. Mr. Marks is an excellent writter and his intellect shows through with this book. This man has lived an amazing, tragic life and it makes it very interesting to read. Right now I'm purchasing his two other books, Senor Marks and Dope Stories just because I love his writing style.
   
   Buy this book, you will NOT be dissappointed.



4. I usually like this type of book - non fiction, adventure, crime. This one was just OK to me. The story wasn't bad but nothing was that memorable. I read this ahwile ago but I remember it seemed like it took me months to finish it - it didn't, but I didn't fly thru the pages like I have with some other stories. Blow & Smoke Screen are better but similar books I have read.



5. The first time I read MR NICE I loved it and I enjoyed very much the way Mr Marks portrayed himself - A nice guy - something I'm sure he is. Second time around I found the sroryline too slow with an over attention to detail, like the man was waffling on too much about personal matters that detracted from the story. In a way typical of the ramblings of a heavy dope smoker. If you have not read it I recommend it.Mind Bomb If you like drug literature try MIND BOMB.

5 comments about A Pirate of Exquisite Mind: Explorer, Naturalist, and Buccaneer: The Life of William Dampier.

1. Ol' Cap'n Bill plundered only knowledge - couldn't keep two pieces of eight together to save his life. In fact, when he crossed the Isthmus of Panama, he was a lot more worried about keeping his charts dry than about the gold. Trouble was, nobody in his earlier days ever thought about funding a mission for pure scientific research - at least 'til Edmund Halley's voyage in about 1702 or so. And the only British vessels heading into the Pacific had to subsidize their own voyages (at the expense of the Dons, of course). So what was an insatiably curious soul to do? He stuck out his thumb, sailed everywhere -- and I mean EVERYWHERE! and if he's no longer at sea, he's now in print -- everywhere! Don't believe me? Pick up ANY book on exploration, vanished species, oceanography, evolution, British history, British colonialism -- and, of course ... pirates ... and you'll find him there, glaring huffily at anyone who'd demean him as a pirate.



2. This book about 17th Century Explorer William Dampier really surprised me - it was so good! I received the book as a gift and it turned out to be one of those books that I might not have chosen on my own, but I really enjoyed.
   
   The book chronicles Dampier's 3 voyages around the world, is interesting, and super easy to read. Two thumbs up for sure.



3. One hundred years before Charles Darwin there was a pirate whose works Darwin called "a mine of information". Jonathan Swift and Daniel Defoe used his experiences in writing Gulliver's Travels and Robinson Crusoe. Capital James Cook depended on his observations when circumnavigating the globe and Nelson urged his officers to study his books. In the history of exploration, few have ventured farther or achieved more than William Dampier.
   
   Dampier circled the globe 3 times and sailed 200,000+ miles visiting people and places never seen by any other European. Beginning his journey in Virginia and the Caribbean, this pirate crosses the Pacific east to west, spending time in Southeast Asia. The publication of his observations influenced generations of scientists, explorers and writers. His observations and calculations surpassed Edmund Halley and sent Bligh and the Bounty in search of breadfruit. He reached Australia 80 years before Captain Cook and is responsible for over 1000 entries in the Oxford English Dictionary.
   
   Completely forgotten by historians William Dampier has handed down a profound impact throughout the ages. And yes, he was a most decided pirate!



4. Dampier was a fascinating person, a real live buccaneer and also one of our first naturalists. Since I like buccaneers and naturalists, he works well for me. The book is fun to read and well-researched. I dug it.
   
   If you're into books about explorers, you can check out my list - imaginatively titled "Books about explorers" - for a few more recommendations.



5. having been loaned a copy by a friend, I have now bought a number of copies for myself, friends and relatives.Anyone who has ever thought of themselves as a traveller[rather than a tourist] should buy themselves a copy-even Tony Wheeler of Lonely Planet fame would see himself as a mere tourist after reading this wonderfully researched and written history,that is more important to all of us than we would ever guess.Loved every line.

5 comments about Son of Scarface: A Memoir by the Grandson of Al Capone.

1. I am not an avid reader of books, since all I do is read court documents and reports every day. But when I began reading this masterfully written book by Chris Knight, I found it very difficult to put down. With every turn of the page I wanted to find out more. The suspense and the drama keeps the pages flipping as it draws you further into the story of this boy's life searching out the truth of who his father was and were he came from. The missing years that no one can account for continues to have a gripping effect as it leaves the reader wondering along with the writer as the facts of the drama unfold. I highly recommend this book for pure good reading.



2. Most of us have a proverbial 'black sheep' member of our family. It wasn't until as a 13 year old boy whose father died in his arms that Chris Knight learned that his grandfather was the notorious Chicago mafia boss Al Capone. It was at his father's funeral, attended by a large number of men previously known to Chris that he learned of his father's true identity and began what was to become his life's journey to find out all that he could about his family connection to the notorious Al Capone. Stymied by his mother's abuse and insistence that he and his sister keep his newly discovered connection a family secret, Chris was not allowed friends -- or even to go outside the gates of the family's compound. It was only when he reached adulthood that he could investigate his family's past, from his father's fraudulent birth certificate, to his mother's reluctant confirmation, to genealogical research and private investigator reports confirming and detailing Chris Knight as the grandson of one of the most notorious gangsters of the 20th Century. Of special note is the inclusion of black-and-white photos. His struggle to find out about his family's past, "Son Of Scarface: A Memoir By The Grandson Of Al Capone" is a fascinating, candid, well-written, informative biography and a highly recommended addition to community library collections.



3. ...."If this is the year of truths, Son Of Scarface is a MUST READ! by Chris Knight, Grandson of Al Capone. With tremendous courage, he uncovers secrets of his mysterious father who lived an assumed identity. Compelling and heart wrenching, a Brave Knight has written an unforgettable book in search of ones self. This book inspires us all to go beyond our comfort zone.



4. Chris Knight's story is fascinating. It's a tale that comes from the heart, and yet it's also backed by meticulous research. I enjoyed reading about Al Capone, but even more interesting is Knight's own story. This is not just a book for crime buffs, it's a story for anyone who's ever wondered where he comes from and what sorts of secrets are buried in his past.



5. This chilling new book has more twists and turns than an amusement park ride. Chris Knight uncovers the shroud of secrecy about his mysterious father Al Capone's son, William knight. The search for the truth brings revelations on leading a double life.
   Chris Knight's memoir 'Son of Scarface,'is a must read. And there are
   some interesting photographs.

5 comments about Murder Machine: 2.

1. Very well written and well done. This book offers an inside peek into the activities of the Mafia, particularly the Roy Demeo crew within the Gambino family. The author does a good job of corroborating information from informants with law enforcement. The book starts out more from a "wiseguy's" point of view and evolves into more of the law enforcement side as the story goes and more information of cases are revealed law enforcement. I like autobiographies best, however this is an accurate and interesting account from many perspectives, creating a good overview of the whole story. Would recommend to anyone who enjoys non-fictional drama and true crime stories.



2. Murder Inc., The Westies, Bath Avenue crew, The Purple Gang, Mad Sam DeStefano in Chicago, Nicky Scarfo, Vito Genovese, and of course Carmine Galante and his crew. All were extremely scary groups of people, but they don't hold a light to the Gemini crew. Roy Demeo was insane.After reading this book I don't think I'll look at organized crime the same. A lot of innocent people got in the way of these guys and paid for it with their lives. The whole time I was reading this book I kept thinking I was in a nightmare but I coud not put it down. THIS IS THE BEST MOB BOOK.............EVER!!!!!! But not for the weak.



3. This turgid, way-too-long and ponderous book proved to be a major dissapointment. I had just finished reading the fascinating ICE MAN, a true-life study of a monsterous mafia killer. I was hoping for more of the same. Instead, this book goes into tedious, endless detail about the killers, their family ties, their interactions--but there's almost nothing about the actual killings. ICE MAN took specific cases and went into gory detail about how they were accomplished. in MURDER MACHINE, the authors throw us an occasional murder but give almost zero descriptive accounts of how these killings were done. So many characters are introduced that I had to finally start jotting them down to keep them apart. We're given unnecessary geographical descriptions that are a waste of time. The authors obviously spent a great deal of time writing this tome and I admire them for it. But after 300 pages, I simply had to call it quits. I found myself watching cable TV, with this book in hand, more than becoming engrossed with the pages of this book.



4. The police attribute officially 75 murders to the Demeo crew but the total could be as high as 200.Far from being just killings as a result of mob "housecleanings"alot of them are represented in the book as sport by DeMeo and his associates.Some of the victims had nothing to do with the mob.
   The book revolves around the life of Ex-Green Beret Vietnam Veteran Dominic Montiglio and his association with the DeMeo crew and how he turned "states evidence" on the murderous crew. Montiglio claimed to have never killed a person,"on the streets"and as the tale is told I believe his testimony. Montiglio was literally born into the Mafia,through family connections,and the tale revolves his complete break with his family. He says in the end that,"family is not blood,but trust and respect".Since he had applied for PTSD counseling and was turned down by the VA on numerous occasions,his story has the ring of an American hero.The book has a great ending.
   For those who just can't get enough of those true crime books this is truly a great one with lots of action and twisted horrific stories of the DeMeo sadists which are only too believable.The DeMeo crew was just one of the numerous car stealing/loan shark/murder enterprises of the Gambino crime family.This crew was even too hot for the mob boss Paul Castellano.



5. Wall to wall gore and brutality.
   Was I glad when this one was finally over? You bet.
   
   Not certain how much of this actually happened the way they claim,
   but it sure as hell seems to me the writers come mighty close.
   
   Might turn some stomachs, might leave others numb--or both.
   Makes the characters in The Godafather look like boy scouts.