5 comments about Donnie Brasco: Unfinished Business.

1. I missed the first book, so this is tying up ends I didn't know were still loose. Even if you didn't read the author's original book, this sequel is still full of enough fun Mafia tales to keep you entertained. I saw the movie so long ago, I can't recall it now. But this made me want to take a second look. If you like true crime and La Cosa Nostra inside looks, then this is for you.



2. Former FBI Agent Joseph Pistone and former Delaware Deputy Attorney General Charles Brandt, have teamed up to write this true Crime Thriller which is based on six years of undercover work by Pistone, a/k/a Donnie Brasco. Donnie Brasco went "under" the same year Teamster Boss, Jimmy Hoffa was killed (1975). Brandt wrote about Hoffa in his 2004 book, "I Heard You Paint Houses". Pistone, likewise, has written about his fascinating work in previous books.
   
   "Unfinished Business" is fast paced and heart-stopping. And troublesome. When he was undercover, Donnie Brasco determined that, if necessary, he would KILL an innocent person rather than blow his cover. In fact, he did beat the crap out of two thugs to maintain the façade. However, he claims he probably saved their lives. One wonders.
   
   Donnie Brasco "went under" as a jewelry thief. The FBI actually trained him in the field; it didn't take much; as few thugs know about jewelry. I would like to have heard more about the psychology or reason(s) Joe Pistone was selected for this dangerous operation. Whatever the reason(s) for his selection, it was a stunning success. But it lasted much too long and recklessly endangered Pistone's life and numerous investigations. Pistone stayed under so long because he wanted to achieve "made man" status before surfacing. Fortunately, his handlers pulled him out before it was too late.
   
   Pistone's efforts coupled with talented, ambitious and determined federal prosecutors, exposed and decimated the Mafia's operation in New York and other U.S. Cities. Among the prosecutors Pistone worked with are Rudy Giuliani (2008 Presidential Candidate) and Michael Chertoff (now Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security). Pistone and men like Giuliani, Chertoff and others, helped along immeasurably by the Witness Protection Program, mandatory minimum sentences and RICO Statutes combined to deliver a breath-taking blow to organized crime in New York and elsewhere. To this day, the Mob continues to suffer from the efforts of these brave, bright, hard-working men.
   
   In many respects this book (after page 75) reads like a series of victory laps. The narrative explicates the dramatic success that Pistone's efforts brought to criminal prosecutions outside New York as well as a number of prosecutions in and around New York including the "Pizza Connection" cases, the "Mafia Commission" case, the Lucchese Family prosecutions, and cases as recent as 2006 involving the so called rogue "mafia cops". The "rogue" cops were convicted and will probably die in jail. These are all tremendous victories for the government and it will apparently be a long time before the mafia can make a recovery, if ever.
   
   But Pistone's efforts were not appreciated by everyone, including fellow agents and especially one supervisor who gave him such a difficult time that Pistone actually quit the FBI for a time. After being undercover for 6 years (1975-1981), he would testify in a number of trials; usually with devastating results.
   
   I found the first 75 pages most engaging, Watching Donnie Brasco sweat and weave his way through the mob is thrilling and scary beyond any comparison. He could have been "whacked" at any time. For any reason. For "disrespect". For being a traitor to the mob. For no reason. The word "whacked" must appear 200 times in the text. Fortunately, it doesn't apply to Mr. Pistone. YET. Killings were often performed by Zips; hoods imported from Italy to do messy work. Hoods with a curious morality. Listen to this excerpt regarding one Zip, Luigi Ronsisvalle, age 47 and imported from Catania, Sicily with a fourth-grade education:
   
   Luigi confessed to 13 murders the way you or I might confess to having eaten the last slice of cake in the refrigerator. His first slice of cake was at 18 in Sicily. His last slice was the 1979 pay-for-hire shooting of a restaurant chef who had allegedly raped a Brooklyn father's 14-year-old daughter. The girl's father had gone to the Mafia instead of the criminal justice system seeking the death penalty to avenge his child. Luigi walked into the restaurant and asked to see the chef. The chef said, "That's me," and Luigi blew him away on the spot.
   
   Luigi explained his hits to the jury in English with a heavy Italian accent. "That was a job. It had nothing to do with destroying people....If you give me $30,000 to kill a person, you kill him, not me."
   
   Pressed further about the 13 hits, Luigi explained further: "I'm-a no kill. I'm-a the messenger. The bullet Kill. I'm-a just-a the messenger"
   
   The troubling aspect of this book is that one of the principal crime fighters, FBI Agent, Lin DeVecchio, was recently indicted for murder by a Brooklyn prosecutor. That case is still (July, 2007) working its way through the court system and while numerous FBI agents have lined up behind the defendant in support of him, the defendant is in a great deal of trouble and may be, and hopefully will not be, convicted of serious crimes (like murder) which could put him away for the rest of his life.
   
   Early on in the book, Pistone explains that he was willing to take an innocent life if necessary and at the end of the book former FBI Agent DeVecchio is being charged with murder. My guess is the now indicted FBI agent wishes Pistone had not been so candid in revealing that he was prepared to do whatever was necessary to protect his undercover identity. The question now is what was DeVecchio prepared to do. And what did he do, if anything.
   
   The Epilogue is odd. It is one page and is a requiem, if you will, "of Mafia men I associated with and hung out with who got whacked......(there's that word again)". No wonder then that there was, and may still be, a $500,000.00 contract on Pistone's head.



3. Okay. I read the first book. But other than a few extra sentences what was so different about this one? It's a good thing the Bonnanos are my favorite family to read up on (all the dysfunction).But honestly, there is nothing all that new here, just a few corrections and clearing up the movie difference.



4. If you've already read "Donnie Brasco", there's really nothing here that you need. Pistone rehashes some of his time undercover, and then goes on to re-report the same mob news that's been reported over and over for the past decade. Really, there's nothing here to justify the cost. No new photos, very little new information of interest, save Pistone's opinion on more modern mobsters and a few undercover snippets from his other later operations. His clear opinion that the Commission Case led to the dismantling of the modern American Mafia is a bit overstated, as well, being mentioned continually during his ruminations on the state of the modern mob. Overall, you can miss this one, without actually missing all that much.



5. I find it truly amazing that ANYBODY could withstand 6 months of the undercover police work Joe Pistone indured, let alone 6 years. His insight into the inner-workings of the Mafia was very informative,interesting and frightning. A good read. Get it.

5 comments about Running Scared: The Life and Treacherous Times of Las Vegas Casino King Steve Wynn.

1. I'm not sure how true all of the "accusations" / "observations" are about the infamous Mr. Wynn, but the book is extremely well written. Paired with the "Green Felt Jungle" (another excellent book) you will be hard-pressed to put these two books down. I would recommend this book to everyone.



2. This book is a real page turner. It is amazing it ever got printed, given Wynn's many attempts to strangle the unflattering portrayal it in its infancy. That in itself is reason enough to pick it up and study it.



3. So damaging to his super clean image, Wynn drove the original publisher into bancruptcy and tried everything he could manage to keep this book out of circulation. Steve Wynn vs. the First Amendment (1st 1, Wynn 0).
   
   Certainly did improve Vegas by leaps and bounds, but at what cost? Using public water to build his exclusive Shadow Creek golf course, buying art, jets and NY condos with stockholders money as the stock sank into takeover waters, untimately being shown the door by casino magnate Kirk Kerkorian. Once owned by MGM, things changed. The golf course was opened, the art, NY condo and jet all sold.
   
   How does one man undermine Federal law to build a dolphin attraction? he is on film meeting with a known mobster who used his Atlantic City casino (Golden Nugget) to launder money, but can't seem to remember anything about it.
   
   Fact: the son of a Bino Hall operator rises up to be one of the worlds leading casino developers and owners through some very shady associations. He influences Nevada politics as all people with money are able to, so no surprise there. The mob associations are clearly documented and associating with a convicted felon (Milken) is grounds for losing your gaming license, yet Wynn does so with impunity.
   
   Wynn has brought some great changes to Las Vegas, but after reading the other sidie of the story, you have to ask yourself if the ends justify the means.
   
   John L. Smith has done a great job with the facts surrounding Steve Wynn. Hat's off to him!



4. This is an excellent book for anyone wanting to know more about the character of the man who is Steve Wynn. It is a true account of the way he has conducted himself over his history in Vegas and Atlantic City, not the image projected of him by Steve Wynn and his company. It is well written and concise. John L. Smith does an excellent job presenting the information, including several of the more uncanny incidents Steve Wynn has been involved in over the years by merely presenting the facts as they happened. He asks some very good questions that should have been asked but never were because of who the man is. He also points out numerous things that have been glazed over by the press and various agencies involved. Very informative. A definite must read.



5. If you're looking for a biography-style book about S.Wynn's road to being King of Las Vegas this really isn't it. I'm about 120 pages into it now, and I'm already flipping through to see if it is going to get any better. Here's a little on the book:
   
   VERY detailed! Assuming all is true in the book, you can tell there has been much research and hours of connecting people together in the stories in the book. Unfortunately, the book seems to be just that, many many small stories or bits of stories that rarely link together at once. The book really doesn't have a good time line -- it's all kinda scattered, and doesn't read very well. The worst part about the book is for me it seems the author has an agenda to destroy the reputation of S.Wynn. Every opportunity is taken to say how Wynn was asscoiated with crooked and shady characters. So many of these characters one would never recognize, so there is much wrote about why these characters are shady people, so we all will know just how bad the company of Wynn was. There just seems to be nothing good written about Wynn in the book (so far) and that doesn't seem to be changing. Maybe that's just how it really is, I don't know. There's no wonder Steve Wynn sued these people for putting this book out. If you really want a copy, you can look for mine on ebay. This will be the first book I haven't finished in long time.

5 comments about For the Sins of My Father: A Mafia Killer, His Son, and the Legacy of a Mob Life.

1. We see the life of a gangster through the eyes of a young boy. A young boy who adores his father and will do anything to please him. He is slowly introduced into the workings of the Mafia. The older he gets, the more tradegy his life encounters. Very well written. My only regret was that there were not enough photos in this book.



2. After have read Murder Machine I came over The Since of my father by accident after surfing the net...I think it's a wonderful book by Albert, that gives you the insight from a sons perspective of a mob hitman.
   Murder Machine was great, but how much did they acctually "spice up" the stories??? I thought "the sins of my father" was a fantastic book, very interesting and hearthwarming. If you like me enjoy mob-books, have a big heart and haven't read this one: buy it. Don't mind the people who gives it a low rating, they were expecting Lucky Luke or something.
   Great book Albert De Meo. May your father R.I.P.



3. Wow! If you've ever read books that involve Roy Demeo (The Ice Man, Murder Machine to name a few), you will know that his reputation is that of a ruthless, antagonistic, killer who was widely feared by many for such a reputation. However, this book is interesting in the fact that the author tell about his life with his father, Roy Demeo, as told from a son's point of view. This exposes Roy Demeo's "family Man" side, and shows how much he really did love his wife and children.
   
   Once criticism of the book is that it has a slow start. The first few chapters are slow and a little boring, but it gets better from there.



4. A companion book to this book is Murder Machine,a story about the Demeo car theft/assassin business.I take it that Mr. Demeo wrote this book as a response to Murder Machine which is a brutal Mafia expose.Since these businesses set the Demeo's up financially,Mr. Demeo's (overwhelming at times),guilt pangs ,in his book are understandable and the book may be an effort as part of a self therapy program.Demeo's story is believable as he presents "Murder Machine" from an entirely different perspective;that of a hitman's immediate family. I notice however that throughout the book DeMeo tries to convince the reader that he is not a "Rat"(government informer) and this somewhat detracts from DeMeo's credibility.Noone reading a book about the Mafia would care if DeMeo is in fact a"rat"or a (goat or horse),but just an honest expose.



5. I was not going to write anything about this sort of unqiue average book, but here it goes: Have any of you ever been a victim or had a family or freind who was a victim of a violent act, you like their style (the clothes , the cars , the jewerly , the hair), so now it is O.K. to embrace them and get your rocks off, idolizing this sub culture is no different then worshipping the devil. I love these people who say I go to church, I'm raising my kids right in a good town and then put down other groups for whatever, then go home and watch the sporanos with their kids. Guess what folks, all that anger that your projecting, that is YOU!

5 comments about Supermob: How Sidney Korshak and His Criminal Associates Became America's Hidden Power Brokers.

1. Mr. Russo has written a book that seems to say that a mob of Russian-American Jews really ran the mob activities during the last century. In this book, he mainly discusses the life of Sidney Korshak, a lawyer working Los Angeles that was called 'The Fixer.'
   
   This was at a time when most of us thought that the Italians, especially those from Sicily, controlled the mob activities in most of the United States. And I don't see any references in this book to various centers of mob related activities such as New Orleans.
   
   Mr. Russo presents an interesting survey of mob related activities, but essentially concentrates on the LA/Hollywood scene. And this could indeed have been the case. It's a ways to go however, from there to considering this to be the SuperMob over the rest of the country, the rest of the crime. Mr. Russo certainly seems to see a major conspiracy running the country. It makes interesting reading.
   
   It is important to remember as you read the book that Sid Korshak was never arrested, never even got a parking ticket (unless of course the were all fixed).



2. Reading the life of Sid Korshack also covers an interesting saga of mob history, involving the creation of Las vegas, the entertainment industry and politics all comingled together, which the mob's hand reached into and used to great advantage for the purpose infuencing their criminal interests. There is a great amount of detail documented in this book, which at times begs belief, at the extent of the connections weaving through this mans life, blurring the line between criminal enterprise and the supposed gatekeepers sworn to uphold the law, who have no trouble acting in concert. Put together in a strong compelling narrative, a great read which flows nicely and has a definite ring of truth to it.



3. I loved this book - maybe because I knew half the people in it! It is a wonderful (true) yarn of Jewish immigrants settling in Chicago and how the succeeding generation made their way up the financial/political/power ladder, alas on the wrong side of the law. It reads like a novel and I always looked forward to getting to read more, and was sorry when it was over.



4. Sidney Korshak was one of the most secretive of powerbrokers in the 20th century, and this wonderful book finally unveils the secrets.
   Dr Peter Teiman
   Switzerland



5. America loves mob melodramas, guys getting whacked because they crossed somebody or other. No one much cares whether the culprits get caught since it's all part of the underworld game. No one in authority much cares either, that is, until some hoodlum tries to beat his income tax after the gov't has demanded its cut. Then the bloodhounds of the IRS come calling and the careless capo gets a federal number.
   
   Economists call the early stages of capital accumulation "primitive accumulation". Few academics may call 20's style bootlegging primitive accumulation, but illegal whiskey sure raised a lot of money for the Capone-led Chicago gang. And like most rising business ventures, much of that money was used by astute managers such as Murray "The Camel" Humphreys to buy influence into the over-world of politics and law. What does it matter if the money's dirty, since it's still money, as any number of corrupted Illinois officials shows.
   
   But what happens when even a big city like Chicago becomes too small for the sums flowing into gangster coffers. Well. if you're a wizard like Humphreys, you start looking for new opportunities, especially where there is little or no competition. You also look for somebody who can pass for respectable, since you're past the primitive stage and now have the money to go legit. Enter attorney Sidney Korshak, discreet, smooth, and, above all, a protege of Jake Arvey, Chicago's master ward healer and political go-between. As Russo's lengthy account shows, the mob could not have made a better choice.
   
   Horace Greeley's famous directive was to, "Go West, young man," and that's just where Korshak took the mob money and contacts, helping to turn dusty Las Vegas into the underworld's Glitter Gulch, and Los Angeles real estate into a permanent citadel of mob influence. Along the way, he picked up such powers in their own right as MCA's talent impresario Lew Wasserman and Democratic party power-broker Paul Ziffren, along with numerous union bigshots. Together, theirs was an underworld shadow cast across two big states with a network of contacts reaching all the way to the nation's capital.
   
   But muscling in at the top means knowing how to cut deals with others at the top. Here Korshak proves to be the guy to go to whether the public knows his name or not. Want top talent for your TV show, see Sid; want no union trouble at the studios, see Sid; want a good deal on a tax scam, see Sid; want a big donation for a charity fund-raiser, yeah, see Sid. And all the time, there's the whispering in the background about the guy's connections with other guys, guys with guns. But then, isn't Sinatra's Rat Pack a really cool bunch of Hollywood swingers. Yeah, just ask the public or even President Kennedy.
   
   To me, it's not a pretty picture, all the way from the yawning silence of the LA Times to the hobnobbing with Pat Brown and Ronald Reagan, plus a Hollywood establishment that could apparently care less. Scattered investigations go nowhere, while whistle-blowers like Steve Allen get black-balled for their civic duty. But then, maybe this is just another success story of primitive accumulation working its way to the top and learning to get along, even as the top learns to get along with them. I believe it was Victor Hugo who said that behind every great fortune lies a great crime. Maybe then, the Chicago mob was just more obvious than those others like old Joe Kennedy, an Irish bootlegger reborn into the white-collar world despite the sinister origins. Disturbing or not, the book is well worth the read.
   
   As a general reader, I'm in no position to gainsay any of Russo"s facts, so I try to keep an open mind toward detractors. It's vital, however, that critics not simply denounce the work in unsubstantiated fashion. Chapter and verse should be cited in order to gain credibility. Of course, the text casts aspersions onto a number of prominent and reputable people, which places a heavy load on both the book and its detractors. Nonetheless, if Russo has to follow the rules, so should the critics.

5 comments about Cullotta: The Life of a Chicago Criminal, Las Vegas Mobster and Government Witness.

1. True crime is fascinating. It has been the background of countless newspaper headlines, books, TV series and movies.
   
   Over the years, there has been a gradual trend toward more truth in "true crime" literature and more realism in the visual depictions of crime figures. Joe Pesci's brilliant portrayal in Casino is far more penetrating and revealing than were those of Edward G. Robinson. The popular series, Sapranos, is far more realistic than the old Untouchables program.
   
   I'm not sure why others are so intrigued by crime and criminals, but I wonder most what motivates criminals and how they justify and rationalize the bizarre acts they commit. Beyond all the drama and entertainment, I wonder what makes gangsters tick.
   
   That's why I found Dennis Griffin's CULLOTTA so fascinating. It is a compelling look into the mind and motives of a classic criminal. He approaches this subject with the discipline of a seasoned reporter, objectively telling both sides of the story in plain English. He doesn't add anything for dramatic effect. He doesn't embellish. He doesn't extrapolate. He doesn't try to impress you with his prose. Like the old TV crime show, Dragnet, his motto seems to be "just the facts, ma'am." (Griffin's background, by the way, is not as a reporter, but as a police detective. Nevertheless, his journalistic approach puts most modern "reporters" to shame. He has written a series of books about Las Vegas and the famous mob figures of the 1970s and 1980s. Each one is better than the previous.)
   
   His latest work, CULLOTTA, is a natural progression of more truth in true crime that began with Mario Puzzo's prize winning book, The Godfather.
   
   While The Godfather was a fictional account based upon real characters, CULLOTTA is a concrete account of a real crime figure. It is the most realistic account of organized crime I've read to date. No small part of that credit goes to the co-author and subject of the book, Frank Cullotta. Though a career criminal in every sense of the word, this mobster, turned government witness, seems to display a candid honesty that has endeared him to the enforcement officials who hounded him and the writers who tell the stories.
   
   As it says in the first line of the foreword, written by Nicholas Pillegi, who wrote the screenplay for the movie Casino, "Frank Cullotta is the real thing."
   
   So is Denny Griffin. That's why he has become my favorite true crime writer.



2. Cullotta has to be one of the most prolific criminals in the annals of both Las Vegas and Chicago organized crime. You'll feel like Father Confessor reading this book, where he purges his soul in what has to be the longest string of end-to-end confessions in the history of (dis)organized crime. In this book he joins forces with retired policeman-turned-writer, Dennis Griffin, who dutifully recounts each score and every hit with the cold accuracy of a Seargant Joe Friday writing his police reports. Griffin's style is perfect for this kind of book. There are no high-flown metaphors, "just the facts, ma'am."
   
   While I had second thoughts about paying honest dollars to an admitted life-time thief and killer, I didn't mind giving a few bucks to Griffin, and maybe we can keep Cullotta off the streets with a few royalties from his life story.
   
   Here a career cop has managed to write a good book with the unusual help of his natural enemy, a career criminal and big-time mobster. As for Cullotta, he has managed to somehow outlive most of his enemies, while coming clean with the G, getting witness protection, reduced sentences and now dubious celebrity. He even re-enacted one of his most infamous hits in Scorcese's "Casino" while he was in the witness protection program. Who says crime doesn't pay?
   
   This is one career criminal who seems to have nine lives and then some. He gives the details on each caper in this joint effort that was released simultaneously with the Family Secrets mob trial in Chicago, in which all defendants were convicted on all counts.
   
   Cullotta gives a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the dysfunctional family of crime figures during the mob's heyday in Chicago and Vegas. All the usual suspects are in the book, but seen up close and personal from the perspective of one of their own...the only one that got away.



3. Intense, graphic, and action-packed, "CULLOTTA" by Dennis N. Griffin is a must read for all fans of true crime.
   
   In this no-holds barred biography of Chicago criminal and Las Vegas Mobster Frank Cullotta, Dennis Griffin delivers a powerful and detailed account of Cullotta's life. From his early days when he meets the man who would become known as Tony the Ant Spilotro, through his many years as a Chicago criminal and Las Vegas Mobster, and the events that led to Cullota's decision to become a government witness, "CULLOTTA" brings the reader into the inner core of The Outfit and the life of organized crime through the eyes of a man whose life was connected to and revolved around many of the important Outfit players.
   
   "CULLOTTA" is a first for me because I've never read any true crime books, nevermind a comprehensive biography of someone with ties to organized crime. I approached "CULLOTTA" with a fair amount of trepidation. Could I enjoy a book I assumed would discuss in detail the activities of mobsters and career criminals? I couldn't even sit through one of the Godfather movies. But after reading the foreword by screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi, who consulted with Frank Cullotta for the Martin Scorsese film, Casino, I had to know more about a man who could talk about murdering Jerry Lisner with about as much emotion as he would have if he were ordering his meal from a fast food joint.
   
   The amount of research Dennis Griffin did for this biography and all the interviews he performed, in addition to, Frank Cullotta's contributions to the project made "CULLOTTA" the excellent book it is. I'm ready to go out and purchase Griffin's other books on crime and law enforcement in Las Vegas so I can know more about the other players involved.
   
   "CULLOTTA" delivers a chilling and exciting glimpse into the life of Frank Cullotta. And despite all of the crimes that Frank committed over the years, the reader finds herself rooting for Frank's life on the straight and narrow to succeed.



4. An absolute great read! Mr. Griffin gets right to the point with his painstaking research in this book. Anyone would have to be afraid of a guy who would whack you if you looked at him wrong. A can't miss buy!!



5. Another well-written, factual and informative book by Dennis Griffin.
   
   This book details the life and crimes of Frank Cullotta before he became an informant and briefly covers his life after the witness protection program. It covers in depth the friendship between Tony Spilotro and Cullotta from their early days as juveniles on the streets of Chicago to the glitter of Vegas.
   
   The chapter on Bertha's was particularly engaging, where the robbery is first covered by the FBI/Metro's version of events and in the preceding section; Cullotta gives his account of the robbery before and after arrest.
   
   Cullotta makes the distinction between his role as informant to that of `rat' Sal Romano, as entirely different situations. His was a matter of self-preservation, while Romano's was to purposely set out and trap unsuspecting mobsters. It is Frank's belief that they would have got away with the robbery at Bertha's, were it not for Romano.
   
   While I don't condone crime, I couldn't help but feel relieved when Cullotta makes it out alive after becoming a government witness and now leads a relatively normal existence in an undisclosed location.
   
   I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in true crime, particularly in Las Vegas.

5 comments about Outlaw Biker: My Life At Full Throttle.

1. First off, the book is not terribly well written. It's almost as if the stories were simply dictated and typed out.
   
   As a biography, it's relatively weak. There is little insight into the author/main character and some of the material seems to stretch credulity. The author seems unable to examine his own lifestyle in any detail or with any real honesty.
   
   Some of the stories are interesting for a while, but it's not a very good book and you'll grow bored with it in a hurry.



2. This book is about an interesting character but, not really a biker book.
   Not bad but, not outstanding.



3. I really enjoyed reading Deadeye's book. As I read it I felt like I was sitting next to him in a bar listening to him tell stories. There were parts of it that made me laugh out loud and there were parts that made me think that this guy is insane. He has definitely lead an interesting life. My book club was lucky enough to meet him. By talking to him in person you would never guess that he has done so many "bad" things. I am looking forward to his next book.



4. Dick Hayes's story "Outlaw Biker: My Life at Full Throttle" is perhaps one of the few realistic, centerline stories of a man who adopted the 1%er lifestyle and the motorcycle that goes with it as his way of living life. He is not a Sonny Barger nor a Ruben Cavazos, but rather a run-of-the-mill guy / biker who lived the bulk of his life on the fringes of society with all that entails...that's why he calls himself an outlaw biker.
   
   In the macro picture he's your average 1%er and he describes how really unromantic the daily doings of a outlaw rider are despite the few, primarily criminal, "bright spots" - all that ultimately lead to either the hospital, the courts, or prison from what Dick describes.
   
   As with nearly all bios and auto-bios coming from this slice of the criminal culture, little if any remorse is extended to the victims of the outlaw biker world's dependence on drug dealing, theft, firearms trafficking, sexual slavery, assault, murder, rape, domestic violence and all those other society-killing activities that keep him and those like him rolling on two wheels.
   
   This exclusion of individual responsibility is yet another affirmation coming from the 1%er sub-culture of why Hunter Thompson ended his book on the Hells Angels with this advice from "The Heart of Darkness", the classic tome of Man at his very worst -
   
   "The horror! The horror!...Exterminate all the brutes!"
   
   Cleanly written, easy to put down and pick back up again, kudos to his co-writer for bringing it to life in print.



5. Absolutly the worse Autobiography I have ever read. An unbelievably boring and uneventful biker story. Do not waste a nickel on this book.

5 comments about Marching Powder: A True Story of Friendship, Cocaine, and South America's Strangest Jail.

1. This is an amazing story. It really opened my eyes to whole nother world. Well written, never boring, this fascinating true story reads more like a novel than non-fiction. The main character, Thomas McFadden is a very likeable person. He seems very down to earth and very easy to relate to. I saw a lot of myself in him. The way he handled situations and his thought process is very similar to my own. I couldn't put this book down. I picked it up and stayed up til 6am reading it. Very impressing. I would reccomend this to anyone.



2. Marching Powder was a great read. Despite the actions that led Thomas McFadden into the San Pedro prison system, you root for him to succeed in this sub-world that is ruled by the best and worst of capitalism.



3. In early 1998, while traveling solo through South America, I was told I had to visit Thomas McFadden when I got to LaPaz. After I visited Thomas, I told two other travelers, so I can see how his tour business was so large. When I came back to the USA, I only told a few people about visiting Thomas because being a female traveling alone it wasn't the smartest thing I ever did. So, when I read about this book in Oprah, I was so excited to read his story. I thought the book was very well written, easy to read and very entertaining; I think everyone who reads this book will like it.
   
   Some of the reviews don't believe his is for real, but I know he is. As far as embellishing I can't comment on that, but he is a very likeable guy. I spent the day with him as his visitor. He was extremely courteous and nice. In the afternoon, I didn't know how to repay him for showing me around so I asked what I could do for him. He wanted a pizza from outside the prison. When I came back with the Pizza it was when visiting hours were ending, so Thomas bribed the guards to let me in. I didn't know all this until later. I was brought to his section and locked in. At that moment, I was pretty scared. But, once I found Thomas, we had a fun time eating p



4. I coldn't put this down once I started it. The three other people I lent it to, felt the same way. It is an amazing story of one of the most bizarre prisons in the world and what it took to survive there for 4+ years.



5. This was an amazing book. It read like fiction in the sense that I couldn't put it down. Everything was so unbelievable that at first I thought this was fiction! But no, it was all real. Talk about a messed up legal system...

5 comments about The Butterfly Garden: Surviving Childhood on the Run with One of Americas Most Wanted.

1. I was in an Ohio bookstore when the author was signing this book. I had the privilege of speaking with him for a few moments and was so impressed with his story. For someone to live through such a horrible childhood, but work so hard to become an incredible man! It was such a touching story. Once I started to read the book, I could not put it down. He wrote in my book "Continue to Soar" and after reading this book that is exactly what you want to do. Soar through life, be happy and help others. This is a must read.



2. I recently read this book and met the man who wrote it. What a touching and phenom story. I had a hard time putting this down becuase it is not only written so well, but is captavating with how it travels. His honesty is so raw and naked that everyone can relate to some aspect of his story. His wife is also a huge part of this survival and is such an amazing woman. It's amazing what positivity came from Chip and this whole nightmarish experience. So many people could learn much from Chip and about themselves from this book. I felt many emotions thru this book. Chip is an amazing human!!! This is a must read for everyone, espcially for children everywhere.



3. The Butterfly Garden: A Memoir is the true-life story of author Chip St. Clair, who survived a bitterly abusive and life-threatening childhood overshadowed by the menace of a physically abusive father. Eventually he learned a shocking truth; the man he called "Dad" was an escaped child killer who had fled justice for over two decades, and one of America's Most Wanted. Forced to turn his father in rather than risk allowing him to harm any more children, Chip St. Clair subsequently dedicated himself to protecting children and keeping child predators behind bars. A grim true crime story that at its heart deals with roots, identity, and cultivating the will to make a better future no matter what horrors lie in the past.



4. In September of 2004 Chip StClair called my office seeking help to keep his father, Michael Dean Grant, in jail.
   
   This phone call was beyond belief because Chip's story is unbelievable.
   
   We call children who have been abused "children of the secret" because they spend their lives keeping their terrible secret. Eighty five percent of children who are abused are abused by someone known to the family. Children love their parents and are confused even when those parents abuse them - the children somehow believe they caused their own abuse. Families do whatever it takes to preserve their "dirty little secret."
   
   This cycle of abuse repeats itself. That is not to say that all abused children become abusers but the data are pretty clear that most abusers were abused themselves.
   
   I was in tears on that September day listening to Chip tell his story and I was mostly moved by his determination that his life of abuse would count for something. Chip said that he found his heroes in art and literature and he was committed to overcoming his life of adversity by helping others so that he could become a real life hero like those mythological heroes that saved his life.
   
   Over the next months, Chip and I and a young man, Sameer Mandke, who was volunteering at Justice for Children had many long conversations. Michael Dean Grant was to be released from prison on April 1, 2005. Sameer and Chip worked together to prevent that from happening and instead, on April 1, 2005, the Michigan Chapter of Justice for Children was born, with Chip StClair as our new regional director.
   
   Chip StClair's story is an inspiration to me but more importantly, he is a hero to all of the children of the secret.
   
   Jim Shields
   Executive Director
   Justice for Children
   Houston, TX



5. June 2, 2008. I was supposed to meet Chip St. Clair in the HCI Booth last week at the Book Expo America just to say "Hi." When I got there, he was busy and I didn't want to interrupt. My regret is that I didn't get back to that booth and missed the opportunity to meet him in person.
   
   I started to read The Butterfly Garden on the day after the Expo and couldn't put it down. Every time I did, I was compelled to pick it up and read more. There are other comments about the "meat" of the story, so I won't repeat those. I highly recommend this heartfelt story and can assure readers that once they open the book they won't put it down.
   
   The story is one that tugs at your heartstrings and it makes one wonder how he came through everything. But his dedication to literature and his escape into poetry is reflected on every page. Chip takes the reader on a journey narrated in a voice that makes the horror beyond imagination that was his childhood, extending into his young adult years, a story written so beautifully that even the squeamish of heart can read and understand what went into making Chip the person he is.
   
   This book is a must read and I have already recommended it to several people and will post it on my website.
   
   MORGAN ST. JAMES
   Silver Sisters Mysteries
   [..]

5 comments about My Bloody Life: The Making of a Latin King (Illinois).

1. For all of those people who ask -- Why gangs? This book exists. This boy who really didn't even want to be a gangster gets pulled into the undertow and becomes one of the most violent. If all teens could read this, gang activity might keep slowing down.



2. This is one of the best books I've ever read. once you start reading, you just don't want to stop you want to find out what will happen in the next chapter. It's such a great real story.



3. I was definitely interested in reading this book, but the fact that the "spanish" written in the book was more like spanglish, incorrect grammar, with spanish definitions completely inaccurate made me believe that this was not truly an autobiographical memoir. But when the author proceeds to state that Puerto Ricans were being deported back the island during this time of his life in the book. That is when I finally said ENOUGH!!! Puerto Ricans are AMERICAN CITIZENS BORN TO A COMMOM WEALTH NATION THAT BELONGS TO THE USA!! Before an author begins to write a "true autobiographical/memoir" get your facts straight! A proud Puerto Rican knows his/her facts! Interesting book to read, but please, take it with a grain of salt, and remember; all that you read is not always true!



4. A great book! Once you start reading the book you can't stop. Open your eyes to reality and helps you not to judge people and see what they act like that and why is the reason behind the life style they had taken.



5. I'll keep this short: My Bloody Life was not a very thoughtful book. I don't want to disparage the efforts of the author, who clearly had a fantastic story to tell. But I got the sense from reading the book that the story was told because he felt that someone needed to tell it, not because he felt he understood it in some greater sense. There are moments of clarity where he states or alludes to some grand narrative of life that the events fit into, but those moments clash with each other indicating that he's not really sure what that narrative is.
   
   I read this book along with classmates in a teacher education course, and we discussed whether we thought it was educationally valuable to read this book as opposed to some other one. We decided that it was probably beneficial for what I termed the "oh crap" factor of surprising folks that didn't know what gang life could be like. At the same time though, the class agreed that reading this book might give readers the impression that every gang is like this one and that every kid in a rough neighborhood is gang-affiliated. Please don't walk away with that understanding.

No comments about The Man Who Made Vermeers: Unvarnishing the Legend of Master Forger Han van Meegeren.