5 comments about Almost Paradise: The East Hampton Murder of Ted Ammon.

1. This guy has written a true-crime book that flows like fiction. Loved it!!!!!!!!!!!!!



2. This work describes how Ted Ammon turned himself into a very successful businessman as well as, the circomstances that lead him to marriage with his second wife Generosa and addoption of two twin children from abroad. From what I gather, Mr. Ammon truly loved his wife and tried to give her just about anything she might have wished to own. Unfortunately though, it seemed from the reading that Mrs. Ammon was very discontent with herself more often than just being happy and appreciating what she had including the love of her husband. Her unhappiness eventually lead to the marriage falling apart and the twins getting seriously caught in the middle of an unpleasant divorce battle between their parents. The twins were compelled by their mother to take her side and to even snoop by photographing documents on the desk of their Father while he was a sleep. Even sicker yet is the fact that Mr. Ammon was eventually brutally murdered in his home during the night of October 22, 2001 perhaps by Generosa's lover. However, whether he committed the crime remains questionable due to lack of physical evidence that would implicate him as part of the cause of Mr. Ammon's death. The extent of Generosa's involvement in Mr. Ammon's death is also unknown because she has since passed away to cancer.
   After finishing the book, I found that it stuck with me for a long time. No matter what enemies Mr. Ammon might have had in the business world, no one should have to endure the kind of fait he encountered on that night of October 2001. I wonder how different it might have all turned out if Mr. Ammon was aware of the spy system that had been installed in his home. I wonder how different it all would have been if Ted Ammon had taken the advice of so many to hire body guards. I wonder just how different it all would have been if Generosa had gotten professional help and stuck with it. If only Mr. Ammon hadn't covered up for her actions as he often did and saw reality coming ...
   The bottom line is that it is all so very heartbreaking for everyone involved. To some readers, it may seem as if the author is portraying Generosa as a victim. From my perspective, he is simply explaining to us why Generosa's personality was as it was in life even going back to take a look at her childhood. Perhaps all the wealth didn't make it any better either.
   While it is impossible to bring Ted Ammon back, I sincerely hope that the twins will uphold high standards for themselves and do cherritable work in honor of their father's memory.



3. I found this book to be very good. It flows smoothly throughout and is not riddled with bias. The author did a wonderful job depicting each person. I was truly surprised at how well-written this book was and it was a real "page-turner". Ann Rule, watch out--here is an author who can actually give you a run for your money.
   It is mind-numbing reading about the results of two sociopaths who, through fate, end up hooking up with each other. I truly feel sorry for the two children who suffered because of the actions of the adults around them. I highly recommend this book. You will not want to put it down.



4. The story is fascinating: Ted Ammon, a handsome and brilliant man, marries beautiful Generosa Rand; they adopt two gorgeous twins, and set out to enjoy their charmed life among New York's rich and famous. Years later, the couple gets divorced, Generosa hooks up with an electrician with a criminal history (Danny Pelosi), Ted is found murdered, Danny is convicted of the crime, Generosa dies of cancer and the twins are left in the care of a less-than-perfect woman. Dick Wolf wouldn't be able to come up with a story with more twists and turns, and it's no surprise that the New York tabloids had a feast with the Ammon-Pelosi saga.
   
   But Crowley has taken this fascinating story and turned it into a horrible book. His writing is atrocious and he seems incapable of getting even the smallest detail right. One example: "Ammon was also battling the board of his Fifth Avenue co-op building, which was headed by actor Kevin Kline... Had the famous actor-singer of the condo board bumped him off?" asks Crowley.
   
   Well, the building can either be a co-op or a condo, but it can't be both. In one paragraph, Crowley manages to contradict himself. It's a small detail, but the same thing happens over and over in the book (a woman is a blonde in one paragraph and a brunette on the next, Crowley gives one fact on one page and the opposite on the next), and it shows how filled with mistakes and inaccuracies this book is.
   
   This is a fascinating story, which deserved to be told by a much better writer (and reporter) than Kieran Crowley.



5. I followed Danny's trial in the papers, so I was surprised by how much I didn't know about this case, and that knowing the final outcome didn't hurt the book's readability. Ted is a nice guy, one of life's winners, which makes him an unlikely and compelling victim. Danny ended up more likable than I expected -- I believe he really did love Generosa and was used and used up by her. She gets the most attention but she's the story's weakest link. She's SOOO crazy she's almost impossible to relate to, and while better-than-average looking, she certainly wasn't gorgeous. Nor especially talented. Why were people drawn to her? Why did they put up with her garbage? This bothered me as I read. Also, Ted had a third child -- a baby boy that he apparently acknowledged. I wish Crowley had told us more about all three of Ted Ammon's children after his murder.
   
   So while it's not terrific "true crime," it's still a worthwhile read.

No comments about Nuestro hombre en la DEA/ Our Man in the DEA.

5 comments about Monkey on a Stick.

1. The amazing thing is it's all true and more anyone interested in this book should also read the "The Guru Business", available online . The author was murdered by a Hare Krishna member the day of it's release in L.A. . I was a former H.K. recruiter and was in a meeting in Boston the day Monkey on a Stick came out.
   H.K. leaders were freaking out that their dirty laundry was out for the world to see. Many H.K.s laughed and said if they only
   knew half of it.Later in the 90's it was blown wide open that many kids in the movement were molested.HK kids sued the movement
   for 40 Mil. More abuses are being perpetrated in the former USSR
   and in India. Children are still being sent to India into the dens of molesters to HK boarding school. Check out VNN.Org and Chakra.org for more HK Weirdness.



2. ISKCON is not a cult. it's sad that the organisation is continuously getting beat up for the mistakes of a few. people have it in for Hare Krishna's. There are so many positive things that go on. it is a branch of hinduism. Hare Krishna's are vaishnava hindus. This story is written by someone who is on the outside. every religion has its problems. This story takes a leader who went a little crazy with power. Drug smuggling, molestation etc. did occur and cannot be denied. however this book capitalises on a scandal in a religious sect. Read the story for some sort of twisted enjoyment but it has no real insight and gives a group who is trying its best to overcome the mistakes of a few in order to lead good religious lives a bad name.



3. Monkey on a Stick is a chilling account of the misuse of spiritual authority and charisma by Kirtananda Swami the head of New Vrindabin, a leading disciple of the founder of the Hare Krishna movement. What was most interesting was the "fall downs" of so many devotees - alcohol, sex, not following the regulative principles and having no appreciation of the spiritual qualities that Srila Prabhupada the founder of the Hare Krishna movement in the west expected them to maintain. Much has been revealed since this book - allegations of pedophilia, the jailing of Kirtananda and the excommunication and rehabilitation of New Vrindabin in ISKCON. It is a salutary lesson of the need for devotees to be honest, to take responsibility for themselves and of their community and this is a book for all Hare Krishnas to read and meditate on. Dhirasanta das



4. As former member of ISKCON (12 years - 7 in New Vrindaban), this book was a disturbing catch up on things. I give them a lot of credit for getting names and details right but the writers TOTALLY missed the language and style of the movement. It is an outsider's take but I'm amazed they were able to unearth so much dirt from such an opaque community. Just sayin' ... I could do better ... but don't hold your breath.



5. Monkey On a Stick is a bizarre story of how "...people who had set out to make peace and love ended up molesting children, running drugs, and committing murder" (page 392). It's a fascinating and bizarre true story that will keep any true-crime fan up late turning the pages.
   
   One of the best things about Monkey On a Stick is that it is an "action" book. By that, I mean that there are plenty of bizarre happenings to keep you interested throughout the book. The authors, Hubner and Gruson, are good at pacing; though they recount the history of the Hare Krishnas, they do so in such a way that you never bog down.
   
   Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the book is the degree to which the Krishnas became involved in crime. You will be amazed that they constantly ran scams in order to raise money. As time passes, the movement's gurus became greedier and more arrogant; somewhat unbelievably, the movement slid into committing murders, dealing drugs, and molesting children - all with the knowledge of (some) of its leaders.
   
   Though I greatly enjoyed Monkey On a Stick, the book has a few limitations.
   
   Though the book is always readable, the narrative is a bit choppy. The authors choose to start with a long section on the Krishna's criminal activities in West Virginia during the 1980s. Then, they go back in time for a long section on the history of the Krishna movement. At the end, they return to West Virginia. Some readers will find the sequencing of Monkey On a Stick to be cumbersome.
   
   I would also add that Monkey On a Stick is, first and foremost, a crime book. The authors do not spend much time on the positive sides of the faith. The book is very negative about the entire movement and you will come away with little sense of why someone might join the Krishnas.
   
   On the whole, however, I recommend Monkey On a Stick to anyone who wants to read a true-crime page turner.

3 comments about This Here's a Stick-Up: The Big Bad Book of American Bank Robbery.

1. In THIS HERE'S A STICK-UP, Duane Swierczynski, a senior editor at Philadelphia Magazine, has compiled more than 200 years worth of crafty, quirky and bungling efforts to make surprise withdrawals from U.S. financial institutions. He identifies the nation's first bank robber as Isaac Davis, who in 1798 filched $162,821 from the Bank of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, with some help from the repository's porter. Then he goes on, in spirited anecdotal fashion, to remark on many of the usual suspects -- Butch Cassidy, Jesse James, John Dillinger and Patty Hearst are all represented in these pages -- as well as myriad forgotten felons, such as Paddy Mitchell, whose "Stopwatch Gang" became known between 1974 and 1994 for quick heists, never firing a shot in the execution of their business and wearing masks of ex-presidents to conceal their identities.

   In addition to the plunderer profiles, THIS HERE'S A STICK-UP looks at theft techniques (lone-wolf-style robberies versus takeover-style invasions), the success of the Pinkerton Agency and later the FBI in apprehending these thieves, and the cities most susceptible to bank jobs ("L.A. is the bank robbery capital of the world, and has been since 1978"). A chapter titled "Reservoir Dorks" will have you howling over world-class foul-ups by looters who just couldn't catch a break. (Don't miss the account of a Brooklyn robber who, during his escape from a hold-up, was mugged and lost his whole paper sack full of cash.) Swierczynski even includes a clever "stick-tionary" at the end, where you can pick up a mouthful of crook-speak. This here's a book for folks who prefer to take their history with a grain of assault. -- From January Magazine, June 2002




2. Author Swierczynski has crafted an entertaining, light-hearted, and trivia-filled glimpse into the great American pasttime of bank robbery, complete with how-to (and how-not-to!) tips from the pros. It's packed with historical chapters on all the noted practitioners of the trade and, while there are a number of historical errors crammed from unreliable sources like Nash's Bloodletters and Badmen, it's still packed with good information presented in a devilishly tongue-in-cheek format.



3. This book was purchased and read by me several years ago and at the time I wasn't too impressed with it. However, now that I have read it again, I found it to be somewhat appealing. It's a light-hearted book with fun filled chapters on bank robbers of the past and even how-to and not-to tips. However there are a lot of errors in the book, which tends to distract some readers, but others will like it's format and the authors style. For this, I have given it a "three star" rating. Read it at your own risk, for entertainment or historical value!
   
   Mike Koch, Author of "The Kimes Gang."

5 comments about Blind Passion: A True Story of Seduction, Obsession, and Murder (St. Martin's True Crime Library).

1. You will not be able to put this book down. Blind Passion is the perfect title for the life of Julie Scully, a half Native American incredibly sexy woman, who was many things in life. First she was a daughter. She grew up very fast, and matured quickly into a woman, starting at age 11. She first then began to realize the power that her natural good loooks, and flirtacious personality had upon men. It was also then that she discovered alcohol. Then she was a mother. She was the consumate "Party-Girl", who never made curfew, always drank too much, and was never without the good times, or the many boyfriends. Julie loved a good party, as much as she loved good looking guys, and pretty soon, she found herself young, still beautiful and a little pregnant. She married way too young, and divorced quickly. Then she became a fashion model. She posed for very sexy pictures for a local newspaper, and became a bit of a local celebrity. Her contacts led her to meeting her second husband, a stable entrepeneur, and soon she was married yet again, getting rich fast, and becoming bored with her gorgeous child,lavish lifestyle, and her millionaire husband. It seems that Julie was not happy, unless she was partying, and her complacent hubby did not seem to mind her still being a flirt, and continuing to hit the club scene after the vows were exchanged. Julie Scully seemed to have it all. But she was still unhappy, as the passion seemed to subside with her husband. So on a cruise that was meant to bring a little spark back into their troubled marriage, Julie instead flirts with a deckhand aboard the ship. 24 year old George Skidapoulous, a skinny, particularly bland looking balding young man was the object of her lust?!..After the cruise was over, Julie managed to give her phone number to the little Greek man, and he called her home!? and Tim Scully even found a picture of Skidapoulous, barechested, in Julie's possession, and does nothing!!! (I'm sorry, at that point, as Julie's husband, I would have told "loverboy" not to ever call back if he valued his job on the cruise ship, and torn up the picture. AND, I would have given Julie the divorce she so craved, unless she decided to start acting like a married 32 yr old woman, instead of a lovestruck teenager.) But Tim does nothing, not even when Julie wants to go on the exact cruise 3 weeks later. He begins to see the light, when Julie "innocently" wants to go to the ship's disco with her "freind" George, and a couple of other girls. It goes strictly downhill from there, as the ridiculous looking George is only to happy to be the object of desire to this stunning American woman. The sex is passionate, and seems to revitalize the constantly depressed Julie, and she goes through with the divorce, and makes plans to move to Greece!? She soon finds out why America is so beautiful, how much she really loves her too often neglected daughter, and how much she had it made with her loving millionaire husband. It slowly, and then all too sudden hits her, that she had it all, and lost it to move to a strange country where she knew no one, nor the language, and to be with a stupid looking, dirt poor [guy], whom she incredibly had to buy a hair transplant for! The story turns into a bloody tragedy, in which there was no bright side, only ugly darkness. Any couple out there, who is having marital problems should read this, as it exposes the danger of flirting with others inside a relationship, and shows that sometimes stability should be chosen over life in the fast lane. I'm sure if Julie had it all to do over again, she would have never taken that damn cruise, been a good wife to Tim, and chosen stability.



2. You will not be able to put this book down. Blind Passion is the perfect title for the life of Julie Scully, a half Native American incredibly sexy woman, who was many things in life. First she was a daughter. She grew up very fast, and matured quickly into a woman, starting at age 11. She first then began to realize the power that her natural good loooks, and flirtacious personality had upon men. It was also then that she discovered alcohol. Then she was a mother. She was the consumate "Party-Girl", who never made curfew, always drank too much, and was never without the good times, or the many boyfriends. Julie loved a good party, as much as she loved good looking guys, and pretty soon, she found herself young, still beautiful and a little pregnant. She married way too young, and divorced quickly. Then she became a fashion model. She posed for very sexy pictures for a local newspaper, and became a bit of a local celebrity. Her contacts led her to meeting her second husband, a stable entrepeneur, and soon she was married yet again, getting rich fast, and becoming bored with her gorgeous child,lavish lifestyle, and her millionaire husband. It seems that Julie was not happy, unless she was partying, and her complacent hubby did not seem to mind her still being a flirt, and continuing to hit the club scene after the vows were exchanged. Julie Scully seemed to have it all. But she was still unhappy, as the passion seemed to subside with her husband. So on a cruise that was meant to bring a little spark back into their troubled marriage, Julie instead flirts with a deckhand aboard the ship. 24 year old George Skidapoulous, a skinny, particularly bland looking balding young man was the object of her lust?!..After the cruise was over, Julie managed to give her phone number to the little Greek man, and he called her home!? and Tim Scully even found a picture of Skidapoulous, barechested, in Julie's possession, and does nothing!!! (I'm sorry, at that point, as Julie's husband, I would have told "loverboy" not to ever call back if he valued his job on the cruise ship, and torn up the picture. AND, I would have given Julie the divorce she so craved, unless she decided to start acting like a married 32 yr old woman, instead of a lovestruck teenager.) But Tim does nothing, not even when Julie wants to go on the exact cruise 3 weeks later...The story turns into a bloody tragedy, in which there was no bright side, only ugly darkness. Any couple out there, who is having marital problems should read this, as it exposes the danger of flirting with others inside a relationship, and shows that sometimes stability should be chosen over life in the fast lane. I'm sure if Julie had it all to do over again, she would have never taken that damn cruise, been a good wife to Tim, and chosen stability.



3. Good book...but it would've been alot better if John Glatt also focused on the troubled life of Skiadopoulos, prior to his relationship with Julie.

   As for the curent status of Skiadopoulos, last year his life sentence was dropped to 23 years. And could be eligable for parole in only 7 years! Could you believe that?




4. This book was excellent reading. Had a hard time putting it down!



5. I really like John Glatt . This book is a great read and a fast red.
   
   I cannot believe tis women left her husband and child for this man!!!

2 comments about Right to Counsel: A Lawyer's Struggle to Defend a Serial Killer.

1. I loved this book. In his easy-to-read style, Mr. Potts brings to focus one of the most perplexing questions people have with today's attorneys: How can a lawyer's conscious allow him or her to defend a known and confessed murderer? Potts discovers evidence that could put a deranged psychopath back on the streets certainly to repeat his heinous crime, and Potts asks himself what he should do with this evidence?
   
   In this book, Potts takes you through his full range of inner conflict. He discusses his upbringing in a wholesome family and his crowing achievement of reaching Eagle Scout as a tribute to his strong morals and dedication to always do what's right. He discusses his struggle with his own conscious, himself having a younger sister who was the victim of rape.
   
   He discusses his struggle with his pregnant wife who could not fathom how he could possibly consider defending a man he knew had kidnapped, raped, sodomized and murdered several little girls, as they prepared to bring into the world a child. And he discusses how he found the strength to face his own ethics and overlay it against the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of rights afforded to any person who is brought before a court of law.
   
   Mr. Potts provides insight into a lawyer's conscience like no other book I have read. This book is an eye-opening piece of work.



2. Right to Counsel should not only be read by every trial lawyer, it should also be required reading for every law student. Why? Mr. Potts tells a true, personal story of conscience that could happen to any lawyer who may find themselves defending a criminal they know is guilty, yet they find a technicality that could set him free to commit more crimes. Any lawyers who read this book should identify with Mr. Potts and ask themselves, "What would I do in that situation?" I am not a lawyer and I found myself asking that question.
   
   In this case, the criminal is a serial killer who preyed upon several young women. Mr. Potts went through some deep soul searching in deciding whether to help this killer or let the courts put him on death row where he belongs. Should he give in to his wife's objections or should he do the job he was hired to do?
   
   Although I suggested lawyers read this book, I should point out it doesn't contain a lot of legalese. It was written in a style that anyone could understand. I found the book to be an easy read.

4 comments about Naked Quaker: True Crimes and Controversies from the Courts of Colonial New England.

1. Who'd imagine that a little book about court cases in seventeenth century New England could be so completely enchanting? Yes, this little volume is the product of historical research. Diane Rapaport, a trial lawyer-turned-storyteller, combed through paper archives, microfilm, and other archival sources to collect these real-life tales. Her magic touch turns them into a quirky, irresistible read.
   
   Rapaport's twenty-five tales are grouped by subject, and you won't know which chapter to turn to first, since part of the fun is in her titles. Chapter 1, Witches and Wild Women, gives us "The Witch at the Top of the Stairs" -- a bad-neighbor situation that blew out of proportion and ended up in court. Chapter 2, Coupling, includes "The Scottish Rogue" and "The Wandering Wife" -- two sleazy tales that would fit right into prime time if you put them in modern dress.
   
   Other stories you'll read with relish are "The Purloined Pigs" (in which the aptly named Michael Bacon lets his hogs run wild); "To Drive Away Melancholy" (a young couple fall afoul of the law by hosting sinful card games in their remote cabin); and "Drinking With The Drummer" (the town drummer tops up his four-pound salary with bootlegging).
   
   The title story, "The Naked Quaker," leads with the details of Lydia Wardell's 1663 protest in Newbury, Massachusetts. Lydia and the rest of the Massachusetts Quakers were persecuted and penalized, and sometimes banished or even executed. Attendance at the Puritan Sabbath services was mandatory, and Lydia chose to protest by taking off her clothes. This form of protest, according to the author, was "popular among dissenting Quakers ... in 1650's England, as a way to symbolize the spiritual nakedness of their persecutors." Lydia "was ordered to be severely whipped" and soon after this punishment she and her husband relocated to the more tolerant New Jersey wilderness.
   
   For all its entertainment value, this book is a serious piece of historical research that provides a wealth of insight into the past. It's our good luck that Diane Rapaport has the talent to create such a readable little book out of it all. Highly recommended!



2. Whoever still thinks history is boring probably hasn't been paying attention - and certainly hasn't read Diane Rapaport's The Naked Quaker: True Crimes and Controversies from the Courts of Colonial New England (Commonwealth Editions).
   Since human history is largely a by-product of human nature, court dockets are bound to be filled with intriguing goings-on in any era.
   
   In this collection we encounter community leaders like Thomas Danforth dealing with neighborhood squabbles (that could escalate to witchcraft charges); neighbors from Hell (like Bacon the pig thief); and humble folk who might otherwise never have been recorded at all (like enslaved Sylvanus Warro fighting for his freedom).
   
   Endnotes provide the scholarly basis for the tales which cast an uncommon light on a frequently stereotyped part of our nation's past. The stories themselves provide a darned good read.
   
   Marilynne K. Roach author of The Salem Witch Trials: a Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege
   The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege



3. Collections strong in regional American history - particularly New England regional history - will want to add THE NAKED QUAKER: TRUE CRIMES AND CONTROVERSIES FROM THE COURTS OF COLONIAL NEW ENGLAND to the collection. It comes from a historian and former trial lawyer who uses court records to provide over twenty true stories previously published in his column for New England Ancestors journal. A wider audience can now appreciate these lively vignettes of early crime.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



4. I found most of the stories in this collection interesting and, at times, amusing. However, the typeface is difficult to read. I finally gave up about two thirds of the way through just because it was such a hassle. If you have exceptional eyesight and an interest in quirky historical legal stories, it's worth a read.

1 comments about Scarlet Tunic.

1. This is an excellent book, inspiring for police officers and civilians alike, this is what the true spirit of police work is all about. Life's lessons well learned and the experience of a police dog handler in his search for a missing little boy. The ending is a happy one, and the experience along the way is truly inspirational to anyone who reads it. Very well written.

5 comments about Confessions of a Second Story Man: Junior Kripplebauer and the K & A Gang.

1. I grew up in Kensington and know several of the people referenced in the book. Therefore; the book probably had more impact on me than it would on others, but it is an interesting book much in the same vain as the movie Good Fellows. If you like stories about wise guys and crooks it is a great read



2. Excellent book!!!! My father was "Raybo". He would have really enjoyed reading this book. Just as your dad had changed, mine did too. The stories from back then were fun to listen to over the years, but it was his past. I remeber him telling me his stories, and the funny comments he would say. I always wondered if he just added that stuff to make the story amusing, but when the author talks about when my dad got shot in the leg and he told the bartender to leave his drink he'd be back by last call I couldn't help but laugh. He REALLY was like that! He was always a funny guy:-)
   
   I thought I was gonna die when I saw my fathers picture in this book as I stood in Barnes and Noble. I couldn't believe it!!!!!
   
   P.S. EVERYTHING they did was against the law.....DUH



3. This is a very accurate book. I knew most of the people in this book because I grew up with them. Some were my friends.Many years later, as a detective at East Detectives , in Philadelphia, I saw them frequently.
   As luck would have it, they were under arrest at those times. I was probably most friendly with Donnie Abrahms, known as "Don the Dude".
   I was sorry to see he was still in the old neighborhood. At least he isn't in prison or dead as most of the old crowd is. This was very nostalgic reading for me.



4. This is a facinating book about what was essentially Philadelphia's Irish Mob. A tough as nails group of burglers, and stick up men, who were not only exceedingly clever, but could fight and kill with the best of them as well. Even the Philly Mob (The Bruno/Scarfo/Merlino Family) and the Philly Black Muslim Mob, were wary of crossing into these guys territory or messing with them in or out of prison.
   
   This book shows their transformation from first class burglars in the 50's, 60's and mid 70's to a powerfull organized crime group in the 80's and 90's, who ran a multimillion dollar "meth" ring, and did contract murder for the Italians. Like the Westies in NY and the Winter Hill Mob in Boston, the K&A boys were the last of the old time Irish mob, who ruled their territory with utter ruthlessness and cunning.



5. I grew up in Kensington and personally knew some of the subjects in this book. As such, it's a great personal interest read. Finished it in basically two days. Was pretty much fascinated how so many people put together their street smarts to rob and steal from the wealthy. That's the way it was in the neighborhood, lots of common sense, street smarts, put it to use. These guys did. But eventually law enforcement and technology caught up with them. But I'm sure most of them would say it was a great ride.
   Lee

1 comments about The Hoffa Wars: The Rise and Fall of Jimmy Hoffa.

1. The Introduction for "The Hoffa Wars" was Jonathan Kwitney's memory of a search for Jimmy Hoffa at a remote lodge that Hoffa owned a part of. This occured two days after the disappearance and the author participated in the search in Eagle River,WI. It was an entertaining Intro.
   
   Dan Moldea's book was first published in 1978 amid harsh criticism for his suggestion that the trio of Santos Trafficante,Carlos Marcello,and Jimmy Hoffa were responsible for the JFK assassination. In the years since then, that theory has become arguably the most popularly held theory.
   
   The main topic of "The Hoffa Wars" is Jimmy Hoffa himself and the history of the Teamsters Union. A lot of corruption is detailed and Mr. Moldea makes it clear that he is no fan of Hoffa.
   
   This book covers a lot of territory; from Hoffa's early years with the local union to his eventual disappearance.
   The violence among rivals and the circumstances leading to mafia control of some unions is highlighted.
   
   The Nixon bribes, mafia connections, shakedowns during union "organizing" are all discussed in this book.
   
   After reading many books about the JFK assassination, This book is impressive and the author has really done his research.
   
   As far as Jimmy Hoffa's disappearance is concerned....the information that Mr. Moldea provides in this book was confirmed by Frank Sheeran in the book "I Heard You Paint Houses."
   
   The only caveat with this edition is the very small print.
   Despite the volume of the book, it's an easy read with no fluff. I recommend "The Hoffa Wars".