5 comments about Everybody Pays.

1. On September 27, 1972, Billy Logan was murdered on his front lawn. Neighbor Bobby Lowe was an eye-to-eye witness. Hit man Harry Aleman had left his car to check on the victim when Bobby's dog leapt in front of him. For a few seconds, the two men stared at one another, Bobby in shock, and then Harry broke the spell and returned to his car, which then sped away. And Bobby's life changed forever.

   Though Bobby told the police he had been an eye witness (much to his family's dismay) and had identified Harry's picture in a mug book, nothing happened. It was buried. Harry Aleman was well connected with the local mob and a nephew to one of its kingpins. Authorities estimated Harry had killed over 20 people. Four years later the case was reopened, and this is when Bobby's personal hell began. Before the trial (estimated to be a slam dunk), Bobby, his wife and three children were placed in one seedy motel after another. They had to give up their jobs, the children changed schools on a weekly basis, and they lived off fast food. The trial was a farce, Aleman was found not guilty and the Lowes entered the Witness Protection Program without adequate identification to secure a decent job. Bobby spiraled down and lost his job, his family and self-respect. Finally, he got his life back together, discarded his false identity, and regained his family. In 1997, the case was reopened again, 25 years after the crime. Bobby had no choice but to testify again.

   Possley and Kogan do a masterful job in presenting this complex case without wasting a word. Bobby's character is done so well, you feel like you have known him all your life. The research and documentation are meticulous. The only mystery that remains is Harry. He was an excellent husband and adoring father that just happened to be a cold-blooded killer. I would buy another book explaining to me what made Harry tick.

   Sadly, the message I received was to never, ever admit to being a witness to a mob killing. The Witness Protection program, which is devastating and mind shattering even if it worked perfectly, was a farce for the Lowe family. "Everybody Pays" is true crime and investigative journalism at its finest.
   -sweetmolly-Amazon Reviewer




2. This is a true story of a hit man literally getting away with murder in 1970s Chicago because of a pyramid of power and payoffs, only to have the story come full circle more than twenty five years later and have justice prevail in the end. The hit man, neighborhood wiseguy Harry Aleman, thought that he had gotten away with murder. After all, he had been tried and acquitted, and one can't be tried for the same twice on the theory that double jeopardy would bar such a second bite of the apple. Or would it? Well, more than a quarter of a century later, the Department of Justice thought otherwise. After all, how much jeopardy could Harry Aleman have actually have been in, if the fix were in?

   This is a well researched, well-written, compelling chronicle of a case that would would have great impact on an eyewitness to a murder. It also a fascinating narrative on the influence that the mob once wielded over the criminal justice system in Chicago. It is a fascinating birdseye view into a criminal justice system so rife with corruption, it will keep the reader riveted to its pages. It is also the story of one man who tried to be a stand up guy and do the right thing under this corrupt system and found himself the one paying the price for its shortcomings.

   Bob Lowe, a working class stiff who worked at a gas station, had the misfortune to stumble into the murder of Billy Logan, a neighborhood acquaintance, one night. In the mean streets of Chicago's West Side, Bob saw Harry Aleman blow Billy away with a sawed-off shotgun. In that one brief moment, simply by being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Bob's life and that of his immediate family would change forever. From that moment on, it would be Bob, and not Harry, who would be on the run.

   Placed with his family in a witness protection program that was ineffectual and problematic, characterized in a negative way by the corrupt judge who presided over the trial, and seeing a murderer vindicated at his expense, Bob Lowe saw his life, as he knew it, simply ebb away. He became awash in a haze of booze and drugs, doing some crime and doing some time. His life was a continual lost weekend, until he was finally able to pull himself out of the personal morass into which he had descended. Over a quarter of a century later, he would find himself finally vindicated at Harry Aleman's second trial for the murder of Billy Logan, as Harry Aleman would finally get the verdict he should have gotten over a quarter of a century earlier. The wheels of justice did, indeed, grind slowly.




3. "Everybody Pays" is the tale of two families. One is that of Harry Aleman, a heavy hitter in the Chicago mob. Here in New York City, he'd be called a "capo". The other family is that of one Bob Lowe. The fates of the two families intersected one night in the Fall of 1972 when Bob was an eyewitness to a rubout in his neighborhood. Harry was the hitman. Against his family's judgement, Bob agreed to testify at trial The story that follows is a sad one: Prosecutors are not completely straight with Bob. His family's life in a witness protection program was a disaster. It was painful just reading about it. One can imagine the daily struggle of living through it. The trial of Aleman is a second disaster. He was acquitted in a juryless trial. The judge had been bribed! Therein lies the best part of EP. The sheer cynical nature of the Chicago "justice system" is laid bare with crooked cops, jaded State's Attorneys, judges bought and sold, with shadowy "operators" greasing palms. There was a second arrest of Aleman and yet a new trial. This reviewer will end at this point in the interest of not divulging the ending. The opinion here is that EP will be better received by Midwestern readers. Eastern folks have their own criminals. And while the authors have done first rate research in composing EP, this reviewer was left with a deflated feeling at the conclusion. Others may disagree. Midwest folks and especially those in Chicagoland can safely skip over this review, adding 2 stars to the rating above. They will best appreciate the local "flavor". The rest of the world of amazon is cautioned! An interesting closing note: EP has NO(!)centerfold photos. This reviewer usually advises skipping over them since they frequently divulge endings. It is just as well. Readers will quickly realize that Mr. Lowe will not want his picture displayed anywhere, much less in a popular true crime story.



4. This book fascinated me and chilled me to the bone at the same time. I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this eye opening and inspiring true story.



5. A wonderfully insightful crime story that examines the realities of the mob during the height of their Chicago power, and the lives of the people they touched. The characters are realistic and the plot is suspenseful, so one might be tempted to read this book simply for fun. That is certainly possible, but it is also possible to read it at a deeper level, considering the moral issues that plague us all. How much are we willing to sacrifice for what is right?

1 comments about April 16th: Virginia Tech Remembers.

1. I am a Virginia Tech alumnus and I just finished this book. It amazes me that in spite of all the tragedy, the Tech community showed its strength in numbers and will overcome this in time.
   
   Let's Go Hokies!!!

1 comments about The Victim's Song.

1. In this chilling account of the murder of her son and subsequent trial of the cold blooded killers who took him from her, Alice Kaminsky makes the strongest argument I have seen in favor of capital punishment. If you have ever felt that executing murderers was somehow immoral, you must read this book. As you progress through this sad, sad all-too-real life tale, you will feel a mother's pain and likely lose whatever small sympathy you might have felt for the killers. I read this book years ago, and have recommended it often. Nobody I know of has been disappointed.

1 comments about Death in the Everglades: The Murder of Guy Bradley, America's First Martyr to Environmentalism (Florida History and Culture).

1. I have read Fort Lauderdale and Broward County, An Illustrated History by Mr. McIver and thought that was a great book. But his newest one is even better! It is a fascinating story not only about the struggle between Walter Smith and Guy Bradley, but also about the plume trade and its major players, the Audubon Society's foundations, important people in South Florida's history who had their hands in the plume trade, and just interesting stories about "the way things were" in the late 1800s early 1900s.

   He interviewed several significant historical people and their descendents, mostly in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when he originally attempted to write this book. 25 years later, he has created a masterpiece. He has obtained an amazing amount of research information, and the reader will be very happy he spent time to read it.

5 comments about Innocent Victims (Onyx True Crime, Je 357).

1. Fort Bragg, NC. An innocent man is sent to prison for the murders of a young wife and her two little daughters.. No, it's not the McDonald case of 1970, it's the 1985 case of Katie, Kara and Erin Eastburn, murdered savagely in their own home. This time its not the husband, Captain Gary Eastburn who is found guilty, but another soldier on the base, Tim Hennis. The only evidence pointing to him is the so-called eyewitness Patrick Cone, who comes across as mentally retarded or at least, stupid and inept. There is no physical evidence linking Hennis to the crime, he did adopt a pet dog from the family shortly before the murders. The Eastburns'15-year-old babysitter reportedly had an obsession with Dr. Jeffrey McDonald and exchanged letters with him on a regular basis. She was a drug user and pretty weird, according to this book. But when one of the hired investigators, (who helped put McDonald away), tried to claim McDonald masterminded a plan to get the girl, Julie, to wipe out another family so he would be more likely to get parole flabbergasted me. That guy sounds like a real nut to me. I won't finish the story and ruin it for you, but its very good, and justice does prevail although there is no closure. Of several of the crime books I've read, "Hush, Little Babies", about Darlie Routier, the woman on death row for killing her two little sons, (Texas), "Fatal Vision", the McDonald case, (North Carolina), and this one, the only one I believe deserved to be found guilty and sent to prison was Susan Smith, "Sins of the Mother", and "Mother Love, Deadly Love".(South Carolina). I guess I wouldn't want to be in the South anywhere close to where there's a murder going on!



2. I thought innocent Victims was well written and could not put this one down. It did make me feel a bit nervous and jumpy espeically if your home alone. Twenty-one years ago, a wife and two children were killed in their Fayetteville home in front of the youngest child. But now, after two trials, a conviction and an acquittal, sources indicate that the case has been reopened. I am really intrested to see what the outcome will be this time around. I have always had so many unanswered questions about this case and Tim Hennis. I pray that justice will finally be served and these senseless horrible murders won't have to go unsolved any longer.



3. The book was good, however new DNA tests done over the summer of 2006 connect Hennis to the murders.
   The Army has charged Hennis and he is awaiting an Article 32 Hearing in April 2007 to see if the case can proceed to trial.
   An Article 32 hearing is the military version of a civilian Preliminary Hearing, in which a judge or panel will decide if there is enough evidence to go to trial.
   
   We shall see how this all unfolds soon.
   
   PS. THe military can charge and try someone who was aquitted in a civilian/state court, and it is not considered double jeopardy.



4. This book was excellent with a capital E. Everything about it was exactly how the movie was, and that's what I liked about it. Everything was the same nothing was changed. It was a sad book that depicts the way how sick people live in this world. This man Tim Hennis was sent to prison for a crime he didn't even commit, and whoever did it was never caught and only god knows when that person or persons will be punished for the muders of Kara, Erin and Katie Eastburn. I would recommend everyone who loves to read, to read this book it is worthwhile.



5. Scott Whisnant's book will stay with you long after you are finished reading it. The victims - Kathryn Eastburn and her daughters, Kara and Erin - and the terribly way they died will make you cry. A mind-boggling case of a guy "mistakenly" convicted and sent to Death Row for a crime he allegedly didn't commit. I read this book and was outraged at how Timothy Hennis was treated by the justice system. Afterward, I Googled his name to try and find more information (the book was written over a decade ago) and lo and behold, DNA evidence (techniques were not available at the time of the murders, 1985) links Hennis to the crime. I hope the military trial finally gives closure to the Eastburn family, who have suffered enough.

2 comments about Danger Road: A True Crime Story of Murder and Redemption.

1. One you start reading Danger Road, you won't be able to stop. This book chronicles a real life tragedy, the legal aftermath of the murder of three drug dealers. If you have ever wanted to know what the REAL legal justice system is all about, this book is for you. You don't need to be a legal expert to understand what is going on in the courtroom. The author was the defense attorney in this case who explains what is happening, why it is happening, and the real world impact these proceedings have on the people's lives who were affected in this case. What I found most intriguing was the way we get to know what the attorney was thinking as the trial evolved. This is a must read for anyone who wants to know the truth about the American criminal justice system. Turn off your cell phone; you won't be able to put this book down.



2. I'm not a big fan of defense lawyers but John Contini is an exception. His story is a story of his failings as much as the failings of the man he defended. Both are an excellent display of God's forgiveness and redemtion in the heart of man.

5 comments about TOUGH GUY.

1. this book has martin scorcesse written all over it. i know some readers have had a hard time believing some of the author's tales,but,man,I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN!!!!!!! probably one of my all time favorites



2. this is a great book and I reccomend it for anybody who wants to read a book of action and betrayel. Eddie Maloney accounts in detail of the actual events that happenned when he got betrayed by the FBI. Overall this is a great book full of action.



3. This is the best true crime story i'v ever read, i couldn't put the book down, i stayed up all night reading this book until i finished it. I've read the book twiced since then.



4. In my opinion this is the best true crime book i've ever read. For once a man like Eddie Maloney had the courage to expose the mob and the fbi for the treacherous people they truly are.
   Vito, Brooklyn, NY



5. As Eddie Maloney's best and most trusted friend for the last 14 years I am more qualified than anyone to say that Eddie may have been alot of things to alot of people but he was "no liar".
   I know William Hoffman too and I saw the thousand pages of material that Eddie wrote in preparation for the printing of the book. William Hoffman is a first rate writer but Eddie Maloney was also a very intelligent man and very loyal, no one does 23 years in the pen if they are a rat. Eddie did what he did for the reasons he stated! Eddie was the best and most loyal friend I've had in my life up until his death. I consider him my brother and could rely on him and he me as a brother!
   Eddie was a good man, he made mistakes but haven't we all!
   Rest in peace my dear friend and brother...
   Dave G.

1 comments about Society and Homicide in Thirteenth-Century England.

1. Good account. It provides a stepping stone for the understanding of homicide from an historical perspective.

5 comments about Until the Twelfth of Never: The Deadly Divorce of Dan & Betty Broderick.

1. I loved this book. Well-written and thoroughly researched this is a stay up all night reading book. It is still one of the classics of the genre for me.
   I was fascinated by the Broderick case and like many here disliked how Betty was portrayed as the "wronged woman" etc. Stumbo's book does portray Betty sympathetically but does not skew the facts. She shows Betty being nasty to her children, money-obsessed and, ultimately, cold blooded. For me, Stumbo portrayed a classic folie a deux - two people who should never have been married to each other trying endlessly to bend the other to their will.
   Dan did play mind games with Betty, but Betty gave as good as she got. The reviewer here who suggested that Betty may be have BPD raises an interesting idea and one that makes a great deal of sense to me. Betty's endless cries of victimization, her cruelties to her own children, etc. certainly fit the bill.
   The Broderick story is a tragedy with no heroes or heroines.
   With the talent clearly on display in this book, where is Bella Stumbo's next book?



2. This book is difficult to put down. It is very well-researched and detailed....you will almost feel what it was like to BE Betty Broderick going through infidelity, public shame and humiliation, while at the same time losing custody of her children and access to all the money she helped Dan earn. I wouldn't say this is a pro-Betty book but Stumbo, being the good reporter that she was, sets out to tell the story from both sides. Neither Dan, Linda or Betty will come out on top in this book, and that is what makes this story so fascinating.



3. I have read some of the reviews here and actually wonder if they read this book or are just commenting on the case in general. Stumbo does an excellent job of giving both sides of the story, whether Dan is still alive or not. Neither one is made out to be a Saint. Betty was raised to be a perfect wife and mother, with very little support or encouragement from her family that she could do anything else. To be dumped for a younger woman as your youth is slipping away could be devastating to ANY woman. Just as Dan and Betty had reached the pinnacle of their lives and should have been enjoying the fruits of all their labors, Dan changed partners. Betty definitely behaved in an obsessive and calculating manner, unable to "let go" and move on, even though she eventually found another partner. This was her downfall. On the other hand, Dan used his legal maneuvers to taunt Betty and to save himself some money, making it his (literally) fatal mistake. Stumbo pulls no punches; by the end of the book, one is left with a sad feeling for the children who have gone through hell and practically lost both parents, as well as Betty, who has pretty much drifted into a state of denial while trying to recreate a perfect world in prison. It will be interesting to see what happens when her parole comes due.
   
   Bella Stumbo has done an excellent job of researching the book as well as putting it together in a riveting tale.



4. I'm reading this book for the second time and really enjoying it. I think it's a very well-balanced account of the Broderick marriage, divorce and Betty's ultimate homicidal breakdown. Stumbo doesn't defend or excuse Betty's behavior, but she doesn't make Dan Broderick and Linda Kolkena-Broderick into martyrs either. There's plenty of blame to go around, and reading this book is like seeing a car crash in slow motion. It's too horrible to watch, but too compelling to look away.



5. As you may know, there are a plethora of books that claim to be about Betty Broderick and claim to tell "her story." However none of those books are very accurate and don't bother to tell Betty's story in the least. IMO "Until the Twelfth of Never" is certainly the very best book ever written about Betty.
   
   Bella Stumbo (the author with a somewhat unique name,) tells Betty's life story, leading up to her current situation (as of 1994.) She describes how Betty came from a large Italian-Catholic family and how Betty always preferred babysitting or doing chores for others because she sincerely cared about helping people. I especially enjoyed reading about Betty's earlier life because most of the other books that I've read usually gloss over this. Bella Stumba took the extra effort in this regard to tell this reader who Betty was.
   
   The book also details Betty's courtship with her future husband. The author stated that there were very few happy times for Betty as far as her husband was concerned because even from the very beginning of their relationship he was a user and a taker. But Betty never knew enough to know that she was in an abusive relationship so she married this man.
   
   I also especially enjoyed reading about how Betty supported her husband for many years while he completed his education. There were many hard times for Betty when she first married her husband because he was unable to support his family; both financially and emotionally. Ms. Stumbo included many interviews with the people who knew Betty the best and this all sounded so interesting; not at all tired or hackneyed.
   
   When Mrs. Broderick's husband finally got accepted into an impressive and important firm she finally thought that he would be the husband and father to her and her children, that he never was. As the writer explains, although now she had plenty of money in the bank (thanks to Mrs. Broderick supporting her hubby all those years so he could get his fancy education,) her husband seemed more distant than ever.
   
   Some of the accounts of physical, emotional and s*ual abuse are truly riveting. The writer explains that Betty was virtually r*ed every time her husband made love to her. He would get very drunk because that was the only time that he could be intimate and during this time he was very abusive towards his wife.
   
   For many years prior to Betty's divorce her husband cheated on her. And, as the book explains, many knew about this, but no one had the nerve to tell Betty; least of all her husband. When Betty finally confronted this cheat he did what all cheats do; he lied through his pearly white teeth.
   
   Over the course of 4 years, prior to her breakdown, Betty was the victim of severe emotional, psychological and physical abuse, by her husband and his little home-wrecker (that's actually a very nice word for what she really was.) These writings were among the saddest because it was beyond violent and beyond barbaric. I don't think anyone with even a modicum of compassion would condone this treatment on a dog, let alone an innocent human being with sentient emotions, like Betty.
   
   The book isn't perfect, though. I suppose to save themselves any trouble (in the form of any impeding lawsuits,) the publisher's legal department decided to include a more "equal" account of the events leading up to Betty's breakdown. Sadly, this was hardly equal though and some text came off as biased and unfair to Betty. But as I stated, I can partially understand why this was done.
   
   To some people Betty is a shero because even after all the abuse that she had to swallow and suffer through, she still survived and lived to tell her story. But, to others, Betty is considered a maniac. Many women's groups have vilified Betty and refused to support her cause (so much for women's lib in the 21th century!) They look at Betty and see that nut from those horrible TV movies with Meredith Baxter-Birney. That wasn't Betty though, in the least. Frankly, it's a sad state of affairs when we as a society consistently choose to denigrate and disrespect the hardest, most difficult and thankless job and IMHO the most significant life-choice in the entire history of humankind. Motherhood.

No comments about The List.