Rating: 
Summary: I thought I was reading fiction.
Review: I'm not the fastest reader in the world, but I flew through"Underboss". What an amazing account of life in Cosa Nostra. Youkeep asking yourself, "Is this real? How can a man do all of this, and feel no remorse?" After reading this I kind of feel sorry for where he is at today.
Rating: 
Summary: Slow Beginning,but boy does this book GO!
Review: Off to a slow, slow start, typical of the Valachi Papers, but gets better with every page. Rated an "8" because those without an intense interest in the subject will find the beginning so dry, they won't get past it or simply skip it.
I would recommend this book for people with an interest in La Cosa Nostra, especially the John Gotti/Sammy "The Bull" conflict. The Amazon price was FANTASTIC!!
Rating:
Summary: Most tantalizing mafia book ever written.
Review: The true, but depressing life of a real world wise guy. This book points out that there are no winners in a life of crime. Gravano holds nothing back when telling his life story as one of the most prominent modern day mobsters. You will not be able to put this book down. It is so well written that you will feel like you are watching a motion picture. Peter Maas has a special way of keeping you at the edge of the story at all times. You will learn that being a mobster is not something these wiseguys would do over again given the choice. The book has a real way of putting you at the seen of the crime.
Rating:
Summary: This is an amazing and unique book.
Review: The ages-old parable is about one man choosing to do a 180-degree turnaround. From bad to good, from lies to truth, he makes this choice, knowing all along that it will leave him totally ostracized and the majority of the world will consider him a "rat". Only in a Henry Fonda movie, like the "Oxbow Incident", right? No. It finally happened in real life to a real living guy: Sam Gravano.
This is an amazing and unique book. Simply put, its a man honestly telling us about: the choices he made, the consequences, that he takes responsibility, and why he now knows he will have to live with it for the rest of his life.
Mr. Maas has written a book that contains so much data and information of people and events, yet it is so clearly written, that you can visualize the story as it unfolds. So compelling, that once you begin reading this book you will not be able to do anything else, including sleep! It is a unique book because Mr. Gravano just states the facts of his life as he experienced it. He may not sound like a Harvard M.B.A., but I found the man to be extremely intelligent. He is not sugary sweet, sappy, or patronizing to the reader. So when Mr. Gravano relays a few memories of his wife and children, I found them to be all the more sweet and touching.
If you are looking for those autobiographies of individuals who do something wrong in the eyes of the world, and then they blame it on some ailment, illness, their parents, or whatever, then this book is not for you. But if you are interested in a man's story, presented in such a direct and responsible way, with no excuses, then this is a must read.
To be totally judgemental: If the very last line in this book doesn't deeply affect you, then there is something very wrong with you, and you might as well join up with all those uneducated, loud-mouthed, media-grabbing, groupies of the other guy (whose only accomplishment in life is that he can say to "his public" that his new life in Marion, Illinois doesn't bother him in the least.)
I'm really pulling for Mr. Gravano!
Rating:
Summary: Mr. Gravano's honesty is refreshing.
Review: Quite simply, I could not put the book down. I wasn't sure what to expect, but as I read I became more and more fasinated with Mr. Gravano's story. You can't help but appreciate Mr. Gravano's honesty in telling his story. He doesn't try to make excuses for what he did. But you get the impression that the oath he took meant alot to him and he took it seriously. Mr. Maas's narration was done very well adding background information to Mr. Gravano's story. Great, great book
Rating:
Summary: Insightful, Facinating...
Review: An excellent character study... At times, harsh, violent, gritty and frightening, and yet somehow at times tender... How can a person do the things Mr. Gravano has done? Loyalty, ambition, restlessness... A man with a job to do, and he did it well... The most interesting aspect is that when he was doing all of these things he was generally seen as a "hero" by both the public and the media! Then when he did the "right" thing by siding with the government, helping to put a stop to some of the injustices being perpetrated, he was labeled a "rat" a "fink" and generally abused by the media and the public... Clearly stating one fact, The American public loves gangsters more than "decent" citizens! The romance of "The Mob" is merely a front, and Mr. Gravano and Mr. Maas, take us inside... Highly recommended reading! Be prepared to have trouble putting this book down
Rating:
Summary: Interesting read but how much is really true.
Review: I enjoyed reading this but everything "Sammy the Bull" says is said in a way to either boost his ego or make himself look great. He was greedy and selfish and a cold blooded killer. He killed his brother-in-law ferchrissakes! All the family had left to bury was a hand. He kept killing off more and more and taking over their business ventures. He really got off easy in the end but then F'd it all up in an Arizona drug ring.
Rating:
Summary: Actually A Great Read!!
Review: I really think this book was great. It was true first of all, and it was really very good. Sammy has a detailed life to tell. He was a good guy, believe it or not. Yes, he did what he did, but inside there was something more to him. There still is I believe. The mistake he made, was getting involved with the mob. Well, we already know that, but if he hadn't I think Sammy could have done great things. He has a heart. He knows when something is not fair, and unjust. He took his oath in Cosa Nostra, and truly was dedicated to it. He believed what he said while taking it. He promised something and stood by it. It may seem very strange to us, but although it was the wrong thing to do, he did, but he gave his word, and never waivered from it. While others in the mob were two faced and totally went back on their oath. Sammy was very good in business. Too bad he couldn't have done it on the other side of the law. He was really good at it and would have made tons of money anyway, I think. I am rooting for him even now. There is something inside him that shows through differenly from the other mob guys stories. I hope he makes out alright. I give him a lot of credit for what he did. I wouldn't have been able to be as brave as he was back in NYC court against John Gotti. He's okay by me.
Rating:
Summary: Meet Sammy the Bull
Review: I must confess I'm a mafia fanatic! I love books & movies about the mob, & this is one of the most fast-paced books on the subject I've read. It's amazing how many close calls Sammy Gravano had but after all, that's the life he chose! My only complaint with this book is that I wish it had included more about Sammy testifying against Gotti & others in court. I guess that's something he'd like to forget, but I think it's what makes Gravano so interesting. This book is highly recommended, & after reading it you might wanna see "Witness to the Mob", a pretty good tv movie about Sammy Gravano & John Gotti.
Rating:
Summary: Not a Goodfella!
Review: This was book that Peter Maas did a good job of keeping Gravano's words in tact. However, Gravano seems to ramble on at times that somewhat loses the reader. On the other hand there are parts that are very exciting and keeps the reader on edge. A little bit too much filler between the Mafia life.
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