Rating: 
Summary: Carcaterra Hits a Homer!
Review: I just finished GANGSTER, and it was definitely a cannot-put-down book. I have read all of Carcaterra's books and found them well-written and riveting (particularly SLEEPERS). But I must confess, when I started GANGSTER, having read other reviews, I was expecting a so-so rehash of Puzo's GODFATHER. I was pleasantly surprised to find a book that was not only original, but one that was both entertaining and spine-chilling. I will admit that the ending was fairly predictable (in my opinion), but this did not detract from the book itself. The main character, Angelo Vestieri, was a gangster who was the ultimate in unpredictability. This left the ending open to any number of possibilities. It is obvious that Lorenzo Carcaterra knows the streets of Hell's Kitchen, as well as the people who rule there. It takes a writer of his caliber to create a story of this nature, in which the reader feels such a closeness to the "bad guys" as to engender feelings of loss when one of them is eliminated. I look forward to Carcaterra's next work. He just keeps getting better.
Rating:
Summary: GANGSTER -- "TO DIE FOR"
Review: I have already proclaimed myself to be a huge Carcaterra fan in previous Amazon reviews of his two other books, Sleepers and Apaches. I could not wait to get my hands on this one and, once again, was not disappointed by this "master of all storytelling." In an effort to be objective, I tried to imagine that it was written by someone else just to see if I would feel the same way about it. As hard as I tried, reminders of Carcaterra's writing style kept breaking through and those "comfort" recollections of things nostalgic to me came to the surface. I have yet to read one of his books where he doesn't mention The Yankees, St. Jude, The Count of Monte Cristo and playing stoopball. You've got to love this guy.In this book, Carcaterra brings us back, once again, to the streets of Manhattan -- although instead of hanging out in Hell's Kitchen of "Sleepers" fame, we are in the Chelsea section down on 28th Street and Broadway. The story begins with Paolini Vestieri fleeing his homeland of Italy so his soon to be born son won't be influenced by the arm of the MAFIA. Little does he know that this arm is longer than he thinks and it has already reached out to America. It will eventually grab his son Angelo who will end up becoming one of New York's biggest crime bosses. Lorenzo Carcaterra has a knack for introducing you and endearing you to his criminals when they are young boys. By the time they become grown men, you have so much empathy for them, having witnessed their growing up without mothers and most times without money, that you tend to look the other way when they're shooting people dead without a second glance. He also uses the REVENGE theme in each of his books and this one is no exception. When Angelo Vestieri is nine years old, he comes under the guiding hand of two very colorful crime lords, Angus McQueen and Ida The Goose, performing small jobs for them along with his friend Pudge. Together, he and Pudge form an alliance and their loyalty to each other will only be broken if one of them dies. Pudge is the shooter and Angelo is the conscience and the thinker. It isn't until the thing that Angelo holds most dear is taken away from him that he becomes the most ruthless gangster of them all. This is where REVENGE will be "sweet". The story is told through the eyes of a narrator, Gabe, who, as a young foster child, was taken under Angelo's and Pudge's wing to hopefully pick up where Angelo and Pudge will eventually leave off when they are too old to run the "family". Gabe is at Angelo's bedside as Angelo, now an old man, is finally succumbing to the ravages of the hard and sometimes brutal life he has led. He is joined at the bedside by Mary -- someone Gabe has never met yet someone who loved Angelo as much as he. Between the two of them, all the blanks of Angelo's life are filled in as we finally come to realize what drove Angelo to do all he has done. They both will walk away from this experience as changed people as truths and secrets are finally revealed. I love it when I learn something in a book. While this may never be a question on the millionaire show, I learned what the letters MAFIA stand for -- Morte Alla Francese in Italia -- Death to the French in Italy. Apparently, many many years ago, the French had come into Italy and taken land belonging to the Italians. In his book, Carcaterra says, "No gangster is ever happy when he's at peace. The main reason he's in the business is to eliminate his enemies." There are plenty of "survivors" in this book. While the TV show claims that the survivors will "outwit, outplay and outlast" each other, the survivors of Carcaterra's GANGSTER will "outgun, outnumber and outrun" anyone who gets in their way. For me, this author has given me another few days of pure reading enjoyment. In his book, he says "To trust someone is to take a risk." If you trust my reviews, you will read this book -- you won't be risking anything.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Spell binding book
Review: I got this book at an air port because I had nothing to read, I picked it up and never put it down (Thank goodness it was a long flight). The author did a wonderful job portraying the characters and their personalities. I recommend this book to anyone, and I look forward to reading another book by this same author.
Rating: 
Summary: Turned out to be a good read
Review: I recently read Gangster by Lorenzo Caracaterra in the hopes that I would enjoy it as much as the movie Sleepers which was based on the book by Mr. Carcaterra. Unfortunately this book didn't quite measure up to Sleepers for emotional impact but I also seriously question if any book on this subject will ever equal the magnitude of Mario Puzo's, The Godfather. In the prologue of the book, Angelo Vestiere, the gangster of the title, lies in a hosptial bed dying. Next to him sits a man named Gabe who we have yet to learn how he figures into this story. A woman named Mary enters the room, introduces herself to Gabe and offers to tell Gabe the complete story of Vestiere, the gangsters life. Part I begins with Angelo and his family living in Italy. From there we watch as the family journeys to America as part of the mass immigration which took place to this country and then Angelo's life on the streets of New York. Finally we read about his rise to power as one the most feared gangsters. Interspersed in the chapters are relationships Angelo makes along the way which influence him; his marraige to Isabella which ends in tragedy and the gang wars which make him more and more feared and stronger and stronger within the organized crime network. Perhaps its a bit too much of same old, same old but Part I of the book was rather ho hum and I only continued at this point to see if Part II would be more interesting. And Part II did prove to be much better. The character of Gabe,a 10 year old oprphan is introduced as the reader watches him come into Angelo's world, is taken under his wing, tutored by Angelo to become a ganster and the decision which Gabe must make about his future. And now we are able to make the connection between the man sitting at Angelo's bed and the young orphan from years go. As Mary concludes her telling of Angelo Vestiere's life with a startling revelation, Gabe is finally able to complete a puzzle which has haunted him and ths tale of Angelo and Gabe comes full circle. I finally did enjoy the book and now look forward to Mr. Carcaterra's next book.
Rating:
Summary: Well Worth Reading!
Review: Spanning 90 years, Lorenzo Carcaterra's Gangster provides a stirring perspective on the ways of mobsters and their history; all of which is encased in a fine and moving characterization of the enigmatic Angelo Vestieri and his partner, Pudge. Gangster is a fast-paced saga loaded with richly developed characters and true-to-life dialogue that could only be written by an author who grew up in a neighborhood and with people similar to those portrayed in this book. If you read Carcaterra's excellent book, Sleepers, you'll know what I mean (and if you haven't, you should). While engrossed in the action-packed plot of Gangster, you won't be able to miss the three themes that resonate throughout this talented author's powerful new novel -- love, violence and destiny. If you like books about the Mafia and/or are interested in understanding the psychology of gangsters, Gangster is a book I'd have rated 4 1/2 stars if Amazon allowed and it is one I'd highly recommend to you. It is well worth reading. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but not great
Review: Like some others, this is the first Lorenzo Carcaterra book I've read. It was a nice read, but just seemed familiar...I've read it before in other books of this genre.
Rating:
Summary: Gangster...Incredible!!!
Review: I have never read any of Lorenzo Caracaterra's books. I also have never been really into very many novels. This story was in incredible journey. It was very well written and very easy to follow along. In fact, it was hard not to get sucked into his "Gangster" world and feel as though you are really a part of what is going on. It gave you a different view to see gangsters and not just killers. You see them as business men. You see them as corporate leaders. Must of the story what you would think it is. Then you start to see the story change. Before you know it, BAM! You get thrown for a loop and my jaw dropped to the ground. Even tho I saw it coming from the beginning, I never really did put it all together until the first words out of Mary's mouth towards the end. Then it all just made sense.
Rating:
Summary: ...Deep in Gangland
Review: I read Gangster and it was my first Gangster novel ever! It was a wonderful read and I think i'll read this book again! Great book I can't wait to read more from this author!
I was really impressed, keep up the good work Carcaterra!
Rating:
Summary: Five Stars for GANSTER
Review: This is by far one of Carcaterra's best works! There wasn't a false emotion in this novel! I highly recommend this book to ANYONE who is a fan of gangster stories. WOW!!
Rating: 
Summary: Is this a joke or what?
Review: Reviewer: Ben Storey tells it like it is. Please read his review before buying.
The characters are preposterous. There behavior more so. Here we got two kids, one 7 y/o, one 10 y/o talking and behaving like old all knowing worldly gangster dons. At 12 and 15 they are n charge of running//hiring/firing/collecting$s from a certain dock and all it's workers. I couldn't take any more than 100 pages. What a piece of junk. L. Carcaterra obviously knows neither children, NY 1906, nor gangsters.
I do recommend his book Sleepers tho. I thought that was pretty good.
Gangsters should of never been published. It's a disgrace.
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