Rating: 
Summary: Coulda been a contender.
Review: This book could have been good ... had it been 1,000 pages longer. Carcaterra has a good story to tell, but he tries to cram 100 years of story into 375 pages of text. Can't be done. As a result, the book has two problems: 1. Something earthshattering happens every 15 pages or so, which diminishes the impact of such events, and 2. With the exception of the main 3 characters, we never get character development necessary to really care about some of the people that are killed, etc. This story needed to take the route of Wouk's Winds of War/War and Rememberance, i.e., it should have been a 1,500-page epic that really drew out the characters and plot over time. I major killing or major war every 20 pages becomes shallow and redundant. I loved Sleepers, but I'd say this one was just interesting enough to force me to finish reading it out of curiosity for how it ended. It can't hold a candle to Sleepers, The Godfather, Wiseguy, or the litany of non-fiction ganster books available. I can't recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Read!
Review: Gangster by Lorenzo Carcaterra was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I read this book after picking it up at the NY is Book County Fair in New York last fall, where I had a chance to meet Carcaterra and he signed the book for me. I found Carcaterra's writing beautiful and at times lyrical. The book is the story of a young Italian boy who arrives in America with his father, who escaped to New York to flee a enemies in Italy. One day the young boy is beaten up by a school bully. A woman who witnesses the event admonishes the bully to never again lay a hand on the young boy. Soon he is taken under the wings of a ruthless mobster, and soon all three form a frienship that lasts a lifetime. There is nothing in the rest of the book that differs from your traditional mobster movie or book fare. There are gang wars, killings, betrayals, and loves gained and lost. Told from the perspective of the young boy (Gabe), the story is essentially a flashback, and in my estimation the book is as great in terms of poignancy and interest as is the Godfather classic by Mario Puzo. I surely was disappointed when the book ended and there was no more to read. The ending was a surprise and quite original. I haven't read any other Lorenzo Carcaterra books yet, but because of the enjoyment I got from Gangster, am looking forward to getting my hands on other works by the author.
Rating: 
Summary: good story,.but some complaints
Review: On the whole, I found it to be a very enjoyable story, however, ( i think another reviewer mentioned this) there were many overdramatized moments. It seemed at the end of every chapter he had to end it with a powerful line "He was Angelo Vestieri, a gangster". After too many of these lines, they lose their effect, until they become almost cheesy.
Also, WHERE WERE THE COPS???? In almost every ganster movie or book, the evasion and trouble with the law is a major part. In GANGSTER, all that is mentioned is "the police sirens in the distance."
But don't let this discouraged you to read this book. You will still be impressed.
Rating:
Summary: Gangster
Review: This is one of the most enticing books out there involving the mafia.Lorenzo really has it all worked out here in Gangster. From how real the characters feel to the real time situations in the book.
Evverything here is believable. The main characters Pudge, Angelo, Ida the Goose, and Mcqueen have true feeling to them. From how Pudge seems to be a large and in charge sorta guy to how Angelo is the laid back silent but deadly type.
All relationships make you feel like part of the "family". When Ida the goose dies you truly feel sad and I actually cried.
This book compares to TheGodFather and other big time mafia novels. I give this five stars because this book really has voice and feeling. This one struck me. A perfect 5 out of 5.
Rating: 
Summary: Umm... Can anyone say Godfather rip off???
Review: This book was awful. It's like the author chose a variety of other mafia books and combined them all into one. The part when the young protégé is sent to Sicily is priceless. Ironically, it reminded me of when Michael goes to Sicily under similar circumstances in Godfather I. The young man also falls in love with a girl named.... You guessed it, Appolonia. Save your money and wait for the T.V. mini-series (If any network will touch it). Come on Lorenzo, be more creative. You could have at least changed the names. Highly disappointed with this one.
Rating:
Summary: Not that good at all...
Review: Just read "Godfather" or "The Last Don". Or, for facts, Sammy Gravano's memoirs. "Gangster" just doesn't cut it. Carcaterra cannot mix action and quiet mob dignity skillfully enough to warrant his book a place next to Mario Puzo's ones. It's ironic, though, that when he wrote fiction which he tried to present as a "true story" ("Sleepers"), he wrote well, but now that he wrote fiction and labelled it as such, he couldn't make it as enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: A tremendous rival of Mario Puzo.
Review: A rare find. a book that is rival to Mario Puzo. A wonderful book not to miss.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Mafia/Ganster Book!...
Review: This was the first book that I read from Mr. Carcaterra and I found it to be very good! Lookig forward to reading more of his work; maybe Sleepers is next. I think that with the success of HBO's The Sopranos; we all might be wanting a little bit more insight into the lives and patterns of organized crime and I must say that Carcaterra does a superb job of giving us a good look into that underground world and the mentality of these characters. Very good book!
Rating:
Summary: Somewhat sophomoric and shallow...
Review: As another reviewer mentioned, I also got off to at bad start when the author describes a raging World War I in the latter part of 1913. Naturally, that made me suspect to other facts in the story to follow. Certain events in the book were obviously "made for TV" events...the childbirth in the raging inferno, the "here Dad, shoot yourself" suicide of the Papa and the gunfight in the prostitute's bedroom were enough to make me roll my eyes and feel somewhat insulted. As a Puzo fan, and one who was looking forward to this read, I think when it comes out as USA Network's Mini-series of the Week, I'll flip the channel over to Emeril....
Rating:
Summary: Gangster, the next Godfather Trilogy?
Review: There is talk of Carcaterra's latest release, Street Boys, becoming a movie. I'll say it now that Gangster would make a much better movie. This is a great story of a gangster's life and would be perfect for a movie. Anyone who enjoyed Mario Puzo's Godfather should definately buy this book.
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