Rating: 
Summary: WELL WORTH READING!
Review: If you like Mafia stores and lots of violence you will enjoy this book. It is a story about Angelo Vestieri and Pudge Nichols and their rise to fame in the New York Mafia. It is also a story about Gabe, a young boy taken under the wing of Angelo and Pudge. Will he or won't he turnout to be a ganaster? Angelo and Pudge learn much from their early teachers, Angus McQueen and Ida the Goose. It is a story how, on page 227, "Thirty nine gangsters died, all in one night." It is full of fast action, it will hold your attention and be hard to put down.
Rating:
Summary: Best Summer Read
Review: I am a voracious reader. I picked this one up to break the monotony of spies and hi-tech. It was more than I expected. Comparisions to the Godfather are misleading. The criminal life is not glorified or made to seem legitimate. This is a beautifully crafted novel that smoothly flows through one man's life as seen through the eyes of another. Despite the overuse of the term, it really was difficult to put down.
Rating: 
Summary: Overrated
Review: Sorry but this book is over-rated. I don't know what all the hype is about, but apparently none of the people who gave it high ratings ever read Mario Puzo novels.Puzo could have taught Mr. Carcaterra a couple of lessons in story telling. Don't get me wrong, 'Gangster' has some excellent, touching and exciting parts. But they are only parts in a tapestry that was not weaved together. Not to mention several agonizing chapters where Carcaterra repeats, repeats and repeats the same things over and over again... I found myself getting angry at the author. What kind of a book is this? You're not supposed to be thinking about the author, you're supposed to be immersed in the story. The book was written poorly and edited even worse. Highly inconsistent. I could tell when Mr. Carcaterra stopped typing and went to sleep and when he starting typing his story again. His mood swings were evident in his prose and they were certainly not congruent with the story he was telling. It might be hypocritical of me to say that I actually loved the story. It was very touching and warm. But it upset me a great deal that the potential of this book was wasted by an author and his editor who couldn't wait to make a buck instead of perfecting the work first. Or maybe they just simply didn't have the ability to perfect it, I don't know. What I do know is that Mario Puzo writes much, MUCH better books. If you disagree with my opinion, then do me a favor; go and buy "The Sicilian" by Puzo, read it and then come back and try to disagree with my points...
Rating:
Summary: Powerful stuff!!!
Review: There are certain mild mannered individuals like me, who adore gangster and mafia stuff.I'd thoroughly recommend this book to afficionados or people who enjoyed "Godfather".
Gabe is a young boy who has been raised by foster parents,mostly by people who are only in it for the money-the government allowances made to couples who are willing to house,feed and send to school,orphaned children.He's a lonely little boy who meets Angelo Vestieri,a local gangster in a New York district.Angelo befriends Gabe and introduces him to his friend and off-sider,Pudge. The two gangsters virtually adopt the boy and give him a secure home in a loving environment,for the first time in his life although, at the same time, they are instilling in him the things he needs to know to follow the way of life of gangsters.This story follows Gabes life through to adulthood when he begins to question the way of life mapped out for him by his mentors.
Rating: 
Summary: REMINDS ME OF MY OLD NEIGHBORHOOD
Review: LOVED THIS BOOK AND AS A RESULT HAVE JUST ORDERED ALL MR. CARCATERRAS' BOOKS. GROWING UP IN BROOKLYN IN THE 50'S, IN AN ITALIAN NEIGHBORHOOD, PRIMED ME FOR ''GANSTERS''.....KNEW THESE PEOPLE. CANNOT PUT THIS UP THERE WITH ''THE GODFATHER'' BUT IT'S A CLOSE SECOND.
Rating: 
Summary: Wait for the movie
Review: During much of the book's beginning, I felt disturbed by the awkward writing. This book reads more like something written by a reporter or screen writer, than by a novelist. And in spite of the author's obvious attempt at revealing the gangster's personality, most characters appear wooden and comic-book like. And still, once I started, I found myself reading right through to the end, being kept curious about where the plot leads next. The plot is easy to define: Take the "Godfather" (the movie, that is, all three parts!), throw in "A Bronx Tale", mix well and serve. Visualizing Chaz Palmieri's Sonny and a happy-go-lucky Irish mutant ninja version of Luca Brazzi will help graphically animate your reading. And remember visualizing that cute Calogero 'C' character. It's like deja-vu all over again, and not a bad read. The real promise I see in this book is what a talented Hollywood producer would make of it. There's enough for at least 3 parts (maybe all shot simultaneously a-la "Lord of the Rings"), with Palmieri an ideal star for the leading role. Can that have been the author's real goal all along?
Rating:
Summary: poorly written, but entertaining
Review: I almost quit reading this book when the author described America in 1913 as being depressed by World War I. Luckily such errors were not common, but the writing still left something to be desired. I was not surprised to learn that Mr. Carcaterra is not a professional author; his dialogue in particular was unrealistic and over-dramatized. But in spite of my complaints about Carcaterra's style, he still spins a good yarn. When the reader overlooks a few holes (why does Ida the Goose befriend Angelo, what role does Angelo's second wife play, etc.) the novel is on the whole entertaining. I'm not disappointed in my purchase, and I don't regret my time investment, but this novel falls short of "must-read" status.
Rating:
Summary: GANGSTER DELIVERS THE GOODS!!
Review: This novel is the 3rd book I have read over the past decade by this author and this is by far the best!
Gangster is so much more than what I thought it would be in terms of sheer storytelling and great characters from all walks of life. This is truly epic storytelling in both colorful characters as well as a kind of biography. Carcaterra takes us on a journey of breath-taking proportions that NO hollywood movie has even touched. Now I love movies like GODFATHER and GOODFELLAS and such, but let me tell you - this is by far superior in all aspects. I am really looking forward to his newest work coming.
Rating:
Summary: You need to be killed if you haven't read this book!!!!!
Review: There is something in each chapter that leaves you hanging on until the next, with that fantastic twist at the end! Carcaterra's descriptive abilities lay the scenes before you and leave you on the edge of your seat! If you haven't read this book yet...what are you waiting for?
Rating:
Summary: Too many holes
Review: This book was filled will all the typical gangster cliches. And they were poorly written, as well as poorly tied together. I expected more from this author as he wrote "Sleepers", which was a good book, but he missed the mark with this one.
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