The Last Mouthpiece: The Man Who Dared to Defend the Mob

Rating:
Summary: Good story, even if somewhat self-serving
Review: Bobby Simone was always a guy we in the press liked. As a newspaper reporter in Philadelphia in the 70s and later in New Jersey in the 80s and 90s, I frequently read about and heard about , and a few times actually met Bobby Simone. I covered the trial in Federal Court where he unsuccessfully defended Nicodemo Scarfo and I watched Bobby Simone successfully defend himself against income tax charges.(forget that old saw that a lawyer who defends himself has a fool for a client, Bobby won this case).
Bobby was always friendly to reporters -- after all, we were his free advertising agency -- and he was always quotable. He was also always a strong advocate for his clients. But apparently he crossed the line between advocacy and participation once too often when the feds brought him down.
But to hear him tell it, the feds went after him not because he broke the law, but because he represented unpopular clients. Yeah, right.
I also heard Bobby Simone tell juries that the government was arresting guys like Nicky Scarfo only because the government was exercising some kind of prejudice against Italian-Americans. He actually used to say that to juries! I was there, I heard it. (Forget that many FBI case agents in the Organized Crime squads were Italian-Americans, many the best police officers who hated the mob had Italian names, and one of the most effective Assistant US Attorneys to prosecute the Scarfo case was himself an Italian-American who was very proud of his heritage.)
The book isn't much better. Some of it is self-serving claptrap. But if you can put that aside, it is the story by an entertaining story teller talking about an exciting career. And besides, Bobby Simone is a nice guy, most people who meet him like him, and that comes through in the book, too.

Rating:
Summary: Good story, even if somewhat self-serving
Review: Bobby Simone was always a guy we in the press liked. As a newspaper reporter in Philadelphia in the 70s and later in New Jersey in the 80s and 90s, I frequently read about and heard about , and a few times actually met Bobby Simone. I covered the trial in Federal Court where he unsuccessfully defended Nicodemo Scarfo and I watched Bobby Simone successfully defend himself against income tax charges.(forget that old saw that a lawyer who defends himself has a fool for a client, Bobby won this case).
Bobby was always friendly to reporters -- after all, we were his free advertising agency -- and he was always quotable. He was also always a strong advocate for his clients. But apparently he crossed the line between advocacy and participation once too often when the feds brought him down.
But to hear him tell it, the feds went after him not because he broke the law, but because he represented unpopular clients. Yeah, right.
I also heard Bobby Simone tell juries that the government was arresting guys like Nicky Scarfo only because the government was exercising some kind of prejudice against Italian-Americans. He actually used to say that to juries! I was there, I heard it. (Forget that many FBI case agents in the Organized Crime squads were Italian-Americans, many the best police officers who hated the mob had Italian names, and one of the most effective Assistant US Attorneys to prosecute the Scarfo case was himself an Italian-American who was very proud of his heritage.)
The book isn't much better. Some of it is self-serving claptrap. But if you can put that aside, it is the story by an entertaining story teller talking about an exciting career. And besides, Bobby Simone is a nice guy, most people who meet him like him, and that comes through in the book, too.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Best books yet.
Review: I Found This Book to be Very Insightful Pertaining To The Relationship Between The Attorney And The Clients He Represented. The Stories Of His Dealings With The Philadephia Mob,His Representation Of The Accused Along With His Persoanl Involvements With Many Of His Clients makes This Book Fascinating.Simone's Involvement With Some of The Most Powerful Figures In Politics,Business And Organized Crime And The Stories He Tells Are Terrific.His Honesty In His Portrayel Of His Own Life And The Different Paths He Chose To Take Made This Book Hard To Put Down.The Insight He Uses To Question The Use Of Convicted Murderers And Thieves As Paid Govt. Witnesses Had Me Thinking Throughout.Hard To Put Down

Rating:
Summary: Is this guy for real?
Review: Mr Simone keeps telling the readers how wonderful and friendly Nicky Scarfo and Phil Leonetti are. He just seems to forget that
they are responsible for the deaths of many people. Of course they are entitled to the very best defense, but mr Simone seems
to think that these guys were treated unfairly by the government
and the judicial system. Furthermore, mr Simone contemptously describes Joseph Salerno as a no good rat, but forgets that his best buddy Phil Leonetti turned out to be just as despicable, even worse. So much for mob loyalty.
I suggest that readers familiarize themselves with the book "Breaking the Mob" by Guinther and Friel to get a different view of many of the same incidents. I`m not claiming it to be the whole truth and nothing but the truth, but at least it gives you a good comparative read.
Otherwise "The Last Mouthpiece" makes quite enjoyable reading.

Rating:
Summary: A Lawyer who knows the meaning of Friendship
Review: Mr.Bob Simone tells his life story in great detail.The ups and downs of someone who believes in the rights of his clients.And will do everything legally in his power to help them.He tell how the government hates to lose and dose everything legal or not to get even.He knows the meaning of true friendship and payed the price for it!

Rating:
Summary: A candid revelation of mobsters
Review: Robert "Bobby" Simone draws upon a 35 year career as a practicing criminal defense attorney to write a unique, informative, and at times alarming expose and anecdotal description of the criminal justice system in The Last Mouthpiece. This book reads more like a film noir script than a history of the law as we encounter "Phil "The Chicken man" Testa, Nick the Blade, Hunchback Harry, and a series of other real-life mob characters and their cadres. Here is a candid revelation of the mobsters, rats, set-ups, wires, bugs, double-crosses, strategies, judges, juries, and lawmen who were the daily elements of Simone's law practice. If you enjoy the fictional "The Sopranos" television series, then you will be fascinated by Bobby Simone's factual and real-life expose, The Last Mouthpiece.

Rating:
Summary: A book you can't put down and a story you won't forget!
Review: This was a really great account about the life and times of "mob lawyer" Robert Simone. The author does not pretend that the account is objective, and indeed it is not. It is, however, exciting and intriguing to follow Robert Simone's story - from the beginning of his career to the height of his success and through his ultimate downfall, incarceration and back to Philly and a career in law once again. I could not tear myself away from this book.