American Mafia : A History of Its Rise to Power

Rating:
Summary: Lacking
Review: After reading this book , I have real doubts if a really thorough or complete history of the American mafia, as it were, is even possible to create. As author Thomas Reppetto proves in his interesting but ultimately hollow history of organized crime in America, what we know as the mafia was a terrifically eclectic and often unconnected group of phenomenons. Only in the 1940's did the mob as we know it really come into fruition as a nationwide network of crime syndicates, similar to the construct portrayed so well in ?The Godfather?. Before that, the mafia presents a very difficult problem, as how can anyone really weave together so many frayed and unconnected threads of American history? I have yet to see it done, and while Reppetto tries valiantly, he simply lacks the writing and historical skill it would take to write such a book.

Reppetto starts his tale of crime in late 19th century America, as immigrant groups began to form enclaves in various American cities. As they often lived in decay and spoke little English, it was up to internal groups to rule these parts of the cities. In places such as New York and New Orleans, quasi-kingpin type figures were quick to step into the vacuum. These men, while they did have some criminal contacts and did often run petty crime rings, were more politicians than anything else. Indeed, their power often did stem from the fact that they were one of the few immigrants who shared power with the more established city politicians. The relationship was mutually beneficial. Only later, as the various criminal efforts such as prostitution, bootlegging, gambling, and eventually narcotics become extremely profitable, did the real criminal networks form, often around family groups. While these resembled the mafia gangs of Sicily and Naples, there was limited contact and influence between the groups.

The Mafia gave rise to a whole new part of American life, and Reppetto does a satisfactory job describing these new dynamics. Mafia leaders often became media stars, such as Capone or Luciano. Their criminal networks were often intertwined with legitimate interests, giving them access to more conventional business and society. Whole swaths of American figures were somewhat connected to the Mafia networks, such as Frank Sinatra and Joe Kennedy. The legitimate interests helped build up the American nightclub life, and, most importantly, built Las Vegas. Of course, this was an empire built on blood, and Reppetto does not forget that. Many good men, highlighted throughout the book, paid the ultimate price attempting to destroy these criminal networks. That is a fact no one should forget when getting caught up in the relative glamour and shine of Mafia life.

Reppetto fails on several points. His descriptions of various Mafia leaders become too repetitious and the reader soon loses himself in a myriad of relatively unimportant facts. It is tough to begin with, as there are so many people to describe, but Reppetto fails to be either comprehensive or readably curt. This makes a the book a tough read stylistically, as you never really develop a long standing interest in any of the figures. Also, I thought the books kind of trails off and stops at one of the most important parts of Mafia history, the 1950's and 60's. So much time is spent on the minor development of the 1900's but little is spent on the truly formative periods of the popular depiction of the American mafia. While the book does present some interesting facts and is readable, it just lacks the spark and space that would make it a truly good history.

Rating:
Summary: Lacking
Review: After reading this book , I have real doubts if a really thorough or complete history of the American mafia, as it were, is even possible to create. As author Thomas Reppetto proves in his interesting but ultimately hollow history of organized crime in America, what we know as the mafia was a terrifically eclectic and often unconnected group of phenomenons. Only in the 1940's did the mob as we know it really come into fruition as a nationwide network of crime syndicates, similar to the construct portrayed so well in "The Godfather". Before that, the mafia presents a very difficult problem, as how can anyone really weave together so many frayed and unconnected threads of American history? I have yet to see it done, and while Reppetto tries valiantly, he simply lacks the writing and historical skill it would take to write such a book.

Reppetto starts his tale of crime in late 19th century America, as immigrant groups began to form enclaves in various American cities. As they often lived in decay and spoke little English, it was up to internal groups to rule these parts of the cities. In places such as New York and New Orleans, quasi-kingpin type figures were quick to step into the vacuum. These men, while they did have some criminal contacts and did often run petty crime rings, were more politicians than anything else. Indeed, their power often did stem from the fact that they were one of the few immigrants who shared power with the more established city politicians. The relationship was mutually beneficial. Only later, as the various criminal efforts such as prostitution, bootlegging, gambling, and eventually narcotics become extremely profitable, did the real criminal networks form, often around family groups. While these resembled the mafia gangs of Sicily and Naples, there was limited contact and influence between the groups.

The Mafia gave rise to a whole new part of American life, and Reppetto does a satisfactory job describing these new dynamics. Mafia leaders often became media stars, such as Capone or Luciano. Their criminal networks were often intertwined with legitimate interests, giving them access to more conventional business and society. Whole swaths of American figures were somewhat connected to the Mafia networks, such as Frank Sinatra and Joe Kennedy. The legitimate interests helped build up the American nightclub life, and, most importantly, built Las Vegas. Of course, this was an empire built on blood, and Reppetto does not forget that. Many good men, highlighted throughout the book, paid the ultimate price attempting to destroy these criminal networks. That is a fact no one should forget when getting caught up in the relative glamour and shine of Mafia life.

Reppetto fails on several points. His descriptions of various Mafia leaders become too repetitious and the reader soon loses himself in a myriad of relatively unimportant facts. It is tough to begin with, as there are so many people to describe, but Reppetto fails to be either comprehensive or readably curt. This makes a the book a tough read stylistically, as you never really develop a long standing interest in any of the figures. Also, I thought the books kind of trails off and stops at one of the most important parts of Mafia history, the 1950's and 60's. So much time is spent on the minor development of the 1900's but little is spent on the truly formative periods of the popular depiction of the American mafia. While the book does present some interesting facts and is readable, it just lacks the spark and space that would make it a truly good history.

Rating:
Summary: The Infamous Shady Characters Are All Here
Review: Author Thomas Reppetto has provided us with an interesting history on the rise of the mafia in America, and the reasons for its demise from its once lofty perch. The man behind its beginnings was Johnny Torrio who transferred his operations from New York to Chicago in the early 1920's. The book concentrates mainly on the New York and Chicago areas, but does include Las Vegas and other areas as well. Certain thugs were removed from the scene due to various reasons such as Jim Colosimo who didn't adjust to the times (prohibition), Dion O'Bannion due to cheating on a business deal, Al Capone and Owney Madden due to bad publicity, Dutch Schultz due to reckless behavior, and others due to various mistakes such as maintaining a high profile. J. Edgar Hoover of the F.B.I. ignored any investigation of the mafia. Instead he concentrated on two bit hoodlums such as "Pretty Boy" Floyd, "Baby Face" Nelson, and John Dillinger who robbed banks during the 1930's. The first half of the 20th century saw the rise of the mafia while the second half of the century saw its fall. The Kefauver Committee began investigating organized crime in 1950 and the advent of television in urban areas brought interviews with mobsters such as Frank Costello to the forefront of the public. Although mobsters can find new fields in which to operate, today's organized crime is a shadow of what it once was. This book brings the names of the infamous back to life from the time of the beginnings of the 1920's through the removal of the New York mobsters in the 1980's. Even if you are familiar with the names of Luciano, Rothstein, Genovese, Giancana, and others you will find this a very interesting book to read. I would highly recommend it to you.

Rating:
Summary: The Infamous Shady Characters Are All Here
Review: Author Thomas Reppetto has provided us with an interesting history on the rise of the mafia in America, and the reasons for its demise from its once lofty perch. The man behind its beginnings was Johnny Torrio who transferred his operations from New York to Chicago in the early 1920's. The book concentrates mainly on the New York and Chicago areas, but does include Las Vegas and other areas as well. Certain thugs were removed from the scene due to various reasons such as Jim Colosimo who didn't adjust to the times (prohibition), Dion O'Bannion due to cheating on a business deal, Al Capone and Owney Madden due to bad publicity, Dutch Schultz due to reckless behavior, and others due to various mistakes such as maintaining a high profile. J. Edgar Hoover of the F.B.I. ignored any investigation of the mafia. Instead he concentrated on two bit hoodlums such as "Pretty Boy" Floyd, "Baby Face" Nelson, and John Dillinger who robbed banks during the 1930's. The first half of the 20th century saw the rise of the mafia while the second half of the century saw its fall. The Kefauver Committee began investigating organized crime in 1950 and the advent of television in urban areas brought interviews with mobsters such as Frank Costello to the forefront of the public. Although mobsters can find new fields in which to operate, today's organized crime is a shadow of what it once was. This book brings the names of the infamous back to life from the time of the beginnings of the 1920's through the removal of the New York mobsters in the 1980's. Even if you are familiar with the names of Luciano, Rothstein, Genovese, Giancana, and others you will find this a very interesting book to read. I would highly recommend it to you.

Rating:
Summary: Good overview of the Mafia, though lacking depth
Review: For anyone wishing an introduction to Mafia history in the United States this book is an excellent primer. Reppetto traces the rise of the American Mafia from late 19th century New Orleans to the heyday, just before the U.S. government started paying organized crime their due in attention and resources in the early '60's.
We are introduced to various luminaries of the underworld, their crimes and their fates (not surprisingly usually a violent death, exile or a prison cell). Reppetto's section on Lucky Luciano is particularly good.
Readers already familiar with the Mafia will find little new here. The book certainly doesn't rival Gus Russo's seminal book from 2002, "The Outfit" which provides far more depth, representing infinitely more research and scholarship.
Reppetto is unflinching in his exposure of police corruption in U.S. cities far and wide, but fails to put organized crime in its proper place within the tangled web they weaved within corporate America and the government. He also portrays far too flattering a portrait of J. Edgar Hoover, glossing over his motives for not pursuing the Mafia more aggressively.
It is as an intro to the Mafia for new readers that I give "American Mafia..." four stars, assuming they to be the book's primary audience. Those more familiar with the Mafia should be directed to Russo's book and others such as ones on Al Capone, Sam Giancanna, Meyer Lanksy and Arnold Rothstein.

Rating:
Summary: Good overview of the Mafia, though lacking depth
Review: For anyone wishing an introduction to Mafia history in the United States this book is an excellent primer. Reppetto traces the rise of the American Mafia from late 19th century New Orleans to the heyday, just before the U.S. government started paying organized crime their due in attention and resources in the early '60's.
We are introduced to various luminaries of the underworld, their crimes and their fates (not surprisingly usually a violent death, exile or a prison cell). Reppetto's section on Lucky Luciano is particularly good.
Readers already familiar with the Mafia will find little new here. The book certainly doesn't rival Gus Russo's seminal book from 2002, "The Outfit" which provides far more depth, representing infinitely more research and scholarship.
Reppetto is unflinching in his exposure of police corruption in U.S. cities far and wide, but fails to put organized crime in its proper place within the tangled web they weaved within corporate America and the government. He also portrays far too flattering a portrait of J. Edgar Hoover, glossing over his motives for not pursuing the Mafia more aggressively.
It is as an intro to the Mafia for new readers that I give "American Mafia..." four stars, assuming they to be the book's primary audience. Those more familiar with the Mafia should be directed to Russo's book and others such as ones on Al Capone, Sam Giancanna, Meyer Lanksy and Arnold Rothstein.

Rating:
Summary: Needed more focus or more research
Review: I feel the same way about "American Mafia : A History of Its Rise to Power" as I did about Reppetto's other book "NYPD" (co-authored by James Lardner): while I found it interesting and well-written, I felt that it left too many gaps and that some of the areas covered were not covered enough. And like NYPD, the book seemed more like a collection of mob anecdotes than an investigation into the "History of Its Rise to Power". Reppetto is to be admired for trying to tackle such a long history, and to be fair, much of it is told in an engaging style. But it seems like too broad a subject, for any writer.

Perhaps if he had just focused on the early mob history, or the history of its real organizing in the 30s and 40s, or the history of its bold, brash decades of the 50s and 60s, he would have forced himself to be more focused and selective. Instead, the book feels watered down. On a positive note, as the other reviewers have mentioned, there is no glamorizing these criminals. They are often portrayed as the vicious and psychopathic parasites they were. The key role that Prohibition played is the strong point of this book, and Reppetto does a fantastic job on discussing that.

One last note, this book, like others, fails to emphasize one thing: the Italians did not invent organized crime. The New York neighborhood known as the Five Points was rife with gangs of Irish immigrants, and they, like the mob, worked hand-in-hand with the politicians and judges that were owned by the Democratic political machine known as Tammany Hall. Later, a generation of Jewish immigrants, with names like Zelig, Buchalter, and Rothstein would dominate the crime scene. Reppetto does an okay job of covering these issues, something other mob "historians" neglect. But the reasons WHY the Italian mob became so famous is sort of glossed over. Besides their extreme viciousness, there are two reasons that made the Italian crime world so famous that people think it was the only criminal organization: (1) it existed during an era of mass communication, like movies and radio, so their every atrocity was announced nationwide and it provided fascinating characters for movies; and (2) because it existed in a world of expanding personal communications (i.e., telephones) they could conduct their "business" more effectively and instantly, and keep things organized. Perhaps if Reppetto were to focus just on these elements of the Mafia, we would really have a true look at its rise to power.

Rocco Dormarunno, author of The Five Points

Rating:
Summary: Needed more focus or more research
Review: I feel the same way about "American Mafia : A History of Its Rise to Power" as I did about Reppetto's other book "NYPD" (co-authored by James Lardner): while I found it interesting and well-written, I felt that it left too many gaps and that some of the areas covered were not covered enough. And like NYPD, the book seemed more like a collection of mob anecdotes than an investigation into the "History of Its Rise to Power". Reppetto is to be admired for trying to tackle such a long history, and to be fair, much of it is told in an engaging style. But it seems like too broad a subject, for any writer.

Perhaps if he had just focused on the early mob history, or the history of its real organizing in the 30s and 40s, or the history of its bold, brash decades of the 50s and 60s, he would have forced himself to be more focused and selective. Instead, the book feels watered down. On a positive note, as the other reviewers have mentioned, there is no glamorizing these criminals. They are often portrayed as the vicious and psychopathic parasites they were. The key role that Prohibition played is the strong point of this book, and Reppetto does a fantastic job on discussing that.

One last note, this book, like others, fails to emphasize one thing: the Italians did not invent organized crime. The New York neighborhood known as the Five Points was rife with gangs of Irish immigrants, and they, like the mob, worked hand-in-hand with the politicians and judges that were owned by the Democratic political machine known as Tammany Hall. Later, a generation of Jewish immigrants, with names like Zelig, Buchalter, and Rothstein would dominate the crime scene. Reppetto does an okay job of covering these issues, something other mob "historians" neglect. But the reasons WHY the Italian mob became so famous is sort of glossed over. Besides their extreme viciousness, there are two reasons that made the Italian crime world so famous that people think it was the only criminal organization: (1) it existed during an era of mass communication, like movies and radio, so their every atrocity was announced nationwide and it provided fascinating characters for movies; and (2) because it existed in a world of expanding personal communications (i.e., telephones) they could conduct their "business" more effectively and instantly, and keep things organized. Perhaps if Reppetto were to focus just on these elements of the Mafia, we would really have a true look at its rise to power.

Rocco Dormarunno, author of The Five Points