BLOOD OATH

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Summary: The best mob story I ever read.........
Review: This is the best mob strory i ever read, it took a great deal of courage for George Fresolone to do what he did, i hope some day to see this story on the big screen..............

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book about mafia life in general and Philly/NJ mob
Review: Told through the eyes of mobster George Fresolone "Blood Oath" is a blow by blow account of life with wiseguys and gangsters. Fresolone grows up in New Jersey and gravitates toward gamblers and wiseguys. An astute gambler, George is quick to scam a buck and start a sports gambling book. He is noticed by wiseguy Patty Specs, a mobster connected to the Scarfo crime family, and becomes his driver. Soon he is part of the New Jersey crew of the Philadelphia Mob and in time beomes a made member himself. These scenes in the book are especially vivid as Fresolone gives a birds-eye view of what it was like to grow up in New Jersey and how one becomes connected to the Mob. In those days they came looking for you because they saw you could earn and had talent.

Once George becomes connected his life starts to change. He gets pinched and does a couple of years in prison. While there his old crew ignores his wife won't pay her money George is owed. When George gets out he is facing heavy jail time with one more arrest so he contacts the Feds and agrees to wear a wire against his crew. Not only does he pick up his crew but he deals with many other representatives of other families in New Jersey including the Gambinos, the Genevese, the Colombos, and the DeCavalcantes. On top of that recently imprisoned Nicky Scarfo sends his son up to New Jersey for protection after he is gunned down in a Philly restaurant. George is responsible for "The Kid" and is privy to the desperate attempt of Scarfo to keep a hold on his crime family from prison.

Told with a wonderful first person narration by Fresolone the book succeeds in conveying the harrowing and tense life of a wiseguy in the 80's and 90's. It also succeeds in illustrating how and why men go into the life in the first place and the problems they have with their wives and siblings and friends and neighbors who are not part of "that" world. On top of that it is an excellent breakdown of mafia politics in New Jersey and is a first rate continuation of the trials and tribulations of the Philadelphia Mob. It bridges the gap between "Blood and Honor" and "Goodfella Tapes" with a perspective from a different end of that family. Wholeheartedly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: What is really going on in the mob?
Review: What if you are a boy growing up with your dad doing illegal gambling, and working with the mob. well in the book Blood Oath by George Fresolone. George goes through the book and explains to you how his life in the mob started out and how he became one of the mob families gambling buddy. He explains to you who he worked for and what he did for his boss. George gives us great detail in how the mob was formed and how it was ran. My opinion I believe you should definately buy Blood Oath, because it's a book you could read moer than once. You can certainly expect alot of info about what they did, and why they did it. Also he explains to you how he actually came around in helping the law. The author likes to give his info in large paragraphs to give more detail to everything.