Mob Books We'd Like to Read...
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| Mikie Scars memoir is a book that needs to be written. |
These days, however, such a conversation more than likely means the topic is a book or movie deal...
Two major mob-related book deals have been announced so far this year.
As noted earlier this month, former Philadelphia mob boss Ralph Natale has inked a deal to write his memoir. So far titled Lost Lives and Forgotten Vows, Thomas Dunne Books is slated to publish the book, which is slated to hit bookstores in the fall of 2016. Natale is writing the book with two others, Dan Pearson (of "I Married a Mobster") and New York Daily News reporter Larry McShane.
Back in late April, we reported that Linda Scarpa had inked a deal with Pinnacle to write a memoir in which her infamous father, Gregory Scarpa, aka "The Grim Reaper," will be a major focal point. Scarpa was a chief assassin for imprisoned mob boss Carmine Persico during the 1990s Colombo war, though there's some interesting details we recently read about on Kenji Gallo's excellent Breakshot Blog.
Referring to the Colombo war (the third one, in the early 1990s), Kenji writes:
The main thing about the whole event that people do not understand is that Scarpa was on the outs with the Persicos [as the crime family war broke out]. He was already very sick with AIDS that he had contracted from a blood transfusion. The dementia was setting in at the time.
Available now for pre-order, Linda's book, The Mafia Hit Man's Daughter, will be published by Pinnacle and was co-written with Boston Globe reporter Linda Rosencrance. The 320-page print edition is $7.99 -- the Kindle ebook $7.95. The book includes 16 pages of photos.
Now we'd like to discuss a new book-related topic:
We think, for example, Joseph "Big Joey" Massino should write his memoirs. Massino was such a high-profile figure in the Mafia for decades, wielding as much power as any mob boss, such a book would be filled with intriguing revelations. Massino would have insight into the slaying of Carmine Galante, as well as the "Sonny Red Trifecta"--the storied slaying of three captains in one fell swoop.
Massino has already said we don't know as much as we think we do about basic mob history. In addition to claiming former Gambino boss John Gotti wanted to kill him, he's also alleged that both Anthony Mirra and Sonny Black Napolitano were not killed because of former FBI agent Joseph D. Pistone'a infiltration of the crime family.
It is absolutely insane to us that the publishing world is not knocking down Michael "Mikie Scars" DiLeonardo's front door. (Though for all we know, they might be.... former wiseguys can be pretty cagey guys when they want to be!)
He was inducted into the crime family with Junior Gotti, and had a front-row seat to the New York Mafia's doings for decades. He also is highly educated about the Mafia, in possession of certain exclusive knowledge about the mob's formation in the United States.
Mikie Scars would keep the historians busy, that's for sure.
Sources describe Steve as a Ray Donovan-type, with a bit of John Dillinger tossed in. Donovan is a "fixer": a person who arranges for bribes or payoffs of corrupt officials or other criminals, to enable a criminal to avoid punishment. Dillinger is, well, Dillinger -- among the Depression-era outlaws (who ran a muck in 1933 and 1934) Dillinger was the most notorious of all.
"I backed up to no one," he told us once in his not-yet-but-almost-pissed voice....
One book we plan to finish up soon -- which you will be able to read soon enough -- is our book about Frank Gangi and Thomas "Tommy Karate" Pitera....
In fact, the Scores story should be told on film -- we think it would work better that way because Scores was, of course, a strip club.....
One book we plan to finish up soon -- which you will be able to read soon enough -- is our book about Frank Gangi and Thomas "Tommy Karate" Pitera....
DON'T BE SHY NOW! TELL US WHICH MOB BOOKS YOU'D LIKE TO READ, AND WHY....