By: Jimmy Breslin Publisher: Ecco Average Rating: Binding: Hardcover Label: Ecco Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 288 Publication Date: February 01, 2008 Release Date: February 05, 2008
Of course Pulitzer Prize winner Jimmy Breslin recognized Burton Kaplan right away as the Mafia witness of the ages. Breslin comes from the same Queens streets as mob bosses John Gotti and Vito Genovese. But even they couldn't match Kaplan in crime—and neither could anybody else.
In his inimitable New York voice, Breslin, "the city's steadiest and most accurate chronicler" (Tom Robbins, Village Voice), gives us a look through the keyhole at the people and places that define the mafia—characters like Sammy "The Bull" Gravano, Gaspipe Casso (named for his weapon of choice), Thomas "Three-Finger Brown" Lucchese, and Jimmy "The Clam" Eppolito, interwoven with the good rat himself, Burt Kaplan of Bensonhurst, the star witness in the recent trial of two New York City detectives indicted for acting as hit men in eight gangland executions.
Breslin takes us to the old-time hangouts like Pep McGuire's, the legendary watering hole where reporters and gangsters (all hailing from the same working-class neighborhoods) rubbed elbows and traded stories; the dog-fight circles and body dumps at Ozone Park; and the back room at Midnight Rose's candy store, where Murder, Inc., hired and fired.
Most compelling of all, Breslin captures the moments in which the Mafia was made and broken—Breslin was there the night John Gotti celebrated his acquittal at his Ravenite Social Club on Mulberry, having bribed his way to innocence only to incite the wrath of the FBI, who would later crush Gotti and others with the full force of the RICO laws.
As in his unforgettable novel The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight, Breslin brings together these real-life and long-forgotten Mafia stories to brilliantly create a sharp-eyed portrait of the mob as it lived and breathed, as it sounded and survived.
Mob trial excerpts with the author's spin I have been a so-so fan of Breslin in the past, but I really think this book is excellent. he weaves trial excerpts with his own commentary and humour and Iw as kept interested throughout.
Breslin at his Best On a strictly personal level, I was never much of a fan of Jimmy Breslin's, but I must give him his due in the writing department. In "The Good Thief," the trial of the so-called "Mafia cops" Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa is recounted through the sworn testimony of a 72-year-old mob associate named Burton Kaplan, who "flipped" when a contract was put on his life by his former pals. Excerpts from the transcript alone make for good reading, but Breslin puts his own inimitable spin throughout these pages on other mob stories as well, some amusing and some less so. In touching upon the assassination of Paul Castellano, Breslin writes: "To save his brother's life, and also to make a little room at the top, John Gotti got the idea to move Castellano into a new home. A funeral parlor." There are several anecdotes about the psychopathic Anthony "Gas Pipe" Casso, Jimmy "the Clam" Eppolito (the murdered uncle of one of the defendants), and many others too numerous to mention here. One final example of Breslin's wit: in the heading beneath "The Incarcerated," in which the author names several of the mob figures who were behind bars at the time the book was released, he notes, "They are proof that the Mafia is law abiding. They always go to prison." All in all, a very enjoyable book, highly readable and strongly recommended - even if you're not a Breslin fan, like me. (P.S. I was curious as to the identity of the figure on the cover. After some investigation, I learned it was a minor underworld denizen named Sam Harris, alias "Chowderhead Cohen," in a New York Daily News photo dated April 9, 1931).
A good book about the Good Rat and other reflections of Jimmy Beslin If you have a good knowledge of Mafia history in New York and in the US generally this book will flow well while you read and absorb it, for new comers it is still a good read but will take longer and you will probably need to check out other books to put it all together. Breslins reflections on his life of writing about the Mob are gems and his book about Burton Kaplan is fascinating. Kaplan is the good rat who finally realizes unless he talks to the Govt about is his life in crime he will spend the rest of his life behind bars and someone else will rat on him.
Kaplan has plenty to account for including murder so he spills all and tells of his life of crime and his cohorts. The two mafia cops who he informs on are roasted slowly by Breslin in the book who can barely conceal his disgust at their greed, treachery and killings. He describes the view of hell each cop had from his house as he went to work each morning and their indifferance to the disgraceful murder of the good Nicky Guido.
There are moments of humour as Breslin recalls a time in court when a mafia don on trial publicly berates Breslin for wearing a cheap suit and being embarrassed by him being at his trial. Breslin at times goes off track from the trial and relates personal anecdotes of his life of writing about the Mob. He goes into the early history of the Mob and why Hoover's FBI was sleeping on the job while the Mob prospered. He goes on to relate how the FBI finally woke up to the power of the RICO act and realized enough was enough the Mob had to go down and finally the FBI won.
Well worth the read and thanks for the book Mr Breslin.
The Bad Lies Brotherhood: The Story of Two Cops Who Murdered For The Mafia is a must better read and truer account of those two cops and Burton Kaplan than the tall tales written by Mr. Breslin...Many of the past mafia incidents is plain wrong and insulting to mob aficionados...more in line with Mafia Cop ...D-rated at best.
Boring Read...Sorry, but it is what it is.... This writer must have made a offer that nobody could refuse :---) Not sure why all the accolades by those who read this book. No meat, timeline is confusing. It is simply a regurgatation of the trial questioning/answers. Repeat, the book is what the accused said under cross, or questioning, etc... I found it confusing and boring. I am not suggesting writer is unskilled, unimaginative, or not of quality experience. I have read at least 50 books and seen 50 films of fiction and fact on this subject (Mafia/crime). So I know what is interesting, fun to read/watch... This book is not. I wish I had purchased the paperback vs an expensive hard cover... Fogettabout it David
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