(Originally published 1968, Paperback edition 276 pages)
Mr. Maas's "The Valachi Papers," which was published in 1968, was the first to
truly open the doors about the inner workings of the Mafia. Joe Valachi worked
for the Mafia from the early 1930s until 1963. He saw the rise of organized
crime and the internal battles to consolidate the different families. Crime does
certainly pay, but it isn't exactly conducive to reaching retirement age and
enjoying your golden years. They may live by a certain code of conduct, but it
didn't stop these grownup bullies from screwing each other if they could attain
more power. There are so many mob people murdered in this book, I quickly lost
count. Joseph Valachi is not someone to admire. He may only have had a 7th-grade
education, but street smarts and sheer luck allowed him to live as long as he
did.
The first two chapters are quite tedious, because Mr. Maas explains his involvement with Joe Valachi, how the government backtracked on publishing Valachi's material and the author decision to still go ahead with writing his own book based on his research as well as the Valachi's writings. Since the early 1960s, when the Mafia was more of a ghostly apparition to the general public, much has been discovered about the Mob. However, Joe Valachi's story is a facinating look at history. Many famous mobsters such as Lucky Luciano and Dutch Schultz are in the book. Other important Mob events like the Castellammarese War were new to me.
"The Valachi Papers' is riveting material. It covers many of the Mafia's enterprises. Joe Valachi was involved in the numbers game, slot machines, legitimate businesses, the black market during WWII, dealing in heroin, and executions. His matter-of-fact attitude about people being murdered was extremely chilling to read. For all the Mafia's posturing about honor and loyalty, they're essentially self-serving animals that highlight the darkest aspects of the human condition. It's a great read.
The first two chapters are quite tedious, because Mr. Maas explains his involvement with Joe Valachi, how the government backtracked on publishing Valachi's material and the author decision to still go ahead with writing his own book based on his research as well as the Valachi's writings. Since the early 1960s, when the Mafia was more of a ghostly apparition to the general public, much has been discovered about the Mob. However, Joe Valachi's story is a facinating look at history. Many famous mobsters such as Lucky Luciano and Dutch Schultz are in the book. Other important Mob events like the Castellammarese War were new to me.
"The Valachi Papers' is riveting material. It covers many of the Mafia's enterprises. Joe Valachi was involved in the numbers game, slot machines, legitimate businesses, the black market during WWII, dealing in heroin, and executions. His matter-of-fact attitude about people being murdered was extremely chilling to read. For all the Mafia's posturing about honor and loyalty, they're essentially self-serving animals that highlight the darkest aspects of the human condition. It's a great read.
(Meyers - A few years ago, I
started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short
reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #346)
No comments:
Post a Comment