Streetwise: Mafia Memoirs

by Russell A. Vassallo, Virginia G. Vassallo (Editor)

An intricate tale of the streets, the memoirs of a kid reared on the edge of the feared Mafia, by three-time award winning author, Russell A. Vassallo. A startling departure from his animal-related stories, Streetwise is the ultimate memoir. Before he was forty, the author had risked his own life to save a friend from hit men. His was a divided loyalty and silence to his family and friends who skirted the treacherous borders of gangsterism. Serious at times, hilarious at others, he paints the underworld with glowing strokes of his early life. A can't-put-it-down book.

324 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

A retired New Jersey attorney moved to a farm in rural Kentucky and started writing about the animals he knew. In the process he combatted depression and overcame cancer -- with the help of his animals."

Reviews

[John Caruso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Streetwise: Mafia Memoirs, written by Russell Vassallo, dives into the dark and dangerous time of the Italian organized crime syndicate, known as the Mafia. Vassallo incorporates sincerity and rationale extremely well in the memoir. It’s very interesting to see such genuine thoughts coming from a man involved with such a violent and destructive lifestyle. Vassallo uses his childhood experiences to help the reader paint a picture of how he had developed into a mafioso figure. These experiences are filled with explicit and intense content, giving the reader the feeling of watching an “R” rated movie. In Vassallo’s writing, he is able to cleverly depict the police force as bullies. This ability also aids Vassallo by allowing him to shed a darker light on the law enforcement, which helps the reader better understand the morals of these criminal, yet surprisingly sincere men; men who care about their family and those who are special to them. They are men who look out for the well being of their communities and loved ones. This special insight that Vassallo has, results in a very unique portrayal of mobsters during the 1940’s in Newark, New Jersey. Because of this insight, the memoir almost act as a diary for a mobster. Vassallo successfully captures all the action and danger of a life in the Mafia, he is also able to demonstrate how these criminals are also humans with emotions as well.
Vassallo's stories all have purpose and reason and the reader can see how a certain experience he had at a young age, aids him in the future. They are learning points in his life and they all tie into a moral lesson of some sorts for Vassallo; Vassallo does a tremendous job of displaying how one could find this lifestyle as a great source of pride and income. The era in the book is much different than the current generations’ world. Power does not come from the law in the town or Newark, New Jersey; it comes from the crime families who make the most money and tip off the law of Newark. Each of the four chapters of the book depict this infamous justice system, each getting more intense throughout the book. The first chapter explains Vassallo's childhood experiences, the second chapter is filled with tales of how Russell got involved with the mob, the third chapter diving into the deep roots of the Mafia, and the fourth chapter describing how it all came to a conclusion for Vassallo. Overall, the book resembles to movies such as the Godfather, Goodfellas, and Scarface, all exciting and action packed stories. Vassallo is able to document how this notorious underground world works, while being able to share his own personal insight on why these men choose to be a part of that life. Streetwise is an action packed, exciting story that gives new light onto a very mysterious and treacherous lifestyle. It’s a great read filled with suspenseful and surreal stories, combined with a genuine and relatable narrative tone.