Gangland New York: The Places and Faces of Mob History

by Anthony M. DeStefano

Get a taste of New York’s underworld by seeing where mobsters lived, worked, ate, played, and died. From the Bowery Boys and the Five Points Gang through the rise of the Jewish “Kosher Nostra” and the ascendance of the Italian Mafia, mobsters have played a major role in the city’s history, lurking just around the corner or inside that nondescript building. Bill “the Butcher” Poole, Paul Kelly, Monk Eastman, “Lucky” Luciano, Carlo Gambino, Meyer Lansky, Mickey Spillane, John Gotti—each held sway over New York neighborhoods that nurtured them and gave them power. As families and factions fought for control, the city became a backdrop for crime scenes, the rackets spreading after World War II to docks, airports, food markets, and garment districts. The streets of Brooklyn, swamps of Staten Island, and vacant lots near LaGuardia Airport hosted assassinations and hasty burials for the unlucky. The bloodlettings, arrests, and trials became front-page fodder for tabloids that thrived on covering Mulberry Street. Chinese, Russian, and Greek mobsters rose to prominence and wrought bloody havoc as well. Each of the book’s five sections—one for each borough—traces criminal activities and area exploits from the nineteenth century to now. Everyone knows about Umberto’s Clam House in Little Italy, but now you can find Scarpato’s restaurant in Coney Island where Joe Masseria was killed by henchmen of Salvatore Maranzano, who in turn died in a Park Avenue office building at the hands of “Lucky” Luciano a few months later. From the Bronx to Brighton Beach, from New Springville to Ozone Park, here is a comprehensive, on-the-ground guide to mob life in the Rotten Apple.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, History, Audiobook, Crime

216 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2015

About the author

Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for the past twenty years for Newsday in New York City, specializing in criminal justice and legal affairs. He is the author of The Last Godfather, King of the Godfathers, Mob Killer,The War on Human Trafficking, and Gangland New York, among others. He has appeared on Biography Channel programs as an expert on organized crime and he also speaks at academic conferences about crime and human trafficking.

(source: Amazon)

Reviews

[Leo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't normalt read books about criminals /mafia nonfiction but I decided to give it ago as I sometimes read fictions books with some mafia in it. And I must say I much prefer the made up mafia to read about. It was a good researched book but didn't interested me much

[Allie · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF...I felt like this book lacked cohesiveness. I can see what the author was trying to accomplish, but at the end of the day I just wasn’t that interested, which is strange since the Mafia on it’s own is very interesting. I think by limiting the facts to mob events New York and only providing high level detail the author does a great disservice to the actual players themselves. I still would read more about NY organized crime, I would just probably read something a little more comprehensive or focused on one or two of the bosses, if you know what I mean.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting tidbits, but overall fairly disorganized.

I listened to it as an audiobook and several mispronunciations were distracting.

It was fine. If you read a lot about organized crime you probably already know most of the information offered here.

[Lauren Schnoebelen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know this hasn't gotten as much attention as other mob history books but I think many are missing out. This book is great in its ability to connect the many deaths that occurred during this time period with descriptive details of the actual locations of where they happened. Breaking the book up into the 5 different Boroughs of New York was the best choice and allowed the author to really get into the details of many different events that were happening all at once. What I appreciated most about this was the vast amount of diversity found within. Most histories on the New York Mod focus primarily on the Italian Mafia from 1920s to the end of the era but this was different. The author went into detail that discussed the beginning of the creation of the different mob activities of New York starting in the late 1800s (so starting around 1870-1880). During this time he made sure to focus on the involvement of Irish immigrants in the gang violence but also the role that women played in it and how at many times they were also feared just as much. This book covered the violent histories of Irish, Italian, Chinese, African American and Canadian gang violence and really took you on a journey through history. I really enjoyed the audiobook (except for a few weird voices here or there when the narrator was quoting a mourning widow or child) and would highly suggest this to anyone who is interested in learning more about the geographic connects to Mob History and how America has chosen not to preserve many of these places in hopes of moving away from this violent past.

[Madame Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

An informative and gripping read on gangsters who ruled and bloodied New York City. Moving along chronologically, DeStefano profiles the criminals and their wrong doings by boroughs and neighbourhoods. Most of the gangsters ruled parts of Manhattan like Hells Kitchen, Five Points, Chinatown and Little Italy. It was interesting to read about the ones in Brooklyn, and Queens. I will definitely be coming back to this book for reference.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting roundup

I was hoping for more photos of the places crimes were committed and mafia types hung out, landmarks, etc. There are a good number of pictures. But it's more like a written history, less a photographic tour of mafia life through the years in the New York area.

[Charlie Bradford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly. There's better out there. If you're going to read tons of American mob books, then it's not a waste of time. I just don't know how the narrator makes it sound so god damn dull when it's interesting stuff. Maybe it's better in written form?

[Katelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating. My only complaint is that it jumps around in a way that makes the reading feel choppy. Great content.

[Mark Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short, superficial account of New York's mob history. It omits more than it includes.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're headed to New York City, and wonder precisely where and when major events (mostly murders) actually occurred during the history of organized crime in New York, this is your book.