Legacy of the Yosemite Mafia: The Ranger Image and Noble Cause Corruption in the National Park Service

by Paul D. Berkowitz, James Reynolds

Calling upon his unique experiences as a criminal investigator in the National Park Service (NPS), Berkowitz proves how an over-emphasis on image (the "ranger image") has led to an NPS culture that accepts misconduct. Citing verified news accounts, internal agency documents, and personal notes, this dramatic case study challenges conventional wisdom and official accounts of agency history. Agency culture set in motion nearly a half-century ago, beginning with a group of employees known as the Yosemite Mafia, includes a demonstrated bias against professional law enforcement and a reluctance to hold senior managers accountable. This book fills a gap in existing literature dealing with noble cause corruption and corrects popular assumptions about the NPS, its history, and its law enforcement responsibilities.

Genres: Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2017

Reviews

[Janna · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are interested in learning about the history of America’s national parks, this a the book for you. If you are interested in learning about true crime that occurred in America’s national parks, this is not a book for you. Unfortunately, I am the latter.

Based on the title and where I’d initially seen this book referenced (“Trailed” by Kathryn Miles), I expected to learn about crimes that have taken place on national park lands that have been subsequently covered up or not investigated in order to protect the image of the National Park Service. Unfortunately (for me), it’s mostly about land acquisition (the first six chapters) and the author’s personal experiences with a lack of accountability within the NPS, specifically focused on an incident when the author was made to be part of the illegal bugging of a meeting. There are some interesting (to me) parts, such as the first documented murder of a ranger on duty, but most of it was exceedingly dry and repetitive.

I also think that the book would have benefitted from further editing. There are several typos, and the phrasing of sentences are often unwieldy, making it even more hard to process and dry to read.

I suppose I’m off to research books that do cover crimes on national parks lands…if any exist, due to the nature of the NPS and its penchant for cover-ups.

[Jolene Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, but then, I was an NPS law enforcement ranger during the mid-90s when Berkowitz was helping implement better NPS law enforcement standards. I think for the average reader, this might be too much "inside baseball." I think it's a good thing for the public to look behind the curtain and be a little more skeptical about the NPS- squeaky clean, do-gooder image.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an online copy of this book from Netgalley.

I don't usually read nonfiction, but I requested this book because I'm interested in the National Park System and the blurb intrigued me. Unfortunately, I ended up with a DNF at about 1/3 of the way through. I think that the subject material certainly has the potential to be interesting, but there was too much information thrown in too fast, which made it a little hard to follow and hard to really get into the book. Additionally, the author's tone lets a lot of his personal bias slip into his writing. It does not feel like an impartial telling of his truth, but rather one man's manifesto about how he is right and the rest of the world is behind for not seeing the truth, which is a bit offputting.

[Rudy Dalessandro · Rating 4 out of 5]

A revealing memoir about the battles within the NPS bureaucracy and how the culture of the NPS contributes to creating problems that didn't have to exist with park stakeholders. Well written, although at times a bit repetitive and rather lengthy, it's a must read for anyone who works for the NPS at any level.

[Joe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not what I expected since they only focused on the ranger perspective and not what they were dealing with within the park. It focused on the career moves for a few rangers. I stopped reading around page 60

[Mpcheek · Rating 1 out of 5]

I shouldn't count this as "read". I did t finish it. I was too bored. Don't know if it is the writing style or what but, I give up.

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paul Berkowitz writes with a purpose: to expose corruption and improve law enforcement in the National Park Service. His previous book, "The Case of the Indian Trader," made a splash within the agency and was perhaps the first book length-expose' in NPS history. His follow-up is not as good of a read, but the content is important and of interest to anyone employed by the NPS. Berkowitz is a good writer, but in "The Yosemite Mafia," a tighter thematic treatment could have made for a more compelling read. As it is, it's pretty dry and disjointed, but my interest was sustained as Berkowitz peeled back the veneer of an image conscious agency to expose an unflattering underbelly.