The Corporation: An Epic Story of the Cuban American Underworld

by T.J. English

A fascinating, cinematic, multigenerational history of the Cuban mob in the US from "America’s top chronicler of organized crime"* and New York Times bestselling author of Havana Nocturne.

By the mid 1980s, the criminal underworld in the United States had become an ethnic polyglot; one of the most powerful illicit organizations was none other than the Cuban mob. Known on both sides of the law as "the Corporation," the Cuban mob’s power stemmed from a criminal culture embedded in south Florida’s exile community—those who had been chased from the island by Castro’s revolution and planned to overthrow the Marxist dictator and reclaim their nation.

An epic story of gangsters, drugs, violence, sex, and murder rooted in the streets, The Corporation reveals how an entire generation of political exiles, refugees, racketeers, corrupt cops, hitmen, and their wives and girlfriends became caught up in an American saga of desperation and empire building. T. J. English interweaves the voices of insiders speaking openly for the first time with a trove of investigative material he has gathered over many decades to tell the story of this successful criminal enterprise, setting it against the larger backdrop of revolution, exile, and ethnicity that makes it one of the great American gangster stories that has been overlooked—until now.

Drawing on the detailed reporting and impressive volume of evidence that drive his bestselling works, English offers a riveting, in-depth look at this powerful and sordid crime organization and its hold in the US.

Genres: Crime, Nonfiction, History, True Crime, Biography, Thriller, Mystery

584 pages, Hardcover

First published March 13, 2018

About the author

T.J. English's latest book is THE LAST KILO. English is an author and journalist with an emphasis on organized crime, the criminal underworld, and the criminal justice system. Many of his books have been New York Times bestsellers, including HAVANA NOCTURNE, THE SAVAGE CITY, PADDY WHACKED, and WHERE THE BODIES WERE BURIED. Four of his books have been nominated for an Edgar Award in the category of Best Fact Crime (BORN TO KILL, HAVANA NOCTURNE, THE SAVAGE CITY, WHERE THE BODIES WERE BURIED). In 2023, his book DANGEROUS RHYTHMS was given a special award by PEN Oakland. A collection of his journalism was published under the title WHITEY'S PAYBACK, an anthology that includes articles originally printed in Playboy, Newsweek, Esquire, The New York Times, and other national publications. He lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was predisposed to like this book - being Cuban-American, a crime writer particularly obsessed with the mob and a fan of TJ English's past Cuba book - the superb HAVANA NOCTURNE, so take this review with that in mind.

It wasn't surprising to learn, after reading the book, that the writing of it was spurred by Hollywood - the story of Jose Miguel Battle is as cinematic and dramatic as any mob movie, with flashes of The Godfather, Goodfellas and Scarface. English's research is comprehensive and well-paced, keeping the book's sprawling subject matter moving along at a good clip. English is an old hand at this, and is adept at introducing and reintroducing plot elements, making it feel smooth and painless when it most certainly isn't. Though the prose tends to lean toward the hyperactive and exaggerated, it fits - because the story you're reading is all about excess and larger-than-life personalities. An informative but also breezy read that will interest any fans of true crime or students of organized crime looking for something that spotlights other gangs that aren't the Mafia.

[Bookteafull (Danny) · Rating 4 out of 5]

That moment when my father tells me not to review a book on the Cuban mafia and organized crime because "friends are implicated."

#yikes

[Aleks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was a gripping book. I heard about it first on the Joe Rogan Podcast when the author was a guest.

It's definitely an ambitious tale, you can tell by the length, time span, and the amount of characters it attempts to cover. The story of the Cuban mafia is a hidden gem, just like Bolita is a hidden gem in the world of crime. It often goes unnoticed compared to the Mafia, black gangs like the Bloods and Crips, the Colombian cartels, and the infamous cocaine crime era.

Jose Miguel Battle, the main character, compares Bolita to cocaine dealing; he says something like, "your business is like a tap that turns on suddenly and gushes a lot of water before turning off for a long time. My business is like a smaller tap and a smaller stream that is constantly on."

I find that second part of the description also matches this book. Once the characters are introduced, the story practically tells itself. It has a natural momentum and it keeps the reader engaged, even though the story arc of a rags-to-riches-and-back-again crime story is familiar to many readers.

The author does a good job of juggling all of the characters. There are a lot of technicalities like government branches, police districts, etc. and the author does a good job of not getting entangled in them.

The story-telling itself is very direct and factual. I think a more talented writer could have added more flair and dynamism to the story, especially when it comes to anecdotes. I don't necessarily blame the author -- like I said, the story tells itself, he just winds the gear and points in the right direction

Overall I was very satisfied. I would definitely recommend this to book to people interested in true crime, history, the Cuban diaspora, the JFK assassination, and the Bay of Pigs.

[Jose · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Corporation by TJ English once again proves anyone can be a writer in this modern day digital age and where sources are an illegimate and murderous Regime like the Castros and The Cuban Military, we have so many "experts" such as Julia Sweig, Peter Kornbluh,Louise Bardach and Louis Perez and of Course that Spy Marifeli Perez-Stable on Cuba, Exiles,The disapora and of course "Evil" Immoral Pre-Castro Cuba. Yet is it not immoral to send 15 year old kids to the firing squad during the revoultion whose only crime was to oppose the real mafia which is the Castros and the enablers of said regime. Most of these so-called Books are ad-verbatim(read vomit re-spewed) that claim to be comprehensive or tell-all we have heard and read it before. It's just to sell books, every ethnic group has it's malcontents but authors like these exploit The ignorance of Non-Cuban hispanics and Of Course Anglo and Black sympathizers of the regime who want to only talk about the bad of our heritage and not the contributions made. "T.J." Claims to be a authority on Organized crime but he's just another copy and paste author in a age where anybody is an expert and anyone is a writer. Yes The Corporation Ran numbers rackets,but Big Government,Leftists and dishonesty is the biggest Racket of them all. I can't wait for English' next book probably again Bashing Cubans and Cuban-Americans while parroting the old Cuban Mafia Mythos,after all Castroism worked well for Most of Latin America?

[Alan Donaghey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This true crime book sucks you in from the very first page, illuminating the role of organized crime and gangsterism that is inseparable from the American Identity. TJ English not only recalls with exceptional detail the events surrounding the creation of the Cuban Mafia and their relationship to the Five Families via illegal gambling in NYC but also the personal histories of each person involved amongst a backdrop of American History that is influenced by Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution, the CIA and its relationship to Cuban anticommunist militants, The Bay of Pigs and the Assassination of JFK, the influx of narcotics into Miami through the latter half of the 20th century, and even the funding of the CONTRAS in opposition to the Sandanista Government of Nicaragua in the 1980's. A truly exceptional book, would recommend!

[MM Suarez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Havana Nocturne and I loved this one, If you like to read about organized crime, the mob or even Cuban history, no body does it better than T.J. English.

[Jorge A Barriere-Mendez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not able to get away from the non-stop reading of The Corporation by T J English. From the moment I found out about this book and the connection with my soon to be published novel, Papi's Lover, it became a must-read.
Having personally known Jose Miguel Battle and my involvement with the world of "La Bolita", it immediately sparked my interest in the book's content and legitimacy.
While there are many anecdotes still to be told and information on how "La Bolita" business operated, the research done by Jose Daniel Freixas (Jaydee), Tony Gonzalez and by T J English was excellent. The movie, which rights were acquired by Paramount Pictures is a fantastic project and one movie you wouldn't want to miss.
The book: An excellent read and masterwork by author TJ English. Congratulations to this amazing team.

[Emory · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best parts of the book were the first 100 or so pages speculating about potential Cuban involvement in the assassination of JFK, Lee Harvey Oswald's history, and the anti-Castro movement by Cuban exiles and their attempts to assassinate Fidel Castro. I often found myself wishing the entire book has been about that rather than focusing Jose Miguel Battle, who I never felt quite invested in or cared much about.

[Paul Basile · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book I have read this year.

[Michael Pancier · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like crime and mob histories this one is a good one. Don't agree with the author on some items where he tends to get his facts from Cuban government spokesmen; but his narrative of the criminal activity and the players is done very well.

[Amanda (Books, Life and Everything Nice) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways. As always, an honest review.

The Corporation is exactly what it sounds like; a story of the Cuban American underworld complete with crime, murder, deception, illegal gambling, and much more. Except to me the story wasn't epic like the title claims. I learned a lot from the book, which I had hoped since it's over 500 pages! Some parts were interesting, but a lot of it was very fact heavy, filled with overwhelming amounts of information. Because of this I could only read 20 to 30 pages at a time, so it took a long while to finish the book.

I thought the content would be different. More of a historical and sociological look at the time and culture of these events/people. Instead it was the life and crime surrounding these mob families. If you're a fan of the criminal life and underworld, then sincerely this book will probably interest you way more than it did me.

I hate saying that I didn't like a book, but I found it to be just okay. There were good and problematic parts. One such aspect was that I didn't connect with the people and events, so I didn't get pulled into the stories of their lives. I could definitely have done without the color photos of crime scenes and dead bodies. It was a bit much, and I'm not the squeamish type.

Overall, The Corporation is not a bad book by any means. Don't let all of my critiques make you think it is. It's just one of those books that I could stop reading in the middle and not care if I finished it. However, if the topics, events and people intrigue you, then know there is a lot of information in the book for you.

[Pablo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read TJ English's book The Westies, which I thought was excellent, so I was looking forward to this book about the Cuban gangster Jose Miguel Battle, who led the Cuban underworld in the New York area for decades. Despite some interesting stories, particularly in the first third of the book, it fell into a mishmash of disjointed anecdotes with few interesting characters. It felt like English wrote this one on cruise control.

[Susanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started reading the book the first 100 pages were very interesting then I had to fight through the next 200 pages. After that it got interesting again and the last 50 pages I was bored again. So that's why it only gets 3 stars.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a tough read for me. I don't think it was poorly written and it's obviously extremely well researched. I just think I didn't gel with TJ's writing style.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alvarez, fifty-nine years old, was a bit of a dandy. He was dressed in a plaid sports coat, white dress shirt, white slacks, and white shoes. His hair was mostly gray, and he had long sideburns in the 1970s style. The hit men cruised up in the Cadillac and opened fire. Loco was caught off guard; he tried to run, but it was too late. He was hit seven times and fell to the pavement.


When it comes to reading about organised crime, there is something that has always drawn me. Maybe it's the romanticised notion of guys struggling their way from nothing to get to the top, come hell or high water. There is little doubt that The Godfather, the iconic film starring Marlon Brando in the lead role, and other films of a similar ilk, have done anything to dispel this illusion. And an illusion is exactly what it is; make no mistake, even the most suave and sophisticated mafioso is almost always, underneath the veneer of respectability, a thug; a wolf in sheep's clothing.

The idea that organised crime is (and always has been) largely controlled by outright, raging psychopaths, who will stop at nothing to get and then retain what they believe is rightfully theirs, is an idea that is seldom explored in literature on the subject; fiction in particular, but also to a lesser extent, non-fiction. And that's what makes this book rise above a lot of such work. Almost from the outset T.J. English, in his lengthy and yet thoroughly engrossing story of Jose Miguel Battle, leaves us in little doubt as to how the man earned his title, El Padrino (The Godfather). It was through sheer brutality and ruthlessness, combined with a criminal's eye for the opportunity to exploit the weakness of others.

Of course, there is also not an immense body of written work on the 'Cuban Mafia', or as it later came to be known, The Corporation and that alone lends this book some weight in terms of uniqueness. English takes us on the full journey of Battle's life; his beginnings as a Havana cop, his involvement in the infamous and ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion, his escape to U.S. soil and the criminal entrepreneurship which drove him to begin, and eventually run, the numbers racket in New York. English explains the almost innate enjoyment which Cubans have for numbers betting, which they even have their own word for; bolito.

If there is one trait of Battle's which English goes to great lengths to express on the written page, it is his almost pathological desire for revenge. The story of Battle's pursuit of the man who murdered his younger brother Pablo, is deeply gripping, all the more so for the fact that it takes around a dozen attempts before his brothers death is eventually avenged. Later in the book an estranged wife also falls prey to Battle's thirst for revenge, some years after he first hears that she had been having an affair behind his back with one of the young staff members in the Peruvian casino which Battle owns.

The pursuit of Battle by law enforcement agents is every bit as compelling to read as the exploits of the man himself. The frustrations, the sacrifices, the 'I think we have him' moments, followed by the 'we nearly got him' moments, the endless hours of painstaking surveillance and the courtroom drama's which unfold throughout the book, all make The Corporation, worth more than a second glance.

Ultimately, English leaves us with a renewed sense of hope as far as the Cuban population and that of Cuban immigrants to the U.S. is concerned. The Corporation (if it even exists today), will certainly be a mere shadow it's former self in terms of clout in the criminal underworld, and since the passing of Fidel Castro, Cuba itself could itself possibly become a new bastion of opportunity and commerce. A very different country from that which Jose Miguel Battle fled in 1961.

[Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over the past few weeks, I burrowed down into a rabbit hole of sorts off the beaten path of my usual genres, delving into the criminal underworld of Cuban American racketeering with T.J. English’s The Corporation: An Epic Story of the Cuban American Underworld. In this text, English provides a narrative overview of the rise of Jose Miguel Battle in the cities of New York and Miami as a bolitero, or numbers boss, following his army service as a Bay of Pigs brigadista.

Within the text, English offers a narrative of how Battle rises from the streets as a numbers runner to eventually holding the title of El Padrino for the continental United States concerning the bolita - illicit ball lottery. Along the way, readers are presented with a variety of characters including hitmen, fellow numbers bosses, lawyers, detectives, and spouses - both wives & girlfriends. The interactions between these personages is greatly emphasized, backed by wiretaps and manuscripts from police interviews, truly providing an in depth analysis of how incidents went down, including the motivations behind them.

One of the aspects of the storyline that particularly gripped my attention was the parallel storyline English offers of other Bay of Pigs veterans that continued working with the CIA in clandestine attempts to assassinate Castro and ultimately overthrow the communist regime of Cuba. Criminal activities aside for these Cuban men in the bolita underworld, they remained deeply committed to their patriotism towards Cuba, even funnelling funds towards such anti-Castro activities when possible. Accordingly, characters such as Luis Posada Carriles and Felix Rodriguez make recurring appearances throughout the text, and offer an idea into how intertwined mafia operations and undercover operations truly are. This is something that has become increasingly present in modern day historical depictions, such as in Narcos or The Untold History of the United States.

Overall, The Corporation does a fantastic job at providing a glimpse into the criminal underworld surrounding racketeering, detailing ever chilling aspect of the horrific violence based on greed, bloodlust, and thirst for revenge. Steeped deeply in Cuban patriotism and the hate for communism, English is magnificent in his portrayal of fellow Bay of Pigs veterans, only this time as foils - some turning to the criminal lifestyle of bolita, whereas others remained committed to the cause, ultimately working for the CIA in many different clandestine ways to topple the communist government of the island. Regardless of your love of mafia stories or your preference to clandestine historical tales, The Corporation offers a little bit of narrative for everyone in this page turning text. Happy Reading!

[Manny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book. It struck a cord with me specifically, because growing up in a Cuban family with Cubans all around, "bolita" (illegal numbers racket) was a normal thing we were used to seeing. I had close family members that were "boliteros" (racketeers placing and taking bets). This book takes place in many of the places I remember growing up around.

The book starts out during the pre-Castro era, when Batista was the Scum Bag de'jour. The irony, which I did not know until reading the book, was the history of Baptista and Fidel. Batista was the president of Cuba and was corrupt and in bed with mafiosos. He lost a bid for reelection and moved to Tampa, FL. Later he wanted to re-take his power and ran for reelection again. Knowing he would lose, he decided to plan a coup. Once he had taken power again, Fidel wanted to take Batista to court because HE believed that Batista was not properly elected and as such did not recognize Batista as president. When attempts to bring him to court failed, Fidel himself assembled a coup and took the island nation for himself. Later being more brutal and more corrupt than Batista ever was.

English then spins the web of criminality by Juan Miguel Battle, a Bay of Pigs "hero" and his rise and subsequent fall in a criminal enterprise between Florida, New York, New Jersey and even Internationally to Spain, Peru, and other countries. Along with family and friends who assisted Battle in his criminal enterprise. Starting with numbers racket (which remained the staple of their incoming) and moving into murder for hire and narcotics.

The book is exceptionally researched and well written. The one thing that bothered me a bit was the unnecessary use of Spanish words when the book was written in English. Words like: Rata (rat), hombre (man), pronto (soon), barrio (neighborhood), La Causa (the cause), patria (country). These words were used when it was not necessary. The English version would have sufficed. Other than that, it was a book I enjoyed and plan to read other books by Mr. English regarding the Cubans in Miami.

[Andrew Tollemache · Rating 4 out of 5]

TJ English has once again added another great volume to his ongoing series of books on ethnic organized crime in America with 'The Corporation". Having already done 2 books on Irish mobsters, The Mob in Cuba and Vietnamese mafia, English has written a lengthy tale of the Cuban Mafia. Centered around a clique of former Bay of Pigs veterans who once released from Castro's gaols came to the US to run their own version of the "Numbers Racket" in the NY/NJ and Miami area. Centered around one Jose Miguel Battle, a one time Havana cop turned CIA sponsored anti-Castro mercenary, the Cuban mafia would morph into the Corporation whose bread and butter was Bolita a Cuban borne version of the Numbers racket.
With initial permission, but often heated conflict with the NY Italian Mob, the Corporation used this inner city illegal lottery to create a mulit-million behemoth that its peak in the 70s generated $45M a year in profits. While not as glamorous as other mob enterprises the money itself was enough to trigger a string of internecine fights and killings amongst those involved that spanned decades up and down the East Coast. Making matters worse since many of those involved had been trained by the CIA in their Brigade 2506 days, they had a flair and love of bombs. In the mid 1970s car bomb hits in Union City/Hudson County NJ were de rigeur.
Battle would eventually become known in the Cuban emigre community as El Padrino and seemed to even start emulating Brando's character in The Godfather down to the raspy voice honed by almost continuos viewings of the Coppola trilogy.
Like all such tales it all eventually imploded in a swirl of excessive murder & mayhem, blood feuds and of course tax evasion/money laundering prosecutions.

[Pete daPixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I spotted this book on my local library's 'new publications' shelf, a brief perusal of its contents promised to possibly shed light on a related subject matter that I hold an interest in. Having recently read two volumes of Professor John Newman's projected five volume opus on the JFK assassination, I considered whether any of Newman's named operatives, cryptonyms and pseudonyms may possibly turn up in T.J. English's research. Apart from the few obvious, well known references, I drew a blank. That turned out to be my only disappointment.

'The Corporation: The Rise and Fall of America's Cuban Mafia' is an epic tale that spans decades. The author commences this tale in the Cuba of the 1950's and concludes with criminal trials held in 2006. Between these dates this book documents in superb detail how thousands of mainly Cuban ex-patriots built their criminal empire, that eventually grew to rival 'Cosa Nostra'.
With a 'Godfather' who impersonated Marlon Brando and ran his numbers rackets, money laundering, drugs, arson hits and hit men with violence and fear, the 'Corporation' finally fell after years of federal investigations in New York and Miami. With over five hundred pages and detailed Notes, I cannot fault the narrative and the impeccable research that has put this story together.

[Joano · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is based on the audio version.

The story of US Cuban mafia boss, Jose Miguel Battle, from his days as a Policeman in Cuba, up to his death in 2007.

This was a well researched book, with first person accounts from descendants of those in The Corporation and the detectives who were investigating this case.

I can never understand the loyalty of the Latino population to the Republican Party, but this book shed light on why. It also gives an unbiased view of the struggles of refugees in US (after the Cuban revolution)There were moments when I empathised with these criminals and had they not started the killings or importation of cocaine their worst was just money laundering (due to the income from the Bolita business)

Having the actual book would make it easier to follow array of people and who is involved in what. Although this book is promoted as a movie in production, there isn’t any more information. Personally, I would like to see this as a TV series to do the book justice.

A great story for people interested in organised crime and Cuban culture in US.

[Bimal Patel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and thrilling story of Cuban American Underworld by T.J. English. This is almost an investigative journalism account of the Godfather of Cuban mafia, a product of failed American Diplomacy with Cuba turned mob boss, a story of a decorated war hero of Bay of Pigs invasion. What started as a small time gambling venture morphed into an enterprise(The Corporation) involving putting out hits, racketeering, money laundering, drugs business under the leadership of Jose Miguel Battle who was given asylum in the US due to failed bay of pigs invasion. With complex structural organization this was truly a Corporation. After ruling the mob scene for years, a hardworking and a dedicated cop David Shanks eventually brought the Corporation and it's key players to their knees. Overall this is an interesting book and if you are looking for a fictional thriller that is really a true crime story, a mob or gangs historian or a history buff you will enjoy this book.

[Michael O'keefe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The comprehensive study of a once honorable life, destroyed by delusion and hubris.

The Corporation, by T. J. English is the most detailed chronicle of a ruined life I have ever read. The main character evolves throughout the book from an honorable revolutionary and war hero into a monstrosity of evil, power and greed ultimately becoming a perfect sociopath. English captures the true nature of a RICO investigation. Unfortunately, the single-minded obsession of the lead investigator exposed him as a bit of a dick, leaving me with no one left to like in the book. Cases like this will do that. I know. I used to do them for a living. Still, T. J. English has crafted an enthralling plus on the Cuban mob, maintaining his status as the best true-crime writer of our generation. I highly recommend this book for readers of any genre. It's that good.

[Peg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure -I received this book as a giveaway although not required to give a review. I found the writing to be pretty thorough and moves the reader easily through time and places. I feel at times certain parts were so in depth to prove it's point, it lost it and other times I was left with some questions. You can easily see the parts where the author is biased but it's not difficult to see past that. I learned a few things I didn't know, a few things that were very interesting trivia and crosspoints and a few things that really had no bearing for even the feel of the book. Overall, I enjoyed the read and wouldn't hesitate to pick up another one of his books just for ease and draw of his writing.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of "The Corporation: An Epic Story of the Cuban American Underworld" by T. J. English, through the "Good Reads First Reads Giveaway."

This is a lucid and detailed look at the Cuban American Criminal World. This book is both well researched and well written, given the reader historic information about heroes becoming criminals. Although, the book reads like a series of short novels, it seems to represent true history. "The Corporation" had to involve tremendous research and organization by the author.

A TV series based on the events documented here, would give the "Sopranos" a run for their money.

[Ramesh Nyberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was involved in part of this massive investigation (during my time as a homicide investigator in south Florida). TJ English again describes in ornate terms the history and background of Jose Miguel Battle, one of the most overlooked crime boss in history. The massive gambling empire he created in Miami and New York became a rival of the Italian mafia, and the stories of their battles and wars is jaw-dropping. I'm looking forward to the movie, which is in the works. A great read, and every word of it true.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly astounding chronicle of an story in history that is completely overlooked in America. The many threads of the web of the Brigadistas and their impact in the Culture of JFK era politics, anti-communism movements, and terrorism related to the spread of communism through South America. It reads like fiction, but the fact that this is all reality is the more surprising enterprise.

T.J. English is a great author, I really enjoyed this one. It took me some time to work through but it gets to the point where you can't help but see it through.

[F Thomas Andino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crime and History Crushes Egos and Fortunes

There is nothing better than a great crime story especially if it’s from a history that few of us know about.

I grew in NJ and it certainly related to many of the things I saw as a young adult but did not fully understand until this book.

Well researched and organized and a book you don’t want to put down. I need to find out what else this author wrote for my next read.

[Hashim Sheikh · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is very obvious that lot of research and effort has gone into this book. Book is divided into three main sections and allows the reader to truly understand how long the "Corporation" existed. Allows you to really understand how much effort goes into the indictment of criminal organizations. As well how much goes into running away from the law. If you want a truly epic true story, I would recommend this book.

[Mira · Rating 2 out of 5]

I saw the many reviews and praise for this book. So I was excited to read the book and learn more about a world that I didn’t know much about. I heard the five mob families in New York and they ran the city. But I didn’t know about he Cuban population in New York. The first few chapters about the bay of pigs was interesting but the criminal aspect was not. I have not finished the book and not motivated to. It was a lot of information but the writing wasn’t interesting.

[Lukas Holmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this in a Goodreads giveaway and could not have been more excited. I started reading English after The Westies and he's just so good. Nothing changes here (though I have to admit to not understanding the history of Cuba as well as I do New York and the Irish mob) but don't worry, he gives it all to you. Another stellar work.