The Life and Times of Frank Balistrieri: The Last, Most Powerful Godfather of Milwaukee

by Wayne Clingman, Zack Long

Who was Frank Peter Balistrieri, the last and most power Godfather of the Milwaukee Mafia? Based on hundreds of FBI documents obtained by a Freedom of Information request (as well as substantiating research), Wayne Clingman and Zack Long lay out a timeline of Frank 'The Mad Bomber' Balistrieri's rise through the ranks of the Italian-American criminal underground and through his time controlling Milwaukee. From car bombs to the fabled Las Vegas casino skim, Balistrieri's little known story is sure to prove a captivating one.

Genres: True Crime, History, Nonfiction

143 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 15, 2019

Reviews

[Donovich · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Life and Times of Frank Balistrieri is a well-researched and thorough examination of Balistrieri’s FBI files obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. Weaving the story around these documents, the authors uncover the sordid history of Frank Balistrieri, the longtime Milwaukee kingpin also known as the “Mad Bomber” due to his penchant for violently killing his enemies with explosives. Most notable for his involvement in casino skimming, Balistieri is also suspected of ordering the car bomb that almost killed mob figure Frank Rosenthal (the character Sam “Ace” Rothstein, portrayed by Robert DeNiro in the film Casino, was based Rosenthal’s life). As authors Clingman and Long dive into Balistrieri’s life, they also provide in-depth coverage of not only Milwaukee’s criminal syndicate, but give us a glimpse into Chicago and Kansas City as well, all while exposing a multitude of lesser known colorful characters and shadowy figures with names like Buster, Antonio, and Rizzo. The book is a must for anyone interested in delving into the intricacies of the mafia beyond the infamous rackets run in Las Vegas and New York.

[James Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting, if sparse, look at Balistrieri. The author right up front says this is a side project from the movie he was working on, which I appreciate. He also comes out and says that the majority of the sources he uses are mostly derived from a FOI request. Nothing wrong with that, but it does mean that this lacks the flavor, the personality, of most other true crime books. However, one thing that it does do well, is hit on the early days of Balistrieri, in a way that I have not seen in other books that talk about the Mad Bomber. That is what helps make this book stand out, it isn't a rehashing of the information we all know. We hardly have a dozen pages that mention the Vegas operation and the skim. In fact, at one point the author says you can just watch Casino, and let's be honest, if you are reading this book, you already have. And read the book.

Overall, I would say this is a solid, quick read. Especially worthwhile if you are from the Wisconsin area.

[Nate Hendley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Using FBI files and other sources, this book offers a startling look at the criminal life of Frank Balistrieri, one-time top-ranking Mafia boss in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. While often overshadowed by his better-known counterparts in Chicago and New York City, Balistrieri was a force to be reckoned with—as this book makes abundantly clear. He ruled Milwaukee rackets with a tight grip and earned the nickname "Mad Bomber" for his rumoured involvement in explosive "hits" on individuals who earned his wrath or scorn.

While still a somewhat mysterious figure today, even decades after his death, Balistrieri played a major role in some of the Mafia's biggest crimes, such as the notorious Las Vegas "skimming" operation (in which a percentage of profits from mob-controlled Vegas casinos were siphoned off and distributed to mob leaders instead of being properly accounted for in tax submissions to the IRS).

A fascinating book about an elusive mob figure.

-Nate Hendley, true-crime writer and author of "The Boy on the Bicycle: A Forgotten Case of Wrongful Conviction in Toronto"

[Joshua Johnson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just Awful

This book is terrible. Just awful. It is an absolute pain in the ass to read. There's good information here, but that's just the problem. The book reads like a fact sheet, and a scattered and disorganized one at that. It jumps around from topic to topic in almost every paragraph. The paragraphs themselves are wooden and lack flow, as does the entire book. And it tries way too hard to create a sense of mystery or whatever.

The guy who wrote this is obviously a talented researcher. But he's a horrible writer. I got midway through Chapter 3 and I had to stop reading. I couldn't take it anymore. Its just a bunch of jumbled information from documents. That's all this book is.

[Lois · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you lived in Milwaukee during this time I think you would already know everything that is in the book and more. The cited FBI files basically told nothing..a lot of he said, she said...read between the lines. A better story would be to write about Franks family, Joey, John and Benedetto. See what they did and their experiences in conjunction with their father.

[Matthew Burroughs · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Life and Times of Frank Balistrieri: The Last, Most Powerful Godfather of Milwaukee by Wayne Clingman and Zack Long is an in depth exploration of the true Godfather of Milwaukee, the late Frank Balistrieri. We tend to romanticize organized crime in our media, however, from nearly the first chapter we see that Balistrieri is not someone that meets this metric. The Mad Bomber doesn’t seem to be a man of a higher purpose, or a devil with good intentions…Balistrieri sounds just plain bad. There’s a certain charm to that however, as the research displayed in the text by the authors is easy to identify with when you realize it’s all about the money. There’s a lot of sifting to do as a reader when looking for these nuggets however, as the authors leave no stone unturned and present dates, facts, and secondary names whether you need them or not for comprehension. Sure, some people will be frustrated by the juicy anecdotes buried within so much data, but I appreciated the digging in a way. Think of it like an FBI agent, digging through boxes and boxes of material on a criminal empire (apt to how the source material was obtained). Yes, you have to comb through some boring facts and figures, but the payoffs of strip club loopholes and casino corruption feel like genuine nuggets when you finally unearth them.

Verdict: The Life and Times of Frank Balistrieri by Wayne Clingman and Zack Long is a thoroughly in-depth look at one of the more “lost to history” factors of organized crime in the United States. Starting in the midwest and making the move to Las Vegas during the eras of major corruption, people like Balistrieri serve multiple purposes. First, as impressive notions to their style of genius, but also as a cautionary tale to how industries and cities can be ruined by actions of criminals. The research presented in the book will surely deter some, as it’s unabridged and sometimes hard to follow. However if you’re willing to put the work in, there’s a rewarding experience to be had in learning about one of America’s most interesting mafiosos. Always remember what was said in The Godfather: behind every successful fortune, there is a crime.

Special thanks to Wayne Clingman for provide a copy of The Life and Times of Frank Balistrieri to TehBen.com for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Ocean G · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was meticulously researched on the one hand, but seemed to be lacking so much on the other. At one point the author(s) point out that obtaining some documents via the FOI act would take too long so they didn't' do so (granted, this was ancillary to Balistrieri, but could have still helped a bit). Also there seems to be no mention of his sons. Wikipedia says they were quite involved and, in fact, were arrested along with him. There is no mention of any of this in the book.

It is also interesting that, after Balistrieri's death, his son, then his brother, then his consigliere, all became bosses of the Milwaukee Mafia. Of course, this may be because there weren't that many people in this faction to begin with. Unfortunately none of this was addressed in the book either (I got it from Wikipedia again).

Also, apparently Frank Balistrieri's daughter is suing her brothers and sister for part of the family fortune (again, not mentioned in the book): https://www.milwaukeemag.com/Daughter...


Don't get me wrong. There was plenty of information in this book. Especially interesting were the section on Skimming, Rosenthal's car bombing, and the killing of Sam Cesario.

[Mike Cunha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on actual FBI files and documents, The Life and Times of Frank Balistrieri: The Last, Most Powerful Godfather of Milwaukee tells the life story of one of the American Mafia’s crime family dons. For years Balistrieri avoided the notice of the FBI, although his career path clearly led him up the chain of Mafia ranks. Reading a biography of the Mad Bomber put together from the FBI’s own files provides an interesting point of view, and allows you to see how the FBI worked in creating their files. The authors do a great job of crafting the history of this American gangster, from his early life through his rise through the Milwaukee Mob’s ranks and on to his death. Fans of Mafia history will enjoy this work.

[Mkittysamom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good but short

It seems most info on from FBI files with a couple other sources. Easy to read, but no depth, just facts basically. While I started out knowing nothing , it was interesting and better than me trying to decipher redacted files lol. Good job, I think that his writing will get better with more stories! I am a Cheesehead so partly was interested in one of my cities! I would suggest to anyone who wants to know about Frank and mafia! I never knew he was in the casino skim from the movie “Casino” & there are references to it in here as well!

[John Dymale · Rating 1 out of 5]

A waste of effort.

This book goes little further than presenting information found in a few FBI files obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. The same information is found on any of the popular Mafia websites. The difference is that the writing in this book is horrible. Entire paragraphs of questions take up space to make the book seem longer than it is. And those questions are really answered with any depth or insight

[TRISHA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Confusing

This book goes from one extreme to the next. Some of it doesn't make sense. It does give an insight into the Mafia and Las Vegas.

[Dave Kasten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Highly recommended for any Wisconsin native! Very informative. Also anyone who's not a WI. Native will learn much information on this not so known Milwaukee Don.

[Roling K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting. I don't know anything about the Mafia. Guess I just never went through that phase. Learning about one godfather was a decent start.