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The Mafia and the Machine: The Story of the Kansas City Mob
The story of the American Mafia is not complete without a chapter on Kansas City. The City of Fountains has appeared in the The Godfather, Casino, and The Sopranos, but many Midwesterners are not aware that Kansas City has affected the fortunes of the entire underworld. In The Mafia and the Machine, author Frank Hayde ties in every major name in organized crime-Luciano, Bugsy, Lansky-as well as the city's corrupt police force.
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 30, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
January 11, 2024
This turned out to be an extremely interesting installment in my ceaseless study (obsession) of gangsters/mafia/organized crime! I learned way more than I thought I would! I enjoyed learning about the connections the Kansas City mob had with the New York and Chicago mobs. This book has so much information which is impressive since it's not all that long. Clearly, the author worked hard and did tons of research. I'm definitely glad I decided to read this! It's a must read for anyone who enjoys the history of organized crime.
October 31, 2017
I started this book on a Sunday afternoon and had to read it in one setting, I couldn't put it down. Even if you're not within a few hours of KC, it's a fascinating look at the relationship between the mafia and politics.
July 3, 2008
Brilliant. The first half covers a lot of the same stories related in Tom's Town, but this is a much lighter, quicker and frankly entertaining read. Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in the mafia or the dark, ignored side of Kansas City history. I can't wait to read it again.
November 13, 2023
Really enjoyed the book. Living in the KC area made it all the history more relevant. There were a lot connections to people and places especially the Pendergast era. For those outside of KC it would be interesting to see how the KC mob was involved with the building of Las Vegas and the Teamsters Union.
February 13, 2008
Author Frank Hayde left no stone unturned as he assembled a comprehensive and readable history of the Kansas City underworld. He neatly tied together generations of political shenanigans by the influential Pendergast political machine and numerous murders and illicit business ventures by the local Sicilian-Italian Mafia organization.
In telling just over a century's worth of history, Hayde did considerably more than merely hit the high points - the Union Station Massacre, point-shaving allegations against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Strawman case, and the shocking assassination of a political boss within a Democratic headquarters. Hayde also provided rich detail on little known events, such as the Election Day riots of the 1920s and 1930s and the River Quay war, without ever allowing his narrative to become bogged down.
The result is the most complete picture yet of the Kansas City underworld and of the mutualistic relationship between organized politics and organized crime.
As thorough and well crafted as the book is, there are some missing elements. There is no index, and the Table of Contents' brief titles often provide little or no clue as to the subject or time period dealt with in individual chapters. Researchers on the topic of Kansas City organized crime could also be frustrated by the lack of notes and the incompleteness of the bibliography.
As it stands, The Mafia and the Machine is solid history and interesting reading.
In telling just over a century's worth of history, Hayde did considerably more than merely hit the high points - the Union Station Massacre, point-shaving allegations against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Strawman case, and the shocking assassination of a political boss within a Democratic headquarters. Hayde also provided rich detail on little known events, such as the Election Day riots of the 1920s and 1930s and the River Quay war, without ever allowing his narrative to become bogged down.
The result is the most complete picture yet of the Kansas City underworld and of the mutualistic relationship between organized politics and organized crime.
As thorough and well crafted as the book is, there are some missing elements. There is no index, and the Table of Contents' brief titles often provide little or no clue as to the subject or time period dealt with in individual chapters. Researchers on the topic of Kansas City organized crime could also be frustrated by the lack of notes and the incompleteness of the bibliography.
As it stands, The Mafia and the Machine is solid history and interesting reading.
December 9, 2020
As others have pointed out in their reviews, this can be a bit dizzying as the reader attempts to keep the characters straight. The book balances the sometimes competing tasks of delivering an entertaining narrative and being a solid historical document and mostly manages to do so. Once I gave up on keeping everyone straight, I just went along for the ride — and enjoyed it.
December 22, 2018
Top 3 mafia cities in the US: NYC, Chicago, and KC. This book explores the mafia’s relationship with political bosses and how it made KC the city it is today. Great read
June 20, 2025
I flew through this one in just a few sittings, and I am really glad I did. This book is a treasure trove of interesting facts and information. It's not a large volume, and it covers a large amount of history, so it is understandable that this is pretty much a "survey course" on the subject; if you want more, you'll have to start doing more reading and research.
Because of this, I worry that many readers will feel like they're not getting a whole story... but they are. They're getting a story of a city, not the story of any one figure from it. Almost every chapter of this contains stories that could fill their own books, documentaries, etc. This is a great overview.
Additionally, it must be said that the writing is not without faults. It's certainly not bad, but the prevalence of typos makes me question the editing done by the publisher. It can also seem repetitive, because certain events crop up when discussing different people. This is just the nature of this kind of historical book; lots of plain language and some things will get mentioned more than once.
This book is for one type of person: Someone who wants information about the history of the subject in Kansas City. If someone is mildly curious, then I would say that this is not the book for you. If you're using this as research about organized crime as a whole, I would maybe suggest some other books. If you want a book chock full of information about Kansas City, and only Kansas City? This is one of the only ones you will get. And it is packed.
One last small caveat...I grew up in Kansas City, so I am viewing this book through the lens of someone with an attachment to the place. Did that bias me? Definitely. Still a great read if you're interested in the subject.
Because of this, I worry that many readers will feel like they're not getting a whole story... but they are. They're getting a story of a city, not the story of any one figure from it. Almost every chapter of this contains stories that could fill their own books, documentaries, etc. This is a great overview.
Additionally, it must be said that the writing is not without faults. It's certainly not bad, but the prevalence of typos makes me question the editing done by the publisher. It can also seem repetitive, because certain events crop up when discussing different people. This is just the nature of this kind of historical book; lots of plain language and some things will get mentioned more than once.
This book is for one type of person: Someone who wants information about the history of the subject in Kansas City. If someone is mildly curious, then I would say that this is not the book for you. If you're using this as research about organized crime as a whole, I would maybe suggest some other books. If you want a book chock full of information about Kansas City, and only Kansas City? This is one of the only ones you will get. And it is packed.
One last small caveat...I grew up in Kansas City, so I am viewing this book through the lens of someone with an attachment to the place. Did that bias me? Definitely. Still a great read if you're interested in the subject.
December 12, 2016
As someone who grew up in a K.C. suburb and has resided for the last decade within city limits, I’ve done relatively little to know the city’s history and tour its unique historic sites. But it hasn’t been for a lack of interest, and thus I found Frank Hayde’s The Mafia and the Machine: The Story of the Kansas City Mob fascinating, reading it over the course of several days.
A few points of summary. The “machine” refers to the political influence of a group of men who worked outside the law to gain wealth and to control much of K.C.’s development in the early twentieth century. Jim Pendergast basically commenced this level of influence, and his younger brother Tom, whose name became more widely known, took it to another level. The Pendergasts were Irish immigrants, and they and other Irishmen were heavily active in the West Bottoms area. Surprising news to me was how much good Jim and Tom did in a “Robin Hood” kind of style. They gave food and money to countless folks in need, and even used an office in the Crossroads area (1908 Main St) to disperse money to folks who could line up and wait their turn to express their need. Hayde suggests that, were it not for Prohibition, Tom may have followed more closely in the footsteps of his older brother, who truly was focused on doing good for people of the city, despite wielding questionable influence over politics and operating outside the bounds of law to some extent.
Not far from the West Bottoms is the River Market area (also called City Market and River Quay at various points), and just east of that is Columbus Park and Little Italy. Some Italian immigrants from this area comprised the local “mafia,” and the joining of these two forces, machine and mafia, is an early focus in Hayde’s book. There was, of course, some infighting at times, but both mafia and machine were agreed in the purpose of accomplishing political influence and thus work to place particular democrats in local offices. The culmination of this partnership was when Johnny Lazia served as Commissioner of Crime for a few years, and this is where the facts become astounding. Lazia was essentially in charge of the local police force even though he had an armed robbery on his record from years earlier. He functioned as the local mafia boss and controlled law enforcement. Add in that the majority of local politicians were essentially hand-picked by the machine and the mafia, and you’ve got one unbelievable outfit (Harry Truman, future U.S. President, for example, was largely indebted to T. Pendergast for his initial success in K.C. politics).
For both the mafia and the machine, it seems that illegal gambling and prostitution were foundational to their profits, though of course being able to call in favors from politicians as well as influence most local policies brought much financial favor as well. It was the gambling, however, and the welcome practice of vice in general without legal consequences that led to K.C.'s reputation as a "wide open" town, a kind of lingering feeling of the "wild west." Even to the local mafia's fading days, profit from gambling (by skimming Las Vegas casinos) remained a staple.
The biggest drawback to The Mafia and the Machine is the impossibility of retaining the names and activities of all the players; the “Cast of Characters” appendix in the back of the book contains 112 names. Nonetheless, there are some that stand out, like the Pendergasts and Lazia, as well as a number of historic events that make for memorable stories, like the Union Station massacre, the River Quay bombing, and the gunning down of Lazia in the circle drive of Park Central Apartments on Armour Blvd. These apartments have been renovated in recent years and offer studios and one bedrooms from $700 to $1,100 per month.
I suppose thematically this book is really about power, the greed for it and the ruthlessness required to maintain control. Eventually, at least according to Hayde’s account, power and money seem to have become the only things that mattered, as most mafia activities became motivated only by the acquisition of more money, mostly illegally, and an exclusively selfish approach to participating in K.C. culture and society, which is quite a contrast from the intention of Jim Pendergast and to a lesser extent, Thomas Pendergast. The violence increased, the body count mounted, and eventually the majority of the most influential mafia members were convicted, not of murder, but of more white-collar crimes like fraud and skimming money from Las Vegas casinos in the ‘70s and ‘80s. The final bit of fascination I’ll testify to is the realization that mob activity was still going strong during my lifetime: a local mob war in the late ‘70s resulted in multiple retaliatory hits in the River Quay and surrounding area, which according to Hayde, left this previously thriving area essentially a ghost town.
There's little evidence of mafia influence in K.C. now, but I can't help but wonder about all the illicit schemes for acquiring money that remain ongoing locally and around the country, as well as the extent to which schemers are willing to go to protect themselves from getting caught. But mostly, I'm thankful for the many thriving areas and neighborhoods K.C. now enjoys.
February 5, 2024
Wow.
Will keep this in my collection because it is so historically interesting.
Will keep this in my collection because it is so historically interesting.
March 15, 2022
A great history of the Mob in Kansas City from the 1890s to the early 2000s. There is a list of characters and small description of their activities at the conclusion of the story. Brings to light the activities of the KC mob and the how it reached across the United States.
December 12, 2020
An excellent history with some very fine flourishes, as in the passages on jazz culture of the era in KC.
I got this while in the middle of watching Fargo, Season 4, and it was a great complement to that.
I got this while in the middle of watching Fargo, Season 4, and it was a great complement to that.
February 16, 2013
The Mafia and the Machine: The Story of the Kansas City Mob
Having lived in the Kansas City area for about 12 years, I've heard a few stories about the city's history. I've heard about the availability of alcohol during Prohibition, the seedy and exciting nightclubs that used to line the streets downtown, the Nell Donnelly kidnapping and of course, the Mafia.
But the Kansas City Mafia stories were unlike those from New York or Chicago. Instead of operating in secret and being constantly pursued by police, the KC Mafia seemed to be an accepted part of daily life. This book is a great introduction to the strange arrangements between politicians, organized crime and law enforcement in the city.
I found the first several chapters of the book to be the most interesting. This was a time when Jim and Tom Pendergast ruled the neighborhoods and political clubs, and few were elected without their approval. They were part of what was called the "Machine", which was essentially a second government controlling the city, often with more influence than the official Kansas City government.
Later in the book, you start to read about a more modern Mafia in control, one more concerned with Las Vegas casinos and using explosives to get their message across.
This book does a good job introducing the reader to a very influential time in Kansas City politics. While it's a little on the short side, it does provide a starting point for further investigation into the subject.
Having lived in the Kansas City area for about 12 years, I've heard a few stories about the city's history. I've heard about the availability of alcohol during Prohibition, the seedy and exciting nightclubs that used to line the streets downtown, the Nell Donnelly kidnapping and of course, the Mafia.
But the Kansas City Mafia stories were unlike those from New York or Chicago. Instead of operating in secret and being constantly pursued by police, the KC Mafia seemed to be an accepted part of daily life. This book is a great introduction to the strange arrangements between politicians, organized crime and law enforcement in the city.
I found the first several chapters of the book to be the most interesting. This was a time when Jim and Tom Pendergast ruled the neighborhoods and political clubs, and few were elected without their approval. They were part of what was called the "Machine", which was essentially a second government controlling the city, often with more influence than the official Kansas City government.
Later in the book, you start to read about a more modern Mafia in control, one more concerned with Las Vegas casinos and using explosives to get their message across.
This book does a good job introducing the reader to a very influential time in Kansas City politics. While it's a little on the short side, it does provide a starting point for further investigation into the subject.
January 8, 2010
A look into Kansas City's past and you'll find it is certainly the case of the truth being stranger than fiction. This book has all the down and dirth on the Mob and how it affected polictics in Kansas City. One of the featured stories is the real story behind the movie "Casino".
St. Louis Dispatch, Ralph Coghlan: "We understand that Kansas City is one of the most wide-open towns in the United States, is that true?"
Tom Pendergast: If by calling the city wide-open, you mean gambling and poker games where the poor man obtains his recreation just as the big men do in their clubs, its wide-open. I wouldn't put a stop to it.
Pendergast was known "Big Tom" and was Kansas City's first marshall.
St. Louis Dispatch, Ralph Coghlan: "We understand that Kansas City is one of the most wide-open towns in the United States, is that true?"
Tom Pendergast: If by calling the city wide-open, you mean gambling and poker games where the poor man obtains his recreation just as the big men do in their clubs, its wide-open. I wouldn't put a stop to it.
Pendergast was known "Big Tom" and was Kansas City's first marshall.
October 2, 2023
This book takes you on a journey through the true underbelly and hidden workings of Kansas City from Boss Tom to Johnny Lanza when crime did pay. Hold on to your seat as you go on this wild ride. A good read. The book was very interesting and informative. I learned a lot.
February 1, 2013
Interesting read!
May 3, 2023
RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “A DETAILED HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI’S CORRUPTED POLITICS & MAFIA!”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“The story of the American Mafia, is not complete without a chapter on Kansas City, Missouri. Even Hollywood gives a nod to Kansas City in movies about the Mafia. When Vito Corleone hosted a meeting of the national syndicate in “THE GODFATHER”, he welcomed delegates from Kansas City and the other territories. In Martin Scorsese’s epic “CASINO” Chicago is never mentioned by name, but Kansas City is freely invoked as the setting for complicated Mob conspiracies. When New York wise guys needed a cover for Hugh Grant in the Mob comedy “MICKEY BLUE EYES, they dressed him up as a “goodfella” from KC. And in the second season of HBO’s “THE SOPRANO’S”, Sal Bonpensiero’s FBI handler makes mention of a fellow organized crime investigator who was reassigned to Kansas City. Screenwriters and storytellers have long been aware of what many Midwesterners are not: KANSAS CITY IS KEY IN THE HISTORY OF ORGANIZED CRIME!”
“Investigations conducted in the 1950’s in Kansas City and elsewhere revealed a “second government” that reigned throughout the 20th century. This shadow government was made up of one “FAMILY” in 19 major territories and 5 “FAMILIES” in New York City. Bosses reigned over their families and territories like feudal lords from the old country. A commission of powerful bosses from several cities oversaw this network of families, making the rules and arbitrating disputes. In the glory days, the mafia reached into every segment of urban society and its tentacles often radiated right from the Heart of America. Events unfolding in Kansas City would affect the fortunes of all the Mafia families and shape the destiny of the entire underworld. The history of “LA COSA NOSTRA” (This Thing of Ours.”), is an intricate web of intrigue, with Kansas City right in the thick of it.”
The author has performed meticulous research and provided intricate detail, but one drawback of this work is that this book reads more like an academic historical text book than a “breezy” literary read. But by the end of this book the reader will be amazed about the political corruption that actually preceded the Mafia in the state of Missouri.
My favorite chapter in this book is chapter 8, which is entitled “A TRUE MAN”. What makes this chapter so powerful and emotionally rewarding, is the fact that in a book that is dedicated to corruption, murder, mayhem, bribes and prison, this one chapter is devoted to a Missouri politician who rose above this bottomless chaos, and despite some unsubstantiated accusations rose to the highest office in the land. That Missouri politician was Vice-President and subsequently President, Harry S. Truman. This reverent chapter starts off with the “mob-definition” of a “STAND-UP GUY”: “A stand-up guy is a manly acting fella who sticks by his word, doesn’t forget where he came from or who his friends are, pays his debts, and doesn’t squeal.” Truman got into politics when his haberdashery business went under and the infamous Tom Pendergast political “MACHINE” that bullied and controlled almost the entire state of Missouri asked Harry if he wanted to run for Judge of the Eastern District of Jackson County Court. “Needing a job, Harry accepted the offer and was elected in 1922.” Pendergast continued to back Truman all the way to the U.S. Senate in 1934. Other Senator’s whispered behind Harry’s back that he was nothing but an errand boy for “Boss Tom”. The Senator’s would find out that their initial impressions were wrong. Harry proved that he was incorruptible. But Harry never made any bones about his association with Pendergast because he had nothing to hide. Truman was quoted many times as saying: “Pendergast never asked me to do a dishonest deed, and that’s God’s truth. I did my job in the way I thought it ought to be done. And he never interfered, not even when he was in deep trouble himself.” When Tom Pendergast was indicted in 1939 Truman showed he didn’t forget where he came from or who his friends were. His official statement was: “I am sorry this happened, but I am not going to desert a ship that is in distress.” Perhaps no other deed so exemplifies Truman’s strength of character, than when Tom Pendergast, now a thoroughly disgraced “Boss” died in 1945. Truman was now busy with the demands of being the Vice President Of The United States. “A political football even in death, Pendergast was persona non grata to politicians everywhere. For the Vice President of the United States to attend the funeral of a convicted felon would be unthinkable. Truman’s associates begged him not to even consider it.”
“Despite every advice to the contrary and in the face of howling criticism, Truman hitchhiked a ride on an Army bomber and flew back to Kansas City to pay his respects to his old friend.
“NOW THAT’S A STAND-UP GUY!”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“The story of the American Mafia, is not complete without a chapter on Kansas City, Missouri. Even Hollywood gives a nod to Kansas City in movies about the Mafia. When Vito Corleone hosted a meeting of the national syndicate in “THE GODFATHER”, he welcomed delegates from Kansas City and the other territories. In Martin Scorsese’s epic “CASINO” Chicago is never mentioned by name, but Kansas City is freely invoked as the setting for complicated Mob conspiracies. When New York wise guys needed a cover for Hugh Grant in the Mob comedy “MICKEY BLUE EYES, they dressed him up as a “goodfella” from KC. And in the second season of HBO’s “THE SOPRANO’S”, Sal Bonpensiero’s FBI handler makes mention of a fellow organized crime investigator who was reassigned to Kansas City. Screenwriters and storytellers have long been aware of what many Midwesterners are not: KANSAS CITY IS KEY IN THE HISTORY OF ORGANIZED CRIME!”
“Investigations conducted in the 1950’s in Kansas City and elsewhere revealed a “second government” that reigned throughout the 20th century. This shadow government was made up of one “FAMILY” in 19 major territories and 5 “FAMILIES” in New York City. Bosses reigned over their families and territories like feudal lords from the old country. A commission of powerful bosses from several cities oversaw this network of families, making the rules and arbitrating disputes. In the glory days, the mafia reached into every segment of urban society and its tentacles often radiated right from the Heart of America. Events unfolding in Kansas City would affect the fortunes of all the Mafia families and shape the destiny of the entire underworld. The history of “LA COSA NOSTRA” (This Thing of Ours.”), is an intricate web of intrigue, with Kansas City right in the thick of it.”
The author has performed meticulous research and provided intricate detail, but one drawback of this work is that this book reads more like an academic historical text book than a “breezy” literary read. But by the end of this book the reader will be amazed about the political corruption that actually preceded the Mafia in the state of Missouri.
My favorite chapter in this book is chapter 8, which is entitled “A TRUE MAN”. What makes this chapter so powerful and emotionally rewarding, is the fact that in a book that is dedicated to corruption, murder, mayhem, bribes and prison, this one chapter is devoted to a Missouri politician who rose above this bottomless chaos, and despite some unsubstantiated accusations rose to the highest office in the land. That Missouri politician was Vice-President and subsequently President, Harry S. Truman. This reverent chapter starts off with the “mob-definition” of a “STAND-UP GUY”: “A stand-up guy is a manly acting fella who sticks by his word, doesn’t forget where he came from or who his friends are, pays his debts, and doesn’t squeal.” Truman got into politics when his haberdashery business went under and the infamous Tom Pendergast political “MACHINE” that bullied and controlled almost the entire state of Missouri asked Harry if he wanted to run for Judge of the Eastern District of Jackson County Court. “Needing a job, Harry accepted the offer and was elected in 1922.” Pendergast continued to back Truman all the way to the U.S. Senate in 1934. Other Senator’s whispered behind Harry’s back that he was nothing but an errand boy for “Boss Tom”. The Senator’s would find out that their initial impressions were wrong. Harry proved that he was incorruptible. But Harry never made any bones about his association with Pendergast because he had nothing to hide. Truman was quoted many times as saying: “Pendergast never asked me to do a dishonest deed, and that’s God’s truth. I did my job in the way I thought it ought to be done. And he never interfered, not even when he was in deep trouble himself.” When Tom Pendergast was indicted in 1939 Truman showed he didn’t forget where he came from or who his friends were. His official statement was: “I am sorry this happened, but I am not going to desert a ship that is in distress.” Perhaps no other deed so exemplifies Truman’s strength of character, than when Tom Pendergast, now a thoroughly disgraced “Boss” died in 1945. Truman was now busy with the demands of being the Vice President Of The United States. “A political football even in death, Pendergast was persona non grata to politicians everywhere. For the Vice President of the United States to attend the funeral of a convicted felon would be unthinkable. Truman’s associates begged him not to even consider it.”
“Despite every advice to the contrary and in the face of howling criticism, Truman hitchhiked a ride on an Army bomber and flew back to Kansas City to pay his respects to his old friend.
“NOW THAT’S A STAND-UP GUY!”
February 11, 2021
Admittedly, the audience for this book is probably pretty small. You need to be familiar with Kansas City and have an interest in the history of the mafia in Kansas City. But, this was really interesting and eye-opening. I know people talk about KC's connection to the mafia in passing but I didn't know any of the details. This book really connects some dots. Specifically, the first half of the book draws the connection between the mafia and the Democratic machine that ran the city, county, and state for the first half of the 20th century. That was all very interesting.
The second half of the book is everything after the Pendercast machine. This portion of the book is more like the mafia you see depicted in Casino. In fact, several of the characters from that movie are based upon people from Kansa City.
If you are interested in the history of the mafia in Kansas City you should for sure read this.
The second half of the book is everything after the Pendercast machine. This portion of the book is more like the mafia you see depicted in Casino. In fact, several of the characters from that movie are based upon people from Kansa City.
If you are interested in the history of the mafia in Kansas City you should for sure read this.
June 15, 2021
When you think Kansas City, you might think barbecue, baseball, or the Chiefs. You probably wouldn't think about the nice Midwestern metro area as a hub for mafia activity and home to one of the country's most powerful political machines. Frank Hayde's history of the KC Mafia and the KC Machine is well-researched and entertaining to read. Hayde provides a great overview of their rise and fall, as well as the internal conflicts that occurred over the years. While he explores the machine and the mafia in a pretty short book, his history doesn't feel unfocused. As a kid, I had a phase where I was super interested in the mafia and I always wondered whether the Cosa Nostra operated in my part of the country. Indeed, even Wichita got a few mentions! Overall a pretty good book about the KC mob.
March 15, 2023
This is a very interesting history of Kansas City organized crime from its beginnings in the 1800s to the time of the book's release in 2007. The Mob's links to Kansas City politicians are also explored, especially during the years of the Pendergast machine. If you think Kansas City is corrupt and society is immoral today, you should have lived in the 1920s and 1930s. Although I had read a similar book years ago, this one was hard to put down. Sadly, there were a few typos in the book, and I saw one minor factual error.
January 27, 2021
Fun read for anyone with an itch for Mafia stories. It's especially fun for anyone with Kansas City ties. The book lists out names you've heard of but may never have known their origin stories. It also identifies locations (some with by address even) that you can punch into google maps if you really want to get a feel for what type of historic events might have taken place just around the corner.
March 16, 2025
I did learn a lot of interesting things from this book. However, the way it was written was lacking in my opinion. I wanted more stories, less information if you will. I also really needed a timeline and a “family” history chart that I could refer to. I had no idea how wild KC used to be. Also I went on the gangster tour the day after I finished and got to see a lot of the places mentioned in the book so that was cool.
December 18, 2017
Of course I have to take the information presented on face value since I didn’t research it myself. However, if you love learning about KC history this is a great read. I have heard tidbits over the years as my mother grew about neighbors to some Italian families in Kansas City so I enjoyed fleshing out some details.
March 27, 2020
This book would be great if you were writing a report or were super into history, neither of which I am. I don't do well with lots of dates and names and frankly would not have read this if it weren't a choice for my book club.
I was intrigued by the story of the Spero brothers the most because one used to live three or four houses down from me in Holt, MO when I was growing up.
I was intrigued by the story of the Spero brothers the most because one used to live three or four houses down from me in Holt, MO when I was growing up.
Read
February 11, 2021I'm not leaving a star rating because I think that would be unfair to the author. I only read this book for my library's "Celebrate Missouri" challenge. I'm not a big non-fiction fan but I thought learning about the mafia in KC would be interesting. I think the author did an amazing job with all the details I just had less interest in the story than I thought I would and struggled to finish.
October 25, 2020
Just never quite grabbed me. Many names and addresses and never quite got into a good flow. Las Vegas involvement late in the book was interesting as were briefly described touch points with Truman.
December 29, 2023
Spectacular investigation and gathering of information. The scope of record and storytelling here is mind boggling. It’s a little hard to follow the names sometimes, and there are several grammar mistakes, so 4/5 it is. But truly I’d recommend to anyone.
February 7, 2022
Worth reading to get an outlay of the history of organized crime in Kansas City, but it reads like a 200-page Wikipedia article.
April 21, 2022
Another book that read more like a high school history book.
September 18, 2011
This is a comprehensive yet readable history of an important -albeit little known -element of the American Mafia. Fleeting references to Kansas City are made in virtually every Hollywood mafioso production -from 'The Godfather' to 'Mickey Blue Eyes', however, few outside the Heartland known the magnitude of the KC syndicate during the 20th century. Author Frank Hayde draws KC's mob lineage back to the days of outlaw Jesse James and holds legendary political boss Tom Pendergast largely responsible for the foothold the Sicilian 'Cosa Nostra' established in this then fledgling cow town. My only wish is that Hayde would have written this book before the Martin Scorsese film 'Casino'. Hayde illustrates the all-important role that KC played in the real life plot that inspired the film. If you've already seen the film, re-watching it will make for a whole new viewing experience after reading this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews