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The Sinatra Club: My Life Inside the New York Mafia
In the bestselling tradition of Wiseguy comes a mobster’s behind-the-scenes look at how drugs and greed and the decline of traditional family values brought down an American institution—the New York Mafia.
The Mob was the biggest, richest business in America—too dangerous and too deadly to fail. Until it was destroyed from within by drugs, greed, and the decline of its traditional crime Family values.
And by guys like Sal Polisi.
He was born in Brooklyn—the same place that spawned Murder, Inc., Al Capone, and John Gotti, the future Mob godfather who became his friend. Polisi was raised on a family legacy that led him into the life he loved as a member of the Colombos, one of the New York Mob’s feared Five Families, and came of age when the Mafia was at the height of its vast wealth and power.
Known by his Mob name, Sally Ubatz (“Crazy Sally”), he ran an illegal after-hours gambling den, The Sinatra Club, that was a magic kingdom of crime and a hangout for up-and-coming mobsters like Gotti and the three wiseguys immortalized in Martin Scorsese’s GoodFellas—Henry Hill, Jimmy Burke, and Tommy DeSimone. For Polisi, the nonstop thrills of glory days spent robbing banks, hijacking trucks, pulling daring heists—and getting away with it all, thanks to cops and public servants corrupted by Mob money—were fleeting. When he was busted for drug trafficking, and already sickened by the bloodbath that engulfed the Mob as it teetered toward extinction, he flipped and became one of a breed he had loathed all his life—a rat.
In this riveting, pulse-pounding, and, at times, darkly hilarious first-person chronicle of his brazen crimes, wild sexual escapades, and personal tragedies, Polisi tells his story of life inside the New York Mob in a voice straight from the streets. With shocking candor, he draws on a hard-won knowledge of Mob history to paint a neverbefore- seen picture of the inner workings of the Mob and the larger-than-life characters who populated a once extensive and secret underworld that, thanks to guys like him, no longer exists.
***
I was always a street guy. I was into robbing and stealing and gambling and loan sharking. I wasn’t involved in the bigmoney sit-downs, the labor racketeering and construction company shakedowns, the Garment District and garbage and cement company kickbacks. . . . For guys like me and Fox, my blood brother and crime partner, the thing we loved about being in that life was the action, the excitement. . . .We were in it for the money, sure. But it was the danger, the thrills that made the life of crime something special.
A guy like John Gotti was different. He was far more ambitious than me and Fox. He wasn’t just in it for the rush and the riches. He wanted the power and the glory.
John Gotti’s tragedy, if you can call it that, was that he was born too late for the old-school gangster crown that he craved. He began his rise as the Mob was beginning to crumble; by the time he got to the top, the bottom had dropped out.
From the beginning, John was charismatic and smart. He just wasn’t cut out to be godfather. Once he became boss, he drove the bus right off the bridge. Or maybe it was the bus that drove him. Either way, I watched him go.
Here’s how it all happened.
The Mob was the biggest, richest business in America—too dangerous and too deadly to fail. Until it was destroyed from within by drugs, greed, and the decline of its traditional crime Family values.
And by guys like Sal Polisi.
He was born in Brooklyn—the same place that spawned Murder, Inc., Al Capone, and John Gotti, the future Mob godfather who became his friend. Polisi was raised on a family legacy that led him into the life he loved as a member of the Colombos, one of the New York Mob’s feared Five Families, and came of age when the Mafia was at the height of its vast wealth and power.
Known by his Mob name, Sally Ubatz (“Crazy Sally”), he ran an illegal after-hours gambling den, The Sinatra Club, that was a magic kingdom of crime and a hangout for up-and-coming mobsters like Gotti and the three wiseguys immortalized in Martin Scorsese’s GoodFellas—Henry Hill, Jimmy Burke, and Tommy DeSimone. For Polisi, the nonstop thrills of glory days spent robbing banks, hijacking trucks, pulling daring heists—and getting away with it all, thanks to cops and public servants corrupted by Mob money—were fleeting. When he was busted for drug trafficking, and already sickened by the bloodbath that engulfed the Mob as it teetered toward extinction, he flipped and became one of a breed he had loathed all his life—a rat.
In this riveting, pulse-pounding, and, at times, darkly hilarious first-person chronicle of his brazen crimes, wild sexual escapades, and personal tragedies, Polisi tells his story of life inside the New York Mob in a voice straight from the streets. With shocking candor, he draws on a hard-won knowledge of Mob history to paint a neverbefore- seen picture of the inner workings of the Mob and the larger-than-life characters who populated a once extensive and secret underworld that, thanks to guys like him, no longer exists.
***
I was always a street guy. I was into robbing and stealing and gambling and loan sharking. I wasn’t involved in the bigmoney sit-downs, the labor racketeering and construction company shakedowns, the Garment District and garbage and cement company kickbacks. . . . For guys like me and Fox, my blood brother and crime partner, the thing we loved about being in that life was the action, the excitement. . . .We were in it for the money, sure. But it was the danger, the thrills that made the life of crime something special.
A guy like John Gotti was different. He was far more ambitious than me and Fox. He wasn’t just in it for the rush and the riches. He wanted the power and the glory.
John Gotti’s tragedy, if you can call it that, was that he was born too late for the old-school gangster crown that he craved. He began his rise as the Mob was beginning to crumble; by the time he got to the top, the bottom had dropped out.
From the beginning, John was charismatic and smart. He just wasn’t cut out to be godfather. Once he became boss, he drove the bus right off the bridge. Or maybe it was the bus that drove him. Either way, I watched him go.
Here’s how it all happened.
400 pages, Hardcover
Published July 24, 2012
143 people are currently reading
737 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
August 3, 2013
I got halfway through this book and gave up on it. Sally Ubatz was not that high up in the mafia ranks though he tries to make it seem like he was. Also, not sure why he mentions JFK and JEH events as facts when he was not part of those plots and is only stating them as hearsay or referring to something he read in a book. Don't bother with this one. I highly recommend reading "Underboss" the book by Sammy Gravano instead.
July 5, 2012
The Sinatra Club was a book that I had won through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway. I am glad that I was a recipient of this book. It deserves more than 5 stars.
The Sinatra Club was an illegal after hours gambling den where the up and coming mobsters like John Gotti and other wiseguys hung out. Sal Polisi ran the club and was raised in the life of crime and became a member of the Colombo family, one of New York's Five Families that were feared by many.
Sal Polisi tells his story about his personal crimes, wild sex and his personal tragedies. He tells of the hard knowledge of the Mob history to let us know what it was like inside the Mafia. I was surprised at some of the history he gave and found that there were politicians and government agents on the take all the time and how much was covered up.
This book was an eye opener and I am glad that there isn't so much of that type of crime much any longer. But, who knows what really goes on in our world sometimes.
Thank you Mr. Polisi for a great book and thanks to Goodreads for awarding me this book.
The Sinatra Club was an illegal after hours gambling den where the up and coming mobsters like John Gotti and other wiseguys hung out. Sal Polisi ran the club and was raised in the life of crime and became a member of the Colombo family, one of New York's Five Families that were feared by many.
Sal Polisi tells his story about his personal crimes, wild sex and his personal tragedies. He tells of the hard knowledge of the Mob history to let us know what it was like inside the Mafia. I was surprised at some of the history he gave and found that there were politicians and government agents on the take all the time and how much was covered up.
This book was an eye opener and I am glad that there isn't so much of that type of crime much any longer. But, who knows what really goes on in our world sometimes.
Thank you Mr. Polisi for a great book and thanks to Goodreads for awarding me this book.
March 30, 2025
These first hand account mafia stories written by “wise guys” always sound so much better before you actually read the book. This story is nothing new. Its just one mobsters take on what life was as a made man back in the 70’s. This author references Good Fellas about 20 times and overblows his relationship with John Gotti. The machismo and arrogance of the author is off putting and overdone. I skimmed the final half of this book. It was poorly organized and the stories seemed to repeat over and over. Blah. 😑
June 3, 2019
As the title says it's about Sal Polisi's life in the organized crime of New York Mafia before it went down.
August 15, 2025
Sal lived a wild life… he doesn’t hide from the crime committed or the shame he brought upon his family. He just tells it how it is. This book is a real page and I wasn’t able to put it in.
August 8, 2024
This book best encapsulates Brian Adams' song The Summer of '69. Sal Polisi may have been born into a family with ties to organized crime, but his experience with the mob was roughly 1968-1974, or the summer of '69. It may have been the most exciting and memorable years of his life, like a high school class trip or a bachelor party that lasts for 4-ish years. He embraced it, enjoyed it, and milked it.
What stands out is the emotional honesty. Polisi goes through a roller coaster ride of emotions that feel authentic even if his stories seem less than honest. I appreciate the heartache of a boy who flunks a grade of school, loses a sibling, has no knowledge of his mother, doubts the genetics of his father, flunks out of the marines, is diagnosed psycho, and desperately tries to live up to a psychotic reputation. His nickname Sally Ubatz means "Crazy Sally." It really says something about you, if the hyper-violent gangsters give you that adage. And yet, his emotional honesty adds sympathy to an otherwise awful person and a desperation to distance himself from Sally Ubatz 50 years later. Even his on-screen performances show someone who genuinely appears to be a different person than the thug in the book.
Co-author Steve Dougherty did not have much to work with. The chronology leap frogs through time and strays between topics. Dougherty tries to impose chronological order; but the disorganization is one of the book's biggest problems. It starts in the middle (about 1971) when Sally Ubatz meets John Gotti for the first time...and falls in love. Seriously, so much of this book amounts to little more than "I knew John Gotti. Seriously, I met him, and talked to him, really, believe me." Dougherty also did not seem to fact check anything and takes Polisi at his word. He should have more doubts about Polisi's candor and honesty, but otherwise, he makes a good attempt at telling the story. And he does a great job at describing the inner turmoil of a Mafia thug.
The Polisi Family had ties with the Profaci Crime Family going back to Prohibition. Sally Ubatz tells his readers that he knew all the stories from his uncle (who may have been his father), but I cannot recall a single story about the that generation of Polisis and Cataldos. The washed out, marine flunkie, diagnosed psychopathic teenager lashing out at the world was recruited by his uncle and business partners - the Cataldos - to be muscle for their operations in the late 1960s. It appears that Crazy Sal was a collector for their loan shark operations. These are some of the most ferocious guys in the mob because of their need (and willingness) to collect loan payments from high-risk borrowers. I really think this is where Sally Ubatz comes from, not luck in a court case.
Having proven himself an able juice collector, armed robber, and all-around thug, his uncle and the Cataldos set him up with the Sinatra Club, an unregistered hole-in-the-wall joint for gambling that attracts a variety of degenerate gamblers, hoodlums, and adrenaline junkies. Sally Ubatz also supplies drugs and hookers for the gamblers. Polisi goes into pretty good detail about the Sinatra Club because it represents his apogee in the mob. The entire operation of the club was cover for the Cataldos' drug racket. They were actually laundering money through an illegal gambling club to hide their profits from their boss(es) in the Colombo Crime Family. Sally Ubatz was a part of the Colombos.
But he barely mentions the Colombos.
The star of this book is not Sal Polisi rising from the ashes of Sally Ubatz. No. The star of this book is John Gotti. Reading this book, the reader may believe that these two star-crossed lovers were destined to be together. According to Polisi, they met and bonded in the Sinatra Club - a Colombo operation that was nothing more than a disguise for drug profits. By the mid-to-late 1970s the need for such cover was irrelevant, and the Cataldos shut it down. And yet, this operation attracted John Gotti (from the Gambino Mob) and the guys from Goodfellas (from the Lucchese Mob). The fact that Sally Ubatz hooked up with the likes of John Gotti and Tommy DeSimone is not shocking. Gotti surrounded himself with hitmen and hyper-violent thugs. DeSimone was probably as violent and unstable as the mob could be. Crazy Sal fits with that bunch.
When he wasn't managing a bawdy house, he was hijacking trucks, robbing stores, collecting juice payments, and dealing drugs. The most specific he ever gets is describing how he cut off a man's testicles at the request of a mobster in another family...because he owed him....for using a telephone. The only thing that makes sense is that Sally Ubatz castrated a man as part of The Life. Otherwise, he speaks in vague generalities and passes off rumor as fact. He spends a lot of time talking about Joey Gallo, Carmine Persico, and even the JFK assassination as though he was given intimate knowledge by the actors themselves. So much of it was less than hearsay because he never names his source, although readers assume it is his uncle or the Cataldos.
Sally Ubatz enjoyed the life. That much leaps from the pages. His buddies, his robberies, his success, his women. Those 4 years were glorious. And then it all came tumbling down. First was his conviction and imprisonment for bank robbery. While he was in jail, his best friend and blood brother was murdered. Next, the old guard of the Mafia passed the torch to the younger crowd and all Hell broke loose. Polisi indicates that the later transition is responsible for his friend's death and the deaths of so many others. Drugs were at the core of the new generation, and the race for money overrode the old code. If you believe Sally Ubatz adhered to any code....
Sally Ubatz was at the bottom of the Mafia hierarchy. That does not detract from his story. Henry Hill and Donnie Brasco were at the bottom of the pyramid as well. Both of them offer compelling stories with far more coherency. When Sally Ubatz was busted for dealing drugs and facing 25 years in prison, he quickly folded and testified against John Gotti. This was the case Diane Giacalone botched in 1986. Polisi only testified in 1986. He was not used in the later Gotti trials. He got his reduced sentence (although not as generous as Gravano's reduction) and started a new life outside of The Life.
Overall, this is entertaining. It could support the better known books on Henry Hill and the like, but instead it tries to show Polisi is rehabilitated and John Gotti was awesome. The only people enamored with Gotti were the younger generation of cutthroats like Sally Ubatz, and wannabes on the sidelines. Polisi must not have been a compelling witness, or there were doubts about his accuracy / credibility which bleeds through these pages. Readers with passing knowledge of the mob may read this book and have their doubts that Polisi had any connection with Gotti, or anybody. But what is clear, is that he enjoyed his summer of '69.
What stands out is the emotional honesty. Polisi goes through a roller coaster ride of emotions that feel authentic even if his stories seem less than honest. I appreciate the heartache of a boy who flunks a grade of school, loses a sibling, has no knowledge of his mother, doubts the genetics of his father, flunks out of the marines, is diagnosed psycho, and desperately tries to live up to a psychotic reputation. His nickname Sally Ubatz means "Crazy Sally." It really says something about you, if the hyper-violent gangsters give you that adage. And yet, his emotional honesty adds sympathy to an otherwise awful person and a desperation to distance himself from Sally Ubatz 50 years later. Even his on-screen performances show someone who genuinely appears to be a different person than the thug in the book.
Co-author Steve Dougherty did not have much to work with. The chronology leap frogs through time and strays between topics. Dougherty tries to impose chronological order; but the disorganization is one of the book's biggest problems. It starts in the middle (about 1971) when Sally Ubatz meets John Gotti for the first time...and falls in love. Seriously, so much of this book amounts to little more than "I knew John Gotti. Seriously, I met him, and talked to him, really, believe me." Dougherty also did not seem to fact check anything and takes Polisi at his word. He should have more doubts about Polisi's candor and honesty, but otherwise, he makes a good attempt at telling the story. And he does a great job at describing the inner turmoil of a Mafia thug.
The Polisi Family had ties with the Profaci Crime Family going back to Prohibition. Sally Ubatz tells his readers that he knew all the stories from his uncle (who may have been his father), but I cannot recall a single story about the that generation of Polisis and Cataldos. The washed out, marine flunkie, diagnosed psychopathic teenager lashing out at the world was recruited by his uncle and business partners - the Cataldos - to be muscle for their operations in the late 1960s. It appears that Crazy Sal was a collector for their loan shark operations. These are some of the most ferocious guys in the mob because of their need (and willingness) to collect loan payments from high-risk borrowers. I really think this is where Sally Ubatz comes from, not luck in a court case.
Having proven himself an able juice collector, armed robber, and all-around thug, his uncle and the Cataldos set him up with the Sinatra Club, an unregistered hole-in-the-wall joint for gambling that attracts a variety of degenerate gamblers, hoodlums, and adrenaline junkies. Sally Ubatz also supplies drugs and hookers for the gamblers. Polisi goes into pretty good detail about the Sinatra Club because it represents his apogee in the mob. The entire operation of the club was cover for the Cataldos' drug racket. They were actually laundering money through an illegal gambling club to hide their profits from their boss(es) in the Colombo Crime Family. Sally Ubatz was a part of the Colombos.
But he barely mentions the Colombos.
The star of this book is not Sal Polisi rising from the ashes of Sally Ubatz. No. The star of this book is John Gotti. Reading this book, the reader may believe that these two star-crossed lovers were destined to be together. According to Polisi, they met and bonded in the Sinatra Club - a Colombo operation that was nothing more than a disguise for drug profits. By the mid-to-late 1970s the need for such cover was irrelevant, and the Cataldos shut it down. And yet, this operation attracted John Gotti (from the Gambino Mob) and the guys from Goodfellas (from the Lucchese Mob). The fact that Sally Ubatz hooked up with the likes of John Gotti and Tommy DeSimone is not shocking. Gotti surrounded himself with hitmen and hyper-violent thugs. DeSimone was probably as violent and unstable as the mob could be. Crazy Sal fits with that bunch.
When he wasn't managing a bawdy house, he was hijacking trucks, robbing stores, collecting juice payments, and dealing drugs. The most specific he ever gets is describing how he cut off a man's testicles at the request of a mobster in another family...because he owed him....for using a telephone. The only thing that makes sense is that Sally Ubatz castrated a man as part of The Life. Otherwise, he speaks in vague generalities and passes off rumor as fact. He spends a lot of time talking about Joey Gallo, Carmine Persico, and even the JFK assassination as though he was given intimate knowledge by the actors themselves. So much of it was less than hearsay because he never names his source, although readers assume it is his uncle or the Cataldos.
Sally Ubatz enjoyed the life. That much leaps from the pages. His buddies, his robberies, his success, his women. Those 4 years were glorious. And then it all came tumbling down. First was his conviction and imprisonment for bank robbery. While he was in jail, his best friend and blood brother was murdered. Next, the old guard of the Mafia passed the torch to the younger crowd and all Hell broke loose. Polisi indicates that the later transition is responsible for his friend's death and the deaths of so many others. Drugs were at the core of the new generation, and the race for money overrode the old code. If you believe Sally Ubatz adhered to any code....
Sally Ubatz was at the bottom of the Mafia hierarchy. That does not detract from his story. Henry Hill and Donnie Brasco were at the bottom of the pyramid as well. Both of them offer compelling stories with far more coherency. When Sally Ubatz was busted for dealing drugs and facing 25 years in prison, he quickly folded and testified against John Gotti. This was the case Diane Giacalone botched in 1986. Polisi only testified in 1986. He was not used in the later Gotti trials. He got his reduced sentence (although not as generous as Gravano's reduction) and started a new life outside of The Life.
Overall, this is entertaining. It could support the better known books on Henry Hill and the like, but instead it tries to show Polisi is rehabilitated and John Gotti was awesome. The only people enamored with Gotti were the younger generation of cutthroats like Sally Ubatz, and wannabes on the sidelines. Polisi must not have been a compelling witness, or there were doubts about his accuracy / credibility which bleeds through these pages. Readers with passing knowledge of the mob may read this book and have their doubts that Polisi had any connection with Gotti, or anybody. But what is clear, is that he enjoyed his summer of '69.
July 7, 2012
“The Sinatra Club” by Sal Polisi and Steve Dougherty, published by Gallery Books.
Category – True Crime
Sal Polisi lived in the Life. The Life was the New York Mafia and he loved it. He became a member of the Colombo Family, one of the five families that controlled most of the illegal activities in New York.
Sal started out as most criminals did, he started with petty theft, moving up to car jacking, and then into the big time. Although Sal never “whacked” anyone, he was part of some of the most daring and prosperous bank robberies and truck hi-jacking of the time, some netting into the millions of dollars. Of course, a tribute had to be paid to the reigning members of the five families. If payment was not made, they could be assured that that would be the last job they would pull.
Sal set up a social club, nothing legal about it, that became “The Sinatra Club” due to the members love for Frank Sinatra and his music. The club was used as a meeting place for members of the five families to socialize, gamble, and discuss the next heist.
Although the story sometimes borders on the unbelievable, much of it is borne out by police records, court records, newspaper reports, and other books written on some of the same subjects.
Sal does bring out some interesting facts concerning J. Edgar Hoover, the assassination of JFK, and the takedown of the Teflon Don, John Gotti.
A book that will be enjoyed by those who want to know more about the Mafia and their operation, their beginnings and their possible ending.
Category – True Crime
Sal Polisi lived in the Life. The Life was the New York Mafia and he loved it. He became a member of the Colombo Family, one of the five families that controlled most of the illegal activities in New York.
Sal started out as most criminals did, he started with petty theft, moving up to car jacking, and then into the big time. Although Sal never “whacked” anyone, he was part of some of the most daring and prosperous bank robberies and truck hi-jacking of the time, some netting into the millions of dollars. Of course, a tribute had to be paid to the reigning members of the five families. If payment was not made, they could be assured that that would be the last job they would pull.
Sal set up a social club, nothing legal about it, that became “The Sinatra Club” due to the members love for Frank Sinatra and his music. The club was used as a meeting place for members of the five families to socialize, gamble, and discuss the next heist.
Although the story sometimes borders on the unbelievable, much of it is borne out by police records, court records, newspaper reports, and other books written on some of the same subjects.
Sal does bring out some interesting facts concerning J. Edgar Hoover, the assassination of JFK, and the takedown of the Teflon Don, John Gotti.
A book that will be enjoyed by those who want to know more about the Mafia and their operation, their beginnings and their possible ending.
June 30, 2013
I'm hesitant to review this book, subject to possible repercussions. Just kidding of course. This book is a tell all of former Mob connected soldier Sal Polisi affectionately know as Sally Ubbatz. Ubbatz meaning whacko. Sal turned informant late in his career and testified against John Gotti in the trial he was acquitted before finally being convicted through the turn of Sammy Gravano.
Though the book was entertaining at times, if one can describe things of this nature in that way, it left me wondering in light of the author and his character how much was the gospel truth. He was active in the mob during its wild times of the 60's and 70's and knew many of the characters that were depicted in the popular movie, "Goodfellas."
Sal pleads throughout the book he came to realize how destructive and despicable his life was in what is termed The Life. Yet even after a number of these awakenings, from a prison term, to his drug dealings, and even a shot at some semi-legitimate businesses, he always seems to gravitate back to the means that got him what he needed, money. His conclusion being this drive for money not only is was drove the mob but for the most part drives everyone else to do what it takes, and in some cases whatever it takes to secure the green goddess.
Though the book was entertaining at times, if one can describe things of this nature in that way, it left me wondering in light of the author and his character how much was the gospel truth. He was active in the mob during its wild times of the 60's and 70's and knew many of the characters that were depicted in the popular movie, "Goodfellas."
Sal pleads throughout the book he came to realize how destructive and despicable his life was in what is termed The Life. Yet even after a number of these awakenings, from a prison term, to his drug dealings, and even a shot at some semi-legitimate businesses, he always seems to gravitate back to the means that got him what he needed, money. His conclusion being this drive for money not only is was drove the mob but for the most part drives everyone else to do what it takes, and in some cases whatever it takes to secure the green goddess.
September 17, 2012
Another perspective on the New York City mob. This was a good read.The mob could not have been so successful without the collusion of those meant to protect. Shame on the gangsters but an even greater shame on the bad apples among those in Law Enforcement, particularly JEH (don't want to spoil anything).
May 12, 2022
Salvatore "Crazy Sal" Polisi was introduced into organized crime via an Uncle before he even hit double digits. He began getting into mischief in school, before joining the United States Marine Corps. He received medical discharge for faking mental illness, and was able to fake out many psychologists that he was forced to talk to over the years. He became an associate of the Colombo crime family, were he was an enforcer. He eventually switched over to the Gambino crime family, were he was linked with John Gotti. He managed a night club, called The Sinatra Club, which was a wiseguy hangout. (Some notable names other than the Gotti's that frequented the club are Tommy DeSimone, Henry Hill, and Jimmy Burke- the men who Goodfelllas was based on.) The descriptions of other wiseguys, the crimes that were committed, and some other activities he had knowledge of were certainly interesting to read about, especially if you like a mob book as much as me. One thing about this book that took me aback was the mention of the JFK assassination as being a mafia hit. That has been a conspiracy for as long as I can recall reading about mobs and Kennedys. Honestly, it does hold some weight as the Kennedy family had some seedy connections, but hearing this story was actually not what I was expecting to read about. The only part that I found slightly dull was when Polisi was on the stand after having turned witness. I would be interested in reading more from him, as I am sure he had more stories to tell than the ones mentioned in this book. Overall, it was a good read.
April 3, 2023
A shocking good read/listen...
As a kid, my dad played westerns on the TV...John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, & others. My stepdad was all about the Mob. I think that was his dream in life, to live like the godfather or a 'Made Guy'. Half the movies I watched in my teen years, the characters are named in this book. Its fun to hear the real live of what I always assumed to be fictional lives.
SP pulls no punches in this book. While at times, I felt that it was a bit polyanna.. I was rooting for the guy just the same. He grew up in a life that he realized would be his end. There is tons of nostalgia for what he had and lost, his family vs. his obsessions. With age comes wisdom, but it does nothing if it is underutilized. I hope his life is better now while he lost his other life.
If you like a good wise guy tale, this is for you!
As a kid, my dad played westerns on the TV...John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, & others. My stepdad was all about the Mob. I think that was his dream in life, to live like the godfather or a 'Made Guy'. Half the movies I watched in my teen years, the characters are named in this book. Its fun to hear the real live of what I always assumed to be fictional lives.
SP pulls no punches in this book. While at times, I felt that it was a bit polyanna.. I was rooting for the guy just the same. He grew up in a life that he realized would be his end. There is tons of nostalgia for what he had and lost, his family vs. his obsessions. With age comes wisdom, but it does nothing if it is underutilized. I hope his life is better now while he lost his other life.
If you like a good wise guy tale, this is for you!
April 16, 2019
I can understand why this book upset a lot of people. It's filled with racism, bigotry, infidelity, and sexism.
Oh yes, it's ugly. But the times this book describes were ugly. The people running the mafia were nowhere near the romantic characters portrayed in the Godfather. And this account, written by a typical drug-peddling, sex- and a gambling-addicted wise guy is the most accurate portrayal of the New York mob I ever came across.
Best of all? Sal Polisi spares no one. Least of all himself.
Oh yes, it's ugly. But the times this book describes were ugly. The people running the mafia were nowhere near the romantic characters portrayed in the Godfather. And this account, written by a typical drug-peddling, sex- and a gambling-addicted wise guy is the most accurate portrayal of the New York mob I ever came across.
Best of all? Sal Polisi spares no one. Least of all himself.
October 31, 2025
I really didn't feel the narrator was very reliable in this book. He was important enough to find out that the JFK assassination was a mob hit yet when he had to go to jail (ahem, he was not a big enough asset to protect with bribery) he did not have a replacement for the Sinatra Club assigned. Heck, it was such an important business he got to name it. Something just doesn't sit right.
How did this book find me? It was in the Audible+ catalog, but I didn't get to it in time and found it on Hoopla.
How did this book find me? It was in the Audible+ catalog, but I didn't get to it in time and found it on Hoopla.
June 29, 2024
This was an interesting read about the ups and downs of working in the mafia told by a former mafia member. This memoir had a very similar story arc to the mob movie "goodfellas." While it did have some insightful anecdotes, the author spent a lot of time talking about
different events in the history of the mafia that were irrelevant and I felt took away from his story. (For example: discussing the assassination of JFK as a mob hit)
different events in the history of the mafia that were irrelevant and I felt took away from his story. (For example: discussing the assassination of JFK as a mob hit)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2020
This was an incredibly fun read. Boy do I love snooping into people's sneaky lives! Sal Polisi did an amazing job depicting the mob life. I just wish he had spoken more about Frank Sinatra and his supposed ties to the Mob.
This was also fun to read since I'm familiar with nyc and Queens, so I could litterally picture where he was going and what neighborhoods he was talking about.
This was also fun to read since I'm familiar with nyc and Queens, so I could litterally picture where he was going and what neighborhoods he was talking about.
March 10, 2022
I gave this book a 3-stars because the language and what I considered too much information regarding intimate acts was OFF THE CHARTS! I skimmed these unnecessary parts of this book to the best of my ability and despite the trash, there were interesting parts of this book and so I made myself finish it. However, I wouldn't recommend it because it was too vulgar for my taste.
March 17, 2022
Disclaimer: This book has nothing to do with Frank Sinatra.
A heads up for anyone picking up this book for that reason. His name is dropped a couple of times, but with no context to the plot whatsoever. However, this book is still filled with fascinating mob stories, and I do recommend to anyone who is looking for that.
A heads up for anyone picking up this book for that reason. His name is dropped a couple of times, but with no context to the plot whatsoever. However, this book is still filled with fascinating mob stories, and I do recommend to anyone who is looking for that.
January 27, 2018
If you've read a few of these stories about the Mafia then you've read them all and this was no exception. What started off interesting at first eventually became "run of the mill" as this story provided no new insight or excitement to the life of a member of one of the NY Mafias.
November 3, 2020
Though it was entertaining at time, some parts were exaggerated I felt. It was difficult keeping up with all the families and wasn't a easy read. For people who are interested in the mafia, I am sure they would enjoy this book.
February 9, 2022
Blunt: that's the one word I would use to describe this book. Polisi doesn't hold back, and I respect that. As more and more material regarding the American Italian Mafia is made, Polisi adds a refreshing take on the old conversation, refusing to romanticize La Cosa Nostra for its fleetingly wild success and lifestyle.
March 17, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It goes beyond the Hollywood romanticism of movies like "The Godfather" and "Goodfellas" to really show the nitty gritty of the world of mobsters. For anyone who wonders "Is The Godfather real?", this book is for you. I would definitely recommend!
September 24, 2024
Sal Polisi is working as a screen writer. I think a lot of what is in this book is written with that in mind. I think the story has been embroidered. On the positive side the book was well written. It kept my interest.
January 26, 2019
Delusional, romantiza y niega.
Aún así fue muy entretenido e interesante.
Aún así fue muy entretenido e interesante.
June 12, 2019
I thought this was alright. Enjoyed the background\history, some parts were a little tough to believe.
October 27, 2019
This was a great book, a lower level mobster in the life talks bout jimmy the gent, john gotti, dominic cataldo some serious guys
March 31, 2020
I’d say 4- 4.5 stars.
A good read if you are a mafia fan.
Thought it was one of the better mob books out there.
A good read if you are a mafia fan.
Thought it was one of the better mob books out there.
November 17, 2020
Sal is a very complex person. Obviously a gangster and womanizer but he has heart. You want to hate him but you can't.
December 4, 2020
A fun read that made me want to watch Goodfellas again.
August 22, 2022
Good account of the mob life, but hard to keep my attention at times.
June 16, 2023
Not very engaging to be honest.
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