The Confessions of Al Capone

by Loren D. Estleman, Luke Daniels (Reading)

In 1944 Al Capone, the most notorious Mob boss in history, has already been released from prison. Though Capone is no longer the enormously powerful force who dominated Chicago’s underworld for years, he is still a thorn in the side of J. Edgar Hoover. The FBI chief knows that if he can somehow manage to get Capone to reveal details of crimes he and his Outfit committed, the Bureau has a good chance of nailing key members who now are active in the wartime black market. FBI agent Peter Vasco is perfect for the job. He has an in—his father once drove a truck for the Outfit—and his pre-FBI education gives him even better cover. His pose as the priest he wanted to be before he dropped out of seminary, get close to Capone, and get Hoover the information he demands. Capone’s in Florida, suffering from advanced syphilis, and happy to add a priest to his inner circle. As Vasco and the mobster bond over card games, lunches, and even a trip to Wisconsin, Capone, sometimes lucid and sharp, other times rambling and vague, recounts stories of his criminal career. From his days as a bouncer in Brooklyn to the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, Capone spills secrets that reveal in vivid detail the life of this monster who became the most iconic figure in twentieth-century crime. Vasco is alternately fascinated and repelled by the things Capone reveals. Al Capone would stop at nothing to take what he wanted, but also fed the poor of Chicago; he rose to the top of Chicago on a tide of bootleg beer and booze, but took the time to ensure that innocent victims of Mob violence got proper medical care. This is Al Capone as he’s never been seen before, a ruthless crime lord who trafficked in death and corruption…as well as a man of refined tastes who loved his family. A man whose life is waning, and perhaps, a man who is seeking absolution.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Crime, Mystery, True Crime

Audio CD

First published June 1, 2013

About the author

Loren D. Estleman is an American writer of detective and Western fiction. He writes with a manual typewriter.

Estleman is most famous for his novels about P.I. Amos Walker. Other series characters include Old West marshal Page Murdock and hitman Peter Macklin. He has also written a series of novels about the history of crime in Detroit (also the setting of his Walker books.) His non-series works include Bloody Season, a fictional recreation of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and several novels and stories featuring Sherlock Holmes.

Series:
* Amos Walker Mystery
* Valentino Mystery
* Detroit Crime Mystery
* Peter Macklin Mystery
* Page Murdock Mystery

Reviews

[Gloria Feit · Rating 5 out of 5]

The question is: Is this book a novel in search of history, or history in search of a novel? Certainly, it is a well-researched effort, recalling the career of Al Capone, one of the most notorious crime bosses in the history of the United States. His career is traced through a series of meetings with Peter Vasco, posing as a Catholic priest, who is placed in a position of intimacy with Capone after his release from prison for tax evasion by J. Edgar Hoover in an effort to obtain evidence to go after his associates in Chicago.

Characterizations are the key to the novel, portraits that are incisive and penetrating. J. Edgar Hoover comes up short as a person. Vasco, who is merely a clerk in the FBI, suddenly becomes a special agent and blossoms as an undercover agent, more than unlikely in real life. His putative father, Paul, is an amusing personality. Other characters are merely fill-ins.

It is a gripping tale, well-written. The author apparently set out to capture the essence of Al Capone, and it seems he was successful. Whether he did so for the others who populate the pages is questionable. However, the confessions, after all, are those of Al Capone, and as such are vital and readable.

Highly recommended.

[Bridget · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I quite liked this book and would have rated it higher, but felt it dragged on WAY too long. 100 pages shorter, it would have been far more cohesive and a better read and would have gotten at least another star from me.

[Joe Slavinsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent work! Another reason why Estleman is one of my most favorite authors. He has a real knack for history, and adding plenty of "reality" to his novels, while telling a great story. In this one, you really get to know Peter Vasco, the son of an Italian immigrant, estranged from his father(who used to drive beer trucks for Capone's outfit). He leaves the seminary(which is why he & his father are estranged), and joins the FBI, not as an agent, but as a stenographer. He comes to the attention of Hoover, who talks him into going undercover, as a priest, to get close to Capone. Hoover, who has a dossier on Peter's father, hopes that the connection will get him introduced to Capone, who's been released from prison, and is living in Miami, slowly dying of syphilis. Peter, already conflicted over his relationship with his father, wants to succeed with the FBI, becomes more conflicted over his feelings about the church, and soon realizes he is over his head on this mission, where the slightest slip, could mean his death. The characters are so real, and the plot twists, and turns, at a breath-taking pace, with a significant surprise revealed, that made this book very hard to put down. This book is Estleman, at his best. I can't recommend this book any higher. PLEASE, read this book! You will not regret it.

[Ken Schloman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loren Estelman is a very prolific writer whose novels have won awards in both the Mystery and western genres. Now he has combined his crime writing style with detailed historical research to create a unique portrait of Al Capone, covering both his time as THE crime boss of Chicago in the 1920's and and his time in Miami in the mid 1940's while dying of syphilis. It leaves the reader a gangster's point of view of events and also leaves the reader with questions as to what is fact and what is Capone's memory as affected by his disease. This is done excellent characterization and craftsmanship. If you like this novel I would also recommend "Sutton" by J.R. Moehringer that also presents a portrait of another iconic criminal from the criminal's point of view.

[Liz Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm somewhat embarrassed that I'd never heard of Loren Estleman considering (a) he's written 70 books, (b) he's a Michigan author and (c) I read a lot of mysteries.

I will be reading more of his work.

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is a tough book to pull off. There’s already tons of bs associated with the legend of Al Capone that it’s tough to discern the truth. Fortunately, Loren Estleman, a writer who I’ve been meaning to read for a very long time, gets it well.

Estleman’s research is incredible. I read Max Alan Collins’ Scarface and the Untouchable before this so a lot of it was fresh in my head. I figured he (Estleman) might fudge the facts in order to tell a more compelling story. But he doesn’t have to do so. In using an undercover FBI agent in the guise of a priest, he allows his characters to feel real and thus the “confessions” aspect to come off as authentic. Capone is neither a monster or misunderstood genius here, more of a washed up non-able bodied lunk who is kind of hanging on for his friends and family, many of whom are loyal to him but are afraid of what one misstep might do to their respective livelihoods.

As a minister, I really appreciated how well Estleman handles religion here. Yes, there’s the familiar and tired Catholic guilt but I’ve had many awkward exchanges with people and parishioners in my time. They feel genuine; an added depth to the story.

There is a twist coming that I saw and wasn’t a fan of. I also felt the ending could have been stronger. But overall, this is a great take on Capone written by a competent scribe.

[Christopher Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have long been fond of Loren Estelman's writing. Whatever his genre, Estelman delivers well-researched, well-written stories with distinct and interesting characters. And this is his finest work, his best book so far.

The concept is solid: During WW2, an FBI agent whose father had connections to the Chicago mob is sent in undercover with the now-retired and ill Capone. His task is not to catch Al Capone, who is not long for this world while suffering late stage Syphilis, but to pose as a priest and gain Capone's confidence and learn the secrets that will help the FBI catch currently active mobsters.

But as he struggles with his both conscience and rebuilding the relationship with his estranged father, Peter Vasco finds more secrets and mysteries than he expected.

Woven through with fascinating details of depression-era organized crime, war-era history, culture, and social interaction, The Confessions of Al Capone is a fascinating glimpse of the 20s, 30s, and 40s like taking a step back through time. Driven by Estelman's masterful prose and command of the language, readers will be pleased with every page as the story unfolds, shocks, and enlightens.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novel is structured on the premise that a priesthood drop-out recruited by J. Edgar Hoover befriends the terminally ill Al Capone to get confessions of his criminal activity. As WWII wages in Europe, another war wages inside the young Peter Vasco, at first over his own duplicity and then later over the duplicity of those around him. Ultimately, the morally rigid, or at least inexperienced, Vasco discovers truth more about himself than Capone and finds a world in all shades of gray.

Interspersed throughout the novel are Al Capone's own "confessions," and the novel reeks with gangster language. Obviously, much of the info about Capone is historical record, but the personal look within the Capone family is intriguing, and the ending holds a few surprises, too.

The book is not fast reading because the print is small, and the paragraphs and chapters are long and vividly detailed, making it often difficult for the reader to read and follow. It was also a bit too detailed, too dense, and somewhat hard to get into, but well written and carefully structured.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like other Estleman books I have read, I enjoyed the well researched details that made the story feel authentic to the period in which it takes place. I have enjoyed reading about true crime since I was a child, with the rise of organized crime during Prohibition of particular interest. The plot involves Hoover recruiting an ex-seminary deskbound FBI agent to go undercover as a priest, in order to attempt to gain knowledge of organized crime from the confessional at a Catholic parish near Capone's secluded retirement home in Florida. A further back story is that the agent's estranged father once drove beer trucks for Capone during Prohibition in Chicago, and may or may not have been more deeply involved in the "Outfit". The book is well plotted has excellent character development, and of course has some wonderful plot twists which have the agent questioning his commitment to the FBI, as well as his own identity. All in all, a very satisfying read.

[Carol Storm · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gave up after six chapters. The world's whiniest FBI man, disguised as a Priest, tries to "infiltrate" Al Capone's Florida mansion, after the poor man is already dying of late-term syphilis. If that idea grabs you, go for a long, cold swim in Lake Michigan!

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a novel filled with history told from a different slant.
What if you were able to sit down with Al Capone and have him tell you what it was like from his perspective?
That's what Loren Estleman did in this book.
Enjoyed it.

[Jessica Sanford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The FBI sets up one of their agents as a priest to work his way into the world of a post jail, mentally addled Al Capone.

From what I can tell, the author does significant research on Al Capone. The surrounding story is no true (the FBI priest), but the events in Capones life are as true as far as we can tell.

I also enjoy hearing about living situations in this time period. Simply fascinating!

[Lauren Swaim · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author did a fantastic job writing this book. It is very well written and I did not want to put it down. This is the first book I have read by Loren Estleman and I don't plan on it being my last. I would definitely recommend.

[Mary Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two words....too long. Even with a fabulous narrator this book was about 7 discs too long. I enjoyed the premise of the story and was engaged by the characters, it just dragged on. I think that in this situation it might just be the one time I would opt for an abridged version.

[D. Wickles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up because it dealt with Al Capone and the gangster lifestyle. It was somewhat weird that it was fiction rather than nonfiction but it kept me turning the pages. Didn't see the twist coming but it didn't end the way I imagined.

[Yosef Shapiro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loren Estleman inserts a POV character into the life of real life gangster Al Capone. The POV character is a fake priest, sent in by J Edgar Hoover to try and get information from Al Capone. The story is a bit too slow moving for me. But, there is a lot of good Capone history and stories in it.

[Jack Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Read

Off to read this book with other interests in history but I enjoyed the read.
Interesting but good style of writer.
JM

[Lawanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook performed by Luke Daniels

[Marylee Lannan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This came in my latest grab and go from the library and I almost didn’t read it. I’m glad I did.

[Sandy]

I did not finish this book. I couldn’t even follow the first couple of chapters.

[Kelly]

Did not finish - extremely slow

[Lettyann Pullman-weber]

Didn’t care for the book but it as interesting

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually don't read fiction but the fact that this was fiction mixed with non-fiction made me want to read it. I have also been interested in Al Capone recently and this book is set in a time and place where most people don't know Capone. It is after he went to prison-Alcatraz- And he is now home living in Florida on the ocean while syphyllis is eating away at his brain.J.Edgar Hoover sends a young FBI recruit,a former jesuit student to infiltrate the Capone camp. Hoover wants the "priest" to push Capone for information on other people involved with his organization. The priest does get in Capones circle thru his father who used to do a little work for Capone and Capone owes the dad a favor for some reason which we find out later in the book.The problem is that the book has plots and twists and turns that you could see coming a mile away. I know this was a fiction/non-fiction book but when I can see the plot "holes" developing before I even get to them isn't really the mark of a great read.I won;t give any spoilers but you will probably catch them in the book before they even happen. The best part by far are the chapters when the priest and Al Capone talk alone.Capone slipping in and out of lucid thinking,while talking about the good old days when he was the king of Chicago. Capone teaches the priest to fish and in alot of peoples real lives who usually teaches them to fish? Capone at this point in his life was kind of a sad sympathetic figure,kind of harmless and broke.Helped by his brother Ralph "Bottles" Capone,who took over whatever was left of the Capone Empire.
The interaction with the priest and J.Edgar Hoover kind of dragged and portrayed Hoover the way I guess he really was.A tyrant who was like a mad dog when he wanted someone brought down. The story between the priest and his father and his fathers new Jewish girlfriend (priests mother had died years before had a condition and was apparently helped with $ from Capone for a reason that became another easy plot hole to figure out. The priests father was abrasive and not much of a caring father at all.The fathers girlfriend was very nice to the priest but her cgaracter was not needed. Another chapter or series of chapters had to do with a relationship with the Capone family maid and the butler.When the priest and the black maid went for a walk in the rain because Capone associate Frank Nitti came to the house it was so obvious what was going to happen. It was kind of pointless filler even if the guy was really an FBI agent and not a priest. Read it,get a few laughs,try and find the plot holes or figure out the mysteries before you even get to those parts finish the book and file it away.

[Joseph Ribera · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different twist on the tale of Alphonse Capone. A low ranking clerk in the nacent FBI is recruited personally by the new Bureau head, J. Edgar Hoover to wrangle his way into the inner sanctum of the now "retired" Al Capone. Al has served his time, including Alcatraz, and is suffering in the third stages of the syphilis he acquired at the age of 16. Peter, the protagonist, is to gain entree through his estranged father, a minor functionary on the perimeter of the Capone mob, who occassionally did some driving and other favors. To pull this off, Peter has to adopt the guise of a Catholic priest, ostensibly to help him rid himself of the burden of his sins through the confessional. While Peter had a one time been in the seminary, he was never ordained and had to take a refresher course in the rites of the church before tacking on his clerical collar.

Obviously he does gain entree and tells an interesting story through dialogues with Al and from the retired and ailing gangster's perspective. HIs task is made difficult because Al's family works tirelessly to shield him from talking alone with anyone, afraid that because of his growing senility and mental lapses he might divulge information that the feds (he calls them "whiskers", a reference to uncle Sam's goatee) could use to put him back in prison. Despite their efforts his priestly disguise wins them over and he is able to have one-on-one conversations (the "confessions") which he diligently writes out in long hand and sends to Hoover.

Over time and along the way he grows to feel a strong affection for Al and gains unexpected insight into his own family history and psyche.

J. Edgar is the dark emminence and scheming toad many have revealed him to have been.

Thoroughly enjoyable read.

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loren Estleman is one of my favorite authors, and it is only for that reason that this is getting four stars instead of three. It was just too freaking long! The premise is certainly interesting: a low level FBI bureaucrat is recruited by J. Edgar himself to infiltrate the Capone inner circle. The reason that this man (Peter) is chosen is because his father (Paul) was a driver for Capone. Also, Peter was thisclose to being a priest. So, the idea is to send him in as a priest in order to get close to a dying Capone and then report back to J.

This all takes a lot of setting up, and I was fine reading that. It takes some time to get Peter into the inner circle, and I was fine reading that. But then book just started to drag on. There would be a hundred pages of Peter, his dad, his crush on a maid in Capone's house, his life in the church and then maybe 15 pages of confessions from Capone. The stories about Peter's interactions with the Capone family were interesting, but the rest just sort of dragged.

That said, the amount of research into the time period and the Capone criminal enterprise was impressive. I just didn't need to read *all* of it....

[Vickie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read some of Estleman's detective fiction from the '70s, and mostly enjoyed it. Saw a review of this new one and thought I'd give it a try. The premise: J. Edgar Hoover is trying to get more evidence of Capone's wrong-doings. Capone already has served his tax evasion sentence and is living in Miami; dying actually from syphilis. Hoover taps an FBI employee whose father was known to be a driver for Capone to pose as Catholic priest in Miami and thereby gain Capone's confidence and access to possibly incriminating evidence (whether as Confession or just telling a story to a friend).

[Shawn Manning · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one took a little getting into. In the beginning, there are no likable characters, including the protagonist. However, there is quite a bit of character evolution and revelation. My only misgiving is that I am not sure if the author is going out of his way to white wash Capone a little. Make no mistake, Capone is portrayed as a violent killer but the reader can't help but like him at times. I lot to think about with this one.

[Aj · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Estleman's writing. This book was not only interesting from the aspect of learning more about The Outfit in Chicago and other Capone activities but it was a great story. I will write more later. I particularly want to point out a section that was beautifully written in my estimation.

[Harvey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story from one of my long-time favorites but overlong and overdone.

[Maria Tonelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good read. Love, love, love biographical novels and historical fiction.