What do you think?
Rate this book
Gangsterland #1
Gangsterland
Listening Length = 10 hours and 30 minutes
Book 1 of 3: Gangsterland
"[An] exciting and darkly funny crime novel." ―C. Moon Read, Las Vegas Weekly, 1 of Our 20 Favorite Books of the Past Twenty Years
Sal Cupertine is a legendary hit man for the Chicago Mafia, known for his ability to get in and out of a crime without a trace. Until now, that is. His first-ever mistake forces Sal to botch an assassination, killing three undercover FBI agents in the process. This puts too much heat on Sal, and he knows this botched job will be his death sentence to the Mafia. So he agrees to their radical idea to save his own skin.
A few surgeries and some intensive training later, and Sal Cupertine is gone, disappeared into the identity of Rabbi David Cohen. Leading his growing congregation in Las Vegas, overseeing the population and the temple and the new cemetery, Rabbi Cohen feels his wicked past slipping away from him, surprising even himself as he spouts quotes from the Torah or the Old Testament. Yet, as it turns out, the Mafia isn't quite done with him yet. Soon the new cemetery is being used as both a money and body-laundering scheme for the Chicago family. And that rogue FBI agent on his trail, seeking vengeance for the murder of his three fellow agents, isn't going to let Sal fade so easily into the desert.
Gangsterland is the wickedly dark and funny new novel by a writer at the height of his power―a morality tale set in a desert landscape as ruthless and barren as those who inhabit it.
Book 1 of 3: Gangsterland
"[An] exciting and darkly funny crime novel." ―C. Moon Read, Las Vegas Weekly, 1 of Our 20 Favorite Books of the Past Twenty Years
Sal Cupertine is a legendary hit man for the Chicago Mafia, known for his ability to get in and out of a crime without a trace. Until now, that is. His first-ever mistake forces Sal to botch an assassination, killing three undercover FBI agents in the process. This puts too much heat on Sal, and he knows this botched job will be his death sentence to the Mafia. So he agrees to their radical idea to save his own skin.
A few surgeries and some intensive training later, and Sal Cupertine is gone, disappeared into the identity of Rabbi David Cohen. Leading his growing congregation in Las Vegas, overseeing the population and the temple and the new cemetery, Rabbi Cohen feels his wicked past slipping away from him, surprising even himself as he spouts quotes from the Torah or the Old Testament. Yet, as it turns out, the Mafia isn't quite done with him yet. Soon the new cemetery is being used as both a money and body-laundering scheme for the Chicago family. And that rogue FBI agent on his trail, seeking vengeance for the murder of his three fellow agents, isn't going to let Sal fade so easily into the desert.
Gangsterland is the wickedly dark and funny new novel by a writer at the height of his power―a morality tale set in a desert landscape as ruthless and barren as those who inhabit it.
Audiobook
First published August 18, 2014
240 people are currently reading
2905 people want to read
About the author
Tod Goldberg
35 books576 followersTod Goldberg is the New York Times bestselling author of sixteen books of fiction, notably the acclaimed Gangsterland quartet: Gangsterland, a finalist for the Hammett Prize; Gangster Nation; The Low Desert, a Southwest Book of the Year; and Gangsters Don’t Die, an Amazon Best Book of 2023 as well as a Southwest Book of the Year. Other works include The House of Secrets, which he co-authored with Brad Meltzer, and Living Dead Girl, a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His short fiction and essays have been anthologized widely, including in Best American Mystery & Suspense and Best American Essays, and appear regularly in the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and Alta. Tod Goldberg is a Professor of Creative Writing at the University of California, Riverside, where founded and directs the Low Residency MFA program in Creative Writing & Writing for the Performing Arts. His next novel, Only Way Out, will be released this fall from Thomas & Mercer.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 315 reviews
March 24, 2022
Stop me if you’ve heard this one. A rabbi and a Mafia hitman walk into a bar. The joke is that they’re the same person.
Sal Cupertine is a contract killer for the mob in Chicago, and for decades he managed to remain in the shadows. That all changes after he walks into a FBI sting operation and ends up killing several agents. Now Sal is at the top of the most wanted list, and the mob fake his death and smuggle him to Las Vegas.
After plastic surgery, Sal learns that he’s expected to take on the identity of Rabbi David Cohen as part of the organization for a local gangster who is running schemes connected to a synagogue including disposing of bodies in the Jewish cemetery. With a near photographic memory and an instinct for reading people, Sal quickly falls into the role of a rabbi even as he is making is own plans to someday reunite with the wife and son he left back in Chicago. Meanwhile back in Chicago, Jeff Hopper was scapegoated for Sal’s murders of his fellow FBI agents, and Jeff is convinced that Sal is still alive and is determined to find him. Sal/David also realizes that he’s still got to deal with the dangerous web of mob politics.
I had mixed feelings on this one. There was a lot I liked with a unique story, good characterizations, and some black humor. The idea of a mob hitman pretending to be a rabbi sounds like a goofy plot from an ‘80s action-comedy movie, but Goldberg sets up the premise well and makes it seem plausible. There’s some interesting stuff with Sal learning things about Jewish culture, but this isn’t a story of a bad guy who gets a change of heart. More like Sal is still a killer deep down, he’s just adopting to a new community he's learning to respect.
However, it also seemed just a little drawn out and slow with a lot of time spent on the internal reflections of both Sal/David and Jeff Hopper with both men piling up regrets by their choices that led them to that point. It got a little repetitive with the same themes rehashed again and again.
I started to feel like the entire book could have been a prologue, and in the end, you find out that this is indeed only the start of a story. I knew there was at least a second book to this, but I wasn’t prepared for how little gets resolved here. So the whole novel just felt like sequel set-up.
Still, I liked it enough that I will check out the next one, but if it doesn’t give me more sense of resolution and satisfaction than this one did, I’ll be very disappointed.
Sal Cupertine is a contract killer for the mob in Chicago, and for decades he managed to remain in the shadows. That all changes after he walks into a FBI sting operation and ends up killing several agents. Now Sal is at the top of the most wanted list, and the mob fake his death and smuggle him to Las Vegas.
After plastic surgery, Sal learns that he’s expected to take on the identity of Rabbi David Cohen as part of the organization for a local gangster who is running schemes connected to a synagogue including disposing of bodies in the Jewish cemetery. With a near photographic memory and an instinct for reading people, Sal quickly falls into the role of a rabbi even as he is making is own plans to someday reunite with the wife and son he left back in Chicago. Meanwhile back in Chicago, Jeff Hopper was scapegoated for Sal’s murders of his fellow FBI agents, and Jeff is convinced that Sal is still alive and is determined to find him. Sal/David also realizes that he’s still got to deal with the dangerous web of mob politics.
I had mixed feelings on this one. There was a lot I liked with a unique story, good characterizations, and some black humor. The idea of a mob hitman pretending to be a rabbi sounds like a goofy plot from an ‘80s action-comedy movie, but Goldberg sets up the premise well and makes it seem plausible. There’s some interesting stuff with Sal learning things about Jewish culture, but this isn’t a story of a bad guy who gets a change of heart. More like Sal is still a killer deep down, he’s just adopting to a new community he's learning to respect.
However, it also seemed just a little drawn out and slow with a lot of time spent on the internal reflections of both Sal/David and Jeff Hopper with both men piling up regrets by their choices that led them to that point. It got a little repetitive with the same themes rehashed again and again.
I started to feel like the entire book could have been a prologue, and in the end, you find out that this is indeed only the start of a story. I knew there was at least a second book to this, but I wasn’t prepared for how little gets resolved here. So the whole novel just felt like sequel set-up.
Still, I liked it enough that I will check out the next one, but if it doesn’t give me more sense of resolution and satisfaction than this one did, I’ll be very disappointed.
August 18, 2023
4.50 ⭐️— A very enjoyable romp through the world of mafioso & hitman Sal Cupertine, and his alter ego Rabbi David Coen.
In Gangsterland, Goldberg has written an absolute triumph in the realm of modern crime fiction. It has an exquisite blend of dark humor, relentless suspense, and profound introspection, Goldberg crafts a narrative that ensnares the reader from the very first page and refuses to let go.
Set against the gritty backdrop of Las Vegas, Goldberg introduces us to Sal Cupertine, a hitman turned rabbi, in a premise that is as audacious as it is intriguing. The author's prose is a masterclass in wit and precision, skillfully navigating between the morally grey world of organized crime and the spiritual turmoil of a man trying to atone for his sins. The contrast between the stark criminal underworld and the delicate nuances of religious contemplation creates an electrifying tension that propels the story forward.
Goldberg's character development is a thing of true depth & wonder. Sal Cupertine is not just a hitman with a conscience; he is a complex & deeply human character who grapples with the duality of his existence. Often his existential crisis seems to have an existential crisis. The author's ability to delve into Sal's psyche, exposing his fears, desires, and regrets, evokes a visceral empathy that resonates long after the final page is turned. Secondary characters are equally well-crafted, adding layers of depth to the narrative tapestry.
The pacing here plays like a symphony of suspense & revelation. The plot weaves seamlessly between Sal's attempts to escape his criminal past and the inexorable pull of his past actions. As Goldberg unfurls the layers of the narrative, the tension heightens with each twist and turn, leading to a climactic crescendo that is as satisfying as it is unpredictable.
Goldberg's skillful exploration of themes, such as redemption, identity, and the thin line between good and evil, elevates 'Gangsterland' from a mere crime novel to a work of literary significance. His prose is as razor-sharp as a stiletto and as evocative as a sunset over the Nevada desert.
Whilst it took a good 70 pages for me to fully invest in this novel, this is par for the course of the in fiction. But what is not, and what alters the course of the narrative and my reading experience, is the fact that the ending comes almost out of nowhere, filling you with that feeling whereby you are fairly certain with 50-Pages to go, there’s no likely conclusion that could suffice the story told this far. But here, I felt somewhat ushered along to an event I hadn’t braced for, or driven into a dead-end, such well fleshed-put characters & narrative almost felt awash, which is a shame.
In Gangsterland, Goldberg has not only delivered a gripping crime novel but a meditation on the human condition itself. It's a tale that navigates the shadowy alleyways of sin and redemption, crafting an indelible mark on the landscape of contemporary literature. With its finely wrought characters, taut plot, and thought-provoking themes, this novel nears being an unmissable masterpiece that could have easily earned its place among the upper-echelon of literary achievement in crime fiction, however the aforementioned feeling of having been rushed, perhaps over edited or cut short for some reason, this feeling of being ushered out the door by the author can’t be avoided & whilst I anticipate eagerly the sequel, ‘Gangster Nation’ — I can’t help but feel slightly cheated after such an all-engrossing experience!
In Gangsterland, Goldberg has written an absolute triumph in the realm of modern crime fiction. It has an exquisite blend of dark humor, relentless suspense, and profound introspection, Goldberg crafts a narrative that ensnares the reader from the very first page and refuses to let go.
Set against the gritty backdrop of Las Vegas, Goldberg introduces us to Sal Cupertine, a hitman turned rabbi, in a premise that is as audacious as it is intriguing. The author's prose is a masterclass in wit and precision, skillfully navigating between the morally grey world of organized crime and the spiritual turmoil of a man trying to atone for his sins. The contrast between the stark criminal underworld and the delicate nuances of religious contemplation creates an electrifying tension that propels the story forward.
Goldberg's character development is a thing of true depth & wonder. Sal Cupertine is not just a hitman with a conscience; he is a complex & deeply human character who grapples with the duality of his existence. Often his existential crisis seems to have an existential crisis. The author's ability to delve into Sal's psyche, exposing his fears, desires, and regrets, evokes a visceral empathy that resonates long after the final page is turned. Secondary characters are equally well-crafted, adding layers of depth to the narrative tapestry.
The pacing here plays like a symphony of suspense & revelation. The plot weaves seamlessly between Sal's attempts to escape his criminal past and the inexorable pull of his past actions. As Goldberg unfurls the layers of the narrative, the tension heightens with each twist and turn, leading to a climactic crescendo that is as satisfying as it is unpredictable.
Goldberg's skillful exploration of themes, such as redemption, identity, and the thin line between good and evil, elevates 'Gangsterland' from a mere crime novel to a work of literary significance. His prose is as razor-sharp as a stiletto and as evocative as a sunset over the Nevada desert.
Whilst it took a good 70 pages for me to fully invest in this novel, this is par for the course of the in fiction. But what is not, and what alters the course of the narrative and my reading experience, is the fact that the ending comes almost out of nowhere, filling you with that feeling whereby you are fairly certain with 50-Pages to go, there’s no likely conclusion that could suffice the story told this far. But here, I felt somewhat ushered along to an event I hadn’t braced for, or driven into a dead-end, such well fleshed-put characters & narrative almost felt awash, which is a shame.
In Gangsterland, Goldberg has not only delivered a gripping crime novel but a meditation on the human condition itself. It's a tale that navigates the shadowy alleyways of sin and redemption, crafting an indelible mark on the landscape of contemporary literature. With its finely wrought characters, taut plot, and thought-provoking themes, this novel nears being an unmissable masterpiece that could have easily earned its place among the upper-echelon of literary achievement in crime fiction, however the aforementioned feeling of having been rushed, perhaps over edited or cut short for some reason, this feeling of being ushered out the door by the author can’t be avoided & whilst I anticipate eagerly the sequel, ‘Gangster Nation’ — I can’t help but feel slightly cheated after such an all-engrossing experience!
May 3, 2017
Great Lakes Goombah Guns Down 4 G-men, Goes to Hide in Vegas where He Turns into Tony with a Torah
*3.5 stars*
I enjoyed this easily-readable crime novel with its dark and dryly witty plot.
Rabbi David Cohen (aka Sal Cupertino, a 35-year-old shadowy hitman with a bad plastic surgery job) appears to go through a existential crisis-lite as he misses his wife and young son and considers the Torah that he's basically committed to memory (his mob nickname was "Rain Man"), but maintains his killer karma. While Mr. Goldberg has fun playing with the interplay among Italian mobsters, a hitman's rabbinical conversion and perhaps a reptilian shedding of the Jewish skin, he doesn't glamorize gangsters, the mob lifestyle, Jews or G-men. The novel maintains a diabolical darkness despite the comedic diversions.
If you loved "The Sopranos" and "Bugsy," you should revel in "Gangsterland."
*3.5 stars*
I enjoyed this easily-readable crime novel with its dark and dryly witty plot.
Rabbi David Cohen (aka Sal Cupertino, a 35-year-old shadowy hitman with a bad plastic surgery job) appears to go through a existential crisis-lite as he misses his wife and young son and considers the Torah that he's basically committed to memory (his mob nickname was "Rain Man"), but maintains his killer karma. While Mr. Goldberg has fun playing with the interplay among Italian mobsters, a hitman's rabbinical conversion and perhaps a reptilian shedding of the Jewish skin, he doesn't glamorize gangsters, the mob lifestyle, Jews or G-men. The novel maintains a diabolical darkness despite the comedic diversions.
If you loved "The Sopranos" and "Bugsy," you should revel in "Gangsterland."
August 6, 2017
I received this this via Goodreads Giveaways in exchange for an honest review. All my opinions are my own:).
----
Short review because I'm tired and have to leave for work soon. (Is the Mad Hatter hiring? Sort of kidding)
Anyways:
Characters 3.5 stars
Writing - 3 stars
Plot: 3 stars
Maybe 3.25 overall?
---
Pleasant read, didn't fully connect with it but had fun all the same. I could see this being a good movie or mini-series (HBO or Netflix perhaps) with maybe Bryan Cranston in one of the roles or something :).
Its easy to get lost in the writing and picture what is going on, despite feeling like an outsider while reading it (for me at least).
I would say give it a try if you are still interested. :)
----
Short review because I'm tired and have to leave for work soon. (Is the Mad Hatter hiring? Sort of kidding)
Anyways:
Characters 3.5 stars
Writing - 3 stars
Plot: 3 stars
Maybe 3.25 overall?
---
Pleasant read, didn't fully connect with it but had fun all the same. I could see this being a good movie or mini-series (HBO or Netflix perhaps) with maybe Bryan Cranston in one of the roles or something :).
Its easy to get lost in the writing and picture what is going on, despite feeling like an outsider while reading it (for me at least).
I would say give it a try if you are still interested. :)
May 19, 2025
I was struggling with how to write my review of this book and then I landed on Perry’s review of Gangsterland. I wish I could link you to it but I am on my phone and it just won’t let me do it. I can tell you how Perry titled his review:
“Hitman guns down 4 G-men, goes to Vegas and becomes Tony with a Torah.”
Perfect. Perry nailed it.
I read this because it was recommended to me by a good friend. The plot of this book is buck wild. The writing was solid, as were the characters.
“Hitman guns down 4 G-men, goes to Vegas and becomes Tony with a Torah.”
Perfect. Perry nailed it.
I read this because it was recommended to me by a good friend. The plot of this book is buck wild. The writing was solid, as were the characters.
December 25, 2021
The premise sounded more interesting than the actual book. The story just dragged on and on, no real ups and downs, just flat landscape. It lacked grip which is something one would expect from a mobster story.
November 13, 2014
I vacillated between really enjoying this book and being bored by events occurring within the story. If that seems a strange juxtaposition, it's no stranger than the story itself.
Mr. Goldberg shows us what little difference there is between organized crime and organized religion. He achieves this by utilizing a hit man for the mob and a Jewish rabbi. In this story's case, as unlikely as it seems, it's the same man Sal Cupertine aka Rabbi David Cohen. Let me explain.
Sal has made a mess up in negotiation a drug deal, not his usual area of expertise, realizes he has been made, as the drug guys he was dealing with are the FBI, and decides they all need to be killed (his usual area of expertise).
Now having killed four FBI men, the FBI learning his identity, he must get out of town. His cousin, the head of the Chicago mob and a colorful used car salesman arranges to have his identity changed with some plastic surgery and have him shipped off to Las Vegas to assume a new life as a Rabbi.
The criminal / mob elements are well handled by Mr. Goldberg, as is the pursuit of Sal/David by a failed FBI agent and his side kick. This is also handled well. These elements make for an excellent and cleaver crime novel.
Sadly for me at least and where the novel falls down is the lengthy character introspection of the main character and the lengthy explanations of Jewish history and Jewish philosophy intertwined into the narrative.
Overall the book was most enjoyable and I am glad to see Mr. Goldberg has giving us a new book beyond the "Burn Notice" franchise. His knowledge of Vegas is to be applauded as is his cleaver plotting ability. The humor is sly and often quite dark, another reason to enjoy this book.
Mr. Goldberg shows us what little difference there is between organized crime and organized religion. He achieves this by utilizing a hit man for the mob and a Jewish rabbi. In this story's case, as unlikely as it seems, it's the same man Sal Cupertine aka Rabbi David Cohen. Let me explain.
Sal has made a mess up in negotiation a drug deal, not his usual area of expertise, realizes he has been made, as the drug guys he was dealing with are the FBI, and decides they all need to be killed (his usual area of expertise).
Now having killed four FBI men, the FBI learning his identity, he must get out of town. His cousin, the head of the Chicago mob and a colorful used car salesman arranges to have his identity changed with some plastic surgery and have him shipped off to Las Vegas to assume a new life as a Rabbi.
The criminal / mob elements are well handled by Mr. Goldberg, as is the pursuit of Sal/David by a failed FBI agent and his side kick. This is also handled well. These elements make for an excellent and cleaver crime novel.
Sadly for me at least and where the novel falls down is the lengthy character introspection of the main character and the lengthy explanations of Jewish history and Jewish philosophy intertwined into the narrative.
Overall the book was most enjoyable and I am glad to see Mr. Goldberg has giving us a new book beyond the "Burn Notice" franchise. His knowledge of Vegas is to be applauded as is his cleaver plotting ability. The humor is sly and often quite dark, another reason to enjoy this book.
June 3, 2015
NY Times Book Review made me do it: Sal Cupertine is a legendary hit man for the Chicago Mafia, and has to disappear when he kills three undercover FBI agents and a CI. He is stashed in a meat truck to Las Vegas, where following plastic surgery, he emerges as Rabbi David Cohen. Leading a growing congregation, he presides over funerals and counsels his congregation, quoting Torah, Talmud or Springsteen with aplomb. Of course, he cannot fully escape his life of crime and has to face a rogue, vengeful FBI agent and his desires to return to the family he abandoned. Humorous and dark, with some Jewish mysticism thrown in.
May 1, 2015
Normally I’m wary of any crime book labelled as funny, and effusive taglines testifying to the scale of hilarity contained within, but this was an absolute hoot from start to finish. Arising from a short story entitled Mitzvah, the book is not only a dark and sinister crime caper, set in Las Vegas, but contains some of the sharpest wiseguy humour so reminiscent of the old master Elmore Leonard. The whole set-up for the plot with a sadistic Chicago hitman having to re-invent himself as a rabbi in Vegas, is wacky enough, but I more than bought into this gun-toting, sharp talking and endlessly entertaining read. The characters are brilliant and earthy whether bad guy, good guy, or those that gravitate between both camps of legality, and the action is fast-paced and totally engaging. If you love Leonard, Hiaasen or Dorsey this will tick all the boxes.
March 28, 2021
Came to this after totally loving Goldberg’s short story collection ‘The Low Desert’. ‘Gangsterland’ follows Sal Cupertine, a Chicago hitman who botches an assassination, as he is transformed into David Cohen, a Las Vegas rabbi, after months of plastic surgery. Of course, he is a rabbi involved in, among other things, body-laundering for the mob. Jeff Hopper, the FBI agent, slowly closes in on him and the suspense sort of increases. It is interesting enough, and does have its moments, but it never really grabbed me and I limped my way to the end.
February 12, 2024
When I chose to read this I thought I was going to get something like a Don Winslow book. I am not sure how I got that idea, but the zany premise might be to blame. Chicago mob hitman Sal Cupertine, messes up and needs to get out of town fast and permanently. Shuttled into the mob version of witness protection Sal finds himself living in Vegas with a new identity -- Rabbi David Cohen. This could have been so good! And yet this was not so good.
There were passages I enjoyed, but mostly I found the unceasing ironic voice rather irritating. Also, I assume based on his name that Tod Goldberg is Jewish, and Jews need to develop a sense of humor about certain common characteristics of moneyed Jewish communities, but this often crossed the line into antisemitism in my opinion. Most important though is that it just was not a well-crafted thriller. I never felt any sense of excitement or fear about what was coming next. The set-up here, the thing that sends Sal out of town, is absurd So we start with a totally unbelievable premise and then more stuff happens. People are getting offed left and right in Chicago and in Vegas and no one pays attention except to the victims who are law enforcement. In the bloodiest days of the 1980's mob wars in NYC there were not 10% of this number of violent deaths as there were in the course of the year depicted here. It reads as if Tarantino was heading a crime family. Then Goldberg gives us Jeff, an FBI agent who is intent on finding Cupertine, and a junior agent he tries to make his protege. I won't spoil anything but will say he did not develop these characters enough to create any sort of interest in them as individuals or to bring to mind Elliot Ness/One-Armed Man suspense. There is no reason to root for Jeff which is sad since if you are not rooting for Jeff you are rooting for a prolific hitman. And speaking of Jeff, whom we are told is a respected experienced FBI agent, how could he never have even thought it was a possibility that Sal had There were a lot of other things that were tin-eared, and I won't go through all, but the biggest issue was bad story construction. I could not have cared less how things turned out for any of these people except possibly the old rabbi (I already forgot his name) and even for him I did not care a lot. I won't be visiting the later books in this series.
There were passages I enjoyed, but mostly I found the unceasing ironic voice rather irritating. Also, I assume based on his name that Tod Goldberg is Jewish, and Jews need to develop a sense of humor about certain common characteristics of moneyed Jewish communities, but this often crossed the line into antisemitism in my opinion. Most important though is that it just was not a well-crafted thriller. I never felt any sense of excitement or fear about what was coming next. The set-up here, the thing that sends Sal out of town, is absurd So we start with a totally unbelievable premise and then more stuff happens. People are getting offed left and right in Chicago and in Vegas and no one pays attention except to the victims who are law enforcement. In the bloodiest days of the 1980's mob wars in NYC there were not 10% of this number of violent deaths as there were in the course of the year depicted here. It reads as if Tarantino was heading a crime family. Then Goldberg gives us Jeff, an FBI agent who is intent on finding Cupertine, and a junior agent he tries to make his protege. I won't spoil anything but will say he did not develop these characters enough to create any sort of interest in them as individuals or to bring to mind Elliot Ness/One-Armed Man suspense. There is no reason to root for Jeff which is sad since if you are not rooting for Jeff you are rooting for a prolific hitman. And speaking of Jeff, whom we are told is a respected experienced FBI agent, how could he never have even thought it was a possibility that Sal had There were a lot of other things that were tin-eared, and I won't go through all, but the biggest issue was bad story construction. I could not have cared less how things turned out for any of these people except possibly the old rabbi (I already forgot his name) and even for him I did not care a lot. I won't be visiting the later books in this series.
Read
September 26, 2023I'm throwing in the towel at the halfway point.
It takes a special writer to make a reader CARE about a hired killer (Lawrence Block could do it, and quite well in his Hit Man series.) Goldberg could not. His Sal Cupertine had zero personality, so why would I root for him? The FBI agent who refuses to believe Sal is really dead had some promise, but his investigation was just taking too long. I'm sad as I bought this book years ago certain that I was going to love it. Perhaps at another time in my life I would have finished this, but there are just too many other titles vying for my attention at this time.
It takes a special writer to make a reader CARE about a hired killer (Lawrence Block could do it, and quite well in his Hit Man series.) Goldberg could not. His Sal Cupertine had zero personality, so why would I root for him? The FBI agent who refuses to believe Sal is really dead had some promise, but his investigation was just taking too long. I'm sad as I bought this book years ago certain that I was going to love it. Perhaps at another time in my life I would have finished this, but there are just too many other titles vying for my attention at this time.
September 25, 2017
Така, така - книгата не беше лоша, но просто не е моят тип литература. Гангстерските интриги никога не са ме привличали нито на кино, нито на хартия, нито в реалния живот. Дори тук не съм дори на 60% сигурна, че схванах голямата схема, определено съм изпуснала някой ключов елемент от историята. Иначе романът е написан наистина добре, подкрепен с достоверни факти от подземния свят в Чикаго и Лас Вегас. Заплита се един доста сложен на пръв поглед конспиративен заговор във Фамилията, който в крайна сметка се оказва поредната игра на някой бос в стремеж да завземе повече власт, територия и пари. Без оглед на щетите, които нанася по пътя. Докато един равин не поема контрола в свои ръце. Оттам насетне - всичко е история, както казват.
June 15, 2021
Black comedy and violent crime, a mob hitman hides out as a rabbi in Las Vegas. So, he's learning to be Jewish and studying religious texts.
The pace may be too slow for action lovers, never mind the body count. The mob side of the story is better than the FBI side, which reads like flat noir.
The pace may be too slow for action lovers, never mind the body count. The mob side of the story is better than the FBI side, which reads like flat noir.
April 24, 2015
The idea of juxtaposing the mafia, a hit man, and a Reform Jewish temple in Las Vegas forms the basis for this outrageous but satisfying novel. It is filled with a variety of characters and a plot that carries the theme with aplomb. While the concept may appear to be beyond the realms of reality, the author carries it out with grace and humor.
It all begins in Chicago, where Sal Cupertine is an extraordinary hit man for the mob, efficient, careful and never caught. Until one day he is assigned to meet with some purported drug sellers who turn out to be FBI agents and, for the first time, his face becomes known, so he has to kill them for self-preservation but has to flee the Windy City hidden in a refrigerated truck. Sal ends up in Las Vegas, undergoes facial surgery and, because he has a retentive memory, is turned into Rabbi David Cohen, part of a new racket.
While many of the Talmudic and Biblical references, which colorfully emit from David’s (Sal’s) lips throughout the novel, may be questionable, they set the tone for the incredible plot. If there is one drawback to the novel it is the final passages which to this reader did not ring true, although, supposedly, are intended to provide a morality to this mafia story.
Recommended.
It all begins in Chicago, where Sal Cupertine is an extraordinary hit man for the mob, efficient, careful and never caught. Until one day he is assigned to meet with some purported drug sellers who turn out to be FBI agents and, for the first time, his face becomes known, so he has to kill them for self-preservation but has to flee the Windy City hidden in a refrigerated truck. Sal ends up in Las Vegas, undergoes facial surgery and, because he has a retentive memory, is turned into Rabbi David Cohen, part of a new racket.
While many of the Talmudic and Biblical references, which colorfully emit from David’s (Sal’s) lips throughout the novel, may be questionable, they set the tone for the incredible plot. If there is one drawback to the novel it is the final passages which to this reader did not ring true, although, supposedly, are intended to provide a morality to this mafia story.
Recommended.
August 10, 2016
I was lucky to get an early version of this remarkable, thoroughly enjoyable book. It's funny, scary, soulful, and so much fun.
November 13, 2014
A breezy criminal underworld page-turner with a creamy kosher middle. The thrilling inevitability of Torah and tommy guns.
September 18, 2023
This Mafia novel was written in 2014. Sal Cupertino is a prolific Mafia hit man. In a rare lapse of judgment, he wipes out a hotel roomful of FBI agents, and then must go deep underground. Not just "to the blankets", as they say in Mario Puzo's The Godfather, meaning the primary members of a family locking down in an unknown inside location for weeks at a time, but being given an entirely new identity using backroom plastic surgery to change his appearance. He's set up in Las Vegas as a rabbi. FBI agent Jeff Hopper realizes that he was to blame for the deaths of his compadres, because he accidentally left his name - well-known to the Mafia - on the hotel reservation. He's booted out of service, but takes up the challenge of tracking down Cupertino as a private citizen.
Gangsterland has two things going for it. Goldberg's research into the minutiae of the Mafia's inner workings and its web of operational and behavioral relationships has allowed for a sense of incredible realism. Although there is no way I can verify the accuracy of his portrayal, I very much suspect that I've never read a better or more detailed accounting of Mafia life. Secondly, this is a very funny book. I had seven laugh-out-loud moments.
The down side is that there are unfortunate plot elements that don't ring true. I couldn't buy that someone could depend on several months of deep reading about Jewish Faith and then step into the role of a rabbi, conducting funeral services on his own, etc. That the FBI agent was able to quickly track down this man in his new identity felt way too unlikely and convenient. I had great difficulty keeping up with who was who. And I am so tired of crime novels in which the writer uses the common ploy of mapping out a story using the benefit of a law enforcement agent who's "on the case" after having been placed on leave or fired.
Gangsterland has two things going for it. Goldberg's research into the minutiae of the Mafia's inner workings and its web of operational and behavioral relationships has allowed for a sense of incredible realism. Although there is no way I can verify the accuracy of his portrayal, I very much suspect that I've never read a better or more detailed accounting of Mafia life. Secondly, this is a very funny book. I had seven laugh-out-loud moments.
The down side is that there are unfortunate plot elements that don't ring true. I couldn't buy that someone could depend on several months of deep reading about Jewish Faith and then step into the role of a rabbi, conducting funeral services on his own, etc. That the FBI agent was able to quickly track down this man in his new identity felt way too unlikely and convenient. I had great difficulty keeping up with who was who. And I am so tired of crime novels in which the writer uses the common ploy of mapping out a story using the benefit of a law enforcement agent who's "on the case" after having been placed on leave or fired.
February 23, 2020
Nem szimpla gengszterregény, jót tett neki a rabbisodás, még ha túl sok zsidó dolog nem is került elő.
June 29, 2024
I enjoyed this novel, mostly because Goldberg has created one of the more intriguing criminal protagonists I've ever encountered.
At the core of this story is brutal mafia hitman Sal Cupertine, who works out of Chicago and is known as Rain Man because of his photographic memory.
Sal's MO has always been to do his hits quietly, quickly and with as little mess as possible. But on one fateful day, when he is supposed to meet a group of drug dealers in the famous Parker House hotel in downtown Chicago, he realizes that it's an FBI sting operation and decides impulsively that every man in the room must be wiped out.
Sal thinks it's very likely that he will be rubbed out himself, but instead he is packed off to Las Vegas, where he is assigned the task of becoming a rabbi.
This would seem to be a recipe for absurdity, except for that photographic memory, which allows him to tackle the Torah, the Talmud and about 60 other books while his looks are being refashioned.
He eventually finds out why his life has been spared. Suffice to say that it involves a part of the temple's business that will end up benefiting crime families all over the country.
One reason I couldn't give this five stars is because there is a major flaw in one piece of this business plan, which I can't give away without spoiler alerts.
The part of this artifice that makes the book work is that Sal, now known as David Cohen, the new associate rabbi, retains his icy willingness to kill people, but mixes it in with a new sensitivity to living by moral precepts and serving as a sympathetic ear for anxious congregation members.
In the midst of all this, an FBI agent who has been put on leave makes it his mission to find out what happened to Sal, and that brings the book to its white knuckle conclusion, and seems to promise more in sequels.
Goldberg's knowledge ofJewish religious life keeps the book within the realm of reality despite the absurdities of the situation, and Sal turns out to be a complex and evolving character.
That made it worth the read.
At the core of this story is brutal mafia hitman Sal Cupertine, who works out of Chicago and is known as Rain Man because of his photographic memory.
Sal's MO has always been to do his hits quietly, quickly and with as little mess as possible. But on one fateful day, when he is supposed to meet a group of drug dealers in the famous Parker House hotel in downtown Chicago, he realizes that it's an FBI sting operation and decides impulsively that every man in the room must be wiped out.
Sal thinks it's very likely that he will be rubbed out himself, but instead he is packed off to Las Vegas, where he is assigned the task of becoming a rabbi.
This would seem to be a recipe for absurdity, except for that photographic memory, which allows him to tackle the Torah, the Talmud and about 60 other books while his looks are being refashioned.
He eventually finds out why his life has been spared. Suffice to say that it involves a part of the temple's business that will end up benefiting crime families all over the country.
One reason I couldn't give this five stars is because there is a major flaw in one piece of this business plan, which I can't give away without spoiler alerts.
The part of this artifice that makes the book work is that Sal, now known as David Cohen, the new associate rabbi, retains his icy willingness to kill people, but mixes it in with a new sensitivity to living by moral precepts and serving as a sympathetic ear for anxious congregation members.
In the midst of all this, an FBI agent who has been put on leave makes it his mission to find out what happened to Sal, and that brings the book to its white knuckle conclusion, and seems to promise more in sequels.
Goldberg's knowledge ofJewish religious life keeps the book within the realm of reality despite the absurdities of the situation, and Sal turns out to be a complex and evolving character.
That made it worth the read.
November 27, 2014
A Chicago mob hitman botches a job and is sent packing to Las Vegas to lay low under an assumed identity as a suburban Jewish rabbi. Sounds like a premise for either high comedy, or a treacly Hollywood-style morality tale. Thankfully, this novel is neither.
What it is, is a smart, crackling thriller filled with complex personalities, a gripping storyline, and, for the record, Talmudic wisdom. It's a mark of Goldberg's mastery of the form that he dodges all clichés and expectations. He has the reader rooting for an unrepentant serial murderer, for G*d's sake, and just when you think a quoted passage from the Talmud is leading to an aw-shucks moment when the killer sees the light, the protagonist almost does just that until, at the last moment he engages in a cynical, self-serving twist.
There are a few places in the middle where the narrative becomes a dense web of accounts of past and present crimes by just about every character in the book, and maybe some of this could have been thinned out, but it's a minor quibble in an otherwise high-tension plot.
I usually avoid violent thrillers, but after reading "Mitzvah", the author's short story which spawned the book, when the novel came out I couldn't resist. It contains much to please the enthusiast of literary fiction as it does thriller aficionados. And if you're Jewish, there are enough little subtle details to keep you amused.
What it is, is a smart, crackling thriller filled with complex personalities, a gripping storyline, and, for the record, Talmudic wisdom. It's a mark of Goldberg's mastery of the form that he dodges all clichés and expectations. He has the reader rooting for an unrepentant serial murderer, for G*d's sake, and just when you think a quoted passage from the Talmud is leading to an aw-shucks moment when the killer sees the light, the protagonist almost does just that until, at the last moment he engages in a cynical, self-serving twist.
There are a few places in the middle where the narrative becomes a dense web of accounts of past and present crimes by just about every character in the book, and maybe some of this could have been thinned out, but it's a minor quibble in an otherwise high-tension plot.
I usually avoid violent thrillers, but after reading "Mitzvah", the author's short story which spawned the book, when the novel came out I couldn't resist. It contains much to please the enthusiast of literary fiction as it does thriller aficionados. And if you're Jewish, there are enough little subtle details to keep you amused.
October 24, 2016
This is a strange book, certainly a crime novel but not really a thriller, more a novel of manners than of intrigue, full of moral ruminations but with a protagonist who is utterly morally corrupt.
It has a great hook: the Chicago mob's top hitman gets a little carried away and kills three FBI agents, bringing down intense heat. Normally he would get whacked for the indiscretion, but he has friends in high places and instead gets "sold" to a Las Vegas crime boss who arranges for plastic surgery and a new identity-- as a rabbi. Yes, you heard that right. This gambit requires some suspension of disbelief on the part of the reader, but Goldberg sells it reasonably well, showing our hero lying low for months while his face heals, passing the time by studying the Jewish texts and shedding his blue-collar Chicago accent. When he emerges from hiding, he is ready to take his place in a very original criminal enterprise run through a Vegas synagogue with mob connections. The real interest in the book lies in the cultural observations (late-nineties Vegas, Italian-Jewish relations in organized crime) and the suspense as to whether or not the rabbinical hitman's increasing moral awareness will lead to any genuine remorse and enlightenment.
It has a great hook: the Chicago mob's top hitman gets a little carried away and kills three FBI agents, bringing down intense heat. Normally he would get whacked for the indiscretion, but he has friends in high places and instead gets "sold" to a Las Vegas crime boss who arranges for plastic surgery and a new identity-- as a rabbi. Yes, you heard that right. This gambit requires some suspension of disbelief on the part of the reader, but Goldberg sells it reasonably well, showing our hero lying low for months while his face heals, passing the time by studying the Jewish texts and shedding his blue-collar Chicago accent. When he emerges from hiding, he is ready to take his place in a very original criminal enterprise run through a Vegas synagogue with mob connections. The real interest in the book lies in the cultural observations (late-nineties Vegas, Italian-Jewish relations in organized crime) and the suspense as to whether or not the rabbinical hitman's increasing moral awareness will lead to any genuine remorse and enlightenment.
March 14, 2015
This was really 3 1/2 stars. I was having a hard time choosing what to read next and found this under a pile. I had borrowed it from the library soon after it came out, but a smoker had borrowed it before me and I was unable to read it, because it smelled so bad and made me wheeze. I bought a copy and then had other things to read for book clubs and then could not find a book I wanted to read. Gangsterland broke me out of my slump ( it only took me so long to read as work interfered!). It is the story of a Chicago mob hitman and what happens to him after he kills the wrong people. His life is spared, but he enters an illegal variation of a witness protection program. Tod Goldberg tells Sal Cupertine's story very well and provides an interesting look at a darker side of Las Vegas . Tod is one of the cohosts of the Literary Disco podcast and while Sal is absolutely nothing like him ( best as I can tell), Tod's voice and wonderfully sarcastic sense of humor came through in the dialogue. This is definitely a slump breaking book and a more thoughtful mob story than many that I have previously read.
April 28, 2023
Meh (3.5/5)
Kwam vreselijk traag op gang, maar uiteindelijk wel aight
Kwam vreselijk traag op gang, maar uiteindelijk wel aight
December 12, 2024
Quite enjoyed this one. Nice change of pace from other current reading. Looking forward to reading the second book in the series.
September 17, 2017
Dark, poignant, sad and occasionally very funny. Filled with full, believable and deeply flawed characters. So well written that many of the chapters can stand alone as set pieces.
September 2, 2021
Mafia hitman Sal Cupertino has a rare error of judgement and kills some FBI agents. Oops. His guys smuggle him to Vegas, and after a whole bunch of plastic surgery, Sal becomes Rabbi David Cohen. This premise is absurd AF, but it was exceptionally engaging and entertaining. Loved it and can't wait to read Gangster Nation, the next in this...series? Trilogy? However many there are, I'm there for them.
April 6, 2017
A legendary hit man for the Chicago Mafia named Sal Cupertine is spirited off to Las Vegas in a refrigerated meat truck after a botched job. There, after six months of radical plastic surgery and cramming with the Torah and the Talmud, he resurfaces as Rabbi David Cohen in a thriving suburban Reform congregation. Funny, right? Could be hilarious? Unfortunately, it isn’t.
Oh, Gangsterland has its moments. There are times when the sheer absurdity of the premise becomes overwhelming, and my only defense was to laugh. In fact, the further I followed the Byzantine plot of this novel — it involves a funeral-parlor scam and “body-laundering” for the Mafia — the more absurd it became. Sad to say, author Tod Goldberg is too intent on fleshing out his characters as three-dimensional human beings than with wringing humor out of a story tailor-made for farce. The result is an awkward combination of sensitive, naturalistic fiction and comedy of the absurd. Shakespeare knew better than to get so serious when he was going for laughs. So did Donald E. Westlake.
Goldberg creates suspense in Gangsterland by alternating chapters between Cupertine’s point of view and that of his adversary in the FBI, a hapless special agent named Jeff Hopper. As Hopper pursues the trail of obscure clues that lead him ever closer to Cupertine, the tension builds — or, rather, it would have, if I’d cared much about who did what to whom.
Tod Goldberg is a novelist and short story-writer who may be better known as the author of several novels based on the TV series “Burn Notice.” He teaches creative writing at the University of California-Riverside.
Oh, Gangsterland has its moments. There are times when the sheer absurdity of the premise becomes overwhelming, and my only defense was to laugh. In fact, the further I followed the Byzantine plot of this novel — it involves a funeral-parlor scam and “body-laundering” for the Mafia — the more absurd it became. Sad to say, author Tod Goldberg is too intent on fleshing out his characters as three-dimensional human beings than with wringing humor out of a story tailor-made for farce. The result is an awkward combination of sensitive, naturalistic fiction and comedy of the absurd. Shakespeare knew better than to get so serious when he was going for laughs. So did Donald E. Westlake.
Goldberg creates suspense in Gangsterland by alternating chapters between Cupertine’s point of view and that of his adversary in the FBI, a hapless special agent named Jeff Hopper. As Hopper pursues the trail of obscure clues that lead him ever closer to Cupertine, the tension builds — or, rather, it would have, if I’d cared much about who did what to whom.
Tod Goldberg is a novelist and short story-writer who may be better known as the author of several novels based on the TV series “Burn Notice.” He teaches creative writing at the University of California-Riverside.
July 27, 2015
How funny is Tod Goldberg's new novel, Gansterland? A laugh a page funny. A book about a gangster who is relocated from Chicago to Las Vegas and given a new identity as a Rabbi!!
This is a really fun summer read!! I think Goldberg has hit the mark, he has used a topic that is real, the Mafia in Las Vegas, Chicago and other major cities and he has made it funny.
This is definitely a fun book to read and really got me thinking about the Jewish players in the history of the mob. I will be doing some more reading about this topic. Meyer Lansky, Bugsy Siegel and many others, Tod Goldberg has whet my curiosity about this topic.
This is a really fun summer read!! I think Goldberg has hit the mark, he has used a topic that is real, the Mafia in Las Vegas, Chicago and other major cities and he has made it funny.
This is definitely a fun book to read and really got me thinking about the Jewish players in the history of the mob. I will be doing some more reading about this topic. Meyer Lansky, Bugsy Siegel and many others, Tod Goldberg has whet my curiosity about this topic.
November 12, 2014
Clever premise, quick read, decent execution. I must say I liked the premise of the book more than the actual book itself. The writing was fine, the characters funny/interesting - it read more like a movie/TV show than a novel and looking at the bio of the author I can see why. It was compelling enough to make me want to finish, but I do not think I will think about it much now that I'm done.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 315 reviews