Boss of Bosses: How One Man Saved the Sicilian Mafia

by Clare Longrigg

Bernado Provenzano, head of the Sicilian mafia, is Italy's most notorious criminal. But despite apparent sightings all over Europe, for 43 years he eluded the police, until, on 11 April 2006, a crack police team broke into a tiny shepherd's hut in the mountains above Corleone. At last they were able to capture Provenzano, just a few miles from his home. A master of reinvention, he has been known variously as the Tractor, the Accountant, Uncle Bernie and even the Axe Man. He took over Cosa Nostra when it was on its knees, after the carnage of an all-out war with the state, and restored its power by going underground and infiltrating business, law and politics at the highest levels. In prison his human side emerged when his sole request was to marry his devoted companion, Saveria, who stood by him through years on the run. Provenzano's story is one of passion and betrayal, told by the investigators who tracked him down, the spies who worked for him, the officers who arrested him and his consigliere at the heart of Cosa Nostra.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, True Crime, Crime

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 25, 2009

Reviews

[Aram]

This isn't a great read, but it's worth your while 'cause the facts are there and the insights on Provenzano's way of life while being hidden for the largest part of his life are quite astonishing.

The first chapters are a complete mess though; I'm not sure what happened there, but blurting out names, dates and "describing" (major) events in one sentence doesn't help one getting a good start reading this book. As if the writer choose to cut all the background-stories to a telegram message. It's awful.

But forget the beginning of the book and don't give up yet. It gets better after that, with a lot of accurate details on Provenzano's hiding spots, the remarkable ways of communicating with his men, and his private life "with" his family.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read albeit on a subject that I don't know much about. It was intriguing to get past the mob image of shoot shoot bang and more into the money aspect of it. I did like the author's style and will probably read her book about women and the mafia

[Bobby24 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read, well written and researched.

[David Cowen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good book that was an informative & interesting read. Needed a little something more to warrant a 5

[Lewis Dangerfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting book following the Boss of Bosess and the challenge of catching him.

Fascinating to hear how he saved and led an organisation whilst in hiding

[David Hernandez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Watch Sopranos instead. That is all.

[Glenn Liguori]

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