Flipping Capo: How the FBI Dismantled the Real Sopranos

by Seamus McElearney, Eric Smies (Narrator), Barbara Finkelstein

Séamus McElearney's early days on an FBI organized crime squad were full of grunt work.

For months he was mired in administrative tasks, including the transcription of secret recordings of the DeCavalcante and Bonanno crime families. Eighteen months later, McElearney assisted in his squad's arrest of 39 Mafia suspects; he led the team arresting Anthony Capo, a DeCavalcante soldier linked to stock fraud and conspiracy to commit murder.

Barely a week after Capo's arrest, McElearney accomplished what no other law enforcement agent had ever done in the hundred years of the DeCavalcante crime family's he flipped one of their made men.

What followed was a spiral effect of cooperation as McElearney and colleagues flipped three more DeCavalcante associates, one captain, and an acting boss. Flipping Capo resulted in the Bureau solving eleven murders, convicting seventy-one defendants, and dismantling the DeCavalcante crime family.

Thanks to the redemptive relationship he built with Capo, McElearney helped unmask a criminal network that led to the RICO convictions of the entire DeCavalcante hierarchy, just as the world was coming to know them as the "real Sopranos."

Genres: Crime

Audible Audio

Published October 28, 2025

Reviews

[Nora Conley · Rating 5 out of 5]

So often, these true-life accounts of law enforcement efforts read dry. That's definitely not the case in this instance. There's a good mix of personal anecdotes from the FBI Agent's perspective and the details of the investigation, which give you real insight into the life and career of an FBI Agent.There’s genuine humor and humanity woven throughout, keeping the pages turning.

[Becky Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genuinely interesting, but don’t expect to be too gripped; it’s not ‘The Sopranos’.
Honestly? I don’t much care for ‘The Sopranos’ -it’s good, it’s just not for me- but I’m much more so drawn in by the “real-life” counterparts in book or documentary form. This book ticks that box, and if you’re worried about spoilers for the television show you’ve been meaning to watch for years, you can still read this book.

It’s a dry book, more so than I anticipated, but it’s never uninteresting. I felt it read as a memoir of McEarney’s career, with his work with Mafia soldier Capo to dismantle the DeCavalante crime family being the central story.

Obviously this book has an eventful and interesting plot, I personally wish the writing style had reflected that, but I suspect a lot of people will enjoy the matter-of-fact delivery.

🎧I enjoyed this book on audio. That’s my preferred format for this genre, and whilst I would recommend the audio format, I don’t feel it added enough to the experience to recommend as better on audio.
⏩️I chose to listen at 1.25x speed but the 1.0x speed was well paced.
🎙️Eric Smie’s narration is unemotive, crisp, and clear, which suits the tone of the book. His voice’s for each character are distinct, and the “mafia accents” don’t feel too corny. I would note, the delivery sounds a touch robotic -enough that I did confirm the narrator was a human voice actor- but I didn’t notice that after the first ten minutes of listening.

This book has Christmas present for [insert male relative here] written all over it -but this thirty-year-old woman liked it, so give it a try if you’re intrigued by investigations like this one.

With thanks to Tantor Media and NetGalley for the gifted audiobook in exchange for sharing an honest review.

[Max Hockley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to receive an early pre-launch copy of this book and all I can say is that I was totally rapt from page 1 through the end. Such a fascinating story with all the juicy details a mafia/true crime buff could ask for. As a huge Sopranos fan as well, it felt like getting a behind the scenes look at the show—almost like getting more episodes!

100% recommend for anyone who loves true crime and wants to learn about the REAL SOPRANOS!

[Fred Scully · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is absolutely not about the "real" life Sopranos. Wrong New York family connections throughout the story. It is however a fairly accurate account of what was left of the NJ (Mob North) after the Indictment of the 5 heads in NY. It is not a bad read from a historical perspective and it is always interesting to see how the FBI works. But the constant self-praise by the Author is off putting. He didn't get anybody to roll over; he was just sitting in the correct desk when a bad guy decided he didn't want to spend the rest of his life in jail. Frankly, I don't find any heroes in this book. Only, bad guys and worse guys. The effort the author puts into trying to convince himself (surely not the reader) that this bad guy is reformed is to say the least self-serving. As the old saying goes if you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas. I hope they have plenty of flea powder around.....

[DarkTwistedReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you netgally for this ALC, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
A book Seamus McElearney  and what it took for him and the FBI to take down the real sopranos. 

This was great. Loved the narrator, thought he did a great job.
The book was very informative, and at some points emotional. I cried a little at the end ngl.
There was a part where he was talking about the tragedy that was 9/11.

I just thought the overall information and the inner workings of the FBI and Mafia families was interesting.
Even though this read like a fiction story which is what kept it going and entertaining to me, I had to remind myself that this was real life. The things discussed in here, the stories, the murders, the tragedies, they were real. Real people, with real things happening to them.

[J Kromrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Tantor Media and Netgalley for this eARC in audio format.

Seamus McElearney’s Flipping Capo is a gripping blend of true‑crime storytelling and procedural reconstruction, but what makes it stand out is its refusal to glamorize the mythology of the mob. Instead, McElearney zeroes in on the messy, unromantic mechanics of dismantling a criminal empire—one informant, one wiretap, one compromised loyalty at a time. The book’s title hints at its core tension: the psychological calculus of betrayal, survival, and the FBI’s slow, methodical pressure campaign that turned hardened men into state witnesses.

McElearney structures the narrative with a journalist’s clarity but a novelist’s instinct for pacing. He moves between the FBI’s internal strategy and the mobsters’ unraveling sense of invincibility, creating a dual perspective that keeps the story taut. What emerges is less a tale of heroic law enforcement than a study in human frailty—how fear, ego, greed, and desperation shape decisions that ripple outward through families, neighborhoods, and entire criminal networks.

Flipping Capo excels is in its attention to the emotional and psychological stakes. McElearney doesn’t flatten anyone into archetypes. The mobsters are neither folk antiheroes nor caricatures; the agents are not infallible. Instead, the book captures the uneasy intimacy of undercover work, the moral ambiguity of informant recruitment, and the way long-term investigations erode everyone involved. It’s a portrait of systems grinding against each other, with individuals caught in the gears.

Eric Smies’s narration is a strong match for the material. He brings a steady, grounded tone that suits the procedural detail, but he also knows when to lean into the tension without overplaying it. His character differentiation is subtle—no exaggerated accents, no theatrical bravado—which keeps the focus on the story’s realism rather than its pop‑culture associations. Smies’s pacing is deliberate, giving listeners time to absorb the complexity of the investigation and the shifting loyalties that drive the narrative forward.

The result is an audiobook that feels immersive without ever tipping into sensationalism. Smies amplifies McElearney’s strengths: clarity, psychological nuance, and a refusal to let the “real Sopranos” framing overshadow the human cost of organized crime.

Flipping Capo is a compelling, clear‑eyed look at how criminal organizations actually fall—not through cinematic shootouts, but through pressure, patience, and the fragile psychology of men who once believed themselves untouchable. The audiobook elevates that realism, making it an excellent choice for listeners who appreciate true crime that prioritizes insight over spectacle.

I knocked a star of for the author's self aggrandizement.

[Ron Baumer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely well-written and informative book on the FBIs efforts to bring a Mafia family to justice in New York. I listened to this book and was amazed of the job the author did in narrating his own book. In my opinion, this made the book more enjoyable, because not only did you get the information, but the author/narrator made you feel as if you were there. The efforts the FBI and DAs put in to get members of the Mafia family to become informants and witnesses in the trials was amazing. The actions of the Mafia family, their callous treatment of others, as well as the inside look on how the family actually functioned were a fascinating story. For the true crime fan, I would highly recommend this book.

As I stated, the book was an audiobook and the narrator did an amazing job. I would definitely read/listen to more books by this author.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read from an interesting point of view.
Ive read mafia books from ex members telling their stories or ‘experts’ on the topic but never a member of the FBI so this felt quite refreshing.
As i mentioned I’ve read a few books on the mafia so I don’t think I learnt anything i didn't know before but it was enjoyable all the same.
Audio book - narrator was great, felt atmospheric without being corny.

Thanks to Netgalley for this