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The Mafia Hit Man's Daughter
“A riveting look at life inside a Mafia family.”— New York Times bestselling author George Anastasia
The world called him a killer. She called him Dad . . .
“We were always worried. Always looking over our shoulders . . .”
Linda Scarpa had the best toys, the nicest clothes, and a close-knit family. Yet classmates avoided her; boys wouldn’t date her. Eventually she learned they were afraid of her father.
A made man in the Colombo crime family, Gregory Scarpa, Sr. was a stone-cold killer nicknamed the “Grim Reaper.” But to Linda, he was also a loving, devoted father who played video games with her for hours. In riveting detail, she reveals what it was like to grow up in the violent world of the mob and to come to grips with the truth about her father and the devastation he wrought.
“An amazing story of jealously, duplicity, hatred and betrayal.”—Sal Polisi, author of The Sinatra Club
“Touching, shocking, revealing—Linda Scarpa’s memoir is more than a mob book; it’s a family book.”—John Alite, subject of Gotti’s Rules
“An edge-of-your-seat page turner—jaw-dropping, raw, and real.”—Andrea Giovino, author of Divorced From the Mob
INCLUDES 16 PAGES OF DRAMATIC PHOTOS
[color photo inserts for ebook editions]
The world called him a killer. She called him Dad . . .
“We were always worried. Always looking over our shoulders . . .”
Linda Scarpa had the best toys, the nicest clothes, and a close-knit family. Yet classmates avoided her; boys wouldn’t date her. Eventually she learned they were afraid of her father.
A made man in the Colombo crime family, Gregory Scarpa, Sr. was a stone-cold killer nicknamed the “Grim Reaper.” But to Linda, he was also a loving, devoted father who played video games with her for hours. In riveting detail, she reveals what it was like to grow up in the violent world of the mob and to come to grips with the truth about her father and the devastation he wrought.
“An amazing story of jealously, duplicity, hatred and betrayal.”—Sal Polisi, author of The Sinatra Club
“Touching, shocking, revealing—Linda Scarpa’s memoir is more than a mob book; it’s a family book.”—John Alite, subject of Gotti’s Rules
“An edge-of-your-seat page turner—jaw-dropping, raw, and real.”—Andrea Giovino, author of Divorced From the Mob
INCLUDES 16 PAGES OF DRAMATIC PHOTOS
[color photo inserts for ebook editions]
288 pages, Paperback
First published December 29, 2015
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1023 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
December 4, 2015
I received this book via NetGalley to give an honest review.
For me I enjoy reading stories like this because you get an inside look at how being in the Mafia affects everyone just not the victims. This story is not only from the point of view of Linda his daughter but from other people who were affected by The Grim Reaper. With this story it just goes to show you that just because you have someone in the Mafia it isn't glamorous or anything there is death, heartache, broken families, revenge. I think the author did a great job with telling us the true accounts of what went on within the life of Linda the daughter and how she and those around her were affected. The only issues I had and I hope that because I got an early copy it is fixed by the time publication comes out is the spacing between periods and starting a new sentence. There were quite a few of these. Another issue is the changing of the point of views when Linda would say my mother or someone else will tell you that story. If you are not reading that carefully you wouldn't know that the p.o.v's have changed. I would maybe suggest before the change of p.o.v's maybe putting the name of the person who will be speaking next? Just my thought on the issue.
Now if you are going into this story thinking you are getting all the dirty gruesome details of how the Grim Reaper worked you are wrong. Linda didn't fully know everything her father was doing just what she was told or what she would see, but there are some scenes that have you going oh my.
After reading this book I actually went and looked up information on The Grim Reaper and I can't believe I didn't know anything about this going on.
For me I enjoy reading stories like this because you get an inside look at how being in the Mafia affects everyone just not the victims. This story is not only from the point of view of Linda his daughter but from other people who were affected by The Grim Reaper. With this story it just goes to show you that just because you have someone in the Mafia it isn't glamorous or anything there is death, heartache, broken families, revenge. I think the author did a great job with telling us the true accounts of what went on within the life of Linda the daughter and how she and those around her were affected. The only issues I had and I hope that because I got an early copy it is fixed by the time publication comes out is the spacing between periods and starting a new sentence. There were quite a few of these. Another issue is the changing of the point of views when Linda would say my mother or someone else will tell you that story. If you are not reading that carefully you wouldn't know that the p.o.v's have changed. I would maybe suggest before the change of p.o.v's maybe putting the name of the person who will be speaking next? Just my thought on the issue.
Now if you are going into this story thinking you are getting all the dirty gruesome details of how the Grim Reaper worked you are wrong. Linda didn't fully know everything her father was doing just what she was told or what she would see, but there are some scenes that have you going oh my.
After reading this book I actually went and looked up information on The Grim Reaper and I can't believe I didn't know anything about this going on.
December 30, 2015
When I was 20, my friends and I went through a mob movie phase. We watched all the Godfathers, Goodfellas, Scarface... all of those great, classic gangster flicks. Back then, I probably would have liked The Mafia Hit Man's Daughter if for no other reason than that it was an inside look at what my friends and I were watching onscreen.
Co-written by Linda Scarpa and Linda Rosencrance, The Mafia Hit Man's Daughter is billed as the true story of what it's like to grow up with a mob hit man for a dad. The events detailed in the book were compelling, but unfortunately, the writing was not. At all.
Linda Scarpa says she doesn't want this book be a pity party for her, but it really comes off as one. Now, I wasn't raised by a hit man - I had a normal, suburban upbringing with normal, unconnected parents, but I have to say, I'm a bit disturbed by how disconnected Scarpa is from the things her father, Greg Scarpa, aka The Grim Reaper, was responsible for. It must be very difficult to know that your father is a terrible person but telling us repeatedly what a great dad he was when he wasn't out murdering people is a little off-putting. There doesn't seem to be much compassion or remorse (not that I think Scarpa should feel remorse exactly for things she wasn't responsible for) for her father's victims. She says she feels bad for the families of those he murdered, but at the same time, she recounts a time when she tried to cheer her dad up after he gunned down the wrong person by telling him to not feel so bad because after all, that guy was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. the thing Scarpa seems most saddened by is that she no longer has the luxurious life she was brought up to believe she deserved.
I was annoyed throughout the entire book. Half of my annoyance came from the absolutely abysmal writing (seriously, did anyone even try to polish this thing up? And if so... how bad was the original?) and the other half came from the whining tone and constant excuses from Scarpa and her awful mother.
I don't recommend this one for anyone. There have got to be far better books on what it's like to be part of a mob family out there.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Co-written by Linda Scarpa and Linda Rosencrance, The Mafia Hit Man's Daughter is billed as the true story of what it's like to grow up with a mob hit man for a dad. The events detailed in the book were compelling, but unfortunately, the writing was not. At all.
Linda Scarpa says she doesn't want this book be a pity party for her, but it really comes off as one. Now, I wasn't raised by a hit man - I had a normal, suburban upbringing with normal, unconnected parents, but I have to say, I'm a bit disturbed by how disconnected Scarpa is from the things her father, Greg Scarpa, aka The Grim Reaper, was responsible for. It must be very difficult to know that your father is a terrible person but telling us repeatedly what a great dad he was when he wasn't out murdering people is a little off-putting. There doesn't seem to be much compassion or remorse (not that I think Scarpa should feel remorse exactly for things she wasn't responsible for) for her father's victims. She says she feels bad for the families of those he murdered, but at the same time, she recounts a time when she tried to cheer her dad up after he gunned down the wrong person by telling him to not feel so bad because after all, that guy was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. the thing Scarpa seems most saddened by is that she no longer has the luxurious life she was brought up to believe she deserved.
I was annoyed throughout the entire book. Half of my annoyance came from the absolutely abysmal writing (seriously, did anyone even try to polish this thing up? And if so... how bad was the original?) and the other half came from the whining tone and constant excuses from Scarpa and her awful mother.
I don't recommend this one for anyone. There have got to be far better books on what it's like to be part of a mob family out there.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
January 19, 2016
I was not really impressed, I read the book, and it wasn't awful, but it wasn't good either. The book was a challenge to read because of the poor writing. It was repetitive, confusing, not chronological, and at times difficult to figure out whose POV I was reading.
Also, it is hard for me to comprehend that someone can say what a loving father and family man Scarpa was and yet he exposed his children to the horrors of his life by talking openly about the murders he was planning or had committed in the presence of his children from a very young age.
The author says this story is not about wanting sympathy, but it comes across as that. When her father is suffering and dying, or one of their own is murdered there is much sadness and grieving expressed, and asking God why this had to happen. Yet so many people were murdered by her father, so many families destroyed and there did not appear to be remorse, just acceptance that is who he was. The double standards throughout this story disturbed me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Also, it is hard for me to comprehend that someone can say what a loving father and family man Scarpa was and yet he exposed his children to the horrors of his life by talking openly about the murders he was planning or had committed in the presence of his children from a very young age.
The author says this story is not about wanting sympathy, but it comes across as that. When her father is suffering and dying, or one of their own is murdered there is much sadness and grieving expressed, and asking God why this had to happen. Yet so many people were murdered by her father, so many families destroyed and there did not appear to be remorse, just acceptance that is who he was. The double standards throughout this story disturbed me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
February 2, 2016
I am giving this book 5 stars because it reads like a fiction book. When I kept reminding myself that it's real, I was floored. I really think Linda Scarpa was brave to put her story out there for the public to read. I started reading thinking that there wouldn't be a whole lot of detail because other books like this hide details or sugar coat those details. Linda pulls no punches and tells it like it is. It really got me thinking about how those who are fascinated with the Mafia really don't sit and think for a minute how many lives that kind of lifestyle ruins. It's easy to judge someone like Greg Scarpa because of the crimes he committed. But, you have to remember he was Linda and Joey's father and father to other children as well. My heart broke when Linda describes losing her father and it broke even more when she lost her brother. It takes guts and nerve to write your story down, let alone let everyone read it. I was riveted to her story and you will be, too.
November 30, 2015
This was no surprise as far as the mafia mentality of the era goes with people being afraid of them and not wanting to cross paths with the families for fear of retaliation. Every child believes their father is the best and it’s not until we get older that we realize our parents are only human but to discover that people are afraid of your father for the horrific crimes he has committed against other people would be devastating to any daughter. This was a great read about the mind set of the Mafia’s effectiveness in a small community that has long been a thing of the past. I would like to thank the publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this ARC.
March 10, 2016
I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When I was auto-approved for this book, I thought it was a fiction thriller. I had no idea this was a non-fic memoir. A mobster's daughter shares her story about what it was like growing up. This is so well-written with a no-holds barred brutal honesty that had me turning the pages as fast as I could to read more.
When I was auto-approved for this book, I thought it was a fiction thriller. I had no idea this was a non-fic memoir. A mobster's daughter shares her story about what it was like growing up. This is so well-written with a no-holds barred brutal honesty that had me turning the pages as fast as I could to read more.
November 30, 2015
For me, this book was okay. It wasn't the most insightful as she didn't really know what her father was really up to. So mainly, it was mostly about her life and while the author said she wasn't trying for a "woe is me" story. That's pretty much what I got out of it. I think in this instance, it would be hard to write a story like that and the reader not get that impression.
I certainly know you can't pick your parents. However, like I said, for me, this book was just okay. I gave it an extra star just because the author had the guts to write it.
Thanks Kensington Books and Net Galley for providing me a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
I certainly know you can't pick your parents. However, like I said, for me, this book was just okay. I gave it an extra star just because the author had the guts to write it.
Thanks Kensington Books and Net Galley for providing me a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
December 29, 2015
I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest and open review.
Normally I prefer fiction to non-fiction but I was intrigued by the description of this book. I totally admire Linda Scarpa for having the courage to chronicle her life.
Discovering, in her teenage years that the man she thought was her father wasn't and that her real father was a killer must have been extremely traumatic.
This was an interesting account of how the mafia affected families and communities. It certainly makes the saying "God gave us our relatives thank goodness we can choose our friends" more meaningful.
Normally I prefer fiction to non-fiction but I was intrigued by the description of this book. I totally admire Linda Scarpa for having the courage to chronicle her life.
Discovering, in her teenage years that the man she thought was her father wasn't and that her real father was a killer must have been extremely traumatic.
This was an interesting account of how the mafia affected families and communities. It certainly makes the saying "God gave us our relatives thank goodness we can choose our friends" more meaningful.
Want to read
December 30, 2015This book takes you from nail biting hit scenes to loving family moments. its a roller coaster of emotions and real look into the "life" and not just the life of Mrs Scarpa. it gives you a side of Gregory (the grim reaper) Scarpa that you may never have know or believed. This book is AWESOME.!! Linda Scarpa can write. This book is a must read for any fan of the "life" of family and of overcoming and accepting. Should be 5 stars .!!!!
March 8, 2022
Intriguing glimpse into a totally foreign world. Writing isn’t great, but on the other hand, Linda’s voice really comes through. Pretty messed up life. I’m kind of mind-boggled by the gap between the sorrow she feels at the loss of her beloved hit man father and drug dealer brother juxtaposed with her seeming inability to recognize that her father killed literally scores of people without remorse.
January 7, 2016
Book review to be printed in the Daily Republic on Dec. 27.
Link: http://www.dailyrepublic.com/news/loc...
Link: http://www.dailyrepublic.com/news/loc...
December 30, 2015
Fabulous book! Linda shows the whole picture.. The good, bad, and ugly. Some seen him as a monster but his little girl seen him as a father, protector..
January 3, 2017
This was a look into the family of a member of a crime family and the toll it takes on them. Though her mother knew the man she was getting into with it would take some time for her and her brother to become aware of the life he led. Her tale is real and the stories you will remember if you followed the crime families or were from the area. Her story is sad because of the deaths around her family and losing her brother to the violence at a young age. She explains her love as a daughter loving her father and how she tried to be there for him as he was dying. There are parts of the story that are slow but that is expected for a true story. Her tail is real and probably in some way therapeutic. You also get an honest look into her life when she first marries and how she ends up in an abusive relationship, but says nothing for fear of the person she is with being killed. She finally seeks her way out and help. I found her story to but honest and I do remember her father and some of the stories about him, and his deeds. I found some parts of her book to be very enlighten for me for I enjoy these types of books. Overall a good book. I gave the book 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com
February 23, 2022
I can't even imagine growing up not only living with a mobster for a dad, but especially if he is the Grim Reaper. Greg Scarpa Sr is a legend in the Mafia because of how many people he ruthlessly killed and got away with killing as he was also a Top Echelon Informant for the FBI as well as a capo in the Colombo family under Persico. This book is written by Scarpa's daughter Linda and it details how even though she had a very loving father in Scarpa, he also essentially ruined her life because of who he was. She lost her father to AIDS, lost her brother to mob related violence, mom became a basket case after the brother (her son) died, and her uncle got convicted for murder and went away for 30 years. The mob destroyed her family and she's been trying to navigate through life carrying toys baggage with her. Great read.
May 28, 2019
I got this book through a free giveaway for an honest review.
I’m very torn on this book.
I thought it was a novel, come to find out it’s a memoir.
And what an interesting topic. The other side to gangster and monster stories, the impact on the family.
I dove right in.
Very interesting subject, and it’s crazy what the author went through.
But the writing was so poor, it distracts from what she is trying to express. The timeline jumps left and right, and sometimes it seems she gets distracted and goes off on tangents.
I think the book could have been better with a ghost writer.
But if you like gangster stories, this is a really fast and interesting read.
I’m very torn on this book.
I thought it was a novel, come to find out it’s a memoir.
And what an interesting topic. The other side to gangster and monster stories, the impact on the family.
I dove right in.
Very interesting subject, and it’s crazy what the author went through.
But the writing was so poor, it distracts from what she is trying to express. The timeline jumps left and right, and sometimes it seems she gets distracted and goes off on tangents.
I think the book could have been better with a ghost writer.
But if you like gangster stories, this is a really fast and interesting read.
July 21, 2021
Buy this book!!!
Wow...... I don't even know where to begin. Linda Scarpa does an excellent job conveying what life is like for the immediate family members who have a father, husband involved with the mafia. This isn't a Hollywood depiction, this is the raw story. I found myself with Wrought with emotion at nearly every turn of the page. The terror, the sadness, the agony that Linda and her mother endured is only slightly foreshadowed by the love of a close knit family unit who would have done anything for one another. Yes, the are stories about the mob in here but there are also stories about an extremely loving and caring father . Buy this book, you won't regret it.
Wow...... I don't even know where to begin. Linda Scarpa does an excellent job conveying what life is like for the immediate family members who have a father, husband involved with the mafia. This isn't a Hollywood depiction, this is the raw story. I found myself with Wrought with emotion at nearly every turn of the page. The terror, the sadness, the agony that Linda and her mother endured is only slightly foreshadowed by the love of a close knit family unit who would have done anything for one another. Yes, the are stories about the mob in here but there are also stories about an extremely loving and caring father . Buy this book, you won't regret it.
March 16, 2018
Very interesting book from a new perspective, the family of Greg Scarpa. Many things I already knew about Greg Scarpa, but it was interesting to hear from other family members as to their "take" on things that happened. I guess most of us see our parents in a loving light. What amazes me about this book is that Greg Scarpa could be a hit man when necessary and killed without blinking an eye, and could come home and be a loving family man at night.
Linda Scarpa may have had all the trappings of money, etc., but it is not a life I would envy.
Linda Scarpa may have had all the trappings of money, etc., but it is not a life I would envy.
November 1, 2019
Halfway through the book things started taking a very sad turn. Lynn's life started going down a really sad path. Which threw me off, but hey that's life.
The first 4 / 5 chapters were the most captivating. All of them were honestly (maybe because of how well narrated it was) but the sadness really overshadowed the unique stories. which is very selfish to say since her life was ever-changing and the more the years rolled around the harsher the reality of the situation sunk in. Which is why she says she doesn't recommend anyone she knows join the life
The first 4 / 5 chapters were the most captivating. All of them were honestly (maybe because of how well narrated it was) but the sadness really overshadowed the unique stories. which is very selfish to say since her life was ever-changing and the more the years rolled around the harsher the reality of the situation sunk in. Which is why she says she doesn't recommend anyone she knows join the life
February 22, 2023
An interesting look at The Life from the inside. Linda Scarpa tells the story of her father hitman, Greg Scarpa.
Unfortunately and fortunately, the book reads almost like a transcript of stories taped by Linda. We get her story told in her voice, her mother's voice, and the voice of others. At times, it reads like reality show about Mob families. It would have helped perhaps to have more facts and background from the public record to explain what Linda was living through.
Unfortunately and fortunately, the book reads almost like a transcript of stories taped by Linda. We get her story told in her voice, her mother's voice, and the voice of others. At times, it reads like reality show about Mob families. It would have helped perhaps to have more facts and background from the public record to explain what Linda was living through.
October 3, 2020
This is the story of Linda Scarpa, daughter for mafia hit man and psychopath Grg Scarfa. It was good read bt very redundant. About a third of the book is the author telling us how much she loved her father. After awhile you get tired of hearing it. But overall an interesting read for any Mafia or true crime fan. I think I paid $1.99 for this ebook so I can't complain too much
August 26, 2021
Excellent read
Really enjoyed this book very much . Linda's story about how she grew up.and her relationship with her Dad is amazing. She is a very brave woman to share her life and story with us all. Enjoyed the photos at the end you can definitely picture how she lived.
Really enjoyed this book very much . Linda's story about how she grew up.and her relationship with her Dad is amazing. She is a very brave woman to share her life and story with us all. Enjoyed the photos at the end you can definitely picture how she lived.
January 6, 2026
I love books/stories about the Mafia and their families. This one was a little bit all over the place. I had a hard time with the flow. Very choppy with its storytelling. I did like the story of how she got away from her driver in High School and how her Dad handled that.
March 17, 2018
I loved this book. It was really interesting to learn about "the life" from a family member who actually lived it.
July 11, 2018
Such a great read, it's a biography really and she talks about her father who was a hit man for the mafia and how it impacted her and her family.
February 19, 2019
Written by someone who has not left middle school. The author whines throughout the whole book, yet benefited from her father's evil deeds. Don't waste your time or money on this book.
September 23, 2019
It really is just like the movies - and now I know what those "social clubs" in my old neighborhood actually were. Interesting story but reads a littel like someone's diary.
November 25, 2019
Interesting but lots of repetition
December 10, 2021
Interesting memoir. Gives something of a view into the lives of a Mafia family.
June 3, 2022
Great book about a daughter and her true love for her father and family through everything
March 20, 2017
I've read a lot about Greg "Grim Reaper" Scarpa , but this is the one you need to read ! Imagine if your father was super dad at home and a sadistic murderer for the mafia when away ? Well , read this and find out ! Five Stars ! Top Notch !
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews