Mafia Wife

by Lynda Milito, Reg Potterton

When Lynda Lustig met Louie Milito, she was a sixteen-year-old high-school dropout with a taste for adventure and an agonizing childhood. When they were married two years later, he was not yet a "made man" in the powerful Gambino crime family. Louie was a hairdresser who dabbled in petty thievery. But Lynda was so happy to be out of her domineering mother's loveless house. And over the years, she was willing to forgive her husband for his violent rages, his frequent absences, his shady associates, and the blood on his hands. For twenty-four years Lynda Milito remained loyal to this charming and dangerous criminal -- her children's father and close friend of crime boss John Gotti and underboss Sammy "the Bull" Gravano. But in 1988, Louie Milito disappeared, murdered by the very people he had always trusted to protect him. A crime story, a family story, a love story, Mafia Wife is the shockingly intimate, brutally honest tale of a survivor -- and of the life she lived in the dark bosom of the underworld.

Genres: Crime, True Crime, Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir, Autobiography

310 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 2003

Reviews

[Spider the Doof Warrior · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mafia men are awful. This woman was stuck with a man who beat her, disrespected her and never really took enough of her good advice.

Don't marry a mafia guy. It's not worth it. In fact, don't marry mean, bossy, controlling men who just want to beat people all day. You can do so much better than that!

[Jen Borders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why am I obsessed with odd ways of life? This was a quick read, and pretty much the same story you've heard a million times, especially if you liked the show The Sopranos. Can't explain it, but I am facinated by the Mob and Polygamists...maybe I should seek therapy.

[Lejla Džanko · Rating 2 out of 5]

Druga knjiga od knjiga koje su mi pri ruci a ne čine mi se teške jer sam u mentalnom stanju zvanom ako budem šta morala kontat poginut ću.

[Mary Jo · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was unbelievably terrible. From page one to the end, Lynda is a whiney, spineless, annoying woman who makes bad choice after bad choice and then blames her mother or her father for it. In the same paragraph, she describes her husband Louie beating her, then calls him her "protector". I imagine she believes we are supposed to feel sorry for her, but she knew before she married Louie that he was a criminal and quite frankly a sexist jerk. I couldn't have tolerated him for more than a few seconds. There was nothing "gripping" or "riveting" (words on the cover) or even slightly interesting about this book. After more than 300 pages of telling us how she allowed herself to be beaten, pushed around, insulted, and belittled, and about her terrible decisions with more idiot men after Louie disappeared, she has the nerve to boast about "some kind of strength" deep inside her. I rolled my eyes and was just glad this book was finally, mercifully over.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are interested the Mafia, you will like this book. It is super quick and easy - I read it in a weekend. This is a true story about a women who was married to a guy in the mob. I thought it was particularly interesting that The Sopranos was loosely based upon her life. I guess some of the writers or producers interviewed her when creating the show. Overall, if you are super intrigued by the mob, like I am, you'll like this book.

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I was a little girl, my dream was to grow up to become a mafia man's wife. This book was just what I needed. It is the true and horrific, miserable story of a mafia man's wife. Hollywood glams it up, this book serves it justice, and there is nothing glamorous about it...

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

a very interesting book.

[Julia Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was just okay. I felt a little sorry for her, but felt she was incredibly weak overall.

[Andrea Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! I loved this book. I felt bad for everything Louie put Lynda and her kids through but she was a strong woman and kept her head up.

[Beth]

I'm obsessed with documentaries and autobiographies.. not to mention the Mafia.. Another really great read that I couldn't put down. Highly recommend.

[Tina Dunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read. The book is written in the way the author most likely speaks in real life; in an anecdotal type style where she constantly switches between past and present tense although she is always relating stories of the past. It can be a little annoying. She also has a tendency to jump back and forth as far as timeline events go. I found the book started to drag towards the end as the author repeated herself and tended to make the same mistakes again and again in her personal life. Otherwise the anecdotes were interesting although not unusual or surprising if you have any prior knowledge of gangs or Mafia. An easy book to get through.

[Christopher Browning · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mildly interesting, but very disappointed

[Jamie Hatfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its sad that she gave up so much of her life for Louie and all that she went through. Such a good book if you're into the MOB, CRIME, MAFIA genre I read this book 2x and will definitely read it again.

[Shyanne Mitolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

She didn’t romanticize her life like some of the movies do. It was a real representation of what her life was like with her mafia husband, Louie.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was annoying. The author does have a really good story to tell, and in a way it's interesting to get the old behind-the-scenes look and its also a fairly good portrait a young woman from an abusive background who struggles to move on with her life. However, the author is whiny and blames the outcome of her choices on other people so much she really grates on the reader's nerves. In the last chapter when her shrink pops up and say something to the effect of "Linda is mentally ill" it really cyrstalizes the whole irritating experience. Obnoxious to the extreme and only reccommendable for big time true crime fans.

[Eleanor]

THE FIRST THING THAT BOTHERED ME ABOUT THIS BOOK WERE ALL THE GRAMMER, PRINTING ERRORS. DIDN'T ANYONE PROOF READ THIS AT THE PUBLISHING HOUSE. THE SECOND WAS THIS IS A STORY TOLD BY A WHINEY BRAT WHO LOVED THE GOOD LIFE SHE WAS LIVING AT THE COST OF A LOT OF INNOCENT PEOPLE. OH I FORGOT SHE REPEATLY TELLS US HOW BAD SHE FELT. AS FAR AS HER MOM
BEING A BAD MOM THERE ARE PICTURES OF HER AS A CHILD AND SHE DOESN'T LOOK LIKE SHE IS SUFFERING. NICE OF SOMEONE TO PAY FOR HER NOSE JOB AT A YOUNG AGE, OH WHAT HORRIBLE PARENTS SHE MUST HAVE HAD. HER DOCTOR SUMS IT ALL UP BY SAYING SHE IS MENTALLY ILL, MAYBE SOMEONE SHOULD ADD SHE ALSO PRETTY STUPID.

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the personal account of Lynda Milito, who married into the mob. Her husband, Louie, began as a low level criminal, and eventually became friends with Sammy The Bull Gravano and John Gotti. This book delves into her life as a gangster's wife, and the circumstances surrounding the murder of her husband by his associates. It was a fairly good read, and I cannot imagine living a life like that.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

great true story of a mafia wife, albeit a bit sugarcoated

[Tiffany Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good look into the mob, mirrors Good Fellas, but from the wife's perspective.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good one...it keeps you hooked the whole time. It's hard to believe this kind of thing really goes on. I liked the book though, I was riveted the whole time.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting novel about the life of a wife involved in the Mafia. I enjoy reading stories about other people's lives.

[jody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to read from the wife's perspective.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ok so I read the first ten chapters and all I was thinking was TMI TMI..sorry I can't give this a good review.

[Marcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. It made me very interested in Sammy's book but I don't want to give him to earn any money from book sales.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again another mob book

[Dorcus Abercrombie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast read but unfortunate story.

[Mama · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. Love Mafia books.