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No Questions Asked: The Secret Life of Women In the Mob
The author of Mafia Women provides a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of women in the American Mafia, with revealing profiles of Lana Zancocchio, the daughter of the Bonanno family consigliere, and Camille Varacalli, who plays a key role in her husband's criminal activities, based on extensive interviews. 35,000 first printing.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published July 14, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 14, 2013
This book outlines the lives of several women involved in the Mafia, usually as wives, daughters, or girlfriends of Mafia men. Interestingly, the author seems to have interviewed no sisters, though she tells a couple of anecdotes about them. It's well worth reading if you're interested in the Mafia.
However, it seems... odd that the author failed to draw any conclusions or throughlines in the book. It's basically a series of biographical sketches, one after another, with an occasional connection by way of a transition between chapters. I wish that the author had connected the stories a little more, or attempted to draw some kind of comparison or conclusion. She did an awful lot of research and it's valuable data, but she doesn't seem to have done more thought than writing the stories out.
Still, it's a good book and highly readable. Recommended.
However, it seems... odd that the author failed to draw any conclusions or throughlines in the book. It's basically a series of biographical sketches, one after another, with an occasional connection by way of a transition between chapters. I wish that the author had connected the stories a little more, or attempted to draw some kind of comparison or conclusion. She did an awful lot of research and it's valuable data, but she doesn't seem to have done more thought than writing the stories out.
Still, it's a good book and highly readable. Recommended.
July 9, 2022
This book features several women that have connections to organized crime. The stories are brief, a couple of chapters for each subject, but the stories are interesting. Victoria Gotti, daughter of John Gotti is featured. She is a novelist in her own right, and made appearances on the show Mob Wives. Lana and Rene Graziano were also mentioned, but this was before Rene was a Mob Wives star. Karen Gravano, daughter of Sammy The Bull was mentioned as well, also before her Mob Wives and book fame. While this book was slightly out of date, published in the early 00s, it was still interesting and worth the .25 I paid for it. I am a collector of all organized crime related books, so this looks nice on my shelves.
February 10, 2012
very interesting stories, good for research
August 18, 2020
Since I dip into non-fiction books so very rarely (one every few years), when I do decide to pick one up it’s probably something that has intrigued me. This book is right in my wheelhouse, with my deep fascination with the American Mafia and my recent determination to read more books by and about women.
The lives recounted in this book are expertly told - detailed when interesting, and lean when necessary to keep the story moving. The characters are colourful and lively, the research has been thorough and is used to great effect, the clichés are acknowledged and are presented when true to life. We investigate mobsters’ wives, daughters and mistresses, and how their association with these violent men (whether innocent or wilful) can elevate and destroy their lives. Some daughters take after their fathers, growing headstrong and determined, but are shut out of the family business due to traditional Italian ideas about the role of women in the family. Some women are drawn to powerful and interesting men to sweep them off their feet and out of their humdrum lives. Some stick by their Mafia men, some seek shelter from the turbulent and dangerous lives they have entered in to. All share a single commonality - trouble with the law. I suppose this is how they are drawn out of their illegitimate hiding-holes and into the light for our perusal.
Whilst all of the cases detailed in this book are interesting - three in particular stood out to me. The first is corrupt Cicero mayor Betty Loren-Maltese, who was ushered into politics and into bed with the mob by her late husband, but soon blossomed into a power-hungry and greedy tyrant. The sheer level of corruption detailed in these chapters is staggering and reveals just how much can be tolerated in the sphere of politics. The second is of mob enforcer and violent thug John Branco and his devoted wife Caroline. She enters into their relationship fully aware of his line of work, stays faithful to him while he languors in jail (she serves time as well), sticks with him while he tries and fails to go legitimate, and disappears with him after he turns states evidence. She is either completely morally destitute herself, or has managed a Herculean task of mental compartmentalisation and false rationalising that must make her head ring with cognitive dissonance. Thirdly and lastly, the book closes with the tale of Betty Tocco, wife to Chicago Heights boss Albert Tocco, who feared for her life and the future of her son and testified against him in court (the first mob wife to do so). She comes off very well - it is clear that Longrigg is sympathetic to her, and little is said of her knowledge of his crimes before they got married. By the end of her story, I felt very sympathetic too, as she seems to have very bravely faced her husband in court to testify, when she had no legal compulsion to do so. She forms a strong bond with the chief FBI agent on the case, and something of a love story emerges. His duties and her vulnerable position forbid it though, and she is sadly ushered into the witness protection program, never again to see her family or friends. It’s a moving story, and her resilience and determination to remove her husband from her son’s life is very compelling.
I picked this up in a storage container in a campsite in Freemantle, Perth, while I was naughtily fly tipping some junk.
The lives recounted in this book are expertly told - detailed when interesting, and lean when necessary to keep the story moving. The characters are colourful and lively, the research has been thorough and is used to great effect, the clichés are acknowledged and are presented when true to life. We investigate mobsters’ wives, daughters and mistresses, and how their association with these violent men (whether innocent or wilful) can elevate and destroy their lives. Some daughters take after their fathers, growing headstrong and determined, but are shut out of the family business due to traditional Italian ideas about the role of women in the family. Some women are drawn to powerful and interesting men to sweep them off their feet and out of their humdrum lives. Some stick by their Mafia men, some seek shelter from the turbulent and dangerous lives they have entered in to. All share a single commonality - trouble with the law. I suppose this is how they are drawn out of their illegitimate hiding-holes and into the light for our perusal.
Whilst all of the cases detailed in this book are interesting - three in particular stood out to me. The first is corrupt Cicero mayor Betty Loren-Maltese, who was ushered into politics and into bed with the mob by her late husband, but soon blossomed into a power-hungry and greedy tyrant. The sheer level of corruption detailed in these chapters is staggering and reveals just how much can be tolerated in the sphere of politics. The second is of mob enforcer and violent thug John Branco and his devoted wife Caroline. She enters into their relationship fully aware of his line of work, stays faithful to him while he languors in jail (she serves time as well), sticks with him while he tries and fails to go legitimate, and disappears with him after he turns states evidence. She is either completely morally destitute herself, or has managed a Herculean task of mental compartmentalisation and false rationalising that must make her head ring with cognitive dissonance. Thirdly and lastly, the book closes with the tale of Betty Tocco, wife to Chicago Heights boss Albert Tocco, who feared for her life and the future of her son and testified against him in court (the first mob wife to do so). She comes off very well - it is clear that Longrigg is sympathetic to her, and little is said of her knowledge of his crimes before they got married. By the end of her story, I felt very sympathetic too, as she seems to have very bravely faced her husband in court to testify, when she had no legal compulsion to do so. She forms a strong bond with the chief FBI agent on the case, and something of a love story emerges. His duties and her vulnerable position forbid it though, and she is sadly ushered into the witness protection program, never again to see her family or friends. It’s a moving story, and her resilience and determination to remove her husband from her son’s life is very compelling.
I picked this up in a storage container in a campsite in Freemantle, Perth, while I was naughtily fly tipping some junk.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2014
If you are interested in the day of a life of a mobster, this is the book for you... If you are interested in learning about the mob wives' perspective then this book couldn't be anymore for you. I felt like I was a fly on the wall in the houses of these mob wives, and the author really did an unbelievable job of bringing their stories to life!
September 20, 2007
A very interesting look at the lives of women involved with and/or married to the mob.
June 28, 2010
I thought this would be much more of a tell all type of story -- it wasn't for me. It told some interesting stories about mafia wives, but nothing you wouldn't know without the book.
December 7, 2016
I got about 1/2 way through the book and then I felt like I'd had enough. Interesting book worth the read.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews