Garden State Gangland: The Rise of the Mob in New Jersey

by Scott M. Deitche

The Mafia in the United States might be a shadow of its former self, but in the New York/New Jersey metro area, there are still wiseguys and wannabes working scams, extorting businesses, running gambling, selling drugs, and branching out into white collar crimes. And they are continuing a tradition that's over 100 years old. Some of the most powerful mobsters on a national level were from New Jersey, and they spread their tentacles down to Florida, across the Atlantic, and out to California. And many of the stories have never been told. Deitche weaves his narrative through significant, as well as some lesser-known, mob figures who were vital components in the underworld machine.

New Jersey's organized crime history has been one of the most colorful in the country, serving as the home of some of the most powerful, as well as below-the-radar, mobsters in the Country. And though overshadowed by the emphasis on New York City, the mob and New Jersey have, over the years, become synonymous, in both pop culture and in law enforcement. But for all the press that has been dedicated to the mob and New Jersey, for all the law enforcement activity against the mob, and for all the pop culture references, there has never truly been an examination of the rise of the mob in New Jersey from a historical perspective. Until now.

In Garden State Gangland, Scott M. Deitche sets the historical record straight by providing the first overall history of the mob in New Jersey, from the early turn of the century Black Hand gangs to the present, and looks at how influential they were was, not only to goings-on the Garden State but across the New York metro region and the country as a whole.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Crime, True Crime, Audiobook

236 pages, ebook

Published December 8, 2017

Reviews

[Eric Litman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having lived in NJ all my life, I was interested in reading about the mob in NJ. This was an okay book. The earlier chapters I found more interesting describing the rise of the mob. The 2nd half of the book dragged as the author threw out lots of names and it was hard to keep up with who was associated to which family. There could have been a little more substance describing the Down Neck part of the story. The chapter on the mob influence on the docks was very interesting.

However, my biggest complaint is that the book is full of mistakes - mostly editing misses (incorrect words, grammar, repeated words in one place, etc.). One fact was completely wrong (Wayne, NJ is in Passaic County, not Morris County). Whoever edited (or didn't edit this book) should find a new line of work - simply shameful for a published book to go to print with so many mistakes. Takes away some of the credibility of the work.

[Walt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read Deitche's books over the years. His writing style improves each time. He appears to have a solid grasp of the material and presents is clearly. This book is not like his other books. Those are focused on a place or a person. This book barely holds together because there is so much information. The chapters are too short and the material is too cursory. Readers want more. It is an enjoyable read; but I cannot determine what he has uncovered and what he is repeating. The overall narrative is good and informative. Deitche has a rich works cited, even if his endnotes are rather sparse. He is aiming for a mass market, so the writing and citations appeal to a more general audience.

[ThePrill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not great. Largely forgettable. Way too many names and events crammed into this one. Deitche covers not only the rise of the mob, as the title portends, but the entirety of the NJ mob's activities in the 20th century. He does it rather matter-of-factly as well, rather than analysing or determining any kind of cause. Some of what he says rings true, and I know the stories of the mob in New Jersey, especially the sad fate of their dealings in the presents, mainly in drug dealing. I can vouch for several accounts of individuals whose lives were ended due to mob drugs in the last decade. Deitche's acount seems impersonal and almost uninformed. He names the big names that everyone knows who were involved in mob dealings, but though this book promises much, it fails to deliver.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read many book about the mafia. They all cover so many names that is can be difficult to follow. I liked how this one centered only on organized criminals from New Jersey.

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

A not very bright individual gathered indiscriminate data about the given theme and than poured everything in in a chronological manner. There is work that has been done. A lot of it. But the brain to structure the data is simply not there. Say, on the same page I have the information that Mr. X drove a *rented yellow truck* that won't be mentioned anywhere later, or before that particular instance. Why is it relevant that it was yellow or rented? Probably that was written in the newspaper quoted without reference. Yet, on the same page I find out that Mr. Y was born in Italy. Where in Italy? Did he have Mafia connections back in Italy? Was he schooled in the US or in Italy? No further details.

[Janine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I came across this bool randomly in the library, and the title seemed really interesting to me, so I decided to give it a shot. The book wasn't really what I expected though. In a book supposedly about the rise of the mob in NJ, I feel like there was a lot missing about the beginnings. Even the Atlantic City boardwalk era of the 1920s which is probably one of the most famous NJ mob eras felt like it was barely mentioned. Beyond that, I still feel like there wasn't a ton of history. It was a speed run through time, and there was no real cohesive discussion of mob growth.

I felt like the book was also really unfocused. The chapter might be titled about video gambling machines, but the chapter doesn't get to that until halfway through. Instead you're basically reading through a list of the murders of a bunch of guys you've likely never heard heard of. And since your introduction to them is a few sentences before they die, you're likely not going to hear about them again in the book.

That's probably my number 1 gripe with the book: it felt more like reading through a membership roster with a line or two about each member's death rather than a history of the development of the mob. That's not what I signed up for.

My number 2 gripe with the book was the editing. Oh my God, the editing. I don't think I've ever read a book with so many spelling and grammatical errors. Ever. If that didn't make the book sloppy enough, there was a reference to the town of Wayne that mentioned it as being located in Morris County. It's not. That's Passaic County. So that also tells me that basic editing is not the only thing that was skipped over; fact checking was, too. What else in this book was wrong? I wouldn't be surprised if many other things were incorrect as well.

[Jack Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book's main strength, in my opinion, is the level of research that informs it. It's a thorough, detailed account of LCN in New Jersey. The author has clearly put a lot of work into researching gangland activity in New Jersey.

The reason I have gone with 3 stars is because I feel the book suffers from a lack of narrative flow. The pen pics of the various characters and mob players are also quite scant. I was hoping for more insight into characters like Ritchie Boiardo, Tino Fiumara, Willie Moretti, John De Gillio, etc., but I felt it wasn't forthcoming.

Perhaps the book would have benefited from being a bit longer, with more space afforded to flesh out the characters and describe their mob career trajectories.

All in all, I felt like I learnt some interesting things reading this book, but I didn't find it a particularly enjoyable or engaging experience.

[Timothy Moshier · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for mob stories, and I live and work in the lovely garden state, so this book really should have been candy for me. To be fair to Scott Deitche, this is clearly a very well researched book written by a guy who is very well versed in the subject matter. Unfortunately, this is also an author who badly needs an editor. The book is shot through with grammatical errors, clunky turns of phrase, repetitive sentence structures, and all manner of other literary sins that genuinely make it harder to read. It also completely lacks a decent organizational structure and reads as just a loosely related stream of facts about mob activity in Jersey. I just don't think it's worth reading in its current state. Deitche has a lot of really cool information to share, I just think he needs someone to help him share it.

[Michaela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. I found that I recognized a lot of the names and I enjoyed the historical aspects of it. The editing was awful, though. I wouldn't normally mention it, but there were so many errors it became distracting. I was hoping for some more detail on some of the newer cases (newer being mid-1980s to present) but the bulk of the book was from the early 1900s through to the early 1970s.

[Steven Medina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I am a huge La Cosa Nostra history nerd, so reading all about La Cosa Nostra in my home state was truly and awesome read for me. Many of just about all towns and cities listed in the book I have either been to or know about. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about La Cosa Nostra/organized crime and its history and origins.

[Denise O'Keefe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and well researched book. Would highly recommend.

I chose this book based on the title as iI have lived in New Jersey my whole life. Found the book to be very interesting.

[Russell Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was layed out differently then I expected it I almost expected to read a textbook but I was hooke

I liked the timeline it went by and didn't leave out some of the most important jersey guys who aren't even decalvacantes.
Great read

[Nick Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book a part from the glaring flaw that other reviews have mentioned was good. But I wanted more, I wanted to know how did New Jersey mobsters feel about shows like the Sopranos. Truth be told I got this book for research purposes and it's a bit Underwhelming

[Chelsea DeVries · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for research purposes and correct backstory since i am writing a mob story based in Patterson NJ but this book although thorough, talked little about Patterson's mob history

[Andy Wiesendanger · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't finish. Wasn't terrible, just didn't hold my interest. One guy becomes boss, is murdered, next guy steps up, is murdered, just didn't feel like it was worth my time.

[Richard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a real page-turner, mostly a laundry list of names and actions that wouldn't make a good movie, no story, no characters of interest, no interaction with anything historical.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative, I like the stories/history about places around me.