Mob Adjacent: A Family Memoir

by Jeffrey Gentile, Michael Gentile

Mob A Family Memoir takes an acid trip down memory lane as brothers Jeffrey and Michael Gentile, Jr. discover a parallel world hidden behind a suburban façade. For them, "The Wonder Years" collides with "The Sopranos." Mobsters come to dinner, contract hits come with warning notices, and thieves deliver merchandise and people. How does something like that happen to an ordinary family?

Blame it on the company they keep. Friends and acquaintances include legendary crime boss Sam Giancana, Jackie Cerone; and an assortment of hoodlums, gangsters, bone-breakers, and second-story guys, with cameo appearances by Tony Accardo, Frank Sinatra, Leo Durocher, Jackie Gleason, Art Carney, Joan Collins, Liza Minelli, and Elizabeth Taylor. For the Gentile brothers, life at the intersection of Hoodlum and Gangster yields dividends and teaches lessons. This is their story.

264 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 25, 2017

Reviews

[Carol Stephan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Growing up in Chicago I was familiar and had been to many of the places in the book and it is always fun to trip on those memories. I also was familiar with the mobsters mentioned, probably anyone from Chicago is. I am also of Italian descent. I will say these brothers let it all hang out, the good, the bad, and the ugly. It is obvious they idolized their father, he was indeed a hard worker, and while they claim their father stayed "clean" throughout he did indeed have close ties with a lot of mobsters.

I didn't really understand their fascination with the mob or how they shared that much of what the family owned (furnishings, jewelry, etc.) was stolen, not just from companies but from homes and they seemed proud that the family "never paid retail." There also are broad generalizations about Italians that don't apply to many, probably most.

I liked Jeffery's stories better, including his time spent in California. It was sad that his parents could not completely accept his lifestyle and refused to meet his partner and yet he is very forgiving of it, a lot more forgiving than I would be.

If you are looking for a book that gives a look at inside the mob back in the day you may enjoy this more than I did. I did note the mention of their YouTube videos, they've been telling these stories for a long while, and I did look at a couple as it was interesting to put a face and voice to the brothers. I also noted that they came out with a later expanded version of this story.

[Christopher Gerrib · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining book. The authors grew up in the 1950s through the 1970s in an Italian family in Chicago. Their dad ran a number of nightclubs and bars for the Chicago Mob. He stayed clean, but some of the relatives didn't. What I found most entertaining was the quotes. A few choice ones:

"That ring is hotter than the coffee!"

[Said of a man killed in a car bomb - pieces of the car were found a quarter of a mile away]

"Did he die, or did they die him?"
"Oh, they died him, Mikey. They died him over a quarter of a mile."

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a story!

Reading this book was like watching The Godfather, Goodfellas, and Casino at the same time. The difference is I've grown up hearing the names and I've been to some of the places and lived in these towns!

[Jeanine · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first “mob” book and it was quite entertaining. This took a long time for me to read because I had to spend time stopping to research different people and places along the way. I would recommend this book and will be passing it along to my hubby.

[Beth A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Parts are so funny I LOL.

[Tracy Citta-shearer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an enjoyable read! I enjoyed taking glimpse of the Gentile family’s “mob adjacent” life.

[Andy White · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique look at Chicago mob history through the eyes of two young boys. Two very different brothers tell their family history and the monsters that crossed through their lives.

[Linda Sherman · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. It brought back to mind some very old memories.

[Theresa Piazza · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a memoir 🇮🇹😎

[Jamie]

This was a fun book to read! I grew up on Mannheim Rd and knew the areas they were talking about. It was fun to read about the other side of life in MP, FP, etc.