The Untouchables: The Real Story

by Eliot Ness, Oscar Fraley

The famous FBI investigator describes the ways in which his hand-picked agents destroyed the powerful empire of Al Capone

Genres: Nonfiction, History, True Crime, Crime, Memoir, Biography Memoir, Media Tie In

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1957

About the author

Eliot Ness was an American Prohibition agent known for his efforts to bring down Al Capone while enforcing Prohibition in Chicago. He was leader of a team of law enforcement agents nicknamed The Untouchables, handpicked for their incorruptibility. The release of his memoir The Untouchables, months after his death, launched several screen portrayals establishing a posthumous fame for Ness as an incorruptible crime fighter.

Reviews

[Nayra.Hassan · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Manny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the 1987 Brian De Palma movie, so when I saw this old paperback going for a few dollars at our local second-hand bookstore I couldn't resist. It is in fact terribly written, and other people say it's not very accurate either - apparently the ghostwriter has improved the story a good deal. But assuming that the basic figures reported are roughly correct, here's the thing that surprised me.

We're told that Al Capone, at his most powerful, was pulling in about $1.5M a year from his various rackets, the most important of which was selling bootleg beer. How much is $1.5M in 1929 money? I wasn't sure and had to look it up. It turns out, according to the inflation calculator, that it's only the equivalent of $23M a year today. This is so little that the first time I saw it, my mind added some more zeroes - it just didn't make sense that someone operating on this kind of paltry budget could control a major city, paying off crooked cops and politicians and killing anyone he wanted with impunity.

But apparently that was the case. And to bring him down, all that was necessary was for a dozen honest citizens to decide they weren't taking this shit anymore and call his bluff, even if it did mean risking their lives for a couple of years. One of them, again assuming this account is correct, was in fact killed. But the rest of them made it. They smashed Capone's operation and put him behind bars for the rest of his life.

You know, that is kind of heartwarming. These evil people who seem so powerful are actually much weaker than they'd like us to believe.

[TheBookWarren · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.50 ⭐️— A classics piece of nonfiction, that’s for sure!

It — somehow — took me over three years to fully complete this novel, due to a plethora of different reasons — IE moving, repetitive aspect in the writing and narrative & the biggie, due to the ridiculous way I read whereby my current reads shelf might be 30+ books at any given time —but none of them meant I’d lost context, due to seeing the movie & numerous documentaries on the era etc etc — so it made it seem as though I’d not taken that many pauses, when clearly I had!
The Untouchables tells the vaunted story of Investigative superstar, Elliot Ness & his team of all star detectives that took on the Chicago mob. Ness writes the some skill & and whilst there’s undoubtedly a tad too much moonlighting, perhaps not enough grit, likely due to the times of the books release. In the spirit of those times, I’ll attempt this in a 1920’s Chicago Tribune mindset & moniker.

Dateline: 1929, Chicago Tribune

In the midst of Prohibition-era Chicago, riddled with mob violence, corruption & desecration — Elliot Ness, an ambitious young lawman, took up the daunting task of tackling organized crime in "The Untouchables." A narrative that promises gritty intrigue and a raw exposé of the criminal underbelly, it falls just short of the mark, earning itself a three-star verdict.

Ness's accounts of his battle against the notorious Al Capone's syndicate do carry a certain charm, reminiscent of the era's hardboiled journalism. The narrative paints a vivid picture of the streets, rife with bootleggers, speakeasies, and corruption. Yet, despite the captivating backdrop, Ness's tale often falters due to its tendency toward self-aggrandizement.

Readers might yearn for deeper character development and a more nuanced exploration of the moral dilemmas that lawmen faced during this tumultuous period. While "The Untouchables" offers tantalizing glimpses into the world of Eliot Ness, it leaves one thirsting for a more profound connection with the characters and a richer exploration of their motivations.

In summary, "The Untouchables" is a valiant attempt at capturing a critical chapter in American history, but it leaves us craving a more substantial and well-rounded narrative. A three-star rating seems fitting for a tale that falls just short of being truly unforgettable.

That about sums it up, and it’s all the 1920’s stylings I can muster. Definitely worth a read for anyone whom adores the period or enjoys true crime, mafioso investigatory stories & alike. Rounded-down rather than up simply due to the epic amount of great, crime, gangster or era novels one can now partake! But back in the early 1990’s, this would’ve been a 4 ⭐️ with breezing ease.

[Richard Dominguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story that has the feel of authenticity and reads quickly. Loaded with plenty of action and characters that come across well.
Eliot Ness does a great job of helping the reader visualize the time and the Chicago mood.
An enjoyable read.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was more entertained than educated by "The Untouchables", which is hardly surprising when you consider that Ness was a publicity monger who recognized the value of a good story and enhanced the truth whenever it fell flat. There are phone threats, drive-by shootings, and murders galore, despite the fact that the son of one Untouchable, Barney Cloonan, told Ness biographer Paul Heimel that they were rarely shot at.

Although Ness and the Untouchables did not take down the Capone mob as claimed in the popular media, they did damage the famous mobster's bootleg income, inconveniencing him financially.

Ness died just before "The Untouchables" hit print, making it a haunting as well as intriguing read. It's not an objective look at the dying years of Prohibition and the downfall of Al Capone, but has novelty value as Ness's final words on that exciting period in his career.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this book 5 stars even though it had a lot of language. It was an incredible read; I would have thought it was a fiction action-thriller if I didn't know better. Absolutely amazing that this is all true.

UPDATE: still just as good the second time around :)

[Jizuad · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so interesting

[sergevernaillen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nog ééntje uit de enorme pocketverzameling van mijn vader.
Het verhaal van Eliot Ness en zijn strijd tegen de maffiabaas Al Capone, opgetekend door Ness zelf.

Voor ik begon te lezen herinnerde ik me vooral de film The Untouchables van Brian De Palma met Kevin Costner en met de fenomenale vertolking van Sean Connery als Jimmy Malone. Die film was zelf gebaseerd op een TV-serie, die op haar beurt zou gebaseerd zijn op het verhaal van Ness, dit boek dus.

Het verhaal beperkt zich tot een periode van 2,5 jaar, vanaf het moment dat Ness de opdracht krijgt om een groep integere mannen te vormen, de onkreukbaren, tot het moment dat Capone achter de tralies vliegt.

Wat ik interessant vond is dat we hier het verhaal van Ness zelf te lezen krijgen, nog niet bijgewerkt onder invloed van allerlei verfilmingen (mijn exemplaar is van 1966). Ness doet zorgvuldig het verhaal van begin tot einde en zo krijgen we een idee van het huzarenstukje dat zijn onderzoek toch was. Hij houdt strak de chronologie aan en geeft hier en daar een beetje bijkomende informatie zoals bijvoorbeeld de voorgeschiedenis van Capone.

Maar het is allemaal nogal rechttoe rechtaan met korte zinnen en korte hoofdstukken. Ness omschrijft gewoon wat er gebeurde zonder enig gefilosofeer, zonder meningen, zonder nabeschouwingen. Het is net alsof hij zijn verhaal vertelt tussen pot en pint en het dan gewoon zo letterlijk wordt neergeschreven. Zo vertelt hij over de moorden, de zoektocht naar illegale stokerijen en hoe ze die ontmantelen, over de invallen, over de bedreigingen en de pogingen tot omkopingen.

Dat zorgt er wel voor dat er vaart in zit maar het is allemaal nogal oppervlakkig. Over Ness zijn karakter, zijn opinies, zijn andere leven, zijn dromen, zijn ambities, … komen we zo goed als niets te weten (behalve dat hij verloofd is). Ook alle andere personages met inbegrip van de mensen waar hij intens mee samenwerkt worden nergens uitgewerkt. Sommige personages krijgen niet eens een naam maar worden gewoon met hun roepnaam of koosnaam vermeld.
Verander de “ik” in “hij” en je krijgt gewoon een geschiedkundig verslag over die 2,5 jaar.

Och ja, ik zal dit niet gauw zeggen maar in dit geval was het een zegen dat men voor de film het scenario “verhollywoodiaanst” heeft en zich niet strikt aan het verhaal van Ness heeft gehouden.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may be the only person in the Western Hemisphere to not have seen the movie, 'The Untouchables'. Even I'm surprised that I haven't seen more than a minute or two here and there. This type of story is right up my alley… why? Well, because it's a true story, real history

- it takes place (I'm sure you know) during the Depression and Prohibition in gangster riddled and control Chicago.

It was a great story. These men were exceptionally hard working and dedicated. What they accomplished was truly an amazing feat. I'm going to seek out more books in this.

[Maeva ( maevareadsbooks_ ) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book easy to read and well told, it’s short and never boring, it was very interesting in addition to having seen the movie a few years ago, but now I want to watch it again.

J’ai vu le film il y a quelques années, je ne sais pas quelle partie vraie et quelle partie est romancée comme je ne m’en souviens plus très bien, mais j’ai trouvé ce livre très intéressant, pas de longueurs dans l’écriture, ce que je reproche parfois dans les mémoires/biographies, bien raconté et facile à lire, et il est court donc il se lit rapidement.

[K.T. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dated, as expected, and many liberties were apparently taken with the story. I was hoping for more of a historical account of Chicago and Capone.

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jacob Wirth

This book is about Eliot Ness when he was just getting started into the Prohibition Bureau. It started out with him and his friend talking what to do about how to stop all the bootlegging and they came up with ideas. Eliot Ness came up with a great idea and his friend went to the chief and later on. “ I’m sorry, I can’t do that because the leader of this squad is going to have free hand-and not even I am going to tell you whom you should choose.”(Eliot Ness, 22) This quote show the first time they made the decision on who is going to be the leader of the team.

I think the Author did a great job with this book because he gave great detail into every plot that was going on in the book. It make it easily to tell what was going on in the book at the time. I learned how it was like to be an officer during the Prohibition era. There was a few parts in the book I didn’t generally like because there wasn’t much going on. But all together this was a good book to read.

I would rate this book a 4 out of 5 because it had great detail and a good plot. I would recommend this book to my other police cadets because they would like to know how crime was and how it was like to be an officer during the 1920’s. It shows that gang violence is just has bad now as it was then, it hasn't changed much.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had always wanted to know what it was really like during those times to see how the war was fought by those agents asigned to taking down Copone and his henchmen. What is also interesting to learn about those times was how much money those special agents were paid by the government compared to how much money Copone and his men were making, the difference is huge. Great cop and robber book of its time and I can see why each Eliot and his team of men went on to do bigger and better things in their lives.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eliot Ness tells the story of how Justice finally caught up with Al Capone. Much better than the movie, Ness tells how he and his men really were untouchable by Capone or his gang. Though not acknowledged by Ness, it seemed clear that, for whatever reason, God's providential care was on this man.

[John Lyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting, first hand account of the bootlegging business in Chicago in the 20s and 30s. Easy read, read it in one day. Interesting to see how Capone, etc. were making so much cash they could offer bribes of $100,000 or more a year, a highly respectable salary even today.

[Doctor Moss · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was just 6 years old when The Untouchables series began running on television, but I have vague memories of the noirish feel of the series and the expressionless, determined face of Robert Stack as Eliot Ness. Kevin Costner's Ness never really took the place of that neo-human hero of the late fifties and early sixties, in atmospheric black and white.

My impression of Ness's own story, told in this book, is close to that mythological Ness. The book feels more like a novel than a modern autobiography. I've heard that Ness exaggerates his own role in the events he describes -- I don't know whether that's true or not. But the narrative is smoother than real life. Ness radiates a kind of all-conquering goodness, enhanced with clever tactics and the loyalty of an equally incorruptible team. Good conquers evil, because, well, good is just so . . . good.

We can fault Ness for self-aggrandizing myth making. But, setting that aside, it's fun reading. Ness is a man on a mission. He rejects the corrupt peace that the police and the criminals, most notably of course, Al Capone, have reached. The police force and prohibition agents are ruined by "bad apples" -- the fatal moral weakness that allows Capone and others to rule Chicago in the twenties and thirties. Ness devises a simple plan, a "small select squad" with "no bad apples" -- a team whose greatest strength is its moral incorruptibiity.

As the team goes to work, busting breweries and distribution networks, the bootleggers realize that this is a different game. They can't buy victory, they'll have to outfight and outmaneuver Ness's team. But Ness's team is as determined to bust them as they are to make money and build power. When the bootleggers adopt new tactics, Ness and his team figure out new ways to defeat them. It really is a good story, and the good guys win.

I do have to mention one odd departure from the facts in the book. Betty Andersen appears in the book as Ness's girlfriend, and, in the book's Epilogue, Ness's co-author, Oscar Fraley, notes that she later became his wife. There is no mention of Edna Staley, who was actually Ness's wife during the time covered by the book. Ness and Betty Andersen did marry, but only after his divorce from his second wife, Evaline Ness, in 1946. We can only suspect that this cleaned-up version of his personal life is not the only cleaning up of the facts in the story that Ness tells.

The story makes better reading if we accept that the truth may have suffered a bit, or more than a bit, in the telling.

[Jack Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a long hiatus from books, totalling 5 months. I have returned. What happened? University work got the better of me but mainly, I got captivated by movies. I became some sort of cinephile. I’ve seen 26 Hitchcock films since reading my last book, I’ve seen a sizeable portion of Kubricks catalogue, Nolan’s catalogue and I’ve just caught up on must-see classics.

Anyway this review isn’t about movies, it’s about the untouchables. This is a book I’ve wanted to read since I first heard of its existence. And so when I saw it at my local second hand bookstore run by a lovely older lady that I’ve been to several times, I knew this would be the book which would get me reading again. My 1967 paperback edition is in surprisingly good shape.

The book itself, was fascinating and captivating. Of course there’s a sense of bias and potential fabrication of events to make ness look better, for the most part I think this book is genuine and it gives a very valuable insight into one of the most fascinating time periods in history, Chicago under prohibition.

The book itself is written in a very engaging way, balancing context, history and story very well. It feels very very readable and accessible in this day and age, as some books feel inaccessible and hard to read in contrast. Not only is it easy to read, it’s engaging. I want to know what happens next.

You get a real sense of stakes and tension here as we bounce through Ness’ squad, his first raids, the wire tapping, attempts on Ness’ life and the successful attempt on Basile, and of course the drying up of Chicago and the later imprisonment of Capone and much of his gang on insurance and alcohol charges.

Overall I enjoyed reading this book and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone interested in crime stories and prohibition.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This highly sanitized (and, at times, fictionalized) account of Ness’ formation of The Untouchables was ghostwritten by journalist Oscar Fraley, who informs us in the Epilogue that he published the book after Ness died while the manuscript was in proofs. It reads like a 1950s detective police procedural -- the perfect source material for the Robert Stack tv series. It was pretty clear from the opening pages that the book wasn’t meant to be an objective look at Ness or his comrades, but rather a work to praise (and ultimately memorialize and mythologize) his time in Chicago. His personal failings and foibles, of which there were many, are not even acknowledged, much less glossed. The book ends with the imprisonment of Capone, so Ness’ patchy post-Untouchables life is not discussed, nor his equally rocky marriages. The most famous moments from the classic De Palma film, which is a much better work, are not in the book: the Union Station/Odessa steps homage shoot-out, Nitti being thrown off the roof (in the book he just goes to prison), and the cheesy “Let’s do some good!” line. In the case of the film, De Palma’s fictionalized mythologizing far exceeds that of the source material.

With all those many caveats, this is still an enjoyable read, much on the level of watching a tv series that captures your attention well enough to pass the time for a couple evenings. Not necessarily worth tracking down unless you enjoy true crime reads (although the level of “truth” here must be taken with a grain of salt) and perhaps have already read better secondary sources. A solid bedtime/airport/waiting room book for true crime readers.

[Brent Winslow · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Untouchables movie from 1987 has been one of my favorites since my first viewing. I've been interested in reading the book the film was based on for years, and picked up Elliot Ness/Oscar Fraley's 1957 The Untouchables at a used book store recently. While historical sources would indicate that some level of exaggeration or fabrication made its way into the novel, the story of young Elliot Ness' drive to address graft in the Chicago PD and Treasury Department's ranks, and subsequent targeting of Al Capone's criminal empire was fast-paced and gripping. Step by step, first-person accounts of raids on distilleries call to mind Robin Moore's French Connection, and Ness' interactions with police recall Serpico. Recommended.

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although the story hard to put down and easy to follow, this book is an even more interesting analysis of the “unreliable narrator.” This is written by Elliot Ness (and an effective ghost writer) in the perspective of himself as main character. More than 30 years after the events of the story originally occurred. Whether this book can be called non-fiction is as dubious as calling the rest of Ness’ career glamorous.

I enjoyed the read, more for the story than for the truth. Coming in know that Elliot Ness has embellished the truth of the actual story and importance of the group, The Untouchables, made this far more interesting to analyze than read.

2/5 for a non-fiction, 3.5/5 for a fiction.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've yet to see The Untouchables film, so I decided to be 'that guy' and read the book before watching the movie. I'm happy to have done so, although the book is older and fairly short, it brings to mind vivid pictures of the 20's and the way this rag-tag group of agents came to bring down one of history's most notorious gangsters. Great book, I now look forward to seeing how Hollywood perceived it!

[Chris Magro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seems a little sensationalized, after all it was written by the man himself some time after all the events took place. It seems like a typical 1950s type documentary. But still interesting, especially so since I'm from nearby all the places where this took place and I grew up with stories of gangsters in Capone's mafia.

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

I gave up 50 pages in or so but I'm counting it as read because I feel like I know all I need to about it--this reads like a little boy writing a story about himself as a big strong detective. Fascinating story but I can.not.deal. with the writing.

[Lord Bathcanoe of Snark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book because I thought it was about the Indian caste system.
However it's actually an account of the war against organised crime in prohibition era Chicago.
A good read, but a somewhat fictionalised account.

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

My hunch is that the criticism leveled at this book stems from the expectation that it is (or should be) a purely non-fiction documentation of events. Reading it without that preconceived notion makes it more enjoyable.

[Mark Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the book. I don't love that it feels like Eliot is a little too high on himself, but still enjoyed it in spite of that. Different than the movie (saw the movie way earlier) and very enjoyable. Recommend it overall.

[Josh Bauder · Rating 3 out of 5]

The airbrushed story of federal agent Eliot Ness, whose squad brought down Al Capone's illegal alcohol empire in depression-era Chicago.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fictional? Enjoyable lite read.

[TammyReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as good and entertaining as BDP film. Loved it!

[V. C. Frida · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is really amazing.