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Tony Accardo is Joe Batters
Picture Don Corleone in Mario Puzo’s The Godfather. Throw in the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and the murders of John F. Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald, Marilyn Monroe, Bugsy Siegel, Sam Giancana, Lucky Luciano, Tony the Ant Spilotro, Johnny Roselli and Jimmy Hoffa. Toss in Hollywood scandal and the mobbed up career of Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack. Now you can begin to grasp the epic story of Tony Accardo. Why has this story never been told? Accardo killed everyone in his family, friends, cops, reporters, movie stars, and politicians. Operating from deep within the shadows Tony influenced national policy, exploited the FBI, owned politicians, and fixed presidential elections. Connected to every gangster from Al Capone to Lucky Luciano to John Gotti, Joe Batters is the must-read that every Godfather fan is craving.
334 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 8, 2018
About the author
Neil Gordon
49 books20 followersBorn in South Africa in 1958, but his family emigrated to the USA when he was 2 years old.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 5, 2021
“Tony Accardo is Joe Batters” takes place in 1920s America and introduces the title character, Tony Accardo, a brutal associate of Al Capone and notorious hired killer for the mob. The story follows Accardo in his role during this especially violent time in the USA.
Overall, this story had me torn. The author pitches this story as a non-fiction. However, from the beginning there are portions of the story that consist of multi-perspective dialogue that there is no conceivable way the author would have access to. Furthermore, there are several stories that could be considered in the conspiracy realm of historical events. Therefore, I chose to review this a a historical fiction novel. As such, this is still a bit of a frustrating book. Clearly the author did a lot of research as there are countless interesting details, references, and tales sprinkled throughout the story. I really enjoyed all the anecdotes and interesting stories. However, I found the structure of the overall tale to be a little confusing at times. Portions would follow the title character but others would flash through time to explain previous events, subsequent historical characters, or future consequences. The sheer number of individuals mentioned in this book is absolutely overwhelming and hard to keep up with. I did really enjoy learning so much about Tony Accardo and appreciated the photos and the glossary of gangster slang that was included at the end of the book.
The full blog post can be found here: https://heatherlbarksdale.com/blog/bl...
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
Overall, this story had me torn. The author pitches this story as a non-fiction. However, from the beginning there are portions of the story that consist of multi-perspective dialogue that there is no conceivable way the author would have access to. Furthermore, there are several stories that could be considered in the conspiracy realm of historical events. Therefore, I chose to review this a a historical fiction novel. As such, this is still a bit of a frustrating book. Clearly the author did a lot of research as there are countless interesting details, references, and tales sprinkled throughout the story. I really enjoyed all the anecdotes and interesting stories. However, I found the structure of the overall tale to be a little confusing at times. Portions would follow the title character but others would flash through time to explain previous events, subsequent historical characters, or future consequences. The sheer number of individuals mentioned in this book is absolutely overwhelming and hard to keep up with. I did really enjoy learning so much about Tony Accardo and appreciated the photos and the glossary of gangster slang that was included at the end of the book.
The full blog post can be found here: https://heatherlbarksdale.com/blog/bl...
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
April 8, 2020
I have read quite a bit about Tony Accardo and also met him personally on several occasions. This book was not good, in the sense that it consisted of a lot of made up conversations. The "new revelation" had to do with an illegitimate child story that was not very believable. The book as a whole seemed more fiction than fact.
May 24, 2022
not so factual
There are many inaccuracies and outright lies. You can’t get a piano on a Learjet, Hoover wasn’t a homosexual, didn’t die at his desk, and many others.
Interesting read but when you see a few lies, then you question where they stop
There are many inaccuracies and outright lies. You can’t get a piano on a Learjet, Hoover wasn’t a homosexual, didn’t die at his desk, and many others.
Interesting read but when you see a few lies, then you question where they stop
February 19, 2023
I really wanted to like this book. I really did. Having spent my earlier years in and around the Chicago sphere of influence, the legend of the Chicago Outfit (as it was called locally) and, specifically its later years under Tony "Big Tuna" Accardo, spoke for itself. But the details were just not openly revealed back then. After all, for those actually in the know, if you just happened to say a bit too much, you might just find yourself wearing concrete boots and "sleeping with the fishes." And, no- this isn't all just wild exaggeration. We're talkin' here about Chicago and its years as a mob-controlled homeland.
So, when I heard about the book "Joe Batters" and its focus on Accardo, I sought it out right away and immediately dug into it. I thought, "Finally, someone has documented the years of hidden and suppressed reality that the whole area lived with for the better part of half a century." Being quite familiar with many of the names and places of the Chicago mob scene, and having actually seen Tony's gated mansion in River Forest from the street, this was apparently going to be the long-awaited accounting of the Outfit years. And author Neil Gordon has apparently done a vast amount of research into his book. Unfortunately, all that great, and specific, detail is mired in a maize of disconnected anecdotal accounts without a reasonable and readable consistent and coherent thread.
Frankly, after an exhausting struggle to actually "read" his book, I just gave up trying. Instead, I resorted to relying on the index in back to look up references to the specific people and places that I was most interested in hearing about. So, instead of reading it as an actual book, I used it as a sort of dictionary of the history of the old Chicago organized crime scene.
Example: Gordon would cite a specific recollection of some significant event involving some notable crime figures that would also happen to refer to some other related crime figures. But then he would go off on that other tangent about the other guy(s) and then further go off again on other subsequent tangents from those citations. Consequently, he surrenders any semblance of consistent narrative fluidity in favor of just blurting out another entertaining story about someone or something. So, after abandoning any effort to read it as a book, I instead just went repeatedly to the index to look up whatever citations he had about any particular person, place or event that I recalled from my recollection.
Therefore, Gordon's book can be an interesting resource for factual little stories and anecdotes, but it just doesn't provide the presentation of a well-structured narrative storyline. In my rating I give it two stars for its collection of history, even though I was tempted to drop it down to just one star due to its unfortunate shortcomings as an historic narrative account. This is a book that could have benefited greatly from review by a competent and professional editor who may have been able to restructure it into a reader-friendly account of a fascinating period in American history.
The Chicago Outfit is now just another interesting chapter in American history, thus now submitting itself as an acceptable subject of historical analysis for Gordon or anyone else who might be interested in researching and revealing it without concern for their own personal safety. And it's safe now to buy the book and read it for yourself. And, hey- if anyone asks, just tell 'em that Guido sent 'ya......
So, when I heard about the book "Joe Batters" and its focus on Accardo, I sought it out right away and immediately dug into it. I thought, "Finally, someone has documented the years of hidden and suppressed reality that the whole area lived with for the better part of half a century." Being quite familiar with many of the names and places of the Chicago mob scene, and having actually seen Tony's gated mansion in River Forest from the street, this was apparently going to be the long-awaited accounting of the Outfit years. And author Neil Gordon has apparently done a vast amount of research into his book. Unfortunately, all that great, and specific, detail is mired in a maize of disconnected anecdotal accounts without a reasonable and readable consistent and coherent thread.
Frankly, after an exhausting struggle to actually "read" his book, I just gave up trying. Instead, I resorted to relying on the index in back to look up references to the specific people and places that I was most interested in hearing about. So, instead of reading it as an actual book, I used it as a sort of dictionary of the history of the old Chicago organized crime scene.
Example: Gordon would cite a specific recollection of some significant event involving some notable crime figures that would also happen to refer to some other related crime figures. But then he would go off on that other tangent about the other guy(s) and then further go off again on other subsequent tangents from those citations. Consequently, he surrenders any semblance of consistent narrative fluidity in favor of just blurting out another entertaining story about someone or something. So, after abandoning any effort to read it as a book, I instead just went repeatedly to the index to look up whatever citations he had about any particular person, place or event that I recalled from my recollection.
Therefore, Gordon's book can be an interesting resource for factual little stories and anecdotes, but it just doesn't provide the presentation of a well-structured narrative storyline. In my rating I give it two stars for its collection of history, even though I was tempted to drop it down to just one star due to its unfortunate shortcomings as an historic narrative account. This is a book that could have benefited greatly from review by a competent and professional editor who may have been able to restructure it into a reader-friendly account of a fascinating period in American history.
The Chicago Outfit is now just another interesting chapter in American history, thus now submitting itself as an acceptable subject of historical analysis for Gordon or anyone else who might be interested in researching and revealing it without concern for their own personal safety. And it's safe now to buy the book and read it for yourself. And, hey- if anyone asks, just tell 'em that Guido sent 'ya......
January 12, 2021
This was a fairly good read. From what I was able to determine, much of the book mirrored actual events. The book must have been well researched. And my (limited and non-professional) research also led me to determine much of the book was probably contrived a bit. In my opinion, there is no possible way the author was able to get actual conversations that sometime appear to be between as few as two or three people- including Accardo. This leads me to label this good book as "Historical Fiction." I believe this is a good read if the reader keeps in mind there may be some poetic license in the book.
Read
August 16, 2021Not so hot. The writer kept trying to draw analogies or insinuate that, for example, Tony Accardo's daughter's wedding was the inspiration for Coppola's film the Godfather. One or maybe 2 examples, fine ok maybe, but the Godfather was a piece about NY Families and both Puzo and Coppola had friends and relatives (I believe) in NY. Just seemed strained at many points. And if that is his main impetus in writing the book then it was lame and made the other info suspect. There are better reads elsewhere.
October 23, 2021
I am a fan of Tony Accardo and I was very excited when this book came out, but after reading it I am extremely disappointed! I don’t know how many cheesy lines this author stole from other mob movies because there were so many I lost count! I would really like to contact the author directly and find out what he was thinking when he wrote those lines in this book. And it wasn’t just one or two, there were over 10 of these lines and he had to know that people reading the book would recognize that. Neil Gordon if you happen to read this please advise.
May 23, 2022
Based on a true story
There is a lot of supposition in this book and the dialogue used between the characters is manufactured and at very best hearsay. Accardo seems a closed book and there is little in the way of witness testimony to his character. Most of the book is regurgitated from multiple other sources with regards to JFK, Cuba, the CIA and FBI, Oswald, Ruby, Hoffa and Marilyn Monroe. There are also basic mistakes in the book. One being the torture scene in Casino by Tony Spilotro which is attributed to Goodfellas. The book is ok but nothing to get excited about.
There is a lot of supposition in this book and the dialogue used between the characters is manufactured and at very best hearsay. Accardo seems a closed book and there is little in the way of witness testimony to his character. Most of the book is regurgitated from multiple other sources with regards to JFK, Cuba, the CIA and FBI, Oswald, Ruby, Hoffa and Marilyn Monroe. There are also basic mistakes in the book. One being the torture scene in Casino by Tony Spilotro which is attributed to Goodfellas. The book is ok but nothing to get excited about.
January 16, 2022
Interesting
The writing style is strange and at times reads more like notes about the book rather than the book. More than once I found myself 're-reading passages as I thought I'd missed a complete passage, which I hadn't. Having said that it does contain an interesting story
The writing style is strange and at times reads more like notes about the book rather than the book. More than once I found myself 're-reading passages as I thought I'd missed a complete passage, which I hadn't. Having said that it does contain an interesting story
August 15, 2023
I have been reading and doing research on the five New York crime families for over 20 years. I have also read many biographies on other mafia figures. Tony Accardo is definitely one of the most interesting crime figures in the mob. I highly recommend this book.
October 1, 2020
Great read.
Lively and well written it made me feel like I was right there seeing and hearing it all. One of the best Mob books I have read. Didn't want to put it down.
Lively and well written it made me feel like I was right there seeing and hearing it all. One of the best Mob books I have read. Didn't want to put it down.
March 12, 2022
I loved this book! I even got it for my brothers, dad, and uncle! You could really see the effort the author put into writing this!
October 29, 2022
great
While a little tough to follow at times it is a great book that gives a close look at the mob.
While a little tough to follow at times it is a great book that gives a close look at the mob.
December 23, 2022
A must read for any Chicago history buff
Read like fictional mob. novel. Once I started it was hard to put down. Trying to compare this work with other works on Accardo
Read like fictional mob. novel. Once I started it was hard to put down. Trying to compare this work with other works on Accardo
March 21, 2023
This is more fiction than I thought it would be. There is SO MUCH crammed into this book that could have been cut to focus more on Accardo.
June 30, 2023
An interesting read
I enjoyed this book. I grew up hearing the names of Chicago mobsters. This book is a fascinating look into their lives and personalities.
I enjoyed this book. I grew up hearing the names of Chicago mobsters. This book is a fascinating look into their lives and personalities.
August 14, 2023
Story is fascinating but the writing is all over the place and hard to follow.
June 26, 2021
Overall a good read
This book was a good, interesting read with A LOT of information about Accardo, the Chicago Outfit and the mafia. What I could have done without and what diminished the quality of the book in my opinion was the bad made up dialogue geared at explaining certain events. The dialogue was not only hokey and filled with bad gangster jargon, but to have it in quotes is really disingenuous and misleading. There were obviously no tape recorders recording conversations between Capone and Accardo or Luciano and Lansky, nor is anyone cited in the book as having provided any of the quotes. The author could have provided the stories without making up dialog. There were also embellishments that were clearly WRONG. In one story that occurred in 1962 the author tells us that Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin were performing at a private event for Accordo and that Sinatra sang My Way. The problem with that is that the song wasn’t written until 1967. But that’s the trouble with not “sticking with the facts.” You take the chance that your embellishments are just bs and as a result the credibility of the rest of the information in the book can be questioned.
This book was a good, interesting read with A LOT of information about Accardo, the Chicago Outfit and the mafia. What I could have done without and what diminished the quality of the book in my opinion was the bad made up dialogue geared at explaining certain events. The dialogue was not only hokey and filled with bad gangster jargon, but to have it in quotes is really disingenuous and misleading. There were obviously no tape recorders recording conversations between Capone and Accardo or Luciano and Lansky, nor is anyone cited in the book as having provided any of the quotes. The author could have provided the stories without making up dialog. There were also embellishments that were clearly WRONG. In one story that occurred in 1962 the author tells us that Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin were performing at a private event for Accordo and that Sinatra sang My Way. The problem with that is that the song wasn’t written until 1967. But that’s the trouble with not “sticking with the facts.” You take the chance that your embellishments are just bs and as a result the credibility of the rest of the information in the book can be questioned.
August 4, 2020
I wasn't too sure what to make of this book, as it relies so heavily on hearsay and the brother of the man concerned what you are reading essentially, is the view of history they want you to have.
It is entertaining, the reader crosses the Rubicon in many parts however it should be noted that some of the central claims (CIA=JFK Assassination) are simply not true, bordering on the outright ridiculous. Many of the claims and purported conversations seemed forced, and more than a little contrived to be believable, some edge into the 'outright rubbish' that factual documents, and indeed other historians have clarified the record independently.
The strength here is the description of the old neighbourhood, and the poverty and discrimination that the immigrant Italian community faced. It is well described, and very true to what others have written. On the whole however there is just no way many of the incidents alleged to have occurred, actually occurred especially the Mafia and CiA nexus which is pure fantasy: which we know from the declassified materials.
One of the redeeming strengths of the book is that is does describe some previously untold events, which can be independently verified but even these become dubious due to both 'hear say' and outright fabrication on the path of the author, or source of the material. It's readable if you like the genre, but there are far better (and more accurate) books out there should you want to know more: Selwyn Raab and Five Families being one that leaps to mind, while occurring in NYC and not Chicago it is meticulously referenced where here this rarely, if at all, occurs.
It is entertaining, the reader crosses the Rubicon in many parts however it should be noted that some of the central claims (CIA=JFK Assassination) are simply not true, bordering on the outright ridiculous. Many of the claims and purported conversations seemed forced, and more than a little contrived to be believable, some edge into the 'outright rubbish' that factual documents, and indeed other historians have clarified the record independently.
The strength here is the description of the old neighbourhood, and the poverty and discrimination that the immigrant Italian community faced. It is well described, and very true to what others have written. On the whole however there is just no way many of the incidents alleged to have occurred, actually occurred especially the Mafia and CiA nexus which is pure fantasy: which we know from the declassified materials.
One of the redeeming strengths of the book is that is does describe some previously untold events, which can be independently verified but even these become dubious due to both 'hear say' and outright fabrication on the path of the author, or source of the material. It's readable if you like the genre, but there are far better (and more accurate) books out there should you want to know more: Selwyn Raab and Five Families being one that leaps to mind, while occurring in NYC and not Chicago it is meticulously referenced where here this rarely, if at all, occurs.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews