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After Capone: The Life and World of Chicago Mob Boss Frank "The Enforcer" Nitti
After Capone is the first book-length work to present the complete, never-before-told story of Frank "the Enforcer"Nitti―born Francesco Raffele Nitto―the driving force behind the Chicago mob's operations in the years that followed Al Capone's imprisonment. Beginning with Nitti's Italian origins, Mars Eghigian traces the Enforcer's entry into and subsequent rise inside Chicago's underworld, his near-fatal shooting by city detectives, his strange death, and the ultimate downfall of all who were associated with him.
Based on years of research and supported by original sources from state and federal archives, After Capone is the definitive reference on Nitti's violent life and times and a fascinating and chilling account of the ability of mob power to adapt to the constantly shifting nature of American culture.
Based on years of research and supported by original sources from state and federal archives, After Capone is the definitive reference on Nitti's violent life and times and a fascinating and chilling account of the ability of mob power to adapt to the constantly shifting nature of American culture.
528 pages, Hardcover
First published June 15, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 22, 2017
Really great book on a fascinating character. Much better than the one i read before this about Jack McGurn. Nitti is often undercredited for advancing the Chicago Mob post-Prohibition and even more often flat out incorrectly depicted in film/televesion such as in the movie The Untouchables. I thought it was a great book that showed his management/leadership of the Chicago Outfit throught a turbulent period and what could have been a financially bare period. He led the old Capone mob to even greater heights than were experienced during Prohibition and provides an excellent source of information about the syndicate's activities from the mid 1930's to the early 1940's.
March 30, 2015
Loved this book, Very informative. Am a huge Frank Nitti reader of his history. Also am a American Mafia researcher from the era in the book and a few others. This book had so much Nitti information it could of been made into two books. Keep up the great work and highly recommend.
July 15, 2008
After Capone
Mars Eghigian Jr.
Morgan James Publishing LLC (2006)
ISBN 139781581824544
Reviewed by William Phenn (9/06)
Mars Eghigian Jr. lives in Belleville, Illinois and is a veteran researcher in organized crime. While researching and gathering information on “After Capone” Mars gathered information from around the country. He examined archives in Chicago, Washington D.C, St. Louis, Missouri and many other sources. Including institutions of higher learning from Iowa to Texas.
“After Capone” is the dramatic account of an Italian immigrant (Francesco Raffele Nitto) who managed to arrive in the United States and head up one of the largest and deadliest crime syndicates this country has ever seen. Frank Nitti as he is called by all (since the mistake made many years ago), starts his life of crime at an early age. He quit school at the age of fourteen to help out with family finances. About the same time he aligned himself with a youth gang in the neighborhood; thus beginning his life of crime. This is where Mars dispels the popular notions that Nitti followed Capone to Chicago and was Scarface’s cousin.
As time passed, Frank moved away from Brooklyn, New York and moved to Dallas, Texas. Little is known about the time he spent there before going to Chicago. But it is interesting to see how deep Mr.Eghigian researched this little known fact about Frank Nitti. So much, that he even mentions the name of the lady Nitti was there with.
Author Mars Eghigian provides an all-encompassing view of Nitti’s criminal activities, which stretched farther beyond Chicago than those of any other organized crime family of that time. Following Capone’s incarceration and his eventual release from prison on income tax charges, Nitti was the driving force that expanded the Chicago mob’s operations. From his Italian origins, his entry and rise in Chicago’s underworld mob to his near-fatal shooting by city detectives, his strange death, and the ultimate downfall of those associated with him.
“After Capone” is an amazing biographic work. It could qualify as a reference book on this Chicago Mobster. It is the first book to present the complete, never-before-told story of one of America’s leading crime kingpins. A fascinating and chilling account of mob power, it stands as proof that sometimes fact is indeed stranger than fiction. “After Capone” is a fast paced, well written and informative book that I have had the extreme pleasure to review. It was a joy to read and very entertaining to say the least. I was very impressed with the research that was done, the details presented and the meticulous way the facts were laid out. “After Capone” has earned my highest A+ rating for being a book that people will read and re-read.
Mars Eghigian Jr.
Morgan James Publishing LLC (2006)
ISBN 139781581824544
Reviewed by William Phenn (9/06)
Mars Eghigian Jr. lives in Belleville, Illinois and is a veteran researcher in organized crime. While researching and gathering information on “After Capone” Mars gathered information from around the country. He examined archives in Chicago, Washington D.C, St. Louis, Missouri and many other sources. Including institutions of higher learning from Iowa to Texas.
“After Capone” is the dramatic account of an Italian immigrant (Francesco Raffele Nitto) who managed to arrive in the United States and head up one of the largest and deadliest crime syndicates this country has ever seen. Frank Nitti as he is called by all (since the mistake made many years ago), starts his life of crime at an early age. He quit school at the age of fourteen to help out with family finances. About the same time he aligned himself with a youth gang in the neighborhood; thus beginning his life of crime. This is where Mars dispels the popular notions that Nitti followed Capone to Chicago and was Scarface’s cousin.
As time passed, Frank moved away from Brooklyn, New York and moved to Dallas, Texas. Little is known about the time he spent there before going to Chicago. But it is interesting to see how deep Mr.Eghigian researched this little known fact about Frank Nitti. So much, that he even mentions the name of the lady Nitti was there with.
Author Mars Eghigian provides an all-encompassing view of Nitti’s criminal activities, which stretched farther beyond Chicago than those of any other organized crime family of that time. Following Capone’s incarceration and his eventual release from prison on income tax charges, Nitti was the driving force that expanded the Chicago mob’s operations. From his Italian origins, his entry and rise in Chicago’s underworld mob to his near-fatal shooting by city detectives, his strange death, and the ultimate downfall of those associated with him.
“After Capone” is an amazing biographic work. It could qualify as a reference book on this Chicago Mobster. It is the first book to present the complete, never-before-told story of one of America’s leading crime kingpins. A fascinating and chilling account of mob power, it stands as proof that sometimes fact is indeed stranger than fiction. “After Capone” is a fast paced, well written and informative book that I have had the extreme pleasure to review. It was a joy to read and very entertaining to say the least. I was very impressed with the research that was done, the details presented and the meticulous way the facts were laid out. “After Capone” has earned my highest A+ rating for being a book that people will read and re-read.
October 10, 2021
Nitti is often played by character actors in the films on the Chicago Mob.Represented as just one of Capone henchmen. However it is clear from this book that he was far more than that and actually ran everything after Cap ones imprisonment. The book has clearly been thoroughly researched.Chicago in the Roaring Twenties is reminiscent of England in medieval times,such is the nature of the gang warfare.
May 6, 2021
The name Al Capone can be mentioned in any corner of the world and garner a reaction but many fewer know about Frank Nitti, the man who was truly right behind Al his entire life. From the tiny town outside Naples where both their families came from, to Garfield Place in Brooklyn, and of course the city of Chicago where both of them would permanently leave their mark, these two men will forever be entwined in history even if no one seems to remember.
From the opening chapter that details life in Angri Italy to Nitti's brutal and tragic Hollywood ending, Mr. Eghigian gives you straightforward yet heartfelt writing on the shadowy second in command's life.
"After Capone" offers an interesting perspective on organized crime's most notorious character and should be read by anyone who wants to understand who Al Capone was before he became Al Capone. It should be read by anyone hoping to understand the conditions of Italian American immigration and what led a handful of these immigrants and descendants of immigrants into a life of crime.
From the opening chapter that details life in Angri Italy to Nitti's brutal and tragic Hollywood ending, Mr. Eghigian gives you straightforward yet heartfelt writing on the shadowy second in command's life.
"After Capone" offers an interesting perspective on organized crime's most notorious character and should be read by anyone who wants to understand who Al Capone was before he became Al Capone. It should be read by anyone hoping to understand the conditions of Italian American immigration and what led a handful of these immigrants and descendants of immigrants into a life of crime.
January 24, 2023
Well organized factual biography of a mob guy! Kapish?
March 7, 2025
Though Al Capone is the most famous of all gangsters, he is arguably the most overrated. This volume concentrates mostly on Frank Nitto, falsely known as "Nitti" for various reasons. It covers his life from his poor childhood in southern Italy to his family's emigration to New York, where he would fall out with his stepfather and travel to the western states. The author was unable to find out that period of his life until he eventually reached Chicago and took on membership in the mob.
Nitti, unlike Capone, actually was able to eliminate his Chicago gangster rivals, preferring to avoid bloodshed but willing to commit it if need be. Prohibition would come and go, but the mob under Nitti would end up infiltrating labor unions as well as many businesses and would extend his empire into the movie industry of Hollywood as well. Federal and local governments would go after Nitti, but it would take years before they could make their cases against Nitti and other prominent gangsters.
The book provides no glamorization of the mob, specifying how they bled poor working people and their employers for their greed, as well as municipal governments, and how mobsters were often murdered simply because they were obsolete. The ugly truth about organized crime.
Nitti, unlike Capone, actually was able to eliminate his Chicago gangster rivals, preferring to avoid bloodshed but willing to commit it if need be. Prohibition would come and go, but the mob under Nitti would end up infiltrating labor unions as well as many businesses and would extend his empire into the movie industry of Hollywood as well. Federal and local governments would go after Nitti, but it would take years before they could make their cases against Nitti and other prominent gangsters.
The book provides no glamorization of the mob, specifying how they bled poor working people and their employers for their greed, as well as municipal governments, and how mobsters were often murdered simply because they were obsolete. The ugly truth about organized crime.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews