What do you think?
Rate this book
La Mia Famiglia: Never Let Them Steal Your Name
" La Mia Famiglia is more than the usual coming-of-age story. Anthony Scarpo's personal journey against struggles outside his control, is framed against the backdrop of growing up in his father's bar business, the insular world of 1960s and 70s Tampa, and the unnerving specter of the Mafia. An intriguing, and well-paced, story that belongs firmly in the Tampa history canon."
Scott M. Deitche. Author Cigar City Mafia: A Complete History of the Tampa Underworld
From modest beginnings in a Pennsylvania coal mine to the height of success in Tampa, Florida, there was one constant threat in the Scarpo family’s lives—the mafia.
In small-town Pennsylvania, Tony Scarpo’s grandfather Antonio, an immigrant from Bari, Italy, ran afoul of a gangster who terrorized the family for months. Antonio’s message to his children was: “Never let them steal your name.”
It was a lesson Tony’s father, Art Scarpo, took with him into the bar business in Tampa, a lesson he never forgot when the Trafficante crime family came calling. Alongside the Chicago Syndicate and New York’s Five Families, the Trafficantes were one of the pillars of the American Mafia.
But little Tony had no idea why his father came home beaten and bloodied. He was just a kid growing up on the outskirts of Tampa, with little-boy dreams and calls to adventure. His ‘normal’ featured sideshow freaks, crime, violence, bizarre deaths—and murder.
As he grew older, however, his father peeled back the veneer to reveal just how dangerous it was for a bar owner in Tampa and how devastating it was to say ‘no’ to the Trafficante crime family.
But could the Scarpo family escape the reign of terror brought down by the mob while saving both their name and their lives?
Read this enthralling, heart-wrenching story of one family’s struggle against organized crime and of one boy’s coming of age that was anything but ‘normal.’
" La Mia Famiglia is more than the usual coming-of-age story. Anthony Scarpo's personal journey against struggles outside his control, is framed against the backdrop of growing up in his father's bar business, the insular world of 1960s and 70s Tampa, and the unnerving specter of the Mafia. An intriguing, and well-paced, story that belongs firmly in the Tampa history canon."
Scott M. Deitche. Author Cigar City Mafia: A Complete History of the Tampa Underworld
Scott M. Deitche. Author Cigar City Mafia: A Complete History of the Tampa Underworld
From modest beginnings in a Pennsylvania coal mine to the height of success in Tampa, Florida, there was one constant threat in the Scarpo family’s lives—the mafia.
In small-town Pennsylvania, Tony Scarpo’s grandfather Antonio, an immigrant from Bari, Italy, ran afoul of a gangster who terrorized the family for months. Antonio’s message to his children was: “Never let them steal your name.”
It was a lesson Tony’s father, Art Scarpo, took with him into the bar business in Tampa, a lesson he never forgot when the Trafficante crime family came calling. Alongside the Chicago Syndicate and New York’s Five Families, the Trafficantes were one of the pillars of the American Mafia.
But little Tony had no idea why his father came home beaten and bloodied. He was just a kid growing up on the outskirts of Tampa, with little-boy dreams and calls to adventure. His ‘normal’ featured sideshow freaks, crime, violence, bizarre deaths—and murder.
As he grew older, however, his father peeled back the veneer to reveal just how dangerous it was for a bar owner in Tampa and how devastating it was to say ‘no’ to the Trafficante crime family.
But could the Scarpo family escape the reign of terror brought down by the mob while saving both their name and their lives?
Read this enthralling, heart-wrenching story of one family’s struggle against organized crime and of one boy’s coming of age that was anything but ‘normal.’
" La Mia Famiglia is more than the usual coming-of-age story. Anthony Scarpo's personal journey against struggles outside his control, is framed against the backdrop of growing up in his father's bar business, the insular world of 1960s and 70s Tampa, and the unnerving specter of the Mafia. An intriguing, and well-paced, story that belongs firmly in the Tampa history canon."
Scott M. Deitche. Author Cigar City Mafia: A Complete History of the Tampa Underworld
386 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 27, 2019
5 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 13, 2022
Fantastic book. True life story that keeps you on the edge of you seat page after page. It should be turned into a movie ! 5 stars !
October 27, 2025
Book review coming in
La Mia familia : never let them take your name by Anthony Scarpo
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story is based on a true story and a friend recommended it to me. The dad in this story went through so much to support his family. Their mother was a saint with a heart of pure gold.
Hearing them talk about what happened with their animals was heartbreaking though. 😩
Hearing about racism from back in the day was hard but very important because of what's happening in the world right now.
Those poor girls that Aj was abusing, I hope they found peace in life. And I hope this kinda opens up peoples eyes on sex trafficking towards young girls.
This story will suck you in and keep your attention with all the things the Italian mafia did to his family. it's truly upsetting but very telling to learn about that aspect of people's lives.
After Tony went to college and found what he wanted in life he fought for it and never gave up. This is a good read!!
Also hearing how his sisters took care of their mother and gave up so much was heartbreaking for their ages.
La Mia familia : never let them take your name by Anthony Scarpo
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story is based on a true story and a friend recommended it to me. The dad in this story went through so much to support his family. Their mother was a saint with a heart of pure gold.
Hearing them talk about what happened with their animals was heartbreaking though. 😩
Hearing about racism from back in the day was hard but very important because of what's happening in the world right now.
Those poor girls that Aj was abusing, I hope they found peace in life. And I hope this kinda opens up peoples eyes on sex trafficking towards young girls.
This story will suck you in and keep your attention with all the things the Italian mafia did to his family. it's truly upsetting but very telling to learn about that aspect of people's lives.
After Tony went to college and found what he wanted in life he fought for it and never gave up. This is a good read!!
Also hearing how his sisters took care of their mother and gave up so much was heartbreaking for their ages.
October 10, 2025
A friend recommended this book to me, and I was immediately drawn in by the cover and title. I went in completely blind—no summaries, no synopses. That decision made the reading experience even more rewarding.
Overall, I’d rate this book a solid 4.5 out of 5. From the very beginning, I found myself fully immersed in the narrative and invested in the characters’ journey. There were a few chapters early on that were harder for me to read, particularly the ones focused on the animals. As an animal lover, those sections were a bit difficult for me to read, though they were clearly essential to the broader story.
The historical and cultural insights into the Italian mafia were as captivating as I expected, but what surprised me most was how compelling the later sections became—especially those centered on college life, advertising, and eventually the diamond trade. I had little prior knowledge of the diamond industry, and the way the author wove its history and economic influence into the narrative was both fascinating and unexpectedly educational.
My only critique is that a few chapter transitions felt abrupt, almost like “hard stops,” which slightly disrupted the otherwise excellent pacing.
In the end, I absolutely loved this read. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys immersive storytelling—especially readers who appreciate books that blend elements of history, culture, and documentary.
Overall, I’d rate this book a solid 4.5 out of 5. From the very beginning, I found myself fully immersed in the narrative and invested in the characters’ journey. There were a few chapters early on that were harder for me to read, particularly the ones focused on the animals. As an animal lover, those sections were a bit difficult for me to read, though they were clearly essential to the broader story.
The historical and cultural insights into the Italian mafia were as captivating as I expected, but what surprised me most was how compelling the later sections became—especially those centered on college life, advertising, and eventually the diamond trade. I had little prior knowledge of the diamond industry, and the way the author wove its history and economic influence into the narrative was both fascinating and unexpectedly educational.
My only critique is that a few chapter transitions felt abrupt, almost like “hard stops,” which slightly disrupted the otherwise excellent pacing.
In the end, I absolutely loved this read. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys immersive storytelling—especially readers who appreciate books that blend elements of history, culture, and documentary.
July 14, 2022
Great read ! Hard to imagine a young boy going through all those experiences.
January 12, 2020
Started off great. Was more of a story about authors father and his upbringing. Would have liked more about authors adult life
July 22, 2025
Love the book !
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews