Mob Star: The Story of John Gotti

by Gene Mustain, Jerry Capeci

Two investigative journalists offer a behind-the-scenes look at New York mob chieftain John Gotti, who has been able to elude the government's efforts to convict him on charges of murder, conspiracy, gambling and corruption

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, Biography, Autobiography, History, Ebooks

269 pages, Library Binding

First published April 1, 1988

Reviews

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hoo boy! The language! So, you know all those mobster movies? They really do talk like that. It is art imitating life, not the reverse. I used to love the gangster movies back in the day. Scarface, Casino, Goodfellas, etc. I stopped watching those kinds of movies but it just about killed me when Donny Brasco and The Departed came out.
I love the intrigue, the power, the underworld, the seediness of it all. Its just so removed from where and who I am but its operating all around me.
As for the real review, the book was written by newspaper reporters so they sometimes leave you to determine your own opinions when what I really wanted was a wild ride. I got the wild ride, I just had to do more work than I wanted to get there. I had to follow multiple characters and organizations. There were double agents and "rats." The most climactic moment, when the underboss rats out the Mob Boss, was so anticlimactic. I reread that part trying to give it a bit more drama that it so badly deserved. I mean, its the underboss! Ratting out the big boss!
So, great story, so so writing. Something might be wrong with me but I was fascinated reading about the wackings, hits, and swimming with the fishes.

[Vermillion · Rating 3 out of 5]

After having finished the books about Sammy ‘The Bull’, and Anthony ‘Gaspipe’, I found this book to be a bit of a let down.But to be fair I did expect it to be so, seeing as the subject never agreed to talk to the authors. Sure there were tiny bits here that were not in other books, but not so much that this book deserves all the hype.What really set me off concerning the material in this book was the judge Nickerson’s handling of his courtroom. I don’t even care if I spelled his name right, he was a straight-up sissy in a black robe.

[Matt Boak · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having loved Capeci’s books on Little Al D’Arco and Roy Di Meo I was surprised at how dull I found this. Lots of repetitive tales of failed gamblers and petty drug dealing. The book is very detailed - perhaps too detailed in some places - and I think struggles with its narrative pace and insight from the protagonist without first hand interviews for the book. Got bored halfway through and didn’t finish.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly kind of boring for what you expect to be a v enthralling topic.

[John Bacho · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're new to reading about 20th century US organized crime, then I'd save this book for later on. Not just chronologically, but because there are more interesting mob bosses, like Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky, Joe Profaci, and Salvatore Maranzano -- any leaders of the original Five Families really -- off the top of my head.

Gotti is notoriously flashy, quick-tempered, a terrible gambler, violent, and frequently tripped up by his own ego. One of the court cases that helped to name him as "The Teflon Don" is just so silly. A boss of a major family, and his caporegime, allegedly blocked a refrigerator truck driver in a parking space with their Lincolns, then assaulted him because of an argument about it.

These events are still fascinating to read about as a juxtaposition, to the will of his predecessors, that often wished to fly under the radar. The less than public elements of the business, such as disappearing bodies, hijackings, dealing drugs, chop shops, laundering, are all here in their gory details with transcripts from RICO bugs and other accounts.

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably as good a book as we're gonna get on John Gotti, especially since it was written by the guys who were there. Well detailed but too many typos and inaccuracies (Al Capone dying in prison? C'monnnn). Wish it had covered the end of his life more but it does what it needs to do. Hope it's the last book I read on Gotti, though I'd welcome a fictional take.

[Carlos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Story

It is much different from Hollywood and documentary, this book has given a lot of details of John Gotti Sr. It show his real personality, his egoism on how he loved the popularity of the people and cause a destruction to the crime family.

[R. Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story of a ruthless killer who killed his way to the top. Only to have it taken away because of the un-loyalty of his underling. Very compelling.

[John Richards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book for fans of Gambino

[Wendi Enright · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very enlightening what a horrible man he was. That was a dark time.

[Jonno · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting Mob book. I started to get quite dazed once it got to the court proceedings. He said, they did, etc. Very in depth.

[Trey Pound · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of you're going to do a biography on arguably the most notorious mobster, take some adderal or something because you jumped around more than a kid on mom's bed. Hard to follow but very factual.

[Paschalis]

elibrary

[Cindy Dye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was a good book

[John Ulrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good although I pretty much knew most of what's in the book it's Jerry Capeci so you know it's going to be good.

[Patrick T.]

P

[Russell Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

I read this book like 20 years Go, but it felt like the first time. Highly recommend this book for the truth about the most famous gangster ever

[Charles]

This book was very good its all about a gangster named John Gotti. I mainly read this book because i am researching the Italian mafia for my research paper and i just found John Gotti as a main modern mafia member. He was a very bad man, he was the leader of a gang when he was 12 years old and they were know for robberies and hijacking cars. He was aressted multiple times by the time he was 21. John Gotti was later a soldier for the Gambino family and he was doing a lot of criminal activity for money and also doing hits, Gotti was sentenced to life in prison for 13 murders and other crimes. The main thing John Gotti did was kill his boss paul Castellano so he can become head of the Gambino family. I also learnes his nickname was teflon don. This book was great

[Citesc]

the most dreadful read so far... too many names, insignificant facts, zero literary style! After all, gotti was not as important as thought; these guys were unemployed and uneducated who played craps all day and kill each other for money!

[Wilhelmina · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you truly want an insider's view of what transpired in the life of John Gotti, this is the book.

[Walt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best book on John Gotti and how his ego ruined the most powerful mafia family in the nation.

[Joseph Andolino · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent read.

[Rushay Booysen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read on the life of mafia boss John Gotti.It seems the author invested alot of time in bringing us this insight into the life of one of the most notorious leaders.

[Samer Elmir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative and gives you an insiders look at the life of Gotti and others

[Mckinley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Realized I didn't want to read about him.