Lucky Luciano: The Man Who Organized Crime in America

by Hickman Powell

He was called the Father of Organized Crime, responsible for the famous Atlantic City meeting in which he persuaded Al Capone, Frank Costello, and Meyer Lansky to run crime as a business. Born into poverty in a small Italian village, he came to New York with his parents, and spent his youth in the bustling Lower Eastside. Growing up in this melting pot, alongside children of Irish, Jewish, and Italian descent, he quickly fell in with those dedicated to a life of crime—several of them becoming world-class gangsters. But Charles "Lucky" Luciano would turn out to be the most famous, the most notorious, of them all.

Written by a top investigative reporter, who followed Luciano's 1936 trial from its inception to the jury's verdict, the sentencing, and the unsuccessful appeal, Lucky Luciano is the most vivid complete account of the case ever printed. Hickman Powell not only interviewed Luciano but also the assorted prostitutes and pimps who testified against him. The book is a fascinating living record of the underworld of the 1930s, and an incisive portrait of then prosecuting attorney (later Governor of New York and Republican candidate for president) Thomas E. Dewey, whose tireless efforts resulted in Luciano's conviction.

When the United States entered World War II, Luciano made a deal with the federal government, which allowed him to be set free and return to his native Sicily. While there, he worked for Allied interests. After the war he attempted to return to America but remained persona non grata. He became involved in casinos in Havana, Cuba, but spent most of his time in Italy running his drug and criminal operations from a distance.

Originally published in 1939, Lucky Luciano still reads like today's news.

Genres: Crime

341 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Sully Augustine · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars out of 5 - I read a hardbound from the library in the evenings over the past few days. The title is misleading in that this is really a clumsily phrased, ill organized book about the Dewey investigation of the prostitution syndicate in New York. It rendered very little understanding of the man or even the doings of the man, Charles Lucania, who has become by reputation the first head of Italian organized crime. On the evidence of this book that man was a medium scale hustler, and not a very smart one.

[Goncalo · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book barely mentions Lucky and its mostly concerned with the trial for the prostitution racket, the vast majority of the book is dedicated to the prostitutes, their lives and the roles they played in the trial. I wouldn’t recommend it if you want to know more about the Lucky Luciano or the Mafia.

[David Carraturo · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a story about the rackets in the 1920s and 30s, this was a very good read. I liked the dialogue and the background of the underground world in NYC was very well written. However, the title was very misleading. This was not a story about Lucky Luciano. He was an integral part of the story, but this story was more about the people who took him down. I would recommend it though.

[Carol Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dis guy wasn't lucky. Dis guy was a killer and liked power. My advice to mafia guys is don't eat in Italian restaurants. You could end up on da menu.