Joey the Hitman: The Autobiography of a Mafia Killer

by Joey the Hit Man, David Fisher, Clint Willis (Editor)

Following up on the success of the Adrenaline title Stories of Death and Betrayal from Organized Crime, Adrenaline Classics brings back the New York Times bestseller (originally published as Killer) that helped pave the way for the latest generation of nouveau-mob stories, from Donnie Brasco to The Sopranos. "Joey" -- a journeyman Jewish hitman, numbers king, and loan shark -- collaborated with David Fisher (co-editor of the hit Adrenaline title Wild Blue) to lay out the rackets in gripping detail. His story includes detailed accounts of his chillingly "professional" murders of thirty-eight victims. The strong sales of Mob are further evidence that the best mafia stories -- and this is one of the best -- capture the public's interest. Joey the Hitman 's original best-seller status reflects the quality of the writing, the frank intelligence of the subject/writer, and Joey's convincingly matter-of-fact, regular-guy tone. When he writes, debunking The Godfather, ". . . Actually very few mob members even have Bronx-Italian accents . . . a lot of mob people are not very tough, the people we meet and deal with are very ordinary, most of us stay home at night and watch TV, and we only shoot each other when absolutely necessary," you know you're listening to the original Soprano. This edition includes a new afterword from David Fisher, who for the first time reveals Joey's identity and the incredible story of how Joey finally died.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, Biography

288 pages, Paperback

First published March 17, 2002

Reviews

[Tom Stamper · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories here are entertaining and you could probably take any chapter and make it the basis for a movie about the mob. What I found most interesting is his explanation of the numbers game, something that older organized crimes movies mention but do not explain. Numbers take real organization between the collections on the ground and the distribution back to the winners. They allow poor and working-class people a little entertainment, and according to Joey, the mob takes less money from their customers than what the state lotteries take. His understanding of the whole system from the ground to the boss is thorough in a way that you figure he must have been a real veteran of the game. If there is a better explanation anywhere I haven’t read it.

Other chapters of the book feel more like stories he heard or at least embellishments of things he witnessed. There is a lot here on loan sharking and paid-for killings, but I found those sections to be more detached. But whether he is stealing something or killing someone his telling is always straight forward and humorous like he was trading stocks or laying bricks and something surprising happened. It’s that old mafia cliché that it’s just a business and he didn’t take any of it personally even if someone wanted to kill him.

The web is full of stories that reveal Joey’s identity and the mystery surrounding his death. I think you’ll enjoy the book better if you read it before finding out that the real Joey was less colorful.

[Harold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bottom line - I don't know if Joey is real or not, but the author definitely knows how organized crime works and he explains pretty much every aspect of it as it existed when this book was first published in the 1970s. I passed on reading this until now because when I would browse it in a bookstore my initial impression was that Joey was a creation. It may be so but it is an accurate book none the less.

[Eric_W · Rating 4 out of 5]

The clear message of this quite fascinating book is that crime could not exist without the compliance of “honest” citizens and the connivance of the police. “I’m supposed to be an evil man. I’m supposed to be eliminated so people can walk the streets at night. Not only is that bullshit, that’s the worst hypocrisy I’ve ever heard. Without your so-called honest citizen I would cease to exist. He’s my customer and my employer. . . As soon as the American decides he is willing to pay the full price for merchandise, willing to follow all the laws, willing to stop gambling and playing around on the side, I’m gone. I can’t survive.” He was heavily involved in gambling, loansharking, and prostitution -- the contract killing was just a sideline. “If there is one thing I’m going to stress in this book; it’s that you cannot legislate morals; don’t try. The people want prostitution, let them have prostitution. . . Let man be the master of his own fate. The minute you tell a man he is not allowed to do something, you’ve just created a brand-new business. Because I’m gonna be there to help him do it — just as often as he can afford.”
There is so much money involved in these criminal activities that the police become willing participants. Not just by taking payments under the table, but also by creating huge new bureaucracies and budgets to help fight crime. Joey’s point is that the state, by legalizing and regulating, could make the streets safer and save everyone a lot of money in taxes, but much of the resistance to legalization comes from the so-called honest citizen who is making a lot of money through the existence of crime. “Without corrupt politicians and the help of the police organized crime could not exist. It’s a simple as that. They are the people who allow us to operate, they are the people who grease the wheels.” Organizational hubris is also of benefit to the criminal. “One reason the FBI isn’t as effective as it might be is that in many cases they have to work with local police and more often than not they end up fighting against each other. There is just no clear jurisdiction most of the time. The federal agents could save themselves a lot of grief if they learned to work with cops, but they never will and that’s why the FBI just isn’t that effective. . . .As far as federal agents go, we fear the Treasury people much more than anyone else because they can nail you on your taxes. . . And I don’t know one of these agents that has ever been gotten to.”
Joey obviously had a sense of humor, too, albeit perverted. He was in the army, sent there by a judge for juvenile crimes, for a while, making sergeant four times, but he kept getting busted for some of the silliest reasons. For example, he was given a form with a list of organizations and was asked on the form if he “belonged to a party that is trying to overthrow the government of the United States?” He replied, “Yes,” and was called to the colonel’s office. “I told them, ‘I’m a Republican and we’re trying to get Truman out of there.’ Looking back, I have to admit it seemed funnier then.”

[Walt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rarely see praise for this book; but I enjoyed it. While I wonder about the author's identity, it is an excellent glimpse into the many rackets of organized crime - described in an easy-to-read book.

[Mikel Pfeiffer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been known to quit reading a book I am not enjoying but for some reason I stuck it out with Joey the Hitman. I was expecting a fascinating account of a mobster. His rise and fall in the organization. Instead, this is more of "how to" book for mobsters. Each chapter is about a business the mob is involved with and how they make money from it. "Joey" will toss in short snippets of the part he played in the business but there's no "real" story to be told. Sometimes he's funny, sometimes he's scary but overall, Joey, is kind of dull. Yes, he is also a cold-hearted killer but if you ask him he's just doing a job like anybody else. Joey... was also written decades ago so several of the "crimes" the mob was profiting on are now legal so the inner workings of a mob business that isn't going on today just isn't that interesting.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The way his story was told was very much like a novel; it seems too extraordinary that it almost sounds fake. I like how there is no set timeline and how he reveals more of his backstory only when it's important. The parts where he talks about his 'hits' are super interesting. I like how he doesn't go into too much detail but just enough so that you get a good picture. He rarely talks about his emotions, especially when doing one of his jobs, but when he does, he talks about the absence of feeling. I really found that interesting, how much a hitman has to sacrifice to do that type of job. It seems like he blocked out a part of himself when he's working, and that is what is super intriguing.

[Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in High School and it arguably jumped off an occasional joy for reading. I have no way of knowing if this book is true and there are numerous people on the internet who are skeptical of its authenticity, but this book is so profoundly packed with detail that even as a work of fiction it is a wild ride.

[Viktor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helluva book. Joey does chapter and verse on how all these Mafia scams work.
He blames the "so-called honest man" for all the Mafia's ills.

Another tack he uses goes like this:
1) "If only the government would legalize this!"
2) Government legalizes what he's talking about.
3) "They did it wrong."

The overall cognative dissonance is hard to take. All-in-all, a worthwhile read.

[Dominic · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book more than most I thought it was very informative and it was cool to be able to link it to a person.

[Chuck Beal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting book about a Mafia member in the 1950-1970 timeframe. Some of it is probably not true.

[gkinyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful, valuable look into life of a mafia hitman. What more could I ask for when researching the crime world? This book is a jewel if you want to delve into the psyche, background, methods, and lifestyle of street gangster.

Anyone disappointed with this book because Joey Black didn't discuss his "hits" more is a child who possesses an unrealistic, dramatic, Game-of-Thrones-esque perspective on gang-life. They were looking for some histrionic, chapter-by-chapter view where Joey discusses each of his kills in a sensational fashion, like something out of a cheap YA. Sorry, friends, but even the most 'interesting' careers are ultimately mundane.

Real life is rarely as theatrical as Game of Thrones. John Wick is the stuff of films.

Joey Black is no Bucky Barnes.

[Gregory Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dull-but-erudite, good-humored, narcissistic, murderous psychopath dictates a virtual career guide for would-be mobsters in the early 70s. It’s pretty wild, entertaining stuff and it is the real deal. To be clear, you are reading the words of a never-convicted, cold-blooded murderer giving you detailed accounts of and perspectives on many of his mob hits and life of crime. It’s also full of dad jokes. Fascinating true crime.

[Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best guide to how the mob works or operates that I have ever read.

I loaned this out and never got it back, can't wait to read it again.