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Sonny: The Last of the Old Time Mafia Bosses, John "Sonny" Franzese
“Couldn’t put it down.” —Nicholas Pileggi, author of Wiseguy (Goodfellas) and CasinoThe extraordinary life and times of a legendary crime boss who refused to squeal—but who finally agreed to talk to an award-winning New York Newsday reporter shortly before his death at age 103 . . . John “Sonny” Franzese reportedly committed his first murder at the age of fourteen. As a “made man” for the Colombo crime family, he operated out of his Long Island home specializing in racketeering, fraud, loansharking, and other illicit deeds he would deny to his dying day. His career in organized crime spanned over eight decades—and he was sentenced to fifty years in prison for robbery charges. But even behind bars, Sonny Franzese never stopped doing business . . . This is the true story of an old-school mafioso as it’s never been told before. Newsday reporter S. J. Peddie interviewed Franzese in prison—and uncovered a lifetime of shocking secrets from the legend * Why FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover had a very personal interest in Sonny. * How Sonny managed to juggle numerous affairs with women, including a famous model. * How Sonny spent a third of his life in prison—and still managed to earn untold millions for the mob. * How Sonny accidentally revealed some of his worst crimes—to a “friend” wearing a wire. Through it all, Franzese refused to break the Mafia’s code of silence. Authorities believe he may have murdered, or ordered the murders of, forty to fifty people. Yet he earned a grudging respect from law enforcement and an absolute reverence from his fellow gangsters. Eventually he managed to outlive them all—until his death in 2020 of natural causes, a rare event in the Mafia. Thanks to a series of exclusive firsthand interviews, the astonishing life story of John “Sonny” Franzese can be told in all its bold, brutal, and blood-spattered glory. This is a must-read for anyone fascinated with Mafia history—and a rare look inside a criminal mind that has become the stuff of legend.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 29, 2022
157 people are currently reading
327 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
March 30, 2022
This was amazing from start to finish. It's one of those books that you have to try really hard not to read all at once, because there's so much fascinating information on every page that you need to process.
The writing style gripped me from the very beginning, it flows really well and does a good job of explaining things to the reader that may be unclear.
And I also like that Sonny's way of speaking remained in its original form, so it feels like you're there, listening to him talk to you.
The story itself is almost like something out of a movie, it's crazy to think that it all really happened and that Sonny lived such an extraordinary life, but he did!
The book achieved a healthy balance of Sonny's good and bad deeds, I feel like, and it didn't try to glorify anything he did, just stated the facts.
And, Sonny managed to outlive just about everybody, really makes you wonder whose side God was really on.
This is a book that I'd love to have on my shelf to revisit from time to time, so I'll definitely be getting a physical copy. If you're interested in Sonny, the mob, or just like engrossing nonfiction, then I recommend this book 100%, you won't be disappointed.
*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*
The writing style gripped me from the very beginning, it flows really well and does a good job of explaining things to the reader that may be unclear.
And I also like that Sonny's way of speaking remained in its original form, so it feels like you're there, listening to him talk to you.
The story itself is almost like something out of a movie, it's crazy to think that it all really happened and that Sonny lived such an extraordinary life, but he did!
The book achieved a healthy balance of Sonny's good and bad deeds, I feel like, and it didn't try to glorify anything he did, just stated the facts.
And, Sonny managed to outlive just about everybody, really makes you wonder whose side God was really on.
This is a book that I'd love to have on my shelf to revisit from time to time, so I'll definitely be getting a physical copy. If you're interested in Sonny, the mob, or just like engrossing nonfiction, then I recommend this book 100%, you won't be disappointed.
*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*
January 6, 2022
This was a fascinating story of the longest living mob guy in history, John “Sonny” Franzese, who lived to age 103. Surviving 8 decades in the mafia is in itself an achievement, with all the murders that go on. He married his first wife, Anna when she was just 15 and he was 24. Sonny had a son with his second wife Tina, a Junior named after him that just happened to be born on my exact birthdate, strangely enough. He managed to keep his vow of omerta and never ratted in all his years, while others around him were squealing left and right. A good book for those who like to read about mafia figures. You’ll recognize many of the people in this book that he worked and socialized with. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 19, 2021
It was a very interesting read. When I started, I thought it was just an average mafia story. It then turned out to be much more than that, a man’s long life, full of happenings, experiences, violence, love, affection, duty, and sin. It was basically about original sin, about the culprit, yet Sonny Franzese, the mobster, wasn’t a completely negative character for me.
We can make an easy judgment sitting in our comfortable armchair, just as it was convenient for a judge to make a judgment from the height of the judge’s pulpit. Sonny's life was predetermined, her environment, her innate qualities, led her to sin. He spent more than thirty years in prison, but he survived all his enemies, and for decades lived the life he had always longed for, playing a role in which he had a good time. And was he really the only one guilty? Wasn't society, the political system, the state, the government, the law enforcement authorities guilty too? In my eyes, they are the real culprits who created the opportunity for the mafia to operate, turned a blind eye to it, and were content to sometimes be able to imprison one or two mafia chiefs by illegal means. Theoretically, the mafia represents evil and the state represents good and truth. Though the line between good and bad is usually very thin, we often don’t even know where it is. A lot of people have been killed by Sonny in his long life, but the book didn’t tell me if there were innocents among them. He usually killed mafia members, instructing others to kill them. The reason for this was mostly the fear of being killed or of being imprisoned for their betrayal. The bad killed the bad, so I didn’t shed tears. Sonny’s business methods were tough and ruthless, but doesn’t the state treat its citizens the same, stronger countries treat weaker ones? Everyone longs for some kind of power, and if he gets it, he will be ruthless and inhuman. It’s more obvious in Sonny’s life, and that’s why we condemn him while we excuse others.
We also met Sonny, who befriended famous people who sought her graces and had a love affair with women that the average person could only dream of.
But we all die, Sonny’s life is worth as much in the present as it is all of us, nothing. He was a prominent figure in the American mafia, but young people today no longer know his name, as do Ava Gardner or Bobby Darin.
In this book, however, we got to know this past world, the life of the Mafia and Sonny. For me, it’s a good book I won’t forget for tomorrow. This is a book like this. I confess, in the end, Sonny became a tragic hero for me, whose death I even cried a little for, despite being a murderer and a sinner. That’s probably the writer’s merit, though I don’t know if that was his intention.
Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this book.
We can make an easy judgment sitting in our comfortable armchair, just as it was convenient for a judge to make a judgment from the height of the judge’s pulpit. Sonny's life was predetermined, her environment, her innate qualities, led her to sin. He spent more than thirty years in prison, but he survived all his enemies, and for decades lived the life he had always longed for, playing a role in which he had a good time. And was he really the only one guilty? Wasn't society, the political system, the state, the government, the law enforcement authorities guilty too? In my eyes, they are the real culprits who created the opportunity for the mafia to operate, turned a blind eye to it, and were content to sometimes be able to imprison one or two mafia chiefs by illegal means. Theoretically, the mafia represents evil and the state represents good and truth. Though the line between good and bad is usually very thin, we often don’t even know where it is. A lot of people have been killed by Sonny in his long life, but the book didn’t tell me if there were innocents among them. He usually killed mafia members, instructing others to kill them. The reason for this was mostly the fear of being killed or of being imprisoned for their betrayal. The bad killed the bad, so I didn’t shed tears. Sonny’s business methods were tough and ruthless, but doesn’t the state treat its citizens the same, stronger countries treat weaker ones? Everyone longs for some kind of power, and if he gets it, he will be ruthless and inhuman. It’s more obvious in Sonny’s life, and that’s why we condemn him while we excuse others.
We also met Sonny, who befriended famous people who sought her graces and had a love affair with women that the average person could only dream of.
But we all die, Sonny’s life is worth as much in the present as it is all of us, nothing. He was a prominent figure in the American mafia, but young people today no longer know his name, as do Ava Gardner or Bobby Darin.
In this book, however, we got to know this past world, the life of the Mafia and Sonny. For me, it’s a good book I won’t forget for tomorrow. This is a book like this. I confess, in the end, Sonny became a tragic hero for me, whose death I even cried a little for, despite being a murderer and a sinner. That’s probably the writer’s merit, though I don’t know if that was his intention.
Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this book.
February 11, 2022
This is the true story of one of our longest-lived mobsters, John "Sonny" Franzese. It is about him and his rise in the Columbo family. However, this book is more than just about his criminal career; I found it to be so much more. Of course, his two marriages were something else, but you have to remember the time period that this book was most devoted to; the 1930s was the start, the 1960s took up a lot of this book, and then the downward spiral of the '90's to 2020.
I admit that this guy and his sons were criminals of the worst kinds, but I did manage to feel compassion for Sonny. Imagine having your beloved son testifying against you and your other son leaving the Mafia and leaving his father in the lurch.
So many informants. So many wearing wires. So much blood and shakedowns.
This was a fascinating read that I found I was unable to put down no matter what bloody coupe was taking place.
*ARC provided by the publisher Citadel Press - Penguin Random House Canada, the author, and NetGalley.
I admit that this guy and his sons were criminals of the worst kinds, but I did manage to feel compassion for Sonny. Imagine having your beloved son testifying against you and your other son leaving the Mafia and leaving his father in the lurch.
So many informants. So many wearing wires. So much blood and shakedowns.
This was a fascinating read that I found I was unable to put down no matter what bloody coupe was taking place.
*ARC provided by the publisher Citadel Press - Penguin Random House Canada, the author, and NetGalley.
April 13, 2022
There’s a more interesting story here than the one the author tells. Of course, like many, I came for the old school mob tales but Peddie just breezes through them because it’s not possible to corroborate them with any accuracy. She recounts the play-by-play of Sonny Franzese’s life but doesn’t slow down long enough to examine how much that life impacted others. Tell more of Tina’s story or why Michael had nothing to do with his dad after he found religion. It’s interesting in a “The last hour of The Irishman is the best part” kind of way but I feel like it could have been better.
December 26, 2025
Actual Rating: 3.75 stars
Mafia history is infinitely intriguing to me for a multitude of reasons. I’m a history guy in general first of all, but on my mothers side I’m a third generation Sicilian and that island is the birthplace of one of the biggest cultural phenomena of the last two centuries. That being, obviously, the mafia and its lifestyle.
Since having a more adept understanding of the seriousness of the lifestyle and the near certainties it carries, I’ve wanted to know more. Simply put, you could not tell the story of the Five Families of the New York mafia without mentioning, and at length, Sonny Franzese and his offspring. If you do even a smidgen of research on that life you come to that conclusion swiftly, so naturally, you take an interest in the key characters. I had come across Michael, Sonny’s son, on YouTube years ago and have watched a lot of his stuff. He constantly alludes to the importance of his father and the role he played in the history of the Colombo family, so I did as much research as the Internet will allow, but I was aware I would have to eventually read up on it seriously if I wanted to be properly educated.
Last week I got a library card at my local library and while browsing the shelf, that opportunity was planted right in front of my face. Lo and behold, S.J. Peddie’s loose biography of Sonny Franzese was about stomach high on a shelf in front of me. Too good to pass up I suppose.
I’m now finished in just over a week, and I’m grateful I picked it up. Told with a rather casual tone, Peddie did her damn research, and that’s underselling it. The irony of reading such an in-depth and personal story about a guy and a life that’s not even meant to admit its existence was never lost on me. Peddie is not the first, but she’s also not the least. She was fortunate enough to have the best access anybody who isn’t in law enforcement has ever really had to the Franzese family, and Sonny himself, and it shows. It never got less weird feeling like I was getting to know somebody as notorious as Sonny. Arguably the best thing Peddie does though is pick the side of reality when it comes to the allure of the mafia. She in no way glorifies or puts on a pedestal the life that Sonny and everybody around him chose. Not one person came out unscathed. This isn’t meant to be a comprehensive review, so I’ll spare you the details of Sonny’s life or the lives around him, but there are life lessons all over this thing.
A very enjoyable book. I could have done some more philosophical prose but I also fully understand Peddie is an investigative reporter and her focus was reporting factually what she was able to gather. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone interested in the mafia and the inner workings of it.
Mafia history is infinitely intriguing to me for a multitude of reasons. I’m a history guy in general first of all, but on my mothers side I’m a third generation Sicilian and that island is the birthplace of one of the biggest cultural phenomena of the last two centuries. That being, obviously, the mafia and its lifestyle.
Since having a more adept understanding of the seriousness of the lifestyle and the near certainties it carries, I’ve wanted to know more. Simply put, you could not tell the story of the Five Families of the New York mafia without mentioning, and at length, Sonny Franzese and his offspring. If you do even a smidgen of research on that life you come to that conclusion swiftly, so naturally, you take an interest in the key characters. I had come across Michael, Sonny’s son, on YouTube years ago and have watched a lot of his stuff. He constantly alludes to the importance of his father and the role he played in the history of the Colombo family, so I did as much research as the Internet will allow, but I was aware I would have to eventually read up on it seriously if I wanted to be properly educated.
Last week I got a library card at my local library and while browsing the shelf, that opportunity was planted right in front of my face. Lo and behold, S.J. Peddie’s loose biography of Sonny Franzese was about stomach high on a shelf in front of me. Too good to pass up I suppose.
I’m now finished in just over a week, and I’m grateful I picked it up. Told with a rather casual tone, Peddie did her damn research, and that’s underselling it. The irony of reading such an in-depth and personal story about a guy and a life that’s not even meant to admit its existence was never lost on me. Peddie is not the first, but she’s also not the least. She was fortunate enough to have the best access anybody who isn’t in law enforcement has ever really had to the Franzese family, and Sonny himself, and it shows. It never got less weird feeling like I was getting to know somebody as notorious as Sonny. Arguably the best thing Peddie does though is pick the side of reality when it comes to the allure of the mafia. She in no way glorifies or puts on a pedestal the life that Sonny and everybody around him chose. Not one person came out unscathed. This isn’t meant to be a comprehensive review, so I’ll spare you the details of Sonny’s life or the lives around him, but there are life lessons all over this thing.
A very enjoyable book. I could have done some more philosophical prose but I also fully understand Peddie is an investigative reporter and her focus was reporting factually what she was able to gather. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone interested in the mafia and the inner workings of it.
April 8, 2022
As a huge true crime fan and particularly of the mafia sub genre. I was really looking forward to the release of this book.
I had know what most people knew, old time mafia hood, oldest feral prison, one son in the life, other son drug addict, both of them rats, one ratting on him!!! The beautiful wife, the daughter that died from drugs.
But I was anticipating the stories being fleshed out and the joints joined, holes filled etc.
Now I did find out reams of new information and bits and pieces added to the stories I already knew. However I felt it was a little lacking in that department. There wasn’t too much about his actual life of crime that must have spanned 70 years !!!!! Very little information but the majority of the book was taken up with bank robbery he seems not to have committed that he was put away for 50 years over and his family life.
I just like a little more actual crime in my true CRIME books. The only thing we get in detail about a mafia boss who’s career spanned 70 years was a crime he didn’t commit. That’s just not why I buy these types of books.
Even michaels career flies along. No mention of him. Then he’s made. Next he’s a capo. Next he earns tens of millions then bang he’s a rat. Where’s the progression ??? Where’s the changes of mindset ?
I wouldn’t say I’m disappointed and it’s a good book and it is well written and I really how the author doesn’t spare the subjects. I really appreciate that type of honest.
So I wouldn’t tell anyone don’t buy. Just be aware of what it is to avoid disappointment. I wanted to give it 3.5 star’s.
I had know what most people knew, old time mafia hood, oldest feral prison, one son in the life, other son drug addict, both of them rats, one ratting on him!!! The beautiful wife, the daughter that died from drugs.
But I was anticipating the stories being fleshed out and the joints joined, holes filled etc.
Now I did find out reams of new information and bits and pieces added to the stories I already knew. However I felt it was a little lacking in that department. There wasn’t too much about his actual life of crime that must have spanned 70 years !!!!! Very little information but the majority of the book was taken up with bank robbery he seems not to have committed that he was put away for 50 years over and his family life.
I just like a little more actual crime in my true CRIME books. The only thing we get in detail about a mafia boss who’s career spanned 70 years was a crime he didn’t commit. That’s just not why I buy these types of books.
Even michaels career flies along. No mention of him. Then he’s made. Next he’s a capo. Next he earns tens of millions then bang he’s a rat. Where’s the progression ??? Where’s the changes of mindset ?
I wouldn’t say I’m disappointed and it’s a good book and it is well written and I really how the author doesn’t spare the subjects. I really appreciate that type of honest.
So I wouldn’t tell anyone don’t buy. Just be aware of what it is to avoid disappointment. I wanted to give it 3.5 star’s.
March 30, 2022
I received this audiobook from Netgalley as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Wow what a story! This fascinating read kept me enraptured from beginning to end. I had no idea that there was an OG living until 103 (he died in 2020). Although he led a life of violence and crime (no one knows how many people he killed or ordered to be killed, although its probably a few dozen), John "Sonny" Franzese outlived most of the people in his life – including those who put him away. Despite being violent, Sonny had a very interesting life!
This book reads like it should be fiction, but it’s a true story! Yikes. I felt like I was reading something inspired by The Godfather, although in truth it was probably the other way around.
The way the author wrote this book was fantastic. This guy is a bad guy sometimes almost unabashedly so – I think we can all agree– but on the other hand, he is still a person, and the author gave Sonny a human quality. I even found myself chuckling a few times at what Sonny was saying, and even feeling kind of bad for him. One son (who was not his biologically, but his stepson who he adopted as his own) ran away into witness protection. Another son, a drug addict, snitched. In one poignant scene (paraphrasing), John (the snitch) was called into see the bosses and Sonny tells him – You can go and see them, and they might kill you. You don’t go and see them, they definitely will kill you. That’s how it was in Sonny’s life. You stick to the Mafia code, or they ice you. Sonny, despite his many trials and jail stints never once snitched. It must have felt like the greatest betrayal to have his sons do so.
I would definitely recommend this book, especially if you are into mafia movies.
Wow what a story! This fascinating read kept me enraptured from beginning to end. I had no idea that there was an OG living until 103 (he died in 2020). Although he led a life of violence and crime (no one knows how many people he killed or ordered to be killed, although its probably a few dozen), John "Sonny" Franzese outlived most of the people in his life – including those who put him away. Despite being violent, Sonny had a very interesting life!
This book reads like it should be fiction, but it’s a true story! Yikes. I felt like I was reading something inspired by The Godfather, although in truth it was probably the other way around.
The way the author wrote this book was fantastic. This guy is a bad guy sometimes almost unabashedly so – I think we can all agree– but on the other hand, he is still a person, and the author gave Sonny a human quality. I even found myself chuckling a few times at what Sonny was saying, and even feeling kind of bad for him. One son (who was not his biologically, but his stepson who he adopted as his own) ran away into witness protection. Another son, a drug addict, snitched. In one poignant scene (paraphrasing), John (the snitch) was called into see the bosses and Sonny tells him – You can go and see them, and they might kill you. You don’t go and see them, they definitely will kill you. That’s how it was in Sonny’s life. You stick to the Mafia code, or they ice you. Sonny, despite his many trials and jail stints never once snitched. It must have felt like the greatest betrayal to have his sons do so.
I would definitely recommend this book, especially if you are into mafia movies.
March 27, 2022
This brilliant book will give the reader a detailed and insightful understanding of how the Mafia operates. Sonny was a mob boss for most of his life, his family, friends and anyone he came across, all showed their loyalty and respect to him in their own way.
Sonny lived life on his terms, he never revealed how or what he did. Prison didn’t worry Sonny, nor did it stop him from his many dealings, organised crime continued wherever he was!
It’s astonishing to imagine that Sonny, with his wealth, his supposed responsibility for organised crime and murders, outlived most of his associates.
The Author has written an amazing account from the only official interviews given by Sonny, prior to his death.
I would recommend this well researched story to anyone with an interest in the Mafia and this true Legend of the game.
Thanks so much to Kensington Books, NetGalley and the very talented author for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Sonny lived life on his terms, he never revealed how or what he did. Prison didn’t worry Sonny, nor did it stop him from his many dealings, organised crime continued wherever he was!
It’s astonishing to imagine that Sonny, with his wealth, his supposed responsibility for organised crime and murders, outlived most of his associates.
The Author has written an amazing account from the only official interviews given by Sonny, prior to his death.
I would recommend this well researched story to anyone with an interest in the Mafia and this true Legend of the game.
Thanks so much to Kensington Books, NetGalley and the very talented author for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
December 24, 2021
Sonny” is the absolutely fascinating (and disturbing) story of the life of Sonny Franzese, a high-ranking member of the Colombo crime family in New York. Franzese died at age of 103, and was interviewed for this book by the author, who is a reporter for New York Newsday. It’s an inside look at one of the most ruthless and powerful men in organized crime and the effect he had on both his criminal “family” and his real family. The author does a good job in narrating, using police records, court transcripts and interviews to tell the story, culminating with an interview with Franzese himself. Definitely a must-read for any true crime or Mafia history buff, it’s a captivating and chilling tale of a decades-long life of crime. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 15, 2022
When I tell you this is a page-turner! S.J. Peddie did a great job entering the lives of not only Sonny Franzese, a very important part of this, but of his associates and friends also all of that government information that was a result of years of wiretaps, informant's information, etc. From all of those connections and information, S.J. Peddie takes us through the life of Sonny. A man that began his life in the Mafia in the 1930s passed away at the age of 103, Sonny saw a lot and lived with a lot, never turning on anyone but living with having others turn on him. Favorite book of 2022 hands-down.
January 12, 2023
sonny
I have read a lot of Mafia books,the bad and the bad,there was no good and good,!
This one attempts,and succeeds in portraying a Mafia Boss who was ruthless when needed to be.
Some Mafia bosses killed their way up the ladder,Sonny made cash and lots thru schemes that brought in fortunes.
Who knows how many he whacked but he paid his dues stuck with a family That never lived up to his expectations.
A fine account of a top Mobster Boss and well recommended .
At least he survived the blood lust that whacked a lot of would be the top. Mafia bosses,or went down with the great RICO act the .government brought in.
We need that in the UK!
Enjoyed it !
I have read a lot of Mafia books,the bad and the bad,there was no good and good,!
This one attempts,and succeeds in portraying a Mafia Boss who was ruthless when needed to be.
Some Mafia bosses killed their way up the ladder,Sonny made cash and lots thru schemes that brought in fortunes.
Who knows how many he whacked but he paid his dues stuck with a family That never lived up to his expectations.
A fine account of a top Mobster Boss and well recommended .
At least he survived the blood lust that whacked a lot of would be the top. Mafia bosses,or went down with the great RICO act the .government brought in.
We need that in the UK!
Enjoyed it !
January 7, 2022
A fascinating look into the life of Sonny Ferzase, the oldest mafia mobster to have lived. The author does a good job of peeling away the layers of this complex individual. Although I certainly don't condone what he did for a living, I do appreciate that he owned who he was. I loved reading about his wife Tina - she really could stay toe to toe with Sonny. I would have loved to have seen some pictures as I ended up looking them up via Google. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publishers for a free e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.
August 10, 2025
This book is about the life of mobster John “Sonny” Franzese who managed to live to 103 which is a rarity in mafia life. One of the old school mobsters in that he never ratted on anyone and served prison sentences while he ended up being ratted on (even by a family member).
While it goes into detail on the crimes he was responsible for it also showed the side of the price his family paid for being in that lifestyle. In a world that demands loyalty but you can't truly trust anyone this book gave a peek into what life is like in that world. It's well worth the read.
While it goes into detail on the crimes he was responsible for it also showed the side of the price his family paid for being in that lifestyle. In a world that demands loyalty but you can't truly trust anyone this book gave a peek into what life is like in that world. It's well worth the read.
August 14, 2022
This book is well researched and the story is compelling. The book narrates the incidents of Sonnny's life well, but does not capture the essential contradiction of the man. A man so devoted to family and his children raised kids who were messes. What was it like growing up with Sonny as a father and how did that create children who were drug addicts and one who turned on his own father. This book needs to go a bit deeper.
January 11, 2022
A terrific read! This book will grab you and hold your interest! The story of one of the most well know mafia figures and the endeavors he was involved in, will really make you stop and think. A great true crime book, you should not miss reading!
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
March 3, 2022
This was a very interesting book. I was not familiar with this Mafia henchman’s story and it was fascinating.
Well written and I highly recommend it.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
Well written and I highly recommend it.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
June 29, 2022
*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This is the first book i have read about a mafia boss i believe, it was very interesting for sure and well worth the read, can't imagine all the untold stories that happened in sonny's life!
July 30, 2022
Requiem for a Bad Man
Sonny was an interesting read. Well written. However, Sonny the man was a disgrace. The so called “Life” was nothing, but an excuse not to be a decent human being. His biggest victims were his wife and children
Sonny was an interesting read. Well written. However, Sonny the man was a disgrace. The so called “Life” was nothing, but an excuse not to be a decent human being. His biggest victims were his wife and children
October 10, 2024
This is a must read for anyone interested in or has love for reading true mob stories. Peddie does an excellent job of taking the reader through the life of the longest-lived member of mobsters; John Sonny Franzese. Great read.
March 15, 2025
This book complimented Five Families well. It expanded on some of the characters introduced in the other book relating to New York Mafia workings. If you're not familiar with the history it may not hit with as much impact. Still good read, enjoyed it.
December 28, 2021
This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by Kensington Books and #NetGalley for my honest opinion. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
Interesting, in-depth coverage of the subject.
Interesting, in-depth coverage of the subject.
March 3, 2022
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. A look behind the curtain! This book was so full of information it reads like a novel! I loved every minute of it! I mostly enjoyed seeing where Sonny got his start.
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June 9, 2022Terrible Read
I would be better off going to the court archives than reading this book. I thought the author interviewed Sonny? Was this all he got from the interviews? Sad
I would be better off going to the court archives than reading this book. I thought the author interviewed Sonny? Was this all he got from the interviews? Sad
March 28, 2023
If you enjoy reading true crime add this book to your list.
April 15, 2023
What a life this man led.
August 16, 2023
mafia world and violence
The author has written a compelling book about a psychotic mafioso and his rise to power. Interesting read, not for everyone, but, a revealing book nonetheless. I highly recommend it.
The author has written a compelling book about a psychotic mafioso and his rise to power. Interesting read, not for everyone, but, a revealing book nonetheless. I highly recommend it.
January 23, 2024
Very good book
June 1, 2025
Interesting read
Sonny lead a colorful and violent life. I think his wife Tina spent a lot of money because being lonely.
Sonny lead a colorful and violent life. I think his wife Tina spent a lot of money because being lonely.
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