Hitmen: The Mafia, Drugs, and the East Harlem Purple Gang

by Scott M. Deitche

From the author of the star reviewed Garden State Gangland comes an in-depth exposé on East Harlem's notorious Purple Gang whose murderous exploits became a media obsession and Mafia lynchpin.

In the late 1970s, a string of seemingly unconnected murders had Harlem police and federal authorities at their wits’ end until they realized several commonalities. The victims were all either Mafia members or potential witnesses of Mafia activity and they’d all been shot from .22 pistols traced back to a single private sale in Florida. From these details, the FBI and police were able to build a profile of a rogue sect of Mafia hitmen known as the East Harlem Purple Gang.

Starting on the fringes of Mafia families, the Purple Gang members became indispensable and installed members in the highest ranks of the Genovese, Bonanno, and Lucchese families. Often serving as freelance hitmen, kidnappers, and drug traffickers, the Purple Gang’s exploits quickly crossed into mythology as media outlets scrambled to keep up with new murders and the law’s crusade to bring the gang members to justice. Sifting through the mystery and mythos, author Scott M. Deitche brings readers into Harlem’s gritty streets to experience the Purple Gang’s reign of terror, the investigators who tried to bring them down, and the gang members who either suffered violent ends or are still at large today.

Genres: True Crime

189 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 15, 2022

Reviews

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gang is a newer version of the original Purple Gang in Detroit. There is a lot of history of gang members, and mobsters, and their long involvement in drugs that goes back farther than most realize. A murderous true crime read that lists all the players in the front of the book. The Purple Gang is something I hadn’t read about before, so I enjoyed learning about these violent men. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Randal White · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a lot of books about the Mafia. I find the books fascinating. I was introduced to many of the men involved throughout my career with the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
That being said, I cannot say that I feel the same about this particular book. It had a good premise, and started well. I was looking forward to reading it. However, I feel that it was not written well, it seemed to list name after name of mafioso, and reports of their indictments and sentences. I just did not enjoy it.

[Kevin McAvoy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bor....ing.
A litany of names and shootings without any inside information of why, why, why.
I am sure all of these killings took place but they are not explained any better than a list of newspaper headlines.
What a dull book.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was hard to keep track of all the names because I was listening on audio but I’m not mad I spent a few hours listening to it, it was perfectly okay.