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The Butcher: Anatomy of a Mafia Psychopath
The New York Times bestselling author of Gaspipe and The Ice Man, Phillip Carlo returns with a hair-raising portrait of arguably the most depraved psychopath in the history of the Mafia, mob enforcer Tommy “Karate” Pitera. The Butcher tells the riveting true story of a hit man who loved his work too much—a maniac believed responsible for more than sixty remarkably brutal murders—whom even organized crime’s most cold-blooded assassins feared. Another riveting journey into the darkest corners of the underworld, Carlo’s The Butcher is destined to be a true crime classic alongside Wiseguys by Nicholas Pileggi and Underboss by Peter Maas .
320 pages, Hardcover
First published June 27, 2006
310 people are currently reading
2549 people want to read
About the author
Philip Carlo
9 books208 followersPhilip Carlo was the author of The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer, his New York Times bestselling book about Richard “Ice Man” Kuklinski, murderer of 200 people and a favorite among all seven of the East Coast crime families. He was also the author of Gaspipe, The Butcher, and The Night Stalker, which chronicles the brutal career of serial killer Richard Ramirez. Carlo grew up in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, amidst the world’s highest concentration of Mafia members. When he was 16, Carlo was shot in the head in a gang war, and while recuperating, he read voraciously, discovering the magic of books for the first time. His intimate knowledge of Mafia culture—their walk and their talk—helped Carlo become a successful crime writer. He died in 2010 from ALS.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
June 27, 2014
I should say first that I usually try to read a book by being sympathetic to the author's intentions, and I'm probably not being as understanding of the true crime genre as I could be. I just finished reading Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, and probably was overly sensitive to the lyrical potential of words when reading this. Now:
An "anatomy of a mafia psychopath" without flesh and blood. The details provided are lame-- there are actually very few concrete facts about Pitera's life. We, for instance, know he spent 27 formative months in Japan, but all we really hear are embarrassingly broad characterizations of Japanese culture. The book's metaphors are clunky (it consistently and from the first pages refers to the "good guys" and the "bad guys"), its morality simplistic, and most importantly it's devoid of the details essential to storytelling. Caputo's constantly saying things such as, "And Pitera had already begun becoming proficient in murdering for the family." It would be nice, though, to actually see the details of the actual murders. And there's plenty of imagined and recreated storytelling, but it's mostly awkwardly-rendered imagined conversations like one cop telling another why he's joining a certain crime unit: "'I'm not good enough?'" "'Your scores are off-the-charts, but I think what you really want is to chase down bad guys.'"
An "anatomy of a mafia psychopath" without flesh and blood. The details provided are lame-- there are actually very few concrete facts about Pitera's life. We, for instance, know he spent 27 formative months in Japan, but all we really hear are embarrassingly broad characterizations of Japanese culture. The book's metaphors are clunky (it consistently and from the first pages refers to the "good guys" and the "bad guys"), its morality simplistic, and most importantly it's devoid of the details essential to storytelling. Caputo's constantly saying things such as, "And Pitera had already begun becoming proficient in murdering for the family." It would be nice, though, to actually see the details of the actual murders. And there's plenty of imagined and recreated storytelling, but it's mostly awkwardly-rendered imagined conversations like one cop telling another why he's joining a certain crime unit: "'I'm not good enough?'" "'Your scores are off-the-charts, but I think what you really want is to chase down bad guys.'"
March 18, 2024
Tommy 'Karate' Pitera found his calling in life...contract killing for the Mafia. The 'rip tide' of depravity that he pulled him farther and farther from the 'shore of humanity' is a cautionary tale that also puts all fictionalized accounts of mob hitmen to shame. A very good study of a contract killer that makes fictional accounts pale in comparison.
September 29, 2013
There is nothing more disheartening than a good story told badly. "The Butcher: Anatomy of a Mafia Psychopath" by Philip Carlo is a good story told badly. With its unnecessary and insipid similes and metaphors, outright stupid redundancy, it manages to create a teeth-grinding "literary" experience for the reader looking for entertainment or information. Carlo, who died in 2010 of ALS, included in his bio notes that he earned a Ph.D at the University of the Mean Streets. It does not seem that he spent much time in writing classes. At the very least (and since this book is about a Mafia hitman), someone should have taken out a contract on his editor.
The story of "The Butcher," is the story of Tommy Pitera, a Brooklyn native with a high-pitched female-like voice who grew up to be a success as a drug dealer and murderer. Law enforcement estimated that Pitera killed more than 60 people before he was caught. The "butcher" part of the story comes from his way of disposing of bodies by cutting them into pieces as neatly as a surgeon, then burying them in a government wildlife sanctuary.
The book rates two stars on the basis of the story. Some people might have nightmares from the gruesome descriptions in the book; I will have nightmares from the writing.
The story of "The Butcher," is the story of Tommy Pitera, a Brooklyn native with a high-pitched female-like voice who grew up to be a success as a drug dealer and murderer. Law enforcement estimated that Pitera killed more than 60 people before he was caught. The "butcher" part of the story comes from his way of disposing of bodies by cutting them into pieces as neatly as a surgeon, then burying them in a government wildlife sanctuary.
The book rates two stars on the basis of the story. Some people might have nightmares from the gruesome descriptions in the book; I will have nightmares from the writing.
April 19, 2019
A little on the author... The late author
Philip Carlo was an American journalist and best selling biographer of Thomas Pitera, Richard Kuklinski, Anthony Casso, and Richard Ramirez. Carlo suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease". He was bound to a wheelchair and respirator, but retained his ability to speak normally during his lifetime. He died of the disease on November 8, 2010 at age 61.
He wrote only a few books, but all great books.
The Butcher, Tommy "Karate" Pitera...A made man in the Bonnano mafia family.
Phillip Carlo always does an enormous about of research, interviews, lays the story out clearly and here we have the story of one of the nastiest characters in all the mafia families.
A clear story of Tommy Pitera his life from childhood, to his time in Japan to his life as a made man for the Bonnano family, his team and the sheer shock of his killings.
The shocking and dramatic and detailed information has to be told to explain what a horrible criminal he was, a murderer of the worst kind.
Also a story of a dedicated Jim Hunt and his partner who spent years chasing, following Tommy Pitera often working undercover.
You cannot call this book entertaining, gripping but it is full of facts, shocks, but real shocks, brutally told, full of honest details, dedicated police work, well FBI and especially DEA officers.
Well you like true crime, you will enjoy this book.
Four stars
Philip Carlo was an American journalist and best selling biographer of Thomas Pitera, Richard Kuklinski, Anthony Casso, and Richard Ramirez. Carlo suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease". He was bound to a wheelchair and respirator, but retained his ability to speak normally during his lifetime. He died of the disease on November 8, 2010 at age 61.
He wrote only a few books, but all great books.
The Butcher, Tommy "Karate" Pitera...A made man in the Bonnano mafia family.
Phillip Carlo always does an enormous about of research, interviews, lays the story out clearly and here we have the story of one of the nastiest characters in all the mafia families.
A clear story of Tommy Pitera his life from childhood, to his time in Japan to his life as a made man for the Bonnano family, his team and the sheer shock of his killings.
The shocking and dramatic and detailed information has to be told to explain what a horrible criminal he was, a murderer of the worst kind.
Also a story of a dedicated Jim Hunt and his partner who spent years chasing, following Tommy Pitera often working undercover.
You cannot call this book entertaining, gripping but it is full of facts, shocks, but real shocks, brutally told, full of honest details, dedicated police work, well FBI and especially DEA officers.
Well you like true crime, you will enjoy this book.
Four stars
August 12, 2012
Worst metaphors EVER! At one point Carlo says someone is had "by the proverbial balls."! Being raised Catholic, I may have just missed that particular proverb, but I doubt it. The writing is terrible, and the storyline contradicts the story arcs of other books written by Carlo about the Mafia. If the agents of the DEA are as adept as Carlo suggests, I find it hard to believe that any drugs could ever find their way into this country. This book is ridiculously unbelievable.
December 29, 2011
This was a truely disappointing book on the Mafia. It is more of a commercial for the DEA than a biography on Pitera. In fact, there seemed to be conspicously little on Pitera and more on others. There is also cause to question some of the facts. If we believes Carlo, and the superheroes of DEA Unit 33, everyone in the Mafia is a raging psychopath. Carlo claims that Pitera killed dozens of people; but they only uncovered 7 in his private graveyard? "Oh but he had other private cemeteries..."
I also doubt the veracity of informants like Frank Gangi who killed, burgled, robbed, assaulted, drugged, and exhibited other bad behaviors; but apparently, he was a good guy all along. Superagents of Unit 33 knew he was just brought up under the wrong circumstances, like most of their sources (who were more sympathetic). He really wanted to save his some-time girlfriend from Pitera; but decided they needed a drug-induced orgy beforehand allowing Pitera to locate her and kill her. It was so traumatic to him.
Finally, the reader should wonder at the repetitive writing style that is overly simplistic and full of excessive drama, praise for the goodguys and terror for the bad guys.
I also doubt that Pitera was a captain, as Carlo repeatedly states because the storyline is clear that he reported to Frank Lino, a well-documented captain. Carlo has similar problems with Gambino mobster Eddie Lino, and Bonanno mobster Shorty Spero.
I also doubt the veracity of informants like Frank Gangi who killed, burgled, robbed, assaulted, drugged, and exhibited other bad behaviors; but apparently, he was a good guy all along. Superagents of Unit 33 knew he was just brought up under the wrong circumstances, like most of their sources (who were more sympathetic). He really wanted to save his some-time girlfriend from Pitera; but decided they needed a drug-induced orgy beforehand allowing Pitera to locate her and kill her. It was so traumatic to him.
Finally, the reader should wonder at the repetitive writing style that is overly simplistic and full of excessive drama, praise for the goodguys and terror for the bad guys.
I also doubt that Pitera was a captain, as Carlo repeatedly states because the storyline is clear that he reported to Frank Lino, a well-documented captain. Carlo has similar problems with Gambino mobster Eddie Lino, and Bonanno mobster Shorty Spero.
April 6, 2021
Let's say some good things at first.
It is clear Carlo did not write this by the seat of his pants. He put more than token research into the book and deserves credit for pursuing a book about Pitera with likely few cooperating sources. He does put together strong characterizations of a few figures, but Pitera remains elusive.
Carlo's conclusions about Pitera are simplistic at best and we rarely experience the book's central figure as anything more than a bloodthirsty cipher. The inordinate focus on the law enforcement personnel involved with this case is curious on first impression, maybe even a little maddening. His near-adoration for their lives and work is a likely payback for providing much of the objectively factual basis for The Butcher.
It drives home one of the central problems with books about LCN (La Cosa Nostra) members. Unless the subject is working with the government, information is scant. Authors are forced to rely on law enforcement reports, informants, street gossip; secret societies, however much in a state of disrepair, aren't predisposed towards historical documentation or issuing press releases. Changes in administration occur unreported.
Carlo doesn't possess the transformative power to inhabit Pitera's consciousness for readers. Did he make any attempt to talk to mental health professionals before arriving at his learned diagnosis all can be traced back to cruel bullying as a child? Carlo's conclusions are simplistic and lazy. This is Mob Biography by the Numbers, full of sound and fury signifying nothing.
It is clear Carlo did not write this by the seat of his pants. He put more than token research into the book and deserves credit for pursuing a book about Pitera with likely few cooperating sources. He does put together strong characterizations of a few figures, but Pitera remains elusive.
Carlo's conclusions about Pitera are simplistic at best and we rarely experience the book's central figure as anything more than a bloodthirsty cipher. The inordinate focus on the law enforcement personnel involved with this case is curious on first impression, maybe even a little maddening. His near-adoration for their lives and work is a likely payback for providing much of the objectively factual basis for The Butcher.
It drives home one of the central problems with books about LCN (La Cosa Nostra) members. Unless the subject is working with the government, information is scant. Authors are forced to rely on law enforcement reports, informants, street gossip; secret societies, however much in a state of disrepair, aren't predisposed towards historical documentation or issuing press releases. Changes in administration occur unreported.
Carlo doesn't possess the transformative power to inhabit Pitera's consciousness for readers. Did he make any attempt to talk to mental health professionals before arriving at his learned diagnosis all can be traced back to cruel bullying as a child? Carlo's conclusions are simplistic and lazy. This is Mob Biography by the Numbers, full of sound and fury signifying nothing.
October 27, 2015
“The Butcher” by Philip Carlo, published by William Morrow.
Category – True Crime/Mafia Publication Date – 2009
Philip Carlo has written several books about the Mafia and the people who make up the Mafia. He is probably best well known for his story, “The Ice Man” which is a truly chilling story of a Mafia serial killer.
“The Butcher” and “The Ice Man” are strikingly similar in the telling of two men who felt no qualms about killing people. “The Butcher” is a little different in that the killer, Tommy Pitera, not only killed his victims but dismembered them into at least six parts. Tommy was feared, and rightfully so, by everyone, and this includes the Mafia elite.
What is so hard to believe is how he was able to get away with it for so long because not only was he committing murder but dealing drugs at the same time.
As in most cases like this, justice is served when one rat squeals on another rat. He was caught only because another Mafioso informed on him in order to receive a lighter sentence and placed in the Witness Protection Program. It should be noted that Tommy was so loyal to the Mafia that he never informed on anyone, even when offered a deal.
An excellent read for those who enjoy stories concerning the Mafia, and a very good read for those who just enjoy true crime.
Category – True Crime/Mafia Publication Date – 2009
Philip Carlo has written several books about the Mafia and the people who make up the Mafia. He is probably best well known for his story, “The Ice Man” which is a truly chilling story of a Mafia serial killer.
“The Butcher” and “The Ice Man” are strikingly similar in the telling of two men who felt no qualms about killing people. “The Butcher” is a little different in that the killer, Tommy Pitera, not only killed his victims but dismembered them into at least six parts. Tommy was feared, and rightfully so, by everyone, and this includes the Mafia elite.
What is so hard to believe is how he was able to get away with it for so long because not only was he committing murder but dealing drugs at the same time.
As in most cases like this, justice is served when one rat squeals on another rat. He was caught only because another Mafioso informed on him in order to receive a lighter sentence and placed in the Witness Protection Program. It should be noted that Tommy was so loyal to the Mafia that he never informed on anyone, even when offered a deal.
An excellent read for those who enjoy stories concerning the Mafia, and a very good read for those who just enjoy true crime.
October 27, 2010
I was really disappointed by this book. I picked this one up to learn about The Butcher, but it ended up being a biography of everyone but him. By the end of the book, I knew more about a person only featured because he was murdered than I knew about the focus of the book. Had this been promoted as being a book about the CAPTURE of Pitera, which is what it turned out to be, then that would have been fine. But, it was sold as a book about Pitera, when it wasn't at all.
Since I was so upset at being misled, I found myself nitpicking. Carlo seemed to repeat himself a lot, to the point where every few pages, instead of getting new material, I was just rereading the same thing I'd read before. This wasn't just with material, but also words and phrases. He used "interestingly" and "understandably" and any other long word he could use as an adverb to start sentences a lot. And the constant use of "they,[insert people]..." and "he, [insert person]..." really started to annoy me. I wanted to take out a red pen and just start striking through the pronoun every time I saw that combination of words.
I can't give this book over 2 stars, and it gets 2 instead of 1 just because the story I did get was interesting. It just wasn't the story I was expecting.
Since I was so upset at being misled, I found myself nitpicking. Carlo seemed to repeat himself a lot, to the point where every few pages, instead of getting new material, I was just rereading the same thing I'd read before. This wasn't just with material, but also words and phrases. He used "interestingly" and "understandably" and any other long word he could use as an adverb to start sentences a lot. And the constant use of "they,[insert people]..." and "he, [insert person]..." really started to annoy me. I wanted to take out a red pen and just start striking through the pronoun every time I saw that combination of words.
I can't give this book over 2 stars, and it gets 2 instead of 1 just because the story I did get was interesting. It just wasn't the story I was expecting.
January 14, 2019
youtube
August 8, 2011
This just might be the most poorly written book I have ever read.
September 10, 2011
My least fav of mafia collections. It's draggy and exaggerated. Some of the details are being told repeatedly like broken records.
August 31, 2024
This book was just a meh for me . It didn't live up to its hype. Very dry. It could induce nightmares from which I hope I am excluded.
September 10, 2012
A 2.5 really, if this were a TV documentary it would be one of the flashy, Channel 5 types that has a Hollywood style voice-over announcing events with much melodrama and ominous music, where all the cops are good, stand-up guys and the bad guys are the baddest of the bad.
Clearly based heavily on the accounts of the DEA and informers such as Frank Gangi (who, of course, is presented in as nice a light as possible in the circumstances) you only really get to know Tommy 'Karate' Pitera in a superficial sense, though that's all that's needed to know he was a particularly nasty character.
Jumping around in time quite regularly, I'd occasionally get confused as to when we were and would have preferred more substance than we got through the style employed. If you're at all interested in mob life or true crime you'll find something to interest you here, but I've read far better.
Clearly based heavily on the accounts of the DEA and informers such as Frank Gangi (who, of course, is presented in as nice a light as possible in the circumstances) you only really get to know Tommy 'Karate' Pitera in a superficial sense, though that's all that's needed to know he was a particularly nasty character.
Jumping around in time quite regularly, I'd occasionally get confused as to when we were and would have preferred more substance than we got through the style employed. If you're at all interested in mob life or true crime you'll find something to interest you here, but I've read far better.
February 13, 2013
I didn't want to finish this book, but kept thinking, "it has to get better...". NOPE. Don't waste your time. Carlo writes like he was assigned this book for a college class and didn't actually feel like doing any work. Seriously, what was up with that chapter on Japan? You really can't summarize Japanese culture and how it supposedly contributed to the formation of a psychopath by just repeating the phrase "the samurai mindset". And the cliches he uses were unbearable. "white on rice" "the proverbial balls" ugh what a waste of my time.
June 9, 2013
One of the most comically poorly-written books I have ever read. Carlo repeats the same details in multiple places. I must have seen the phrase "in that, he was 'x', he was 'z'" at least two dozen times. The author takes a disturbing tone whenever he describes a female character and obviously has a misogyny problem. Pure garbage writing, fitting for the subject. The only positive thing I can say is that I was able to read this book in about three sittings, but mostly because it was written like an 8th grade book report.
December 15, 2020
I read this book because I wanted an "anatomy of a mafia psychopath" but I ended up learning about everyone else in the story other than the psychopath. I expected gruesome details like the book warned but there really wasn't much of it. Everything was pretty tame.
The book focuses on the task force which brought him down and how he was captured.
This is clickbait in book form. 2 stars because at least it was simple to read.
The book focuses on the task force which brought him down and how he was captured.
This is clickbait in book form. 2 stars because at least it was simple to read.
January 26, 2013
This book was pretty good. Carlo's repetitiveness and overuse of redefinitions and commas gets annoying after a while, but if you can look past that he's really good at getting into these guys' heads...
Read
July 8, 2016Took so long to finish
I barley did, IT WAS JUST SCARY!!!
To think a person actually was this evil... Just crazy....
I barley did, IT WAS JUST SCARY!!!
To think a person actually was this evil... Just crazy....
May 2, 2023
RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “THE JEFFREY DAHMER OF THE MAFIA”
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Little did the federal government know that when they protected wildlife sanctuaries they were doing more than protecting endangered species. They were in essence creating clandestine burial grounds for demented psychopathic Mafia murderers. In Staten Island “THE STATE WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES, WHICH WERE PROTECTED BY THE GOVERNMENT FROM ANY KIND OF DEVELOPMENT. NO CONSTRUCTION WAS ALLOWED; NO UTILITY LINES WOULD BE LAID. SURROUNDED BY HUNDREDS OF ACRES OF EMPTY LAND, THERE WAS LITTLE THREAT SOMEONE IDLING BY WOULD STUMBLE ACROSS A BODY OR MEMBERS OF THE MOB BURYING ONE.”
The searching of just such a sanctuary/burial ground by multiple law enforcement agencies is where author Philip Carlo starts his hypnotic true-life tale of Mafia-Mad-Man Tommy “Karate” Pitera… who the reader will find out soon enough is a deranged… demented … package of goods… that somehow fell off the conveyor belt of humanity… before making it through quality control. Pitera was short and pale… and had a feminine voice that even in his adult years as a sadistic Mafia mass murderer… was described as sounding more like Minnie Mouse than Mickey Mouse. Even in the midst of at least SIXTY-SADISTIC-MURDERS… as the reader learns that Pitera killed with impunity… and became the most feared of all Mafia killers… a killer… who scared the living hell out of other soulless killers… even these frightened Mafiosi… who literally shook in their boots around Pitera… at times had to keep from laughing when his girlish “Disney” voice was heard. Pitera had two main M.O.’s. The first was that he would kill in a microsecond without hesitation. The second… was the macabre fashion in which he disposed of the bodies. He had what he called his “DISMEMBERING KIT”. “IT WAS CAREFULLY WRAPPED UP IN A CHAMOIS. THERE WERE SCALPELS, RAZOR-SHARP KNIVES, SMALL TWO-FINGER SAWS FOR CUTTING JOINT, BONE, AND SINEW.” As chilling as the sound of his “DISMEMBERING KIT” was… the method in which he unflinchingly used it was even more horrifically ghastly. He would throw the dead body in a tub… he would strip naked… get into the tub with the freshly killed body… and start sawing and cutting apart the body. He would cut it into six pieces… two arms… two legs… the torso… and the head. He would then wrap the six pieces in bags and usually put them in a cheap suitcase and go out and bury them in a wildlife sanctuary. In one case… when he murdered a woman who was giving drugs to his addicted girl friend… he kept the head… “AND PEOPLE IN THE KNOW, SAY HE DID SOMETHING UNSPEAKABLE WITH IT. SATISFIED, HE PLACED THE HEAD IN THE FREEZER OF HIS REFRIGERATOR. IT WOULD REMAIN THERE UNTIL PITERA DECIDED TO GET RID OF IT BY DUMPING IT IN THE NEARBY ATLANTIC OCEAN, WHERE CRABS AND FISH WOULD EAT THE FLESH AND BRAINS.”
The author meticulously covers all bases surrounding this grotesque individual… and just as painstakingly details the dedicated officers of the DEA led by Jim Hunt Jr. and the all the behind the scenes investigative work that led to the final arrest. If you’re not familiar with Philip Carlo the author… and haven’t read his other classic Mafia based books… you’re in for a treat. This is his home turf… he knows these people… and the real life reality of this culture is his stomping grounds.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Little did the federal government know that when they protected wildlife sanctuaries they were doing more than protecting endangered species. They were in essence creating clandestine burial grounds for demented psychopathic Mafia murderers. In Staten Island “THE STATE WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES, WHICH WERE PROTECTED BY THE GOVERNMENT FROM ANY KIND OF DEVELOPMENT. NO CONSTRUCTION WAS ALLOWED; NO UTILITY LINES WOULD BE LAID. SURROUNDED BY HUNDREDS OF ACRES OF EMPTY LAND, THERE WAS LITTLE THREAT SOMEONE IDLING BY WOULD STUMBLE ACROSS A BODY OR MEMBERS OF THE MOB BURYING ONE.”
The searching of just such a sanctuary/burial ground by multiple law enforcement agencies is where author Philip Carlo starts his hypnotic true-life tale of Mafia-Mad-Man Tommy “Karate” Pitera… who the reader will find out soon enough is a deranged… demented … package of goods… that somehow fell off the conveyor belt of humanity… before making it through quality control. Pitera was short and pale… and had a feminine voice that even in his adult years as a sadistic Mafia mass murderer… was described as sounding more like Minnie Mouse than Mickey Mouse. Even in the midst of at least SIXTY-SADISTIC-MURDERS… as the reader learns that Pitera killed with impunity… and became the most feared of all Mafia killers… a killer… who scared the living hell out of other soulless killers… even these frightened Mafiosi… who literally shook in their boots around Pitera… at times had to keep from laughing when his girlish “Disney” voice was heard. Pitera had two main M.O.’s. The first was that he would kill in a microsecond without hesitation. The second… was the macabre fashion in which he disposed of the bodies. He had what he called his “DISMEMBERING KIT”. “IT WAS CAREFULLY WRAPPED UP IN A CHAMOIS. THERE WERE SCALPELS, RAZOR-SHARP KNIVES, SMALL TWO-FINGER SAWS FOR CUTTING JOINT, BONE, AND SINEW.” As chilling as the sound of his “DISMEMBERING KIT” was… the method in which he unflinchingly used it was even more horrifically ghastly. He would throw the dead body in a tub… he would strip naked… get into the tub with the freshly killed body… and start sawing and cutting apart the body. He would cut it into six pieces… two arms… two legs… the torso… and the head. He would then wrap the six pieces in bags and usually put them in a cheap suitcase and go out and bury them in a wildlife sanctuary. In one case… when he murdered a woman who was giving drugs to his addicted girl friend… he kept the head… “AND PEOPLE IN THE KNOW, SAY HE DID SOMETHING UNSPEAKABLE WITH IT. SATISFIED, HE PLACED THE HEAD IN THE FREEZER OF HIS REFRIGERATOR. IT WOULD REMAIN THERE UNTIL PITERA DECIDED TO GET RID OF IT BY DUMPING IT IN THE NEARBY ATLANTIC OCEAN, WHERE CRABS AND FISH WOULD EAT THE FLESH AND BRAINS.”
The author meticulously covers all bases surrounding this grotesque individual… and just as painstakingly details the dedicated officers of the DEA led by Jim Hunt Jr. and the all the behind the scenes investigative work that led to the final arrest. If you’re not familiar with Philip Carlo the author… and haven’t read his other classic Mafia based books… you’re in for a treat. This is his home turf… he knows these people… and the real life reality of this culture is his stomping grounds.
February 11, 2021
An interesting and informative book about Tom “Tommy Karate” Pitera, Bonanno Mafia Family hit man! As a youth Pitera is smallish and his voice is a bit high pitched resulting in his life forever being altered; bullied but determined to change that, he asks his parents to let him study karate/martial arts. Immediately little Tommy finds something that he enjoys doing and being the best student in the class. Pitera and karate become a very powerful man who has the martial arts skills and abilities to be the best student. He is a quick learner in every single lesson his instructors teach him. At the first tournament in his career, he is spectacular and his style makes him unbelievable at his fighting techniques and strength, Pitera’s technical skills and his winning records begin to attract other influential instructors who all want to turn Pitera into a martial arts master!! As he continued his training he was respected and feared for his use of the fighting technique and he was invited to continue his studies in Asia which turns him into a high ranking competitor in every single tournament he enters and usually wins. Martial arts has changed Tom into a lethal weapon and helps him with his duties as a collector of money owed and he becomes adept at murder and then making the victim’s body disappear and never discovered again! Gets a reputation as a experienced hit man for his bosses in the Bonanno crew!! Great book. Well written and easy to read and understand!! Currently serving life in a penitentiary!
August 10, 2018
All i can say is
I really did not know what to expect sith this book because I've noticed most books I've read about the mob sometimes can be hard to follow. But this book that's not the case at all! I found that it is very well written, very informative and I didn't want to put it down to even sleep!!! I really not only enjoyed this book tremendously but I also learned a lot about the mob. That being said I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a good (even though this was almost great), true crime book! But I must also say this book has very graphic and at times very sick and very violent scenes! This guy is truely someone that is not only extremely dangerous but he's someone from nightmares. What he did to people was beyond sick and gruesome, but I must admit to me it made the book that much better .! While I would NEVER want to see him in a dark alley or even a brightly lit street, he was definitely someone anyone would be scared of! He was def the perfect hit man for the mob even though he did so much more then just kill people!
So if you are looking for a great read that you don't want to put down and that's also very informative but easy to follow then look no further!!! This book was definitely worth the price and I will definitely be looking for more books by this author!!
I really did not know what to expect sith this book because I've noticed most books I've read about the mob sometimes can be hard to follow. But this book that's not the case at all! I found that it is very well written, very informative and I didn't want to put it down to even sleep!!! I really not only enjoyed this book tremendously but I also learned a lot about the mob. That being said I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a good (even though this was almost great), true crime book! But I must also say this book has very graphic and at times very sick and very violent scenes! This guy is truely someone that is not only extremely dangerous but he's someone from nightmares. What he did to people was beyond sick and gruesome, but I must admit to me it made the book that much better .! While I would NEVER want to see him in a dark alley or even a brightly lit street, he was definitely someone anyone would be scared of! He was def the perfect hit man for the mob even though he did so much more then just kill people!
So if you are looking for a great read that you don't want to put down and that's also very informative but easy to follow then look no further!!! This book was definitely worth the price and I will definitely be looking for more books by this author!!
June 6, 2021
The worst Carlo book I've read so far. He spends more time fellating the boring DEA agents than focusing on the guy I bought the book for, Tommy Pitera. I was expecting to hear tales of "Tommy Karate" beating multiple foes to death with his bare hands given his reputation. But there's none of that. Even when his friend is getting his ass kicked by an unarmed boxer, Pitera opted to stab the guy rather than engage him in hand-to-hand combat. Some martial arts expert. Carlo's overreliance on the term "bad guy(s)" is groan-inducing. It's as if he's writing this for an audience of 12-year-olds who need to be constantly reminded who the villains in the story are. He never once questions the wisdom of the War on Drugs or seems aware of the parallels between it and Prohibition in the USA. Carlo's generalizations about Japanese people and culture border on racist stereotypes. Aside from cutting up bodies and having his own secret graveyard, Pitera doesn't come across as any more sinister than the mafia lowlifes he associated with. Sure he took trophies like a serial killer, but Carlo doesn't make any other observations linking Tommy to the likes of Richard Ramirez or Albert Fish. This was a disappointing read.
January 11, 2025
Philip Carlo has written several books about the Mafia and the people who make up the Mafia. He is probably best well known for his story, “The Ice Man” which is a truly chilling story of a Mafia serial killer. “The Butcher” and “The Ice Man” are strikingly similar in the telling of two men who felt no qualms about killing people. “The Butcher” is a little different in that the killer, Tommy Pitera, not only killed his victims but dismembered them into at least six parts. Tommy was feared by everyone, including the Mafia elite.
Justice is served when one rat squeals on another rat. He was caught only because another Mafioso informed on him in order to receive a lighter sentence and placed in the Witness Protection Program. It should be noted that Tommy was so loyal to the Mafia that he never informed on anyone, even when offered a deal. He just liked cutting up bodies. It was a grant hobby of his. Instead of watching TV or doing a crossword puzzle, he'd saw up bodies. Everyone needs a hobby.
An excellent read for those who enjoy stories concerning the Mafia, and a very good read for those who just enjoy true crime.
Justice is served when one rat squeals on another rat. He was caught only because another Mafioso informed on him in order to receive a lighter sentence and placed in the Witness Protection Program. It should be noted that Tommy was so loyal to the Mafia that he never informed on anyone, even when offered a deal. He just liked cutting up bodies. It was a grant hobby of his. Instead of watching TV or doing a crossword puzzle, he'd saw up bodies. Everyone needs a hobby.
An excellent read for those who enjoy stories concerning the Mafia, and a very good read for those who just enjoy true crime.
June 10, 2020
5/5
Dark and warped true story reflecting Tommy Karate - better known as Tommy Petria. Deeply intertwined in Brooklyn, New York as a mafia gang member hit man. This book reflects the bounty and revelation of putting Tommy Petria behind bars by Gang 33 - uncovering mafia crimes and murders leading up to Petria's conviction. Also adding in his personal history with how he became a notorious murderer.
I throughly enjoyed reading this book - I had never heard of Petria and his involvement with mafia gang members previously. This book clearly highlights the gruesome and horrific acts that were committed by Petria and additional gang members. At times I felt I was at the edge of my sit, and others appalled. Petria - to the end, was cold and bloodthirsty.
To add to other comments - yes, there are quite a few characters in the book - however it is needed to unfold the true story properly. Mafia crimes interlace multiple members and need to be studied to acknowledge/progress into the story.
I would recommend this book if you are at all interested in mafia crimes
Dark and warped true story reflecting Tommy Karate - better known as Tommy Petria. Deeply intertwined in Brooklyn, New York as a mafia gang member hit man. This book reflects the bounty and revelation of putting Tommy Petria behind bars by Gang 33 - uncovering mafia crimes and murders leading up to Petria's conviction. Also adding in his personal history with how he became a notorious murderer.
I throughly enjoyed reading this book - I had never heard of Petria and his involvement with mafia gang members previously. This book clearly highlights the gruesome and horrific acts that were committed by Petria and additional gang members. At times I felt I was at the edge of my sit, and others appalled. Petria - to the end, was cold and bloodthirsty.
To add to other comments - yes, there are quite a few characters in the book - however it is needed to unfold the true story properly. Mafia crimes interlace multiple members and need to be studied to acknowledge/progress into the story.
I would recommend this book if you are at all interested in mafia crimes
August 13, 2021
The story of Tommy Pitera is a fascinating one, a story of Mafia capo who was also one of the most heinous and ruthless killers America has ever seen. Carlo does a great job at capturing the sensational factor in Pitera's tale but it's delivered in a fashion that is a little too informal for me. If you can imagine having a beer with your tough uncle and him telling you about a dangerous wiseguy he once knew and the glorious law enforcement he also knew who caught the killer, then you could probably understand the vibe that is set forth here. Carlo also struggles giving us the history that set up Pitera's rise, often forgetting to even give us dates to understand the timeline that preceded Pitera's position of infamy.
Still, it's a hell of a yarn and one that will keep the pages turning.
Still, it's a hell of a yarn and one that will keep the pages turning.
March 10, 2019
I just looked back on my other reviews of Philip Carlo's books that I'd read (not that they were much use!) to give me an idea of what I had previously thought about his writing style.
I love the true crime genre, the psychology behind criminals has always fascinated me and therefore I was destined to love this book.
What I would say is that something I noticed with this book was the repetitive use of certain words and phrases. Now I have a terrible memory so if I noticed it then it must have been bad. That said it's not a badly written book, just a bit.... lazy? Still wouldn't put me off reading the Philip Carlo books they remain left unread at this point.
I love the true crime genre, the psychology behind criminals has always fascinated me and therefore I was destined to love this book.
What I would say is that something I noticed with this book was the repetitive use of certain words and phrases. Now I have a terrible memory so if I noticed it then it must have been bad. That said it's not a badly written book, just a bit.... lazy? Still wouldn't put me off reading the Philip Carlo books they remain left unread at this point.
July 25, 2019
Carlo hit it out of the Park!
Very well written. Carlo manages to develop the characters without going into a long boring diatribe. Bits and pieces of each individuals life told you all you needed to know. Carlo was able to deal with an extremely gruesome subject matter time after time with extraordinary skill.
This was horrifying stuff, full of some of the most disgusting acts a human being could even consider! Yet Carlo did not ever “cross the line “ Into morbid bloody, trash written just for the shock factor. Beginning to end this was a simple tale of a monster. I couldn’t put it down!
Very well written. Carlo manages to develop the characters without going into a long boring diatribe. Bits and pieces of each individuals life told you all you needed to know. Carlo was able to deal with an extremely gruesome subject matter time after time with extraordinary skill.
This was horrifying stuff, full of some of the most disgusting acts a human being could even consider! Yet Carlo did not ever “cross the line “ Into morbid bloody, trash written just for the shock factor. Beginning to end this was a simple tale of a monster. I couldn’t put it down!
May 19, 2017
Good riddance to bad rubbish!
This animal was a scourge of men and women alike. He definitely wasn't firing on all 8 cylinders. The disgusting acts he committed should have definitely merited the death penalty.
I can't even imagine what else he and his criminal associates were guilty of that never made it to trial.
Too bad it took so long and so many resources. The 2 DEA agents did one hell of a job! They lost a part of their life in order to bring a bunch of criminals down. It's nice to know that their intelligence, hard work and effort paid off.
This animal was a scourge of men and women alike. He definitely wasn't firing on all 8 cylinders. The disgusting acts he committed should have definitely merited the death penalty.
I can't even imagine what else he and his criminal associates were guilty of that never made it to trial.
Too bad it took so long and so many resources. The 2 DEA agents did one hell of a job! They lost a part of their life in order to bring a bunch of criminals down. It's nice to know that their intelligence, hard work and effort paid off.
April 19, 2019
A very interesting story about Tommy Pitera, a psychopath who worked for the mafia. Somehow it took me very long to finish this short book. The writing was uninspiring. I could've been so much more. A lot of details about his life are left out. It also became quite repetitive with the same sentences over and over again. Luckily, Philip Carlos didn't take much time about the court procedials (like in his other book, The Night Stalker). A book thet left me with mixed feelings. I learned Tommy Pitera was bad though.
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