American Mafia: A History of Its Rise to Power

by Thomas Reppetto

Organized crime--the Italian American kind--has long been a source of popular entertainment and legend. Now Thomas Reppetto provides a balanced history of the Mafia's rise--from the 1880s to the post-World War II era--that is as exciting as it is authoritative. Structuring his narrative around a series of case histories featuring such infamous characters as Lucky Luciano and Al Capone, Reppetto draws on a lifetime of field experience and access to unseen documents to show us a locally grown Mafia. It wasn't until the 1920s, thanks to Prohibition, that the Mafia assumed what we now consider its defining characteristics, especially its octopus-like tendency to infiltrate industry and government. At mid-century the Kefauver Commission declared the Mafia synonymous with Union Siciliana; in the 1960s the FBI finally admitted the Mafia's existence under the name La Cosa Nostra. American Mafia is a fascinating look at America's most compelling criminal subculture from an author who is intimately acquainted with both sides of the street.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, True Crime, Crime, American History, Audiobook, Politics

318 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Zen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This was an interesting read. It is set very much as a history book, and I appreciate the author not giving in to sensationalism. He remains as unbiased as possible and relays how the influence of the mafia permeated so much of the US without glorifying either the mobsters or the ones who brought them down. If you do have interest in the history of the mafia, I would definitely recommend.

[JS · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice, short overview of the beginnings of the mafia in the US. Nothing groundbreaking or earth shattering, but some cool stuff nevertheless

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

After years of admiring Martin Scorsese’s mob movies, I decided that I should read a good, sober account of the American mafia. Goodfellas, Casino, and The Irishman ultimately led me to Thomas Reppetto’s engrossing history, and now I know the difference between the Sicilian Mafia and the Neapolitan Camorra.

Most of the big names of American organized crime are here: Capone, Luciano, Genovese, Lansky, Siegel, Costello, Torrio, etc. Here too are the bit players and the low-level hoodlums. The body count is high - if you’re looking for a secure occupation with a guaranteed retirement plan, the mafia is not for you - and, to his credit, Reppetto eschews dwelling on the gory details of mob murders in favor of examining the internecine conflicts and turf wars that triggered them.

This is not a work of sociology. Reppetto excels at charting the origins and rise of the American mafia and its ability to cultivate relationships with corrupt police and politicians but he skims over the socio-economic factors that helped propel small-time thieves and drug dealers into the world of pre-Prohibition organized crime.

Overall, American Mafia delivers what it sets out to achieve: a highly readable, fascinating history of the mob.

[Harold · Rating 3 out of 5]

Competent history of the development of the mafia and various syndicates operating simultaneously. Reppetto dispels a few myths, and his sources are well documented. There's not a lot new here, but Reppetto's penchant for detail brings out some subtleties previously overlooked. My opinions on the subject lean toward realizing while we may know some things, there is a lot that we don't know and at this point, while interesting, really doesn't matter much.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this 3.5 stars if Goodreads allowed that because I liked it more than 3 but not quite 4 stars. Anyway, I have a strange fascination with criminal organizations (I can probably blame it on "Some Like It Hot"). This book satisfied that fascination quite nicely. Good history of how different individuals with links to organized crime rose to prominence, squared off against each other, developed their own power bases, and, in many cases, met their eventual demises. The only reason I don't give this 4 stars is that it did feel long at some points, dwelling a little too much on particular stories or dragging out the denouement.

Would I recommend it? If you like crime history, yes. Otherwise, probably skip it.

[Pau · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty detailed book about the history of the Mafia in the US (or the American Mafia, as the author calls it).

I found the first chapters, in which the author explains the origins of the so-called American Mafia, the more interesting ones. A bit meandering through the middle, but all in all, it's pretty interesting. A more realistic take than most out there, which I appreciate.

Narration of the audiobook was also solid.

[Mark Giordano · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know this was titled "A history of the American mafia" but I didn't expect it to read like a history book. I really struggled to get through this book and skimmed a lot of it just to get through it. There were so many references to insignificant people and nicknames that I just completely lost interest in the topic. Normally these stories fascinate me, but this was not the case.

[Steven jb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid accounting of the history of organized crime in the US from about 1880 to 1951. It ia interesting how the history of one book varies from the other, but this one provides documentation of its sources.

[Derrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

The end of these types of books always tends to make me a little sad because I'm always rooting for all the mafia guys.

[Veronica · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is super hard to get into!

[Victor Bruno]

Com pouco mais de trezentas e cinqüenta páginas, Thomas Reppetto faz uma introdução muito sólida do que é a Máfia americana. Com sólida documentação (ainda que muita coisa seja leitura secundária), quem não tem familiaridade com o assunto vai sair destas páginas tendo uma visão ampla da galeria de extorsões, subornos, chantagens, corrupção, ilegais e, especialmente, assassinatos que formam uma das entidades definidoras da cultura e da sociedade dos Estados Unidos na primeira metade do século XX.

Reppetto tem experiência de primeira mão com a cultura ítalo-americana e mafiosa. Sua família vem de Gênova e seu pai seu pai era um bookie. Mas ele também tem costume com o lado de cá da lei: foi policial. Um policial historiador. Desde 2000 publica uma série de livros sobre a história do crime — e do combate ao crime — na América. NYPD, American Police: A History e Shadows over the White House são livros de sólida vendagem e apoiados em ampla pesquisa. American Mafia não é diferente. Quem quer se aventurar nos pormenores da história da Máfia americana terá material de pesquisa e leitura por muito, muito tempo.

E o leitor de American Mafia deveria fazê-lo. Por mais que Reppetto tente, não é possível dar coesão à tantas personagens, cada uma mais esdrúxula que a outra. Abarcar do Don Vito Cascio Ferro, supostamente responsável pelo primeiro insulto direto da Máfia à força policial dos Estados Unidos (ao matar o Detetive Joseph Petrosino) ao envolvimento da Máfia no assassinato do Presidente John F. Kennedy em trezentas e cinqüenta páginas não é tarefa fácil. O livro tem por natureza uma textura de mosaico episódico. Não é até a sua metade, quando a Máfia passa a ser uma entidade visível e dinâmica, que a narrativa de Reppetto ganha velocidade.

Uma ótima introdução.

[Le Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,7*
Tựa tiếng Việt: Mafia Tên gọi bí hiểm
In 1000 cuốn khổ 13,5* 20,5cm
NXB Thời đại, năm 2010

Cuốn này kể về lịch sử hình thành và phát triển của tập đoàn tội ác, các bố già Mafia ở Mỹ nổi bật trong giai đoạn đầu thế kỷ xx. Đa phần các tay trùm băng đảng đều là người gốc Sisil di dân qua Mỹ hoặc sinh ra ở Mỹ nhưng cha mẹ là người Sisil hoặc dân Do Thái. Mafia không chỉ buôn bán ma túy mà còn có rất nhiều hoạt động khác như nhà chứa, buôn rượu lậu, cướp bóc, bắt cóc, trộm gia súc, bảo kê cảng cá hay hoạt động trong ngành ngân hàng... Các băng đảng thường giành giật địa bàn và trả thù nhau nên người chết như ngả rạ. Cảnh sát, toà án... tham nhũng nên không thể làm gì bọn tội phạm. Thời kỳ này xã hội Mỹ qua lời kể của tác giả chẳng khác gì phim xã hội đen Hồng Kông và có phần còn kinh khủng hơn nhiều, vì những người chống lại mafia đều bị ám sát hoặc gài bom giết chết.
Có những sự thật khá bất ngờ đó là trong chiến tranh thế giới thứ hai, quân đội Mỹ đã hợp tác với các băng đảng Mafia, tuyển lựa tay chân Mafia làm điệp viên phục vụ cho cuộc chiến giữa quân đồng minh với quân phát xít Hitler ( Đức) và Mussolini (Ý), giải phóng Sisil thì hòn đảo này trao lại quyền kiểm soát cho các trùm Mafia.
Rất nhiều câu chuyện hay ho về giới tội phạm Mỹ nhưng khi dịch thì có lẽ đã bị cắt bớt một phần nên nếu tìm được bản gốc tiếng Anh đọc sẽ thấy nhiều điều thú vị hơn!

[Steven Meyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a history book. I'm used to reading only about the New York mafia but this book goes everywhere and is so thorough that you come out of it with all the information that you would need to understand what these people are about worldwide. The book does not approach this topic with the romance and excitement that every other book in movies that habe ever had anything to deal with this subject has done. It's not The Sopranos, or The Godfather. It has none of the fun and fantasy that these productions and books have. That's because this is not a fun topic. if you want to learn about these people and the reality of it all this book will give you all the information that you need. The negative of the book it is agonizingly slow. It is a miserable presentation and it does read like a school book. This book is all the facts, but none of the emotion. It's exhausting to read it. If you are looking for information on this subject this is a book that will deliver that, but there's no fun in reading it unless you want to remember what American History class was all about

[Jacob Bergeron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started in the late 1890s, I did not realize how far back the roots of the mob went. It’s funny reading about them setting up back then on 115th feet in Harlem and Mulberry Street, which were the hubs for the families even into the 1980s. First 80 pages or slow for me personally but when they moved into bootlegging it really picked up. Got even better as it progressed, talking about Capone, Costello, Siegel, Genovese, Bonano. Learned a lot from the book, if it had kept going past the 50s I would have given it 5 stars

[Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought this book would feel cursory but it covers a remarkable amount of subject matter. Really interesting read to get a general idea of an American institution, specifically one that has been so mythologized, though I suppose that is not all that unique for American institutions.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had hoped this would be more interesting than it was.

[Enzo Mimolano'S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introduction, clear and informative one.
A real dive to the underworld USA.

[Robert Longmuir]

good story slow in parts but worth the read

[mr ralph james kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Organised Crime.

A interesting history of organised crime, in America and Italy. Well presented and researched .Many interesting things of how the bosses rose and fell.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent. Suprised there wasn't a mention of Russell Bufalino.

[John Bacho · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly decent overview about the Cosa nostra in the US. Others tell me that Five Families is THE definitive book to read, so I'll give that a try and revisit this review.

[Eva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some snippets were interesting, but I really don't need the blow-by-blow of the US Mafia's entire history. Some quotes:

"Across the country, many editorial pages all but congratulated the lynch mob. Even the New York Times editorial observed that while 'this affair is to be deplored, it would be difficult to find any one individual who . . . deplored it very much.'" - p17

On the code of silence and not turning to the police:
"One [detective] related how when a young Italian was shot and killed on a Manhattan street, an older man who had run out when he heard the firing told investigating officers he had never seen the victim before. When police identified the body it turned out to be the man's son." - p23

"In Sicily Ignazio had acquired the nickname 'Lupo,' or wolf, suggesting an animal that preys on the weak. In America, he became 'Lupo the Wolf.' While linguistically redundant, his nickname made sense for a man who was out to inspire fear in two languages at once." - p24

At the same time Congressman Mann was securing passage of his act his constituent, vice lord "Diamond Jim" Colosimo, was polishing his. Everybody in Chicago knew of Colosimo, who rode around in the contemporary version of a pimpmobile — a huge, shiny Pierce Arrow with a uniformed chauffeur at the wheel. A broad-shouldered giant, Colosimo had dark skin, jet-black hair, a bushy mustache, and a room-filling personality. He spoke in a booming southern Italian accent, his arms flailing whenever he was excited, which he frequently was. Even in Colosimo's quieter moments he was hard to miss, owing to his fondness for white linen suits with garish checks--made of material so fine that his underwear showed through. He wore diamonds all over--diamond rings on every finger, diamond shirt studs, diamond cuff links, and diamond belt and suspender buckles topped by a huge diamond horseshoe pin on his vest. If one of his trouser legs rode up, another diamond could be glimpsed on a garter clasp. He carried a bag of jewels with him and frequently took out a couple stones to play with." - p55

"Coughlin, a former bathhouse rubber (masseur being too effete a term for the Levee)..." - p57

"James T. Farreell, author of best-selling novels about life in his South Side Chicago neighborhood between the two world wars, snorted that a sociologist was 'a man who spent $50,000 to find a whorehouse.'" - p113

[Conrad Grimm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thomas Reppetto's book has definitely earned its place amongst the best crime non-fiction books and one of his best books other than “NYPD”, and leaves you wanting to read it again. Organized crime the Italian American kind has long been a source of popular entertainment and legend. Now Reppetto insights readers with a balanced read of the Mafia's rise from the 1880s to the post-WWII era that is as exciting and readable as it is informal. Structuring his narrative around a notable amount of case histories featuring infamous mobsters such as Lucky Luciano and Al Capone, Reppetto writes about a lifetime of field experience and access to unseen and confidential documents to let us get to know a locally grown Mafia. It wasn't until the 1920’s, thanks to the Prohibition, that the Mafia developed what is consider its defining characteristics, especially their tendency to infiltrate and disrupt industry and government. During the 1950’s, the Kefauver Commission declared the Mafia synonymous with Union Siciliana and during the 1960s the FBI finally admitted the Mafia's existence under the name La Cosa Nostra. This book is a must read if you’re looking for a book that provides and insight on the in’s and out’s of the mafia. It has many components that are strikingly surprising. There isn’t anything to dislike about this book except for the fact that it is a bit long and could be shortened to crisp and concise segments of historical awesomeness. This book is overall a great read and a 9/10 for a narrative about the mafia. American Mafia is a compelling look at one of America's most fascinating subculture of crime from an author who is intimately acquainted with the Mafia and beyond.

[Merit Coba · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the American Maffia: a history, some months ago and although I found the book interesting, the writer isn't very good at presenting the subject in a cohesive manner.
The basic issue is that Reppetto fills his pages with information chronologically. While this might seem a valid approach, the issue is that the broader outlines get buried under needless detailed information.
One of the advantages of looking back is that we can connect the dots and draw general conclusions. Reppetto, however, goes in way too deep for that and mostly answers the what, when, and how questions.
While Reppetto does address the why at times, it would have been overall better, in my opinion, if he had concentrated on the broader outlines and only given a case to support those outlines instead of trying to incorporate every tale of every significant criminal and every important crime fighter during the period covered.
This would have allowed him to make a book of about the same size, but also address the demise of the mafia, which Reppetto briefly discusses, but doesn't cover in more depth.

Overall an excellent book to read but, not a definite book on the mob.

Updated December 25th 2022: fixing some spelling mistakes and errors.

[Christopher Lonero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, I would probably only give this book a 2.5 star rating. As some have commented already, this book is very hard to get into. I found this book difficult to follow with all the names mentioned through the chapters. I don't have much knowledge with the history of the American Mafia, thus the reason for the read. The book is extremely compact in information in which I found myself many times wanting to put it down because of the overabunance of details. However, this book does provide an excellent overview of the American Mafia through the 60 - 70 years it covers. I especially like the chapters on Luciano, Capone, and Costello. These were the major figures in the American Mafia which I would like to look further into. Lastly, I think there are some good leadership lessons here. Capone was rash and over ambitious, thus leading to a spotlight on the mafia and his early removal after only three years. However, Capo's like Luciano and Costello who ruled more patiently and less aggressively had reigns which were longer and more successful.

[Bookmarks Magazine]

There's no one better equipped to tell this story than Reppetto, president of the Citizens Crime Commission of New York City and former Chicago commander of detectives. Dispelling popular myths about the American Mafia perpetuated by the media and entertainment industry, Reppetto casts new light on the history of the mob's evils. Instead of one Mr. Big, there was a highly organized business network. Reppetto's evenhanded analysis of the Mafia's key men and their powerful opponents creates drama and suspense. But if you're not familiar with mobster rule, the sheer wealth of names, details, and assassinations can overwhelm. Overall, there's an immediate lesson to be learned: the government can't collect legal taxes from illegal money, so you're safe. For now.

This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine.

[Luci · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is a lot of information in this book, but I agree with other reviewers. It is hard to follow because the information isn't organized well. I don't blame the author... he really tries to get a lot of information in there. The book has a large scope, and perhaps that is some of the issue. But the info is really interesting. I like how he traced the mob from its beginnings and underlined the idea of an "American" mafia.

[Arne-Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boeiend om al het filmgeweld over de Amerikaanse maffia eindelijk tegen de werkelijkheid te kunnen houden. Die vergelijking gaat heel goed op, zo blijkt. Het echte inside verhaal mis ik ik echter in dit boek.

[Cat Phelps · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, I am very interested in how the Mafia came to be and its influence on our country historically and yet today.

[Phil Duckworth]

A really good history of the rise and decline of organised crime in the US. Puts the Godfather in context in a way! I'll never change my tyre ever again, I'll get someone else to do it.