Gangland Gotham: New York's Notorious Mob Bosses

by Allan R. May

Overview

Organized crime and the mob figures who run it have long captured the imagination of the American public, appearing since the early twentieth century as characters in a host of popular books, movies, and television programs. But often what the public knew of such figures and their criminal careers was as much myth as fact. This book offers highly readable, carefully researched biographies that dispel the the myths but preserve the fascination surrounding 10 infamous New York mob leaders of the twentieth century. Each in-depth biography will help interested readers understand how and why each of these men achieved special notariety within the world of organized crime.

Each biography describes the early years of each man, assessing how he came to a criminal career; his rise to prominence within the mob, providing reaction from those who knew him and witnessed his actions; and the last years of his career, assessing why it ended as it did. Each biography is illustrated with a picture of its subject and concludes with a listing of additional information resources, both print and electronic. A detailed subject index provides further access to the large amount of information contained in each biography. A timeline allows readers to quickly and easily track the birth, death, and important events in the life of each mobster.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313339271
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	08/12/2009
Pages:	472
Product dimensions:	7.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Allan R. May has had an interest in organized crime since he saw his first episode of The Untouchables in the early 1960s. Today, May's library contains over 750 books on organized crime. May writing first appeared on the Internet Web site Jerry Capeci's Gangland New in the weekly column entitled This Week in Gang Land. At www.AmericaMafia.com, May wrote a weekly historical column called A Look Back, and later Allan May's Current Mob Report. May's articles also appear on CrimeMagazine.com, and he has contributed nine short stories to Court TV's CrimeLibrary.com. May resides in Cleveland, Ohio, with his wife Connie.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Acknowledgments
Timeline
1 Joe Adonis (Giuseppe Antonio Doto)
2 Albert Anastasia (Umberto Anastasio)
3 Louis Buchalter
4 Frank Costello (Francesco Castiglia)
5 Carlo Gambino
6 Vito Genovese
7 Lucky Luciano (Salvatore Lucania)
8 Arnold Rothstein
9 Dutch Schultz (Arthur Flegenheimer)
10 Abner Zwillman
Biographies of Other Prominent Figures Mentioned in the Text
Appendix
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

While writing about the many discrepancies and contradictions in the life histories of 10 infamous New York mob bosses of the 20th century, the author notes which facts rest on popular tales or theories, and often gives several versions of the same event. The biographies describe the early years of each man, chart his rise to prominence within the mob, provide reactions from those who knew him, and chronicle the last years of his life. Each biography is illustrated with a picture of its subject and concludes with a listing of print and electronic resources. Two of those profiled, Joe Adonis and Albert Anastasia, have not had any biographies published about them until now. A 35-page timeline from 1882 to 1976 allows readers to track the birth, death, and important events in the life of each mobster. May has written many articles on organized crime.” —Reference & Research Book News

“There can be no question that the volume at hand offers a rich and well-documented source of information about twentieth-century American organized crime, and more specifically the New York City mob bosses who dominated the world of such crime through much of the twentieth century.” —ARBAonline

“Allan May is the most fastidious organized crime researcher today…If you are looking for a factual, chronological collective biography of the East Coast mob bosses of the early 20th Century, this is it…This book is a resource that knows no equal for researchers and writers…the 'casual' reader of organized crime books will also enjoy it” —lucianotrial.com

From the Publisher