Bøker av Andy Petepiece

The Genovese Family is a well-researched book on the 100-plus-year history of one of New York's infamous La Cosa Nostra organizations. It begins with an outline of the first Boss, Giuseppe Morello, and ends with the present leader, Liborio Bellomo.I profile many of the leaders of the Family, such as Lucky Luciano, Frank Costello, Vito Genovese, and Vincent Gigantes. Also covered are some acting Bosses like Jerry Catena, Tommy Eboli, and Anthony Salerno. High-profile Capo Ruggiero Boiardo's career is summarized in one chapter as well.Corrupt union locals were a prime source of illegal income for the Family, so one chapter discusses their infiltration and use of these entities. In addition, in the section on Boss Frank Costello, I discuss his many tribulations with the IRS and his attempted assassination in 1957. A jury found his successor, Vito Genovese, guilty of a heroin conspiracy that remains controversial. Still, some skeptics may find the conviction warranted after reading the government's evidence in the case.I have included official indictments and various appeals that readers may find interesting. In addition, a transcript of a conversation between an informer and a prominent Genovese figure provides some insight into the personality of a made guy. Finally, most will be stunned by the endless court battles some characters endure. The cost of time and lawyers had to be staggering.As always, it is impossible to include every significant event when writing a history of the Family. Consequently, many important characters had to be left out, but the book covers the Bosses in detail. In addition, I have included my analysis of the Jimmy Hoffa disappearance here, because many authors and law enforcement figures have mistakenly, in my opinion, pinned the crime on Tony Provenzano, a long-time Genovese Capo and Teamster leader.

The Bonanno Family is a well-researched book on the 100-plus-year history of one of New York's infamous La Cosa Nostra organizations. It begins with an outline of the first Bosses, and ends with Boss Mikey Mancuso demoting his Acting Boss and Consigliere.Some of the important events covered included the 1931 killing of Boss of Bosses Salvatore Maranzano, the formation of the Commission, and the dates of the national meetings of La Cosa Nostra. Among those was the infamous 1957 gathering of mob Bosses held at Boss Joseph Barbara's estate. Long-time leader Joseph Bonanno is profiled in this book, as are all his successors. I examine Bonanno's role in the killing of Salvatore Maranzano and Bonanno's alleged kidnapping in 1964. The book covers the Commission's expulsion of Bonanno and his son Salvatore and their many years after that historic event.There are three chapters on the long-ignored Montreal, Canada, wing of the Bonanno Family. This group eclipsed any New York Family in terms of wealth and reach. Due to their deep involvement in the drug trade, the Montreal crew operated worldwide, unlike the New York Families. Most readers of La Cosa Nostra will recognize many of the characters from its history. The book provides details on well-known hoods such as Carmine Galante, Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano, Joe Massino, Anthony Spero, and Vincent Basciano. American Mafia followers will get to know Canadian Mafia powers like Nicolo Rizzuto, Vito Rizzuto, Vic Cotroni, Paulo Violi and powerful Associates like Raynald Desjardins.

A History of the Board of Directors of La Cosa NostraAndy Petepiece The Mafia Commission is a well researched book on the nearly 100 year history of the Mafia's Board of Directors. It begins with the era before the formation of the Commission in 1931 and continues to the famous 1986 trial that brought the Commission to its knees.The reason for the Mafia's adoption of this method of governing is explained as well as its rules and regulations. Many examples are used to illustrate the operation of this entity including a variety of Mafia wars. All the familiar Mafia characters are within the covers of this history. Personalities like Capone, Lucky Luciano, Joe Bonanno, and Fat Tony Salerno come to life as many of their notorious exploits are described.The now famous RICO laws are explained and the reader will see how they are applied in the 1986 Commission case. An "Afterwards" chapter outlines what became of the defendants, prosecutors, and other major "good guys" as the years passed. Not surprisingly, for some of these characters, the future was pretty dim. The Mafia Commission is an interesting read, packed with Mafia history, explanations of why certain events happened, and the results of these actions. Add in the many character descriptions and most fans of this topic will be pleased to have purchased the book.