Mob Boss: The First Boss to Turn Government Witness

Product Description

“Little Al D’Arco was the quintessential wiseguy-and the mob’s worst nightmare…A compelling book about the rise and decline of the American Mafia.”-Nicholas Pileggi, author of Wiseguy and CasinoAlfonso “Little Al” D’Arco, the former acting boss of the Luchese crime family, was the highest-ranking mobster to ever turn government witness when he flipped in 1991. His testimony sent more than fifty Mafiosos to prison-and prompted many others to do the same, including John Gotti’s top aide, Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano-and altered the course of New York’s mob scene forever.”Fascinating.” -The Village VoiceIn Mob Boss, two award-winning news reporters offer an unparalleled account of D’Arco’s life and the New York mob scene that he embraced for four decades. Until the day he switched sides, D’Arco lived and breathed the old-school gangster lessons he learned growing up in Brooklyn and fine-tuned on the mean streets of Little Italy. But when he learned he was marked to be whacked, D’Arco quit the mob. His defection decimated his crime family and opened a window on a century’s worth of mob secrets-many of which are published in this riveting account for the very first time.

Review

“A gripping, novelistic biography…the authors score a bull’s eye.” ―New York Times“Al D’Arco was the quintessential wiseguy–and the mob’s worst nightmare. Capeci and Robbins have used Little Al’s incredible insight about ‘The Life’ and their own reporting skills to write a compelling book about the rise and decline of the American Mafia, from the days of Al Capone and Lucky Luciano to the heyday of Chin Gigante and John Gotti. It’s a true crime story that reads like a novel.” ―Nicholas Pileggi, New York Times bestselling author of Wiseguy and Casino“For authors Jerry Capeci and Tom Robbins, the long road to their fascinating new book about mafia boss Alfonso D’Arco, who became the federal government’s most successful cooperator, began a decade ago.” ―Village Voice“A raw and fascinating account of one mobster’s daily activities and career.” ―Kirkus Reviews“This gripping biography [is] recommended to fans of Nicholas Pileggi’s Wiseguy, Philip Carlo’s Gaspipe, or coauthor Capeci’s own Gotti: Rise and Fall.” ―Booklist“Just a superb book. This is a powerful addition to the true history of the United States. Through hard, relentless reporting, Capeci and Robbins strip away the dark glamor and wormy movie myths about the American Mob and come as close to the truth as any outsiders might ever get. It’s a dirty story about corruption and brutal power. The authors take us to many dirty places in our politics, trade unions, and ideals, and make clear that Mob power was too often enforced through a bullet in the skull. They also narrate the squalid tale of how Mob power declined and fell. The soundtrack for the dying version of the Mob was usually loud with the squealing of rats.” ―Pete Hamill, New York Times bestselling author of Forever and North River“Tom Robbins and Jerry Capeci have written a fascinating, inside look at the mob…Even mob cognoscenti will learn all sorts of things they never suspected. By turns horrifying, suspenseful, and darkly hilarious, Mob Boss is a terrific read.” ―Kevin Baker, author of The Big Crowd“If you read one book about the decline and fall of the mafia in America, let it be Mob Boss. Capeci and Robbins, two first-rate reporters at the top of their game, present an unforgettable portrait of Little Al D’Arco, who presided over the last big mafia war in New York, then took the stand in court to once and for all obliterate the Honored Society. An astounding read that belongs in the upper tier of organized crime literature.” ―T.J. English, author of The Savage City and Havana Nocturne“Al D’Arco loved two things: His wife and his gangster life, not necessarily in that order. This book makes me wish I’d known him better. This is a genuinely great mob story about a genuine New York gangster told by two of