Bibliograph

American Mafia, a history of its rise to power, Thomas Reppetto

Type

Label

American Mafia, a history of its rise to power, Thomas Reppetto

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references and index

Illustrations

illustrations

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

American Mafia

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

52858498

Responsibility statement

Thomas Reppetto

Series statement

A John Macrae/Owl book

Sub title

a history of its rise to power

Summary

Thomas Reppetto's vivid narrative describes how crime families from a variety of ethnic backgrounds were shaped by conditions in big cities in the late nineteenth century. Spurred by Prohibition, which exploded opportunities for organized crime, men like Chicago's John Torrio and New York's Lucky Luciano built their organizations along corporate lines, parceling out territories and adopting rules for the arbitration of disputes. Good management and a tight organizational structure enabled Italian gangs to continue operations even when leaders were jailed or rubbed out. 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. - Back coverA history of the mafia's rise from the 1880s to the post-World War II era features the stories of Lucky Luciano and Al Capone, noting the role that Prohibition had in the establishment of the mafia's defining characteristics

Table Of Contents

Introduction : "The most secret and terrible organization in the world" -- "We must teach these people a lesson" : a murder and lynching in New Orleans -- A place in the sun : Italian gangs of New York -- Italian squads and American carabinieri : law enforcement wars on the Mafia -- Diamond Jim : overlord of the underworld -- In the footsteps of Petrosino : Big Mike -- Prohibition : the mobs strike a bonanza -- The "Get Capone" drive : print the legend -- Lucky : the rise and rise of Charlie Luciano -- The commission : the mobs go national -- Racket-busting : the Dewey days -- The feds : assessing the menace of the Mafia -- Overreaching : Hollywood and Detroit -- The Prime Minister -- New worlds to conquer : postwar expansion -- TV's greatest hits : Senator Kefauver presents the Mafia -- Epilogue : the decline of the American Mafia

Classification

Creator