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The Valachi Papers
The First Inside Account of the Mafia
In the 1960s a disgruntled soldier in New York's Genovese Crime Family decided to spill his guts. His name was Joseph Valachi. Daring to break the Mob's code of silence for the first time, Valachi detailed the organization of organized crime from the capos, or bosses, of every Family, to the hit men who "clipped" rivals and turncoats. With a phenomenal memory for names, dates, addresses, phone numbers—and where the bodies were buried—Joe Valachi provided the chilling facts that led to the arrest and conviction of America's major crime figures.
The rest is history.
Never again would the Mob be protected by secrecy. For the Mafia, Valachi's name would become synonymous with betrayal. But his stunning exposé. broke the back of America's Cosa Nostra and stands today as the classic about America's Mob, a fascinating tale of power and terror, big money, crime ... and murder.
In the 1960s a disgruntled soldier in New York's Genovese Crime Family decided to spill his guts. His name was Joseph Valachi. Daring to break the Mob's code of silence for the first time, Valachi detailed the organization of organized crime from the capos, or bosses, of every Family, to the hit men who "clipped" rivals and turncoats. With a phenomenal memory for names, dates, addresses, phone numbers—and where the bodies were buried—Joe Valachi provided the chilling facts that led to the arrest and conviction of America's major crime figures.
The rest is history.
Never again would the Mob be protected by secrecy. For the Mafia, Valachi's name would become synonymous with betrayal. But his stunning exposé. broke the back of America's Cosa Nostra and stands today as the classic about America's Mob, a fascinating tale of power and terror, big money, crime ... and murder.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1968
42 people are currently reading
2222 people want to read
About the author
Peter Maas
38 books89 followersPeter Maas was an American journalist and author. He was born in New York City and attended Duke University.
He was the biographer of Frank Serpico, a New York City Police officer who testified against police corruption. He is also the author of the number one New York Times bestseller, Underboss, about the life and times of Sammy "The Bull" Gravano.
His other notable bestsellers include The Valachi Papers, Manhunt, and In a Child's Name, recipient of the 1991 Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime book. The Valachi Papers, which told the story of Mafia turncoat Joseph Valachi, is widely considered to be a seminal work, as it spawned an entire genre of books written by or about former Mafiosi.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
He was the biographer of Frank Serpico, a New York City Police officer who testified against police corruption. He is also the author of the number one New York Times bestseller, Underboss, about the life and times of Sammy "The Bull" Gravano.
His other notable bestsellers include The Valachi Papers, Manhunt, and In a Child's Name, recipient of the 1991 Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime book. The Valachi Papers, which told the story of Mafia turncoat Joseph Valachi, is widely considered to be a seminal work, as it spawned an entire genre of books written by or about former Mafiosi.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
May 27, 2022
The Mafia has fascinated me ever since I was 10 years and I watched The Godfather.
Should I have been watching The Godfather at 10 years old??
I say yes because I'm a well adjusted adult, so everything turned out fine.
But back to this review...
The Mafia is such a part of Pop Culture that it's hard to remember that, there once was a time when most people didn't even know it existed. For years even The FBI denied that it existed.
All that changed when Joseph Valachi a member of the Genovese Mob Family "turned rat" and exposed the inner workings of the Mafia not only to law enforcement but to the American public at large. For the first time people were given an inside look at the dark and mysterious world of The Cosa Nostra.
I first heard of Joseph Valachi after watching The Godfather Part II for the 50th time on AMC and they shared the fun fact that the character Frank Pentangeli was based very very loosely on Joseph Valachi.
The Valachi Papers was an interesting read. It was written in the 1960's so it reads a little dry in places and I had to Google things that were contemporary in 1968 that I have never heard of here in 2022. I was concerned at the beginning that this book was going to try to make out Joseph Valachi to be a good guy but luckily it didn't. Valachi himself makes it very clear that to the law abiding world he is a bad guy but within the world of the Mafia he was considered a good guy.
Overall I enjoyed this book but I can't recommend it to most people because the writing style will put most readers off. But if you enjoy older Nonfiction and if you are as fascinated by the Mafia as I am, then maybe give it a read.
Should I have been watching The Godfather at 10 years old??
I say yes because I'm a well adjusted adult, so everything turned out fine.
But back to this review...
The Mafia is such a part of Pop Culture that it's hard to remember that, there once was a time when most people didn't even know it existed. For years even The FBI denied that it existed.
All that changed when Joseph Valachi a member of the Genovese Mob Family "turned rat" and exposed the inner workings of the Mafia not only to law enforcement but to the American public at large. For the first time people were given an inside look at the dark and mysterious world of The Cosa Nostra.
I first heard of Joseph Valachi after watching The Godfather Part II for the 50th time on AMC and they shared the fun fact that the character Frank Pentangeli was based very very loosely on Joseph Valachi.
The Valachi Papers was an interesting read. It was written in the 1960's so it reads a little dry in places and I had to Google things that were contemporary in 1968 that I have never heard of here in 2022. I was concerned at the beginning that this book was going to try to make out Joseph Valachi to be a good guy but luckily it didn't. Valachi himself makes it very clear that to the law abiding world he is a bad guy but within the world of the Mafia he was considered a good guy.
Overall I enjoyed this book but I can't recommend it to most people because the writing style will put most readers off. But if you enjoy older Nonfiction and if you are as fascinated by the Mafia as I am, then maybe give it a read.
January 13, 2017
I've been binging on mob books lately. This is one of the best. It ranks with "Wiseguys" as an insider's account. Maybe better, because Valachi really was in the mafia, while Henry Hill was a wannabee. This was a reread for me. When it first came out I read it. It's serious stuff. Some people are born in a certain time period in a certain place where they are led into this. They may otherwise be decent people with a love of family but at a certain point they find themselves in a situation where they are embroiled in a life of crime and deception. (Think of the fictional Godfather. Circumstances led him to this position. And then the least likely son is drawn in by events and love of family. Dramatized and romanticized? Yes. But understandable and compelling? Yes. This conflict is why it was such a great novel and movie.) At some point they have to kill someone - not because of any personal reasons but because they are told to do so - and if they don't do it they are dead. Basically it's a horrible existence. When they are around people not involved they are charming and generous to a fault. A classic example of compensation combined with guilty conscience. Some of them do have a conscience. Really. Not all - but some. I have a feeling Valachi was one such person.
September 30, 2011
This is the first non-fiction novel I’ve read for quite a while. And I actually was reading two at one time! Fancy that! But anywho, I did enjoy this book quite a bit. There were times it dragged a little and times I had to go back and re-read due to poor sentence structure (I hate that), but most of the dragging was due to government jargon and most of the poor grammer etc was quoted word for word from Valachi. So you can’t blame the guy, really. It had plenty of gore, and crime, and even a little bit of a romance thrown in. But just a little. I was pleased with the plot set up – finding out how the story came to be told before hearing the story itself. However, the one crucial detail that was missing was about how Valachi fared after spilling his guts to the US Government about his former boss and all his former cronies. I would have liked to know what happened.
August 5, 2016
If you are a true Mafia History buff, you should probably get this book out of the way for a point of reference.
Peter Maas is a good author, and does a decent job framing this story.
In the end Joe Valachi was not exactly a big wheel in La Cosa Nostra but he was one of the first prime time rats to come to the forefront. This work is significant from that perspective.
This book had significant influence on the world of the mafia which had remained very private prior to his public exclamations.
I give this a solid 3 overall as a book and story. Due to the heavy significance of the content and it's impact on history, I raise it up to a 3.5+
Peter Maas is a good author, and does a decent job framing this story.
In the end Joe Valachi was not exactly a big wheel in La Cosa Nostra but he was one of the first prime time rats to come to the forefront. This work is significant from that perspective.
This book had significant influence on the world of the mafia which had remained very private prior to his public exclamations.
I give this a solid 3 overall as a book and story. Due to the heavy significance of the content and it's impact on history, I raise it up to a 3.5+
March 22, 2024
This is my first foray into Mafia True-Crime lit, and I can only say that it contains all the ingredients that make a great thriller, especially if you are into Crime Movies - the main difference here is that the story is 100% real.
As one could expect, this is a tale of violence, corruption, and treachery, although I wont deny that it does have its memorable moments amongst all the grittiness, such as the portrait of mob boss Salavatore Maranzano:
"He was born in the village of Castellammare and had come over here right after the First World War. He was an educated man. He had studied for the priesthood in the old country, and I understand he spoke seven languages. I didn't know until later that he was a nut about Julius Caesar and even had a room in his house full of nothing but books about him. That's where he got the idea for the new organization."
Overall, the most interesting aspect of the story for me was to see how Joe has managed to stay alive through decades of unceasing criminal activities - a true feat considering how easily the people in 'this thing of ours' could meet their maker. On a side note, I do intent to watch the movie made out of this book one day (starring Charles Bronson as Valachi, so it cannot be that bad).
As one could expect, this is a tale of violence, corruption, and treachery, although I wont deny that it does have its memorable moments amongst all the grittiness, such as the portrait of mob boss Salavatore Maranzano:
"He was born in the village of Castellammare and had come over here right after the First World War. He was an educated man. He had studied for the priesthood in the old country, and I understand he spoke seven languages. I didn't know until later that he was a nut about Julius Caesar and even had a room in his house full of nothing but books about him. That's where he got the idea for the new organization."
Overall, the most interesting aspect of the story for me was to see how Joe has managed to stay alive through decades of unceasing criminal activities - a true feat considering how easily the people in 'this thing of ours' could meet their maker. On a side note, I do intent to watch the movie made out of this book one day (starring Charles Bronson as Valachi, so it cannot be that bad).
January 11, 2008
Even though this is one of the key books in the genre, I remain disappointed in it. I think it is amazing how Valachi was involved in dozens of major criminal acts as though he was floating effortlessly from family to family.
While it is true his revelations were some of the first insider views on the mob, many people have pointed out that there are flaws in his seemingly perfect memory.
His story is really the first look at social interaction within the mob when the previous idea was based on the exagggerated 1930s cinema.
While it is true his revelations were some of the first insider views on the mob, many people have pointed out that there are flaws in his seemingly perfect memory.
His story is really the first look at social interaction within the mob when the previous idea was based on the exagggerated 1930s cinema.
July 31, 2020
For fans of true crime and especially the American Mafia, this is a terrific read.
Thoroughly enjoyable.
Thoroughly enjoyable.
March 8, 2012
The Valachi Paper's detailing of the history and structure of the Cosa Nostra is interesting, especially since it's the first book to introduce it to the world. But it quickly abandons narrative drive and devolves into a dry recounting of names and events with any sense of character and place bled away. A historically important work, but not an absorbing one.
October 29, 2018
A very interesting tale of the mafia.
May 22, 2024
Enjoyable read interesting to see inside the “cosa nostra”
January 1, 2024
Peter Maas published The Valachi Papers in 1968. This was organized crime insider Joseph Valachi's lowdown on how the Cosa Nostra operated in this country for decades and gave insider accounts for the first time to the general public. It's interesting to me that Mario Puzo wrote his fictional version of Cosa Nostra in The Godfather which exploded into the public consciousness the following year. The public has had a general understanding of what button men are or what going to the mattresses means ever since.
Peter Maas also wrote a true life account of police corruption with the true story of Frank Serpico shortly after. Both books are highly recommended and I recommend go re-watch Serpico and The Godfather while you're at it! I'm going to check out the movie version of The Valachi Papers with Charles Bronson soon.
Watched the movie: It really helped to have read the book before seeing the movie in that it helped me keep up with all the many crime bosses and stories as they evolve. Violent and pretty good, but looks a bit old-fashioned compared to The Godfather, which came out the same year. This viewing did have the unforeseen consequence of me wanting to watch 70’s Charles Bronson movies! The Mechanic and Mr. Majestyk get ready! 🤷
Peter Maas also wrote a true life account of police corruption with the true story of Frank Serpico shortly after. Both books are highly recommended and I recommend go re-watch Serpico and The Godfather while you're at it! I'm going to check out the movie version of The Valachi Papers with Charles Bronson soon.
Watched the movie: It really helped to have read the book before seeing the movie in that it helped me keep up with all the many crime bosses and stories as they evolve. Violent and pretty good, but looks a bit old-fashioned compared to The Godfather, which came out the same year. This viewing did have the unforeseen consequence of me wanting to watch 70’s Charles Bronson movies! The Mechanic and Mr. Majestyk get ready! 🤷
September 26, 2007
It has been a long time since I read this but I still remember much of it. It is an excellent start for anyone interested in crime fiction. Valachi shed a light on organized crime and the way the mafia opereated in a time when it's existed was denied by police and governments. Well written the only reason for not giving it a higher rating is the dated nature of the content. However, for background and history this represents the best as he had no particular axe to grind (nothing to hide about himself).
December 1, 2011
In it's time, this was an important book on the inner-workings of the mafia. But there are much better books on the topic available today. Peter Maas drug out the beginning with too many details about how he was selected to write the book and the conditions Valachi had in prison.
I kept thinking the book would pick up, but once it got going, it was just a lot of name dropping and descriptions of who murdered who. The only reason I was able to finish the book was knowing that one of the "characters" is believed to be a distant relative of my husband.
I kept thinking the book would pick up, but once it got going, it was just a lot of name dropping and descriptions of who murdered who. The only reason I was able to finish the book was knowing that one of the "characters" is believed to be a distant relative of my husband.
June 15, 2013
Although written long ago (1968) this was a fascinating read. Because Maas had several sections straight from Valachi's mouth it was as if you were in the room with them. You'll recognize several names and then there are several you have never heard of. The last chapter was the "wrap up" of what organized crime in American "today" was all about. That part was a little off and that's probably due to the age of the book. I'm sure back in the day this was a corker!
January 11, 2009
Peter Maas paved the way for every true crime historian of today. Truly the oldest reference book for Mafia researchers. With years and years of thorough investigative work from Peter Maas & the FBN. The son inlaw (Joe Valachi) of a former Capo (Tom Reina) recalled in his own words,the names of gansters and the details of events. Great Book!
November 27, 2016
This book is chock full of so many details and so many names that it's hard to keep it all straight. I read this slowly, just taking in a little bit at a time as I didn't find it compelling enough to spend a lot of time reading in one sitting. I read this 48 years after it was published, so by this time I've read a lot more interesting accounts of the mafia so this just didn't hold my interest.
February 13, 2007
This book is all about Joseph Valachi, the first Mafia member to publicly acknowledge the existence of the Mafia (Cosa Nostra). Excellent book filled with real stories. It's amazing how much Valachi remembered and in such great detail.
September 6, 2007
Joe Valachi was the first Cosa Nostra insider to talk about the organization and he was around for the period during which it was formally organized, all of which makes for really entertaining and fascinating reading.
January 6, 2016
Based on the confession written by Joseph Valachi who had been a member of the Mafia for 30 years, it is an easy reading but after a while a bit boring as it is a serial description of crimes and people taking part in them.
November 7, 2019
I'd recently switched over from reading mostly young adult stuff to reading more from the adult section at my library in 1987, and I found this true story about the mob to be fascinating. Apparently it's still well-regarded many years later.
December 20, 2008
A classic mafia source document. Limited and wrong in places, its still a primary source by one of the first made men to turn rat. Vito Genovese!
January 9, 2020
LOVING a good inside story, and this one comes directly from someone who has been keeping the darkest and best kept secret in the U.S. at the time - mafia. Valachi, when in emprisonment with Vito Genovese, an all-star mobster, frantically killed a man who he feared would kill him instead. Genovese was indeed suspecting him of being a police informer and needed to get rid of him. These false accusations were the reason why Valachi, for the first time ever, would reveal officially that Cosa Nostra, an organized inderworld criminality existed for sure - in hopes for protective custody in exchange for.. well, everything. He did not only reveal the structure, functions, illegal businesses, and murders that were an everyday occurrence in Cosa Nostra, but his sublime memory allowed to name even high ranked polititians that were of huge importance to the mob, allowing them to go about their ways freely and were only charged for minor offences, if ever. This part of the book, of course, severely censored. We also see a glimpse of his family life and more so, life in the Family, sharing fears, success, respect, distress, betrayal, and the unknown for what might happen the next day.
After he spoke, the organization couldn’t run the same way and even though the recount took place in the 60’s, it’s doubtful that such system could be fully stopped or has it just changed its course as their characteristics don’t seem entirely unfamiliar. Anyway, I’m off to a new mafia read that maybe will reveal something more current! Ciao!
After he spoke, the organization couldn’t run the same way and even though the recount took place in the 60’s, it’s doubtful that such system could be fully stopped or has it just changed its course as their characteristics don’t seem entirely unfamiliar. Anyway, I’m off to a new mafia read that maybe will reveal something more current! Ciao!
November 3, 2020
A month ago, I read Peter Maas' Underboss, his book-length interview with Sammy “the Bull” Gravano, which covered New York mob life under Paul Castellano and Jon Gotti in the 1970s and 1980s. In the book, Maas referenced an earlier book of his, The Valachi Papers, which gives a much earlier account of mob life and whose publication, in 1968, heralded the book as an instant best-seller. Joseph Valachi was born in 1904 and rose through the ranks of petty crime to soldiering for Vito Genovese. After being arrested in the early 1960s he went to the federal prison in Atlanta, where he was housed with Genovese. Genovese put a hit on Valachi, and Valachi, in defending himself, accidentally killed a prisoner who was not involved in the kerfuffle. This betrayal by Genovese prompted Valachi to break down the system of Cosa Nostra ("this thing of ours") to the FBI. He was the first member to publicly acknowledge that there was an American Mafia and broke down how the operation was structured, from the beginnings to the creation of the five families, to who killed who and who was buried where. The title comes from the papers that Valachi wrote detailing his life in the family for the government. Maas spent months interviewing Valachi (in prison) and confirming the dates and deaths in Valachi’s remarkable narrative. As with any mob book, there is a large cast of characters, with colorful names and menacing personalities, but Maas makes sure that Valachi’s voice is heard in all of its multiple tones.
May 16, 2024
Jospeh Valachi was the first ever person to openly declare belonging to the Mafia, acknowledging so its very existence.
His recounting was put black on white over more than 1,000 pages, then condensed by Peter Maas into this very manuscript, which is complete in its content, yet a quick and smooth page-turner.
Through Valachi's memoirs, we can see how the Mafia is a brutal and bloody money-making machine that sucks the life of every community it infects, acting like a true parasite.
You will learn what the Mafia actually is, going beyond the stereotypes of the Godfather franchise. You will understand how this organization evolved over time, changing from a simple racketeering gang, into a highly professional corporation.
Despair not though. Though the Mafia collected many victories, it is also true that justice managed to triumph over most gangs, eventually. If crime sometimes wins, justice wins more than not, despite what most media want us to believe. This book is a testament that even the most organized crime can be beaten and its misdeeds can be brought to light.
In conclusion, ‘The Valachi Papers’ is a highly educational script that you can devour in just one week, but that will get stuck in your mind (and hopefully in your conscience) forever. A timeless story that works like a colonoscopy inside the stinky bowels of organized crime, showing its inner workings in all of their brutality.
His recounting was put black on white over more than 1,000 pages, then condensed by Peter Maas into this very manuscript, which is complete in its content, yet a quick and smooth page-turner.
Through Valachi's memoirs, we can see how the Mafia is a brutal and bloody money-making machine that sucks the life of every community it infects, acting like a true parasite.
You will learn what the Mafia actually is, going beyond the stereotypes of the Godfather franchise. You will understand how this organization evolved over time, changing from a simple racketeering gang, into a highly professional corporation.
Despair not though. Though the Mafia collected many victories, it is also true that justice managed to triumph over most gangs, eventually. If crime sometimes wins, justice wins more than not, despite what most media want us to believe. This book is a testament that even the most organized crime can be beaten and its misdeeds can be brought to light.
In conclusion, ‘The Valachi Papers’ is a highly educational script that you can devour in just one week, but that will get stuck in your mind (and hopefully in your conscience) forever. A timeless story that works like a colonoscopy inside the stinky bowels of organized crime, showing its inner workings in all of their brutality.
April 5, 2019
New York was a crazy place back in the day! It's hard to believe most of the addresses mentioned were mob businesses or fronts. Even though it's a real account of the past, it almost reads like fiction or a movie script because it's so incredible.
My main criticism of the book was the number of name drops and mentions of names. Granted, this book was published in the 60s so all of the names mentioned in the book might have had more recognition, but to read it in 2019 was a struggle to keep up with who was who.
The book does a great job of making a narrative out of all of the testimony and interviews, explains the dynamics of the Cosa Nostra pretty well and traces a path through the history of the organization through the viewpoint of one man with coherence and lucidity. Like most stories about the Mafia, it has some elements of glorifying these criminals because of the code they follow and reverence and intrigue in which they were held, but certainly not to the extent of other books.
After reading it, my thoughts instantly went to The Godfather by Mario Puzo, which uses so much of the real information from this book (and other journalistic articles around the time) to create the characters, the structure of the mob and the code that they abide by, and it's crazy to think that that novel would have read more like normal contemporary fiction at the time of publication.
My main criticism of the book was the number of name drops and mentions of names. Granted, this book was published in the 60s so all of the names mentioned in the book might have had more recognition, but to read it in 2019 was a struggle to keep up with who was who.
The book does a great job of making a narrative out of all of the testimony and interviews, explains the dynamics of the Cosa Nostra pretty well and traces a path through the history of the organization through the viewpoint of one man with coherence and lucidity. Like most stories about the Mafia, it has some elements of glorifying these criminals because of the code they follow and reverence and intrigue in which they were held, but certainly not to the extent of other books.
After reading it, my thoughts instantly went to The Godfather by Mario Puzo, which uses so much of the real information from this book (and other journalistic articles around the time) to create the characters, the structure of the mob and the code that they abide by, and it's crazy to think that that novel would have read more like normal contemporary fiction at the time of publication.
January 9, 2019
Excellent. I was fascinated with the subject at the time, so I am surely a bit biased, though. Nevertheless, Valachi was the guy that forced the F.B.I. to acknowledge the existence of Cosa Nostra. J. Edgar Hoover himself would not acknowledge their existence, possibly because he knew that is had been around long before the F.B.I. and not by accident. So, perhaps he thought it was too difficult to conquer, and it was in the days before RICO. Perhaps it was because he liked Frank Costello giving him names of horses so he could win at the track - not to get rich, but just because he liked the thrill of it. Regardless, when Valachi, who'd been so loyal to his adopted family was abandonded by the very same, he did what he felt he had to, he proved that it is very dangerous to take away everything dear to someone and make them desperate.
Also, if you're an organized crime and/or Mafia/Cosa Nostra fan, this is classic literature. I highly recommend it. And, after you read it, check out the film version from 1972, starring Charles Bronson as Joe Valachi. (If you do, see if you can spot the actor that also appears in The GodFather.)
Also, if you're an organized crime and/or Mafia/Cosa Nostra fan, this is classic literature. I highly recommend it. And, after you read it, check out the film version from 1972, starring Charles Bronson as Joe Valachi. (If you do, see if you can spot the actor that also appears in The GodFather.)
December 6, 2017
This is perhaps the definitive account of how the 20th century Cosa Nostra (commonly known as the Mafia) operated. It is an admirable effort on Peter Maas's part to give Joseph Valachi's words a fair presentation. The main focus of the book is on Valachi's own personal story, but to understand it is to understand the inner workings of the Cosa Nostra. It is a fascinating but brutal history of Families and their bosses dealing in such "rackets" as restaurants, horse racing, and drugs. It was a tenuous atmosphere, where bosses such as Lucky Luciano, Salvatore Maranzana and Vito Genovese could order a mobster's death virtually at will. Perhaps the most impressive part of the book is Valachi's remarkable memory. He remembers the details of incidents that occurred decades before he was interviewed for this book, recalling the monetary figures involved as well.
The book is very readable. Though the story becomes somewhat banal after a while, any reader will keep engaged. I highly recommend this book as the definitive volume on organized crime in the 20th century.
The book is very readable. Though the story becomes somewhat banal after a while, any reader will keep engaged. I highly recommend this book as the definitive volume on organized crime in the 20th century.
January 7, 2018
Excellent journalism. Maas does a great job as usual, reporting on a very interesting man and more interesting times. He remains impartial and doesn’t offer his opinion very often, but allows Valachi to tell his own story, and allows the reader to make their own conclusions. The man and character Joseph Valachi was quite a dichotomy, and it’s clear that Maas too felt some level of sympathy for the killer. The Valachi Papers reads like a journalist report, but is as thrilling as any piece of fiction. If you’re interested in organized crime, prohibition, or secret societies, this book belongs in your library. This was a fundamental resource for me as I was researching for a novel, and I’m going to keep it around as long as the spine will hold.
January 27, 2025
3,1*
Tựa tiếng Việt : Ông trùm ( 2 tập)
In 800 cuốn khổ 13*19 cm, năm 1995
NXB Văn Nghệ
Đây là cuốn hồi ký của một tên xã hội đen mafia Ý tên Joseph Michael Valachi, đàn em của Charley Luciano, Vito Genovese.
Cuộc sống của những tên xã hội đen ở Mỹ chẳng khác gì những bộ phim, chúng giành giật địa bàn làm ăn, thanh toán nhau như cơm bữa. Cuốn này hầu như trình bày về sự kiện diễn ra trong cuộc đời của gã chứ không đi sâu phân tích nên đọc khá chán.
Nếu tác giả chịu đầu tư vào các cách viết thì những gì gã Valachi trải qua sẽ như một bộ phim hấp dẫn khiến khán giả thích thú vô cùng. Tiếc thay " có bột mà không gột nên hồ"!
Tựa tiếng Việt : Ông trùm ( 2 tập)
In 800 cuốn khổ 13*19 cm, năm 1995
NXB Văn Nghệ
Đây là cuốn hồi ký của một tên xã hội đen mafia Ý tên Joseph Michael Valachi, đàn em của Charley Luciano, Vito Genovese.
Cuộc sống của những tên xã hội đen ở Mỹ chẳng khác gì những bộ phim, chúng giành giật địa bàn làm ăn, thanh toán nhau như cơm bữa. Cuốn này hầu như trình bày về sự kiện diễn ra trong cuộc đời của gã chứ không đi sâu phân tích nên đọc khá chán.
Nếu tác giả chịu đầu tư vào các cách viết thì những gì gã Valachi trải qua sẽ như một bộ phim hấp dẫn khiến khán giả thích thú vô cùng. Tiếc thay " có bột mà không gột nên hồ"!
September 1, 2020
If one were to read this book without knowing about the timing of it, they would think, "ho-hum, another mob book". Well the reason I mention timing is this book predates all modern gangster books, Godfather etc... that I know of. Joe Valachi, in my opinion, was no hero, but he made the public more aware of mob life than probably anyone. So many cliches came from this book, the hits, the racketeering, the infidelities, the "family" organization and hierarchies.
Not written as well as it could have been, it is still quite a compelling read.
Not written as well as it could have been, it is still quite a compelling read.
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