adelamercedes's review against another edition

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2.0

There is some interesting and shocking information in this book. Whether you believe it or not it's quite jaw-dropping. However, it's almost too overwhelming since it comes across as 2 or more stories wrapped in one. Also, the author jumps around a lot and includes random people do briefly it doesn't make the story flow. Just an ok read for a book purchased at the Dollar Store.

trishabee2000's review against another edition

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3.0

Better written that most true crime books and well worth the dollar I spent on it at Dollar Tree.

thomasroche's review against another edition

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1.0

I'm sorry to have to give this one star, but it just doesn't deserve any more. Like [b:Gaspipe: Confessions of a Mafia Boss|6719361|Gaspipe Confessions of a Mafia Boss|Philip Carlo|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255687876s/6719361.jpg|2115071], it is not really a book. There's nothing new but some warmed-over sentimental childhood memories from someone whose half-assed reflections are presented as fact that I as a reader am supposed to care about, without either the insight or detail that should be brought to all memoirs or the investigatory qualities that belong in anything third-person about organized crime. Garden-variety historical realities are presented out of context and in rapturous tones as "revelations." It's obvious throughout that the author has brought very little of her own to the table in terms of knowledge of organized crime, and yet has presented Scarpa Jr's recollections as factual, sometimes uncorroborated and far too often unquestioned third-person accounts, which is a huge mistake when dealing with an obviously unreliable confessor. The moment the intro asserted that Harmon's principal interviewee had tipped the authorities off to 9/11 before it happened, and the FBI ignored him, I should have known I was in for a rocky road. It only got rockier.

In my opinion, this adds nothing new to the literature on organized crime. Sorry.
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