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caitlinxmartin's review against another edition
3.0
T.J. English is one of the best writers of true crime reporting that is a leap above the usual cheap paperbacks full of gory pictures that you see at the grocery store. His books are well-written, well-researched, and as much about the context of the crime or organized crime group that he is writing about.
The Westies is his first book. In it you can see him working through all the things that will make his later books so fascinating. While he's written most about organized crime, he's continuing to expand his repertoire into further fields. Since Whitey Bulger was captured I've been wanting to go back and read this one - it was very hard to find when I discovered English and the one copy I did find was, shall we say, extremely used - ultimately the copy was so filthy it made it hard to want to read it.
I was very happy to see that the book had been published in a Kindle format and really dug into things this time. The Westies is about a group of semi-organized criminals who operated out of the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood in New York (now called Clinton). They grew up in an atmosphere were crime was a way of life and they became one of the most notorious gangs in history. For twenty years they ruled with an iron fist - dismembering, murdering, selling drugs, robbing, loansharking - the list goes on and on. They terrified the Italian mob so much that they made an alliance with The Westies in order to try to tamp down the violence that caused a lot of unwanted attention.
The Westies were a phenomenon of their changing time - the world they grew up in and into was a different place than the world of their parents. Much of their extreme brutality can be explained by the quote above along with exposure to the Vietnam War and their use and abuse of cocaine along with many other drugs.
They were brought down by Mickey Featherstone, a long-time member and right-hand man to James "Jimmy" Coonan, the nominal leader of the crew. Featherstone is a complicated figure and the tale of his association with the Westies is a fascinating one.
One warning: This is not a book for the squeamish. The Westies were infamous for their brutal violence and it would be impossible to write about them without writing about that in detail.
The Westies is his first book. In it you can see him working through all the things that will make his later books so fascinating. While he's written most about organized crime, he's continuing to expand his repertoire into further fields. Since Whitey Bulger was captured I've been wanting to go back and read this one - it was very hard to find when I discovered English and the one copy I did find was, shall we say, extremely used - ultimately the copy was so filthy it made it hard to want to read it.
I was very happy to see that the book had been published in a Kindle format and really dug into things this time. The Westies is about a group of semi-organized criminals who operated out of the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood in New York (now called Clinton). They grew up in an atmosphere were crime was a way of life and they became one of the most notorious gangs in history. For twenty years they ruled with an iron fist - dismembering, murdering, selling drugs, robbing, loansharking - the list goes on and on. They terrified the Italian mob so much that they made an alliance with The Westies in order to try to tamp down the violence that caused a lot of unwanted attention.
The Westies were a phenomenon of their changing time - the world they grew up in and into was a different place than the world of their parents. Much of their extreme brutality can be explained by the quote above along with exposure to the Vietnam War and their use and abuse of cocaine along with many other drugs.
They were brought down by Mickey Featherstone, a long-time member and right-hand man to James "Jimmy" Coonan, the nominal leader of the crew. Featherstone is a complicated figure and the tale of his association with the Westies is a fascinating one.
One warning: This is not a book for the squeamish. The Westies were infamous for their brutal violence and it would be impossible to write about them without writing about that in detail.
sireno8's review against another edition
5.0
It's been a while since I've read a book that i could not put down and this is it! It took me a second to get past the slanginess of the writing but ultimately the tone and cinematic style of it got me further entreched in the story and was a naturally and completely compelling way to tell it. and what a story. so many twists and turns with the added bonus that it's true and happened in my neighborhood. (the front cover is my corner). constantly surprising and completely absorbing. was like having an A&E or TruTV True Crime Special in my book bag. Loved it!
lukeisthename34's review against another edition
4.0
Approachable and deeply upsetting. You understand all the characters, but can never fully understand why they do what they do. Well written and a must read for mafia fans.
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I read The Westies years ago. When The Departed came out, I had a fixation for anything to with the Irish Mob and randomly found this in my local Borders (RIP). I remember it being interesting at the time but I wasn’t into it as I was tales of Whitey Bulger and Boston, who I thought had a more compelling story. So it sat in the recesses of my mind for years.
On another organized crime kick, I decided to re-read it. Even though I didn’t retain much of what I read before, I remain fascinated with the idea that there was this violent gang operating amidst slum-like tenements just blocks away from one of the most famous zip codes in the world. Sure, Times Square in the 70s and 80s isn’t what it was in the 50s or is today but still…it’s Times Square! And these dudes were hacking people left and right just a stones throw away.
Anyway, I liked this a lot more and I think that’s due to the author. TJ English knows what he’s doing. He’s not a sensationalist, he has good prose, he backs everything with essential sources. I appreciated his efforts. I also got a deeper look into Mickey Featherstone. English uses his sources to form Featherstone into a fully-realized person, rather than just the violent, zonked-out war vet he was often portrayed as being.
On top of it all, English brings a neighborhood to life without going over the top. I got a great sense of what the dregs of Manhattan were like in the era of the Westies. Still surprised by its proximity to midtown Manhattan but that’s what happens when you have bad zoning laws and horrible housing policies.
On another organized crime kick, I decided to re-read it. Even though I didn’t retain much of what I read before, I remain fascinated with the idea that there was this violent gang operating amidst slum-like tenements just blocks away from one of the most famous zip codes in the world. Sure, Times Square in the 70s and 80s isn’t what it was in the 50s or is today but still…it’s Times Square! And these dudes were hacking people left and right just a stones throw away.
Anyway, I liked this a lot more and I think that’s due to the author. TJ English knows what he’s doing. He’s not a sensationalist, he has good prose, he backs everything with essential sources. I appreciated his efforts. I also got a deeper look into Mickey Featherstone. English uses his sources to form Featherstone into a fully-realized person, rather than just the violent, zonked-out war vet he was often portrayed as being.
On top of it all, English brings a neighborhood to life without going over the top. I got a great sense of what the dregs of Manhattan were like in the era of the Westies. Still surprised by its proximity to midtown Manhattan but that’s what happens when you have bad zoning laws and horrible housing policies.
sariggs's review against another edition
2.0
I read this because I thought it would have more about the motion picture teamsters local. (I think there was 4 sentences total on them). It wasn't a good enough reason to read the whole thing. I'd recommend reading the last 3rd of the book only, if you are compelled to pick this book up.
fables630's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this, hard to believe this is his first book. I enjoyed this more than Havana Nocturne which was a stellar read.
gregotto's review against another edition
4.0
Shocked this portion of organized crime hasn't had its own movie or television series yet.
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