Good Books on American Gangsterism - Any suggestions?

Silhouette Man

Do any members here have any good suggestions on good books on American gangsterism at all? I'm particularly interested in the time period of the 1920s to the 1960s, and how it all links in with the novels of Ian Fleming.

I'd be very grateful to hear all of our recommendations here on AJB...

Ammo08

My kids bought me this book a few years ago, I really enjoyed it. It really dwells more on American gangsters than "worldwide" gangsters.

There are a number of books on Al Capone. it's important to separate our gangsters of the 1920s and 1930s to separate them from just common outlaws like Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde and the Barker Gang.

The Valachi Papers by Peter Maas is excellent...

Silhouette Man

Thank you for your great suggestions, Ammo08. It was of course your initial post on the American Mafia in the original Fleming books that renewed my interest in this subject matter. Fascinating stuff.

Ammo08

The existence of the Mob had never been in doubt, but the Valachi hearings really opened everyone's eyes to just how powerful they were and how well organized.

Although Sicilians and Neopolitans ran the Mafia, many Irish, Jews, Greeks, Lebanese and Syrians made it to the top ranks..

Two other books I've read:

Gangs of St. Louis: Men of Respect by Daniel Waugh
A History of St. Louis Gangsters: A Chronology of Mob Activity on Both Sides of the River Ranging from the Egan Rats to the Last Mob Leader on Record by John Auble

Ammo08

An uncle of mine testified against a low ranking mob member in St Louis, a few days later his taxi cab was broadsided by a stolen newspaper truck, the driver was never identified. My uncle recovered from his injuries, but moved as soon as possible.

Silhouette Man

Ammo08 wrote:

An uncle of mine testified against a low ranking mob member in St Louis, a few days later his taxi cab was broadsided by a stolen newspaper truck, the driver was never identified. My uncle recovered from his injuries, but moved as soon as possible.

Hey, that sounds just like the Drax's Gambit scene from Ian Fleming's Moonraker, but as they say, "Truth is stranger than fiction." -{

Ammo08

I have often wondered how much Hollywood influenced the Mob or the Mob influenced Hollywood. I have a funny feeling that after The Godfather came out an awful lot of mobsters suddenly developed accents and mannerisms they never had.

"Leave the gun, take the canoli,,,"

Silhouette Man

See this video on You Tube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3yon2GyoiM

Sicilian Mafia being deflated. )

Silhouette Man

Ammo08 wrote:

I have often wondered how much Hollywood influenced the Mob or the Mob influenced Hollywood. I have a funny feeling that after The Godfather came out an awful lot of mobsters suddenly developed accents and mannerisms they never had.

"Leave the gun, take the canoli,,,"

Interesting connection - you could probably write a few books just on that very theme alone. Doubtless, though, someone already has!

Ammo08

Back in the early 1970s there was a minor war going on in Kansas City, MO between two families...a bar was blown up one night,,this is the funny part, the mobster put so much dyanmite under the bar that they found bricks five blocks away,,,it's a miracle no one was killed.

Down in Tennessee where I'm from we had a peculiar type war with the KKK and the Mob fighting over bootleg rights...if you read the book Walking Tall, that is essentially what Buford Pussar got caught between...he lost. The book shades the truth quite often, so don't take it as gospel....

E.H. "Boss" Crump of Memphis often used the Mob to his advantage...and theirs...

Silhouette Man

Ammo08 wrote:

Back in the early 1970s there was a minor war going on in Kansas City, MO between two families...a bar was blown up one night,,this is the funny part, the mobster put so much dyanmite under the bar that they found bricks five blocks away,,,it's a miracle no one was killed.

Down in Tennessee where I'm from we had a peculiar type war with the KKK and the Mob fighting over bootleg rights...if you read the book Walking Tall, that is essentially what Buford Pussar got caught between...he lost. The book shades the truth quite often, so don't take it as gospel....

E.H. "Boss" Crump of Memphis often used the Mob to his advantage...and theirs...

You seem to have much personal knowledge - did you ever consider writing any of these stories down as a possible book, Ammo08?

Ammo08

I don't know why I have had an interest in this stuff since I was kid, probably just from knowing that some of the guys in our neighborhood in Memphis seemed fairly well off with no visible means of support.

I'm also sure I heard the adults in my family talking about them.

Do ya'll get the American TV show Justified in the UK? It has I think the best view of the modern mob; Southern and Midwestern accents, living in smaller towns and not flashing too much money and always having to be careful. Many changed their family names over the decades to sound less foreign...they're still there, just being more careful. They are often integrated into the communities; their kids go to school there, the wife works, maybe they are in the Chamber of Commerce,,,they attract a lot less attention that way.

A book I read recently on the mob is Kill The Irishman, it has also been made into a really good movie with Christopher Walken. You can't put the book down once you start reading it.