American Indian Mafia: An FBI Agent's True Story about Wounded Knee, Leonard Peltier, and the American Indian Movement (AIM) [Paperback]

Joseph H. Trimbach (Author), John M. Trimbach (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 12, 2007

The book the AIM leadership does not want you to read!

For the first time, the true history of AIM is revealed through the eyes of an FBI Agent who was there. And for the first time, the AIM leadership's dirty little secrets are exposed, unlike in any other history book. In fact, this book exposes the history books. It is time to set the record straight for the benefit of all Native Americans.







"Although much has been written about the tragic events at Wounded Knee and Pine Ridge, Joe Trimbach's book appears to be the first definitive report of the courageous efforts of federal law enforcement (FBI, U.S. Marshals and BIA), often at great personal risk, to restore order to the Native Americans living in the midst of violence and intimidation. Mafia is well documented and presents an important contribution to our understanding of what actually happened."



-Judge William H. Webster, former Director, FBI,



former Director, CIA







"As a longtime journalist, author, and Oglala Lakota born, raised and educated on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, I have been appalled at the many books, movies, and documentaries about Wounded Knee II and about Leonard Peltier that are so filled with myths, misconceptions and outright lies. Trimbach takes apart Matthiessen's In the Spirit of Crazy Horse, movies like Thunderheart, Lakota Woman, and A Tattoo on My Heart - The Warriors of Wounded Knee 1973, and exposes them for the frauds that they are. It is refreshing to finally hear the other side of the story."



-Tim Giago, former editor and publisher of Indian Country Today,



author and nationally syndicated columnist







"A gripping, no-holds barred account of what really happened at Wounded Knee-one of the bloodiest and most controversial chapters in the long proud history of the FBI. Joe Trimbach is a myth-breaker; his carefully compiled chronology is a must-read for all Americans who seek truth behind the headlines."



-Oliver North, Lt Col USMC (Ret.)







"It's an ugly dark feeling realizing you were lied to. For many years I supported clemency for Leonard Peltier, and towed the line for leadership of the American Indian Movement. The facts, the anger, and the blame Mafia puts on AIM, on its sympathizers, and even on the institution Trimbach once worked for, is from a law-enforcement perspective, and is revealing. See clearly through the foggy AIM alibis, the false cry of civil rights. From a tiny element of Native America we once looked up to, the people's Movement was hijacked by false warriors, murderers, and liars. Whether you support the FBI or thought of it as your enemy, Mafia is a must-read for understanding the other side of the DMZ, established at Wounded Knee '73."



-Paul DeMain (Oneida-Ojibwe), Editor,



News From Indian Country

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

For the first time ever, an FBI Agent who was there tells the true history of the American Indian Movement (AIM). And for the first time, former Chief Agent Joseph H. Trimbach spills the beans on what really happened during those turbulent years in the early 1970s on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Trimbach's account exposes AIM's dirty little secrets unlike any other history book. In fact, American Indian Mafia exposes the history books! It is time to set the record straight for the benefit of historians, scholars, and all Americans who care about the truth.

The 1970s legacy of the Pine Ridge Reservation is haunted by the forgotten suffering of innocent victims and a falsified history found in almost every library in America. Sadly, what should have been a needed voice for Native America became a criminal enterprise on the reservation, where property was destroyed and lives were lost. A record founded in falsehoods and distortions completed the betrayal and denied the reality of lost opportunities, shattered lives, and a Movement hijacked by its leadership. Today, the perpetrators are known as "brave warriors" and "selfless activists," while many of their crimes against Indians are minimized, or not mentioned at all.

In this provocative narrative, former FBI Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Trimbach chronicles the true legacy of the American Indian Movement leadership and how this small group of radicals tore a path of destruction through the Pine Ridge Reservation on their way to personal gain, fame, and fortune. "Bad things happen when good people do nothing," says Trimbach, but as his carefully compiled story demonstrates, "the truth will win out in the fullness of time." Trimbach's account is what Native Americans have waited for. Read it and reap!

From the Back Cover

"The Peltier myth of innocence was a wormy ship, until Joe Trimbach came along and blew it out of the water... a powerful, powerful reporting of history."
--Bill Janklow, former Attorney General and Governor of South Dakota

"Mafia is the most authentic, on-site factual reporting of the events at Wounded Knee to date... supported by citations, evidence, and references of no dispute... an extraordinary effort... yet it will never be known how many innocent lives were saved by the men and women of the FBI."
--Frank E. Denholm, attorney and former U.S. Congressman, South Dakota (D)

"Finally, an excellent factual rendition of what actually happened at Wounded Knee, the Wounded Knee trials, and the aftermath."
--David Gienapp, former federal prosecutor and past President, South Dakota Bar Association

"Virtually every point Peltier's supporters cite in his favor has already been submitted to the courts and specifically rejected in each of the many published opinions analyzing his claims... These facts are expertly woven together by Joe Trimbach and should be sufficient to convince even the staunchest of Peltier's defenders that they bet on the wrong horse."
--Lynn Crooks, former Assistant U.S Attorney, District of North Dakota

"Using documents and materials that haven't been touched by reporters and writers in three decades, Joe Trimbach's first-person account devastates all the popular myths surrounding AIM's history. The gloss is gone, the legacy exposed for what it really is."
--Ed Woods, Founder, No Parole Peltier Association

"Mafia should be placed on library shelves across the country... a fine example of works of historic merit."
--Robert J. Heibel, Executive Director, Mercyhurst College, Institute for Intelligence Studies

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 631 pages
• Publisher: Outskirts Press (December 12, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979585503
• ISBN-13: 978-0979585500
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #330,507 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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58 of 84 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars AGE OF PROPAGANDA, February 9, 2008

By 

Frank Lee Speeks: "Exodus 23:1-2, Deuteronomy... (Monthly Book Club Review, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: American Indian Mafia: An FBI Agent's True Story about Wounded Knee, Leonard Peltier, and the American Indian Movement (AIM) (Paperback)

1. To say that American Indians are the Mafia is a figment of the imagination. The title of this book "American Indian Mafia" misrepresents all Indian people within the "American Indian Movement". An online dictionary defines Mafia as: "a secret criminal organization operating mainly in the United States and Italy and engaged in illegal activities such as gambling, drug-dealing, protection, and prostitution." The "American Indian Movement" is neither a "secret criminal organization" nor are they from "Italy".

2. The language throughout the reading has a sour demeanor while imposing negative racial profiles to describe Native American Indians regardless of their affiliations. Under the heading "A Bum Steer", Myrtle Poor Bear, who was a government FBI witness, is profiled in negative stereotypical terms. (Pages 441, 442, 599) A tone of racial arrogance and vengeance rings throughout this book.

3. There are no eyewitnesses, only hearsay and coerced testimony in this shallow, hollow account that does not prove Leonard Peltier shot or killed the FBI agents. While reading and searching for good solid evidence to support this claim, I did not find foolproof convincing evidence in this writing. Researching, I have found reliable information in the original court trial transcripts: US vs. LEONARD PELTIER, TRIAL TRANSCRIPT EXCERPTS - Case Number CR77-3003.

4. It is a contradiction to say that FBI Agent David Price and Anna Mae Aquash are "kindred spirits" as described on page 464 because they are opponents in their core beliefs. After all, it was David Price who ordered the mutilation of Anna Mae's body by having her hands cut off. If she had lived to see any kind of body mutilation (cutting off hands, arms, legs or decapitations) practiced on any person, she would have spoken in opposition to David Price for ordering this heinous act that desecrates the body regardless of his reasoning.

5. Conclusion: This book should be rated zero because it reads like a "Propaganda 101" novel. It lacks fairness, integrity and removes human dignity from those who suffered the most during this time, namely, the Native American Indian people. This is an example of 500 years of perpetual biased writing, ultimately living in the "Age of Propaganda". This work is graded " I " as an Incomplete Record of actual events due to the withholding of pertinent documents/information related to this matter. Skeptical reading is highly recommended for this book.

6. Note: It is shameful that there are a few Indian people who mercenarily cater for maza-ska to the forces that not only murdered their ancestors, but mutilated them as well. Historical examples of murder and mutilations are: (1862) Little Crow and the 39 Dakota hanged at Mankato, Minnesota, (1890) Sitting Bull at Little Eagle, South Dakota.

7. Dok-stah! Hoka-hey! Richard and Gary at Saint Michaels, MD

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars never free peltier, September 27, 2011

By 

idahojoe - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: American Indian Mafia: An FBI Agent's True Story about Wounded Knee, Leonard Peltier, and the American Indian Movement (AIM) (Paperback)

My friend is an AIM member and I always took for granted that Peltier was innocent and the FBI had somehow been responsible for all of the terror. Eventually I began to question just how big this conspiracy must be to keep Peltier behind bars. My friend even said the FBI murdered Anna Mae. When my friend traveled across the country to stand on the street on a candlelight vigil on Peltier's birthday, I thought I would research the case on my own. This book turned it all upside down! The documentation and facts cannot be disputed. AIM's history of terror, and Peltier's background were never mentioned in all that my friend had told me about. I even watched Incident at Oglala and bought into it. American Indian Mafia exposed it all, Peltier was out of jail on bond for attempted murder! Peltier admitted to the murders and Dennis Banks ex wife and best friend heard it and testified about in in court at Anna Mae's murder trial. Peltier even held a gun to her head thinking she was an informant. Robert Redford never mentioned that in his movie! AIM members, please read this book with an open mind. It refutes all of the arguments with the facts.....great book if a reader wants the truth.

39 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars American Indian Mafia - Mistitled, April 29, 2008

By 

N. Delaney (Lafayette, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: American Indian Mafia: An FBI Agent's True Story about Wounded Knee, Leonard Peltier, and the American Indian Movement (AIM) (Paperback)

As a sympathizer of the American Indian Movement (AIM) and a human rights activist, I find many of the accusations within American Indian Mafia to be not only insulting but highly irrelevant.

In September of 2001, international law attorney Paul Wolf testified before the United Nations Human Rights Commission, chaired by former Irish President Mary Robinson, about the covert FBI program code named COINTELPRO. I would encourage anyone wanting to better understand the practices of the FBI during the 1960s and 1970s to become familiar with this terminology before reading Mr. Trimbach's book. There are also a number of other publications available providing historical data regarding the American Indian Movement(AIM): i.e. Where White Men Fear To Tread by Russell Means. I suggest this information to be important prior to taking up Mr. Trimbach's book.

The American Indian Mafia is primarily focused on the case of Leonard Peltier and the incident at Wounded Knee of 1971. There is actually very little historical background about the American Indian Movement itself. The book strikes me as a defense document supporting the actions of the FBI as opposed to a historical account of what actually took place and why - similar to the "official" explanation of 9/11.

There are several issues that are totally avoided in the book: Firstly, what and who is AIM; Secondly, what was COINTELPRO; Thirdly, what was the situation that would have encouraged AIM's presence on the Pine Ridge Reservation; Fourthly, where did Dick Wilson get his financial support; and Finally, what was the FBI's response to Dick Wilson's actions leading up to and following the Wounded Knee incident?

Anyone taking a trip to the Pine Ridge Reservation will quickly perceive the magnitude of the problems faced by those Indians who live there. Adding corruption only intensifies the issues already in existence. If there is one positive element to come from American Indian Mafia, it is the potential for asking questions and seeking further knowledge. Only when comparing documents can a true image of what actually took place been seen. If Mr. Trimbach's accounts are valid, why has the FBI classified and declined to release related records that should have been made available at the original time of the Peltier trial?