Customer Reviews

Blue Thunder: How the Mafia Owned and Finally Murdered Cigarette Boat King Donald Aronow

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If you have an interest in offshore racing, take the time and read this compelling book about the father of the the industry. Ever heard of Thunderboat row? Find out the impact he had on some of the largest manufacturers in the country, and their attempts to to keep him out of the boat building business. You will learn about the rise and murder of Don Aronow and how state law enforcement of Florida(at the time led by the infamous Janet Reno) either bungled the investigation, or for whatever reason, let his death go unsolved. You will learn of the allegation that Don Aronow had ties to the mob, South American drug smugglers, and to the DEA. At the end you can surmise what you will of what his life was about, but you can't take away what he meant to the sport of offshore racing. Read it and pay homage.

This book has to be the best summary of politics, drug running, the offshore powerboat industry, the Mafia, crime, corruption and intrigue that I have ever read!! Aronow was an old friend of my family's in New Jersey and when he got murdered we all waited for the book to come out, sure enough it did and was excellent. If you love the mob, fast boats, fast cars, fast horses and beautiful women, BLUE THUNDER is a MUST READ!! Enjoy . . . . . H.L., Florida

Well written investigative reporting of an unsolved murder involving a who's-who list of characters including Don Aronow, Meyer Lansky, and George H.W. Bush. Fascinating true tale that finally solves the mystery, if the authorities wanted it to be solved.

This book is wild speculation with absolutely no facts to justify the assertion that Don Aronow was a "Mafia-associated drug runner." Burdick assumes that because Don Aronow was successful as a businessman in New Jersey that he had to have ties to the Mafia. But he offers no real facts support this conclusion. Burdick has few, if any documents, just speculative quotes or opinions from people on the fringe of the investigation. He quotes one Mafia-type source in Miami as telling him that Ben Kramer's father Jack was married to Mafia kingpin Meyer Lansky's niece. Burdick just accepts this as a fact without bothering to check any offical documents, like marriage licenses or birth records. This is the type of slipshod reporting this book is filled with. After the book came out, several of Burdick's primary sources stated that Burdick took what they said completely out of context or just plain misquoted them. Also, Burdick chose to write and publish the book before the Miami Police released their file of confidential documents. He did not have access to these documents and when they became public, they completely blew his Mafia hit theory out of the water. The Miami Police investigators checked out the rumor that Aronow was involved with drug dealing and the Mafia and have always denied that they found any connection. Without doubt, the biggest blow to the book's credibility is that Burdick named the two Chicago hit men that he claimed killed Aronow. Since then, TWO OTHER MEN pled guilty to killing Aronow. It is clear that Thomas Burdick began his research with the conclusion that Aronow was owned by and killed by the Mafia, and he twisted the facts anyway necessary to support his theory. A much better book on this subject is the 1998 Arthur Jay Harris book "Speed Kills." Also, the 2003 A&E City Confidential program about Don Aronow's murder gives a clear and concise picture of how the killing actually took place.

A little disappointed when the book arrived with no cover, which made for a pretty old, ugly looking book. I bought it for my son who is a boat fanatic, and he enjoyed the inside reading material, but would have been nice to have had the cover with the Donzi boat like was pictured.

I have recently purchased a classic Donzi speedboat and have become very interested in the origins of the Donzi Boat Company and the designer, Don Aronow.

I was looking for a book about speedboats and the men who design and race them. "Blue Thunder" was not that book. This is a book about a murder and far too much detail about the investigation of the crime and far too little about the man and the boats he designed. In addition to reporting on the crime itself, this writer filled the book with his own or hearsay rumors and innuendo about what happened. Kind of reminds me of those late night TV "documentaries" about how aliens may have landed on earth and built the pyramids. Phrases like, "when seen from the air, the pyramids seem to align and could be pointing the way to Alpha Centauri!". That sort of subjective "reporting" fills the book.

Essentially, this is a book for conspiracy theorists, not a book for those who enjoy being out on the water with a classic boat and want to know more about its history.

Great! Used book - as described - at a fair price. Quick delivery. I'm impressed with this excellent service.

I have really enjoyed this book. I like true stories, and am especially interested in speed boat racing, and stories about how the Mafia infiltrates businesses, and eventually takes them over! It certainly is an interesting read.

This is one of the most facinatinating books that I have read in a long time. As someone who lived in the south Fla area and owned a Donzi Classic, I followed Aranow's invention of the modern "go-fast". His boats and especially the Donzi became a piece of history that were powered by Holman and Moody Ford intercepter engines and set to run all day at almost 4,000 rpms. They would leap out of the water from wave crest to wave crest or out of large vessel wakes. His death and the events leading up to that blood mess has spawned many stories. This book captures all of the events.