Double Deal: The Inside Story of Murder, Unbridled Corruption, and the Cop Who Was a Mobster [Mass Market Paperback]

Sam Giancana (Author), Michael Corbitt (Author), Bettina Giancana (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 24, 2004

An expose of organised crime and its unholy alliance with world leaders, intelligence agencies, and law enforcement, Double Deal is a 40–year saga told with unflinching honesty by mob insider and former Chicago chief of police Michael Corbitt.

Growing up poor and angry, Michael Corbitt fought his way up the ranks of greasers and street gangs until he attracted the attention of Chicago crime boss Sam Giancana, who placed him on the Willow Springs, Illinois, police force. By the time Corbitt was appointed chief of police, he'd also moved up the Outfit's ranks and was living the high life of a respected mobster.

Corbitt's luck turned when he was indicted on charges of racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder. Although there was a mob contract on his life and he was facing a 20–year jail sentence, he refused to testify against organised crime figures under the witness protection programme, maintaining instead the Mafioso's code of silence – until his release from prison.

Now Corbitt breaks that silence, holding back nothing–including the account of his personal involvement in the brutal murder of the wife of Chicago mob attorney Alan Masters.

Corbitt bares his soul, confessing in graphic – sometimes horrific – detail a life lived as both saint and sinner, a life that moved back and forth between the conflicting worlds of the police officer and the gangster with ease.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This is a fast-paced inside look at the workings of the Chicago-based organized crime syndicate and its national and international dealings, by a highly decorated former Illinois police officer who spent his entire law enforcement career working for the Mob. Co-author Giancana covered much of the same territory in Double Cross, his bestselling look at the U.S. Mafia, but here his obvious model is Nicholas Pileggi's Wiseguy, the classic insider look at the New York crime world through the words of ex-mobster Henry Hill. Surprisingly, Corbitt's story compares favorably to that earlier classic true crime tale as he narrates his rise from the ranks of an average Chicago gang to being a player with the likes of Sam "Momo" Giancana (his co-author's uncle) and Tony Accardo-perhaps the two most important figures in the history of post-WWII Chicago crime. Giancana captures Corbitt's eye for the sleazy details of Mob life, such as the time he sees "half a million in loose diamonds" wrapped in a brown paper bag on the front seat of Momo's car, "looking like a ham sandwich." But the heart of the book is Corbitt's description of the mysterious figure of Hy Larner, who, along with Meyer Lansky, controlled organized crime in the U.S. in the 1970s and 1980s. Corbitt's first-hand accounts of Larner's dealings with shady figures like Lansky, the Shah of Iran and Manuel Noriega, as well as with agents of the Israeli government, the Mossad and the CIA, provide some new evidence of the extent of organized crime's involvement with the government.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

The Double Cross-ing Corbitt returns.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Avon (February 24, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061030481
• ISBN-13: 978-0061030482
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #154,574 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #12 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Specific Groups > Criminals
  • #70 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Regional U.S. > Midwest
  • #77 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > True Accounts > True Crime

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting look at Chicago-area corruption, April 2, 2003

By 

Edward D. Terhune "Ed T." (Basking Ridge, NJ United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Double Deal: The Inside Story of Murder, Unbridled Corruption, and the Cop Who Was a Mobster (Hardcover)

I approached this book with some degree of trepidation. I had read Mr. Giancana's previous book "Double Cross" and had not been particularly impressed. That Mooney Giancana was a powerful mob boss is beyond dispute. However, I'm always mistrustful when authors of these mob books portray their protagonists as omniscient entities whose influence is infinite and extends into every corner of the globe. Giancana's brother and nephew have the Chicago Mob Chieftan claiming responsibility for everything from the death of Marilyn Monroe to the JFK election/assassination. Such omnipotence in anybody strikes me as highly improbable and unrealistic. It should be borne in mind by these authors that "The Godfather" is as much a myth about the underworld as "Gone With The Wind" is a myth about the Old South. Thankfully, in this book, the same mistake is not made. Corbitt is allowed to speak in his own voice and his tale is told in a straightforward, convincing manner. No embellishment is needed to horrify the reader. It's all there- the pervasive corruption, the alternately charming and chilling Mafia characters, and the cold-blooded violence and brutality. Corbitt knew many mob characters throughout his ignominious career but he doesn't claim a greater intimacy or influence with them than seems realistic. This is not an uplifting tale about the human condition and it's difficult to delineate who is more contemptible- the callous, bloodthirsty mobsters or the craven politicians and officials who take their money and facilitate their ability to corrupt and kill. Corbitt and his associates won't generate much sympathy or compassion. Indeed, his story is likely to sicken those who still believe in the inherent integrity of our Governmental system. Still, in a "True Crime" field where much that is published reads more like fantasy than fact, the book that Giancana and Corbitt have authored seems a notable exception to that depressing rule.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book...., September 2, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Double Deal: The Inside Story of Murder, Unbridled Corruption, and the Cop Who Was a Mobster (Hardcover)

This was a great read. I live right in Chicago, near Oak Park, so this was especially of interest to me. Iam not sure if its all true or not, but if it is, it makes a lot of sense. This book offers lots of explanations, i.e. Marilyn Monroe, Kennedy assasination,etc. and once you read them, they really make you think.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Accurate, November 30, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Double Deal: The Inside Story of Murder, Unbridled Corruption, and the Cop Who Was a Mobster (Hardcover)

As a life long resident of the SW side of Chicago I was able to corroborate many of the accounts Mr. Corbitt gives in Double Deal. Many of the "baby boomers" who were "in the Know" from my area stated that Mr. Corbitt was a very influential gangster associate on the SW side. The man was heavy and dangerous. He killed people,but many were in the line of duty. He also made it very clear in the book that he wasn't an angel.The man gives some very accurate accounts of his life and experiences