Gang Mom (St. Martin's True Crime Library) [Mass Market Paperback]

Fred Rosen (Author)

Book Description

Series: St. Martin's True Crime Library | Publication Date: December 1998

The bed was soaked in blood. Eighteen-year-old Arron Iturra had been sound asleep when someone crept into his room and shot him--execution style. His family was stunned; the police were baffled; and soon the quiet community of Eugene, Oregon would be rocked by the truth behind this shocking crime...

Mary Louise Thompson, dubbed: "Gang Mom" by a local newspaper for her courageous campaign against gangs, seemed to devote her life to being a surrogate mother, offering troubled teens the caring and support they desperately needed. But no one knew that the plump housewife had masterminded a violent local gang--and ordered a hit on Arron Iturra.

Now in an account of riveting psychological intensity, reporter Fred Rosen reveals the uncensored facts of the story he helped break...about kids looking for kicks and the woman who used them in her own twisted scheme of greed, revenge, and cold-blooded murder.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Expanding on his 1997 Reader's Digest article, Rosen (former New York Times columnist) explores the lives of Mary Thompson and the teenage members of her Eugene, Ore., gang?the 74 Hoover Crips. Although seeming to be an anti-gang activist?as evidenced in speeches she gave at local high schools?Thompson convinced her posse that 17-year-old Aaron Iturra, whom she had entrusted to protect her son, needed to be killed. Detectives investigating the case came to her for help; what they found instead was a hidden past of recurrent crimes and lies. At first, police were doubtful they could get Thompson for murder and were prepared to settle for lesser charges, but thanks to her own incriminating statements through police wiretaps and while on the stand, she was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. While Rosen displays an extensive knowledge of gang lifestyle and terminology, as well as of police procedure and investigative techniques, his frequent interjections to the narrative ("Scripted tears, spare me!") only point out the obvious and detract from the overall effect.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press (December 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312968108
• ISBN-13: 978-0312968106
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,427,446 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good story, but lacks depth, August 27, 2000

By 

Crystal J. Morton (El Paso, TX (United States)) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gang Mom (St. Martin's True Crime Library) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a very ironic case, where a single mother who is well known in her community for her tough stance against gangs turns out to be the ringleader of one. Unfortunately, while the story itself is very interesting, the book is not written all that well. I felt it lacked depth. I think more detail and more background is called for, to give the reader the feeling of knowing the characters. There were also some confusing and/or conflicting passages. Worth reading, but not one of my favorite true crime books.