Gangland: How the FBI Broke the Mob [Mass Market Paperback]

Howard Blum (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2, 2002

In the bestselling tradition of Wiseguy and Boss of Bosses -- the inside story of the fall of the "Teflon Don"

The team: A handpicked squad of FBI agents -- led by a war hero determined to get the job done. The target: John Gotti, the seemingly invincible head of the richest and most powerful crime of modern-day Untouchables, the FBI's C-16 Organized Crime squad, who finally ended the cocky crime lord's reign of terror.

Drawing on unprecedented access to FBI records and agents, bestselling author and prize-winning journalist Howard Blum tells the riveting and suspenseful story behind the headlines. Here is the deadly game of cat and mouse that pitted Gotti, his ruthless henchmen and his elusive law-enforcement mole against the Bureau.

It is a tale of courage, murder and betrayal. From Mafia backrooms to FBI squad rooms, from the high-tech electronic invasion of Gotti's headquarters to the desperate effort to expose the mole, Gangland is more shocking than fiction -- an instant Mafia classic.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Former New York Times reporter Blum reveals how the FBI captured mob leader John Gotti, an investigation that lasted seven years and cost $75 million.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Known as the "Teflon Don" for his ability to elude justice, mobster John Gotti gloried in his notoriety and power; time after time he walked away from another indictment a free man. No wonder that the FBI dedicated enormous technical and financial resources to bringing him down. Former New York Times investigative reporter Blum ( I Pledge Allegiance , LJ 11/1/87) interweaves the tale of Gotti's rise through the mob hierarchy with the story of FBI agent Bruce Mouw's single-minded efforts to accumulate enough evidence to bring about an indictment that would stick. Gotti's involvement in the murder of rival boss Paul Castellano is detailed, as are other instances of mob hits at the hands of Gotti's henchman, Sammy Gravano. Meanwhile, the FBI's efforts to plant bugs inside the Ravenite Social Club, Gotti's inner sanctum, were underway, ultimately yielding just enough information to form the makings of a case. With the arrest of the principal players, Gravano decided to testify against the boss, adding sufficient weight to put Gotti away for life without parole. Blum weaves all these strands into a compelling narrative that will keep readers turning pages to the satisfying conclusion. For all true crime collections. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 7/93.
- Ben Harrison, East Orange P.L., N.J.
Copyright 1993 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: 432 pages
• Publisher: Pocket (April 2, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671900153
• ISBN-13: 978-0671900151
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,527,398 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Having started out my career as a reporter for the NY Times, I've moved on to being an author. And while I'm still writing non-fiction, I'm now more focused in writing books that are driven by characters and a sustained narrative. I live in Connecticut and am the father of 3 teenagers - one in college, one starting next year, and one still struggling through high school geometry. My tenth book will be published by Crown/Random House April 26. It's entitled THE FLOOR OF HEAVEN and its a true story about a cowboy turned Pinkerton detective who goes off to the Yukon Gold Rush to pursue a puzzling and suspenseful case. Twentieth Century Fox just bought the film rights, and I find the prospect of a movie based on the book to be exciting - as do the bursars at the colleges attended by my kids.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Classic story of the dedication to break the mob., December 17, 2002

By 

Kevin Lynds (San Diego, Ca USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gangland: How the FBI Broke the Mob (Mass Market Paperback)

This book has everything in it about the most colorful character the mob has had since Al Capone (which wasn't necessarily a good thing). It is a very detailed account of not just Gotti's world but the world of the FBI who was trying to bring him down, from dealing with lawyers, to wiretaps in homes, to wiretapping cars on the street, to dealing with members of the mob themselves (as when the FBI heard a hit order was put out on a couple agents, how SAIC Mowe went to Gotti's front door to confront him personally), etc. If there is a drawback to this book, it is that some of the FBI details were a little long winded, and at some points seemed to slow the book down. But better to err on the side of details than to leave a reader asking questions, which there weren't that many after reading this book. On a sidebar note, it gives the reader an idea of how the cards are usually stacked against the good guys and the obstacles that they have to overcome to get the bad guys.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A pinnacle in American organized crime history., July 10, 2002

By 

Cesar Cruz (Albuquerque, NM) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gangland: How the FBI Broke the Mob (Mass Market Paperback)

Gangland is the most thorough and professional telling of the fall of John Gotti. I was already familiar with the characters from other books, primarily "Boss of Bosses," so I was very pleased to wrap up the story as told by this highly skilled author and journalist.

The biggest difference between this and other mafia books is that almost all other books are written as first person accounts by the participants (i.e. FBI agents, mobsters, etc.). As an unbiased observer, Blum can tell the entire story in all of its fascinating detail - from FBI squad rooms to the inner circle of Gotti's most private mob retreats. This professional detachment does not in any way hamper the personal details of the story. Blum can still make you feel like an insider. Probably the best example of this is when he recounts Gotti and Sammy "the Bull" Gravano's murder of Gambino crime family boss Paul Castellano. When you read the story again later in the book - as part of Gravano's confession - it brings chills down your back yet again. You can sense the excitement of the government agents and prosecutors who are hearing the story for the first time. It is a true pinnacle in American organized crime history.

Gangland is a required companion to other fine mafia books like "Donnie Brasco," "Boss of Bosses," and to a lesser extent "Underboss." The only thing to remember is that its journalistic approach is markedly different from the "I was there" approach of other books. Just stick with it as everything unravels perfectly in the end.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Accurate and fascinating, if a little biased, July 24, 2000

By 

"[e-mail]" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gangland: How the FBI Broke the Mob (Mass Market Paperback)

More than an account of the rise and fall of one of the most charismatic Godfathers of all time, this is an intriguing insight into the artistry and complexity of surveillance and inter-departmental politics. It is the fascinating and accurate account of the slog, it can only be called, of Bruce Mouw and his FBI organized crime team over the years it took to finally bring the Teflon Don to justice.

One could argue that the book is shamelessly biassed in favor of the FBI. The often competing fellow law enforcement agencies are often depicted with almost the same scorn as the gangsters themselves. One could also argue that the noble crusade to convict a notorious felon was really more like a foot race for bragging rights to his head. The book does not completely discard this notion but does appear to justify the FBI's behavior while criticizing that of the Organized Crime task force and the Police Department when essentially the motivation was the same.

However, the book rightfully avoids glamorizing the criminals, and offers a fascinating account of the technology, logistics and economics of wire-tapping, surveillance and snitch recruitment. It is excellently written, detailed, yet economical, and meshes dramatic techniques with never-wavering factual accuracy seamlessly. One of the better true crime books written.