Goombata: The Improbable Rise and Fall of John Gotti and His Gang [Mass Market Paperback]

John Cummings (Author), Ernest Volkman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1992

The Dapper Don

A cocky kid from the streets of East New York, he rose to become one of the most feared men in the nation.

Establishing a power base through brilliant politicking and blood-chilling ruthlessness, at 45 he took control of America's richest, most powerful crime family following the gangland-style execution of his predecessor.

Though the target of almost contionous FBI and police surveillance, he has spent little time in prison . . . and has "never been convicted of racketeering, drug-trafficking or murder.

Prize-winning journalists John Cummings and Ernest Volkman's shocking true account of the brutal and meteoric rise of John "Johhny Boy" Gotti from Brooklyn "bone-breaker" to lord of the Gambino Family -- a riveting exploration into the the bloody machinery of La Cosa Nostra operating on the dark side of the American dream.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This brisk, no-holds-barred biography of Mafia boss John Gotti often makes The Godfather look tame. Gotti, recently acquitted of ordering the murder of a union official, is portrayed as a violent thug who worked his way up the mob's ranks, gaining expertise in contract murder, airport theft, hijacking, heroin trafficking, illegal gambling and extortion. In tracing Gotti's "perverse American success story"--his climb from young bookmaker stalking East Harlem in all-purple outfits to Gambino family boss--Cummings and Volkman (coauthors of The Heist ) also perform a biopsy of a social cancer, the modern Mafia. This is must reading for anyone who wants to understand La Cosa Nostra. Photos. Author tour.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Gotti, the media's current Mafia superstar, is known as "the dapper don" for his expensive clothes and his flamboyant high profile. The authors, who last wrote The Heist (LJ 9/15/86), chronicle the ascent of Gotti and his buddies ( goombata ) from street hoodlums to leadership of New York City's Gambino crime family. This a fast-paced, readable story filled with the usual crimes, murders, vicious thuggery, and perversely comic incidents typical of organized crime. Gotti, who just was acquitted of his latest round of criminal charges, was also profiled in Mob Star by Gene Mustain and Jerry Capeci (Watts, 1988). Both books tell a similar tale, and those libraries without Mob Star may wish to add Goombata .
- Gregor A. Preston, Univ. of California Lib., Davis
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Avon (January 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380714876
• ISBN-13: 978-0380714872
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,501,941 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars goombata, January 23, 2001

By 

BERYL MANN (Halifax England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Goombata: The Improbable Rise and Fall of John Gotti and His Gang (Mass Market Paperback)

not the best book i have read but not the worst.despite the book being flawed because it finishes before the final prossecution. it does offer a few good chapters and also throws down some opinions that s contradicted by other sources.like who did whack his body gaurd near the end of the book.some good photos but not exactly a work of art. if only he good have waited to find out what happened at the final prossecution then he could have definately called the rise and fall of john gottis crew .there are definatelly better mob books on the market but if you do want a different veiw then it may be worth checking out.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Goombata book review, April 8, 2003

By 

Jeremy Soderquist (Fairfax, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Goombata: The Improbable Rise and Fall of John Gotti and His Gang (Mass Market Paperback)

John Gotti( Dapper Don), I feel is the cause for the downfall of the Gambino crime family. In "Goombata", it shows how Gotti loved the attention from the Press and Media. He alone made the FBI and RICO chase after him. John Gotti wanted a flamboyant life-style, which is why he was number one target among organized crime leaders. John Gotti broke the number one rule in La Cosa Nostra, the secret life.
I like the tone the author set. Chapter after chapter I wanted to know what John Gotti was going to do to become a known man within the Gambino family. "Goombata" is a fast and terse biography. This novel would've been the perfect biography but the author, John Cummings, did'nt make the novel long enough. He could've coverd more about his coming up among the ranks years. Also, there was no clear resolution because when this book was published, John Gotti was on trial for racketereering charges that he later was found guilty for. Overall rating, three stars.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars ok, April 7, 2000

By 

avdr (san diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Goombata: The Improbable Rise and Fall of John Gotti and His Gang (Mass Market Paperback)

goombata is not a great mob book.it tends to explore too much of john gottis childhood.the book is about the rise and fall of gotti but it didnt really float my boat.it has a couple of good chapters but the rest are average.on one occasion it tells how gotti,i guess you can say killed the man who accidentally ran over his son.the man pleaded with gotti but john didnt have mercy for the man.he just dissapeared but we all know that gotti got him.