Customer Reviews

Gotti: Rise and Fall

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Allthough parts of this book read like the new york times,i think jerry went to great lengths to get the events of the story in the correct order.also jerry gives a view from both sides which is unbiased to one or the other and while some of the events are debatable i think you would find jerrys account more credible than other sources .jerry goes to great length to illustrate how the legal aspects were and as i am from england and not knowing how your legal structure works i found this helpfull to understand how things worked.on the whole a very detailed account of the rise and fall of the dapper don himself.a good read one for the openminded.

This is the best book on John Gotti, there is no question about it. Capeci & Mustain provide an entirely objective, intelligent and succint synopsis of the short reign of the flamboyant mobster from his rise until his inevitable fall, to define the namesake of the book title. The text is legible, concise, and matter-of-fact, without personal opinions or confusing dialogue that is not properly formatted. One could almost consider the book a well-researched and reader-friendly FBI briefing minus the capitals. There are many books available on John Gotti, and the Gambino family, but none are as carefully scrutinized and well-displayed as Rise And Fall. The addition of photographs is a plus, as they give the reader a glimpse of whom the press referred to as 'The Dapper Don' in all his Brioni, Armani and Hugo Boss glory. But the man himself is not glorified for the book, rightfully, and any romanticisms that remained ingrained in the minds of mob buffs is duly erased in this novel, for it is a blow-by-blow account of a ruthless mob boss, a liar, a bragger, a criminal and a killer. In fact, the aftermath of the gangster's demise resonates justice, and brings a sense of pride to a once-corrupted American justice system. Capeci is, as always, the cream of organized crime media.

9/10

I think this book is a must read for people who are fans of John Gotti and for people who are generaly intersted in organozed crime. This book not only portrays an acurate picture of the rise and fall of John Gotti but it also gives readers a picture of the inside workings of the Gambino crime family. It is very interesting and you can learn a lot.

I think the book is excellent. As a mafia novice who purchased the book for something to read during spring break, I read the book in one night- I could not put it down. It does a good job at detailing the organization of the Gambino family and Cosa nostra in general. It also gives good biographical accounts of both Gotti and Gravano. I find mob movies empty most of the time so reading a non-fiction account of Mob life in its most famous family was fascinating for me. For 6 bucks, you get ten times more out of it than an 8 dollar movie.

The authors have written an informative book about the former Gambino family boss with a lot of details about his personal life and his career as a criminal in a ruthless, dangerous environment. At times, though it felt like l was reading a series of newspaper articles, but after all the authors are journalists.

There is much info about the activities and structure of the Gambino family and the members and their rackets. There is also plenty of info about how the Police, F.B.I and the Justice Department tried to put Castellano, Gotti and others away in jail.

Gotti comes across as a clever, ruthless criminal who is a natural leader and is able to gain the confidence of his close
associates. He gets away with the the Castellano whack and moves quickly to establish himself as the Gambino boss with his soldiers support. He is willing to approve murders of some Gambino members when he feels it is justified.

His downfall occurs when he underestimates the determination and the resources of the the F.B.I and the Justice Dept who are desperate to get convictions on him and put him away in jail. He also never saw it coming that Sammy the Bull would turn on him and testify for the Government.

Of course the authors tend at times to stereotype the criminal world as they are outsiders looking in. As always other authors on Gotti and the Mafia have different opinions and sources of information. For any one after more info it is worth reading Sammy Gravano's account.

For a detailed account of the history of crime gangs in New York over the last 200 years including Tammany Hall and the 20th century Mafia, Virgil Peterson's "The Mob" is an excellent start, it is very dry but well researched and full of information.

what are these people looking for? this was a good read, as good as any of the others, if not better. this book should at least average 4 stars. i'm not going to compromise my honest rating to make it so, but people should be more realistic. its a biography, not an autobiography; so of course its not gonna be as good as sammy bull's book or henry hill's. but gotti never sung like them so its up to other people to tell his story. this was an informative, entertaining book

THIS BOOK IS AN EXCELLENT CHOICE FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN THE JOHN GOTTI AND SAMMY GRAVANO YEARS IN THE GAMBINO CRIME FAMILY IN NEW YORK CITY. IT GIVES YOU AN INSIDE LOOK AT THEIR RISE AND FALL AND THE DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS OF ORGANIZED CRIME. THE LAW ENFORCEMENT INVESTIGATIONS AND THE CRIMINAL TRIALS ARE VERY INTERESTING AND MANY OF THEIR CRIMES ARE GRIPPING, TAKING YOU BACK TO THE NEWSPAPER HEADLINES OF THE DAY.

This book, along with Gravano's Underboss book, is a great place to start learning about the Mafia. Even though Gotti wouldn't cooperate with the writers of the book, the research provided is accurate and unbiased. It's just sad that it doesn't have any support by the man that it's written about. If you want to read a book that has support via its subject, read Underboss, the Gravano tale. Gotti: Rise and Fall is riddled with courtroom drama, which can get boring at times. But the overall essence of the book is great.

Jerry Capeci of the New York Daily News gives an inside look at the rise to power of John Gotti, the boss of the Gambino crime family. He explores the assassination that propelled Gotti to the top, as well as the trial that led to his downfall. It is a great story for all people interested in the Mafia or just John Gotti.

The "RISE AND FALL" of "GOTTI" was a book that I really enjoyed reading and found very interesting . The book really described how the notorious John Gotti (leader of the Gambino family, which is one of the most powerful , and most respected mob familes in the history of the mafia) gained both wealth and control of the Gambino family. It had actual facts on his early life as a criminal thug in East New York and other parts of New York . The book also revealed how he lived his personal life , and his life as a man of business with a heart bigger than a lion. It describes how Gotti was first considered an "EARNER", as other members of crime families would refer to it. He would go and highjack trucks, make his money in one day, and spend it all mostly at horse tracks or illegal off track bets.

The book kept good track of timing on how and when Gotti was going to be the next fierce leader of his crime family . The number of arrests and court cases also were on point with those that were kept on records of news reporters , lawyers , and judges . It lead the readers like myself to have enough knowledge of what he was doing wrong and what cases would put him away behind bars for good.

I enjoyed this book because it has plenty of details of one true gangster who was at the top but was being taken down by one who was close to him . For those who are interested in knowing the real Gotti and what he was really about from start to finish, I suggest you read this book!