Customer Reviews

The Last Testament of Lucky Luciano

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

without a doubt the best book on LCN (La Cosa Nostra) I have ever read. wow. underboss was my favourite mob book until i read this excellent book. no reason to buy any other book about Charlie Lucky than this one; this is all in his own words. Charlie tells all, it's quoted word for word, with a strong tone of 1920s+ New York vernacular. it's a great book not only for the historical references and revalations, and first-hand accounts, but Luciano was very likeable and truely a good person (unlike Sammy Gravano in underboss) with a sense of humor (unlike Valachi in the Valachi papers who comes off as a pretty dry, dumb, criminal with no loyalty). if you want the true history of the beginning of the organized Italian American Mob in NYC, READ THIS BOOK. many interesting historic mob characters (sly Vito Genovese, Albert Anastasia, Meyer lansky ofcourse, Carlo Gambino, and even briefly Vincent 'The Chin' Gigante who was a virtual nobody until he shot Costello and went on to be the boss of the Genovese family in the 80s-90s) and Luciano's impressions of them. The author spent hours upon hours interviewing Luciano, and originally the story was supposed to be a movie with Dean Martin playing Lucky but the commission rejected that idea so Charlie just told the author that he could do what he pleased with the story but just not to do anything until after he died... ironically, Charlie died in front of the author. Luciano doesn't hold back on any details, it's a very honest account of his life starting from when he was a boy and just immigrated to the US, all the way up to his death. The book left me with a feeling of great respect for the man, and also feeling that the politicians can often be just as sly and spiteful as any gangster (even FDR was on the take, and he double-crossed Luciano and crew when he got into office!). after reading this book, you also get to thinking what things would have been like if there were no Luciano and in reality it would have been quite bad if the old timers like Maranzanno and Joe the Boss stayed in power; many more people would have died. It's a 450+ or so page book, but I read it in two days, and then read it again.. I wish it was longer!

Straight from the horse's mouth. Lucky's testament jives with other reliable accounts of the inner workings of organized crime while filling in a lot of gaps on the development and early history of the five NY families.

For the most part the information appears reliable, although in some cases, such as Lucky's professed denial of his significant involvement in the international drug trade, it seems clear that he 'dost protest too much.'

Lucky's claims about his involvement --or lack thereof-- in Operation Underworld, the WWII Naval Intellegence op to keep the NY docks safe, as well as the invasion of Sicily, also seem to ring true. Like Giancanna, Trafficante and Rosselli in a later clandestine relationship with CIA to kill Castro, it was all a scam. I can even believe Lucky's claim that he actually engineered the sabotage of the Normandie to kick the whole scheme off.

But what the 'Testament' provides best of all is a close look from Lucky's perspective at the personalities and relationships of the most infamous members of Cosa Nostra and their associates:
Lucky knew them all.

Lucky was indeed, The Godfathe

There have been enough of these mafia "tell-all" books through the years that they all begin to sound the same. They tend to be self-serving with the subject making himself out to be the mastermind while members of other families are bumblers. The governmental authorities are all on the take and more criminal than the mob. And the general public is so naïve that they are begging to be fleeced.

This book carries a lot of the same tendencies, and yet, "Last Testament" seems authentic. First off, there is not much argument that Luciano was a top guy. He has a lot of information and happens to be a good storyteller.

Secondly, the authors let Luciano tell the story. They quote Luciano using his phrases and then fill in the gaps and supply further information from other sources in the narrative.

I am surprised that this book has not seen numerous reprints and been more widely read. Luciano may have been taking the authors for a ride when he gave the numerous interviews that became this book...putting himself at the center of the action and making some of his cohorts look bad. Even that notion gives "The Last Testament of Lucky Luciano" the voice of the real Godfather.

A great read for people who like off-beat biographies or true crime novels.

The atmospherics and gangster's slang in this breezy book come across as pretty convincing. But in terms of historical accuracy these so-called memoirs are absolutely worthless. There is no proof that "Lucky" Luciano said any of the words attributed to him. Even if he did, there is no reason to believe that he was telling the truth or that his memory was faultless. For two excellent studies of the mafia, try "Fascism and the Mafia" by Christopher Duggan, and "Cosa Nostra" by John Dickie.

After reading this book I come to realize that the author was trying to sell a movie as well as a book. I find his description of lucky's first meeting with Lepke suspicious, because of the way Lucky describes "his arms were bulging out of his sleeves" It has never been written any where that Lepke was physically imposing. I also find it hard to believe that Bugsy Siegal was taken serious at the age of 14, if you figure out the timelines he would have been a young teenager! Its unfortunate but I feel that a lot of this book is total fiction!

This has been the best book on organized crime that I have read so far because it is told mainly by Lucky Luciano himself and its a great insider's look into the mafia. What separates this book from others is that a lot of other books on the mafia do not go into great detail of the organization. They focus mainly on the historical aspect of the mafia. This is a definite 5 star and for anyone who is interested in reading about organized crime/mafia.

I give this book five stars because its the most accurate accounts of the begining the middle and the future of organized crime. I've read the book five times before I was eighteen years old.and it helped me seperate fact from fiction when studying further on subject. If you want the truth about the mafia, then this is the book for you!!!

This is a great book because it is written under the direction of the man who organized crime in America. In this book Lucky Luciano gives a step by step overview on how the mafia reached it's dominance in America. Starting from his youthful days in New York, to his life long partnerships with men whom would helped change America, Luciano gives an up close and personal account on how the mafia was reorganized, the businesses that were established, and how money and greed can seperate life long friends.

An excellent read. The book is mainly quotes from Luciano himself and told mainly from his point of view. I give it a 9 only because it is probably fairly self serving though Luciano admits to ordering killings and other illegal activities accept for involvement in narcotics and prostitution. It has exceelent detail on his childhood and his life in the Mafia and his deportation and stay in jail. I thought I may have learned more from this book about the mafia then anyother book I have read so far. Although its reliability has been questioned I believe most of it to be completey factual. If you are interested in the mafia and organized crime you HAVE to read this book.

If you want to know about Salvatore Lucania, a/k/a Charlie Lucania, a/k/a Charlie Luciano, a/k/a Charlie Lucky, a/k/a Lucky Luciano, this is the book for you! The author relates Lucky's story from the cradle to the grave and, while some of it sounds self-serving (wouldn't we expect that?), Luciano tells all. It's an amazing story, from taking pennies from schoolkids to being the Boss of Bosses. It has always been known that Luciano refused to traffic in drugs and prostitution, and his only prison terms were for those very things. I wondered why, and now I know. I also wondered about the time he was "taken for a ride" and the story related by Luciano had the ring of truth.

Luciano was candid about authorizing hits and the nature and extent of his criminal enterprises. The author was non-judgmental in telling the story. After all the half-truths and guesses about this man, I'm glad I read this book.

If Charlie Lucky had chosen an honest life, he could have been the most successful businessman in history.