Customer Reviews

Mafia Summer: A Novel

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Mafia Summer is a memorable story that takes hold of your gut and doesn't let go until the very end. It primarily is a tale of the friendship between two unlikely teens -- a tough Sicilian head of a street gang, the other a sickly, brilliant Jewish boy -- that are caught in the turmoil between the various Mafia families that ruled NY during the hot, steamy summer in the section of NYC called Hell's Kitchen in 1950. Vincent writes in such a way that I felt I was right there with all of the well-developed and interesting characters experiencing the strong firendships, loyalties, betrayals and full-scale crime war that took place on the rough streets of NY. Mafia Summer, E. Duke Vincent's first book, is one of the better fictional books about the Mafia that I've read in many years. While it's not on the level of the classic, The Godfather, it's not very far below -- which, to me, is very high praise. Mafia Summer is much more than an excellent book about the Mob. It's an excellent book -- period!. Enjoy!

Chances are that if you've turned on a television set during prime time in the last three decades you have encountered the work of E. Duke Vincent. Vincent has been involved in the creation and/or production of television series ranging from "Dynasty" and "Vegas" to "Melrose Place" and "Charmed," among others. MAFIA SUMMER is his first attempt at a novel, but he brings to it the same assured and steady hand that has made so many television shows with which he has been involved compulsory and compulsive viewing.

While ostensibly a work of historical fiction, there is so much that rings true to life here that it has more of a biographical feel to it than a work of the imagination. Indeed, Vincent notes in his acknowledgments that this is a story that he has been turning over in his mind for some 40 years. If Vincent was not a participant to at least some of the events in MAFIA SUMMER, he was no doubt a close observer; the narrative's main strength is that it puts the reader in that position as well.

The events in MAFIA SUMMER take place over the course of a week at the end of August 1950. New York City is caught in a heat wave, which serves as a metaphorical backdrop for the Five Families of the New York City underworld, the members of which are the subject of Federal scrutiny that came to be known as the Kefauver hearings. 18-year-old Vinny Vesta, the son of Mangano family caporegime Dino Vesta, himself has a street gang that is on the bottom tier of the gangland hierarchy. The Vesta family maintains a low profile, living in a modest Hell's Kitchen apartment during the week as a front while spending their weekends at a luxurious farm outside the city. Vinny's gang, known as the Icemen, is an interesting set of individuals, each with their own particular and peculiar talents that are applied to legitimate purposes and otherwise. Their specialty involves heists to order, if you will, and they are quite good at spotting and evaluating situations that present merchandise ripe for the taking, either on their own or on a referral basis.

Two occurrences, however, are to provide a catalyst that will change Vinny's life forever. The first is his meeting with, and befriending of, Sidney Butcher, a sickly but booksmart Jewish boy whose family has just moved into an apartment across the hall from Vinny. Vinny introduces Sidney to life on the streets, providing Sidney with an excitement and friendship that previously had been denied to him. But the introductions aren't all one-way. Too ill to attend school regularly, Sidney has been teaching himself at the New York City library. While Vinny is at first dragged reluctantly into the stacks, he quickly becomes enchanted with the works of the Renaissance painters, as well as the world of John Steinbeck and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Vinny slowly comes to realize that there is a better place, perhaps a better way, beyond the crime-ridden streets that have become the locus of his life.

Meanwhile, a second event is brewing that will have an effect on Vinny and will resonate far beyond its conclusion. Gee-gee Petrone, an ambitious capo in the Luciano crime family, hires Vinny to steal 40 cases of sable pelts from a storage depot. The police though are seemingly tipped off to the job in advance, and almost catch the Icemen in the act. When Petrone insists that the order nonetheless be filled, Vinny and his father come to realize that Petrone is setting them up in an ambitious power-grabbing scheme that will advance Petrone and his mentor, a wily underboss named Vito Genovese. When a rival gang begins gunning not only for Vinny but also for Sidney, the level of danger reaches a new high for both Vinny and his father, who is interjecting himself into the action. Vincent builds his story slowly but deliberately to an apocalyptic ending that will leave everyone involved changed forever.

Vincent possesses that rare ability to make his characters come alive; indeed, each of the individuals involved in MAFIA SUMMER is memorable in his own way. And while much of the action is grim, Vincent nicely balances the action with some humor and even a few touching moments of friendship. Combining the best elements of "The Sopranos" and CATCHER IN THE RYE, MAFIA SUMMER may well be the surprise book of this summer.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

This book is a non-stop read for those who think they know New York City but have a lot to learn about the reality of life for kids on the wrong side of the tracks. Vincent writes from the perspective of being there, with a fondness for detail and language that is so vivid you really think you are hanging out with one of them. Not to be missed by the serious student of the urban scene.

Over the years, certain members of the Mangano family have received a great deal of publicity, starting with the fatal rivalry between the notorious Vincent Mangano and his underboss, Albert Anastasia, and moving on to the more current sensational incarcerations of John Gotti and his son. Less attention has been paid to other members of the Mangano clan -- now known as the Gambino family.

In a chilling debut novel, renowned writer and television producer, Duke Vincent, details a feud between the Mangano and the Luciano family, which took place during the summer of 1950 -- just one year before Mangano "mysteriously" disappeared and his brother Philip was murdered before Anastasia assumed power.

We can literally feel the heat and humidity of the 90° plus Fahrenheit summer in the tenement apartment in Hell's Kitchen where 18 year old Vinny Vesta resides with his parents. Vinny is the leader of a street gang called The Icemen. He's fearless, clever and oh so calm and composed, making him seem more like an adult than a teenager. Vinny strikes up a poignant friendship with a scholarly, sickly Jewish boy by the name of Sidney Butcher. Sidney encourages Vinny to spend his summer days in the library studying art, politics and literature. Ultimately, Sidney will act as Vinny's salvation, helping him to see the world in a broader perspective, thus making him want to leave behind a life of crime.

Vincent does an excellent job of re-creating a period in American history. Clearly, a great deal of time and research went into this book. He has an eye for detail and the book moves along quickly since it's action-packed. We visit the Copacabana to hear Tony Bennett and Jerry Vale; we take the A train down to Harlem to catch Duke Ellington; and we root for Yogi Berra and Joe DiMaggio even though Vinny decides to skip the game!

Lest anyone think that Mafia Summer is simply historical fiction, we must remember that according to the TV show American Justice and the Senate Hearings from the late 1980s, La Cosa Nostra maintains a stranglehold on the Teamsters, the Laborers Union, the Hotel and Restaurant Association, and the International Longshoreman's Association. The Mob is alive and well, making this fascinating and moving tale all the more relevant to readers everywhere.

Sigrid Macdonald
Author of D'Amour Road

This book was a joy to read. I found myself savoring every word, envisioning every nook and cranny I was taken to. I felt I didn't want to read it too fast, yet not wanting to put it down. I always know when I have read a great book.....after I am done, I have this sense that the journey has ended and I am left wanting more.

Excellent. Easy reading with obvious research and facts that made the book even more entertaining.

I thought that the writing was a bit clunky in places and that this book romanticizes certain things which should have been put into their proper context. Overall, this book does capture the feeling of a time / place which has pretty much disappeared from the American psyche. For that reason this is an important historical document. Bottom line, I enjoyed reading this.

All I can say is if your into mafia movies and novels and can't afford to pass this one up. It is a true page turner. As the story goes on you can't wait to find out what happens next. This is a book that you really do get lost in and you can't put the book down. From the middle to the end it's a rush. Get this book. It's a great read!!!

What a DEBUT novel!! It is going to be hard to live up to this one Mr.Vincent!
A tale inside a tale, Genovese attempts to consolidate and become leader by whacking out Costello, botched attempt leads to a period of unrest/uncertainty in the Five Familys during the 1950's. The real story is found underneath this hectic situation; between Vinny and his nerdy Jewish neighbor!! Tale plays out of life on the streets and all that comes with it when you're a up and comer in the Mafia scene!! A tale of friendship, found and kept, loyalty and respect.
As I mentioned in the title, too bad there wasn't a movie about this book, because it would be spectacular to say the very least!! Worth every single penny.

This author has written many TV top-notched scripts for Emmy award shows.
This was a true story on his life growing up and it was insightful and entertaining. If you like to read, you will like this one!!