From Publishers Weekly
The seamy world of the Gambino crime family first took book form thanks to notorious turncoat Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano, who told his story to Peter Maas for the 1997 Underboss. Linda Milito, the long-suffering wife of Sammy's partner Louie Milito (murdered in 1988 under Sammy's orders, Linda maintains, though Sammy "told the feds it was John Gotti's idea"), now tells her own tale of the mob life, as seen from the home front. Hers is not a glamorous account: she documents her husband's rise from a petty crook who robbed pay phones to a "straightened out" tough who became a captain with the Gambinos. The grinding monotony and terrible strife of her existence-struggling to make money legitimately while her husband languished in jail, trying to protect her son from bullies, coping with terrible physical abuse-is chilling. The image-conscious "wiseguys" that formed her social circle (and who are rather hilariously obsessed with The Godfather) become pitiable figures, trapped in a cycle of murder and deceit. On the whole, Milito manages to tell her story unflinchingly, without sounding self-pitying, even as she details her mental illness and her current abusive relationship. Collaborator Potterton does an excellent job of keeping the narrative running smoothly, organizing the tangle of names and connections, and maintaining Milito's honest and streetwise Brooklyn voice. 8 pages of photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
In 1988, the author's husband of 23 years, Louie, vanished. Several years later, two men confessed to being responsible for his murder (although the body has never been found). Now, the dead man's widow tells her story, about her life with and without her husband. Sounds like a typical heartrending story, but here's the twist: Louie Milito was a "made man," a member of the Gambino organized-crime family; the men who confessed to having him rubbed out were John Gotti, the Gambino family boss, and his right-hand man, Sammy Gravano. Milito and her coauthor lay it all out for us: the rituals and the structure of a Mob family as well as the excitement, the danger, and the loyalty at gunpoint. Milito's hatred of Gravano, whom she calls a "weasel" and holds directly responsible for her husband's murder, is a palpable presence on every page. Like Peter Maas'
Underboss, or Nicholas Pileggi's
Wiseguy, this expose offers an often-shocking glimpse inside the world of organized crime.
David PittCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
