Mr. Untouchable [Hardcover]

Leroy Barnes (Author), Tom Folsom (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 6, 2007

From inside the Federal Witness Protection Program, the "Black Godfather" chronicles the 1970s New York City underworld and the most devastating urban crime wave in history.

1962 LEROY "NICKY" BARNES walks out of Green Haven State Prison. There are an estimated 153,000 heroin abusers in the United States.

1977 Two million junkies score $100 million worth of Barnes's smack a year. Sporting flashy suits, riding in a Citroën with a Maserati engine and satisfying a wife while pleasuring a harem of mistresses, Barnes presides over a staggering multinational dealership that pushes dope and launders money with the efficiency of a Fortune 500 company. Despite President Nixon's creation of the Drug Enforcement Administration and New York State's adoption of the no tolerance Rockefeller drug laws, Barnes's operation seems impregnable.

How does a small-time hustler and heroin addict end up on the cover of the New York Times Magazine as MR. UNTOUCHABLE, the one gangster the Feds can't touch? And how is the future Mayor of New York City Rudolf Giuliani involved? With Machiavellian pragmatism matched with biblical fury, Barnes lays bare his life's remarkable trajectory--a rise, fall and resurrection defined by brutality, brotherhood and betrayal.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This memoir by a former New York heroin kingpin—reportedly the inspiration for the song "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" and the movie New Jack City, among others—pulsates with the criminal street life it depicts so well. In the 1970s, Barnes, a former junkie, built a heroin operation that delivered tens of millions of dollars worth of dope annually to the New York area. He became a street hero for his flamboyant lifestyle. Using a heavy dose of street slang to add flavor, Barnes portrays a dangerous but exciting life, the allure of the money and power he and his associates accrued, even as the drug trade sowed the seeds of their destruction. With documentary filmmaker Folsom's help, Barnes shows how he built his empire, creating a ruthlessly efficient drug organization modeled after the Mafia and known as "The Council." Barnes's ability to elude prison earned him the nickname Mr. Untouchable, but eventually prosecutors caught up to him, and in 1977 he was sentenced to life in prison. Eventually, Barnes turned state's evidence, earned his release in 1998 and joined the federal Witness Protection Program. But even now, Barnes's lack of regret gives this captivating work an added air of authenticity. (Apr.)
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About the Author

LEROY "NICKY" BARNES is the most famous black syndicated drug lord in history. Convicted of narcotics conspiracy in 1977 by the nation's first anonymous jury. Released in 1998 with a recommendation for parole from U.S. attorney Rudolph Giuliani in his file, Barnes's landmark cooperation with the U.S. Government served to indict over fifty major drug traffickers. An inspiration for a hit song ("Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown"), a slew of films (Live and Let Die, New Jack City and Pulp Fiction) and a generation of hip-hop artists, he is currently in the Federal Witness Protection Program.

TOM FOLSOM is a producer and director of documentary films. His work has appeared on A&E, MSNBC and Showtime. He lives in New York City.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 308 pages
• Publisher: Rugged Land; 1St Edition edition (March 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159071041X
• ISBN-13: 978-1590710418
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #509,555 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read!, August 10, 2007

By 

F. D. W. rd "FDW" (Southern MD) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mr. Untouchable (Hardcover)

I actually grew up in NYC during the time of the events in this book. I also come from people who ran in the same circles as Barnes. I remember him as a Harlem legend, so it's interesting to read this book and get from the horse's mouth, as it were, the behind the scenes story of his rise and ignomious fall.

This book has a raw style, and apparently very little editing. This is evident in the fact that nobody seemed to tell Barnes that some of the things he admits paint him in EXTREMELY unflattering lights. This is, for me, a large part of the appeal. Much like the African American Experience in the latter decades, it is what it is...and very little is done to hide the facts. Things are kept real.

A VERY interesting read indeed.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars cold and smart, March 24, 2007

By 

Dan Bergevin (danbergevin dot com) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Mr. Untouchable (Hardcover)

Nicky was no sucker, and his life story as told here (he is currently in his 70s) shows that he never looked back on his life in regret. Unlike some criminals who write books full of self-loathing and pleas for forgiveness, Nicky's book reads like a mix between a gangsta novel and a criminal operations manual. Indeed, this will likely become one of the most widely read books among anyone interested in intricacies of thug life, and will be right at home on the shelf next to your Scarface DVD. On the other hand, smart law enforcement agents and scholars should also grab a copy as it is more insightful and certainly more interesting than most books out there on organized crime logistics. Controversial, entertaining, and yet highly educational- does it get any better than that?

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BIGGER THAN LUCAS, November 8, 2007

By 

TRUEREVIEW - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mr. Untouchable (Hardcover)

IN MY YOUNGER YEARS OF VISITING HARLEM [1980-85]FOR "WHATEVER", I HEARD OF THE LEGEND OF NICKY BARNES IN THE STREETS. I HAD NOT HEARD OF MR LUCAS.THIS IS NOT TO MINIMIZE ANYONE. CLEARLY THOUGH, NICKY BARNES LEFT A BIGGER IMPRESSION IN STREET FOLKLORE.I HAVE NOT FINISHED HIS BOOK YET BUT I AM SURPRISED TO READ THAT HE WAS A SUCH A THINKER AND ORGANIZER.IN THE STREETS HIS NAME CONJURED UP ONLY FEAR. SOONER OR LATER WE ALL HAVE TO RENDER ACCOUNT TO A HIGHER AUTHORITY. MAYBE I AM DREAMING BUT I HOPE MR BARNES LACK OF REMORSE IN HIS BOOK IS TO SELL COPY AND DOES NOT REFLECT THE QUIET MOMENTS IN ALL OF OUR LIVES WHEN WE HAVE TO REFLECT ON WHAT WE HAVE CONTRIBUTED IN A POSITIVE WAY TO SOCIETY AND TO OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS. GETTING HIS STORY IN HIS WORDS AS EVENTS HAPPENED IS FAR MORE INTERESTING THAN SOME OF THE OTHER POETIC AND ROMANTIZED GANGSTER BOOKS FROM PROFESSIONAL RESEARCHERS AND WRITERS.