Amazon.com: The Soprano State: New Jersey's Culture of Corruption: Bob Ingle, Sandy McClure: Books

Review

“This book is a page-turner. You start out laughing and end up pounding the table for reform.”—Tom Curley, CEO, The Associated Press

“Far and away, the best nonfiction I’ve read in years! I feared it might only be of interest to those who live in New Jersey. Boy, was I wrong. Ingle and McClure are remarkable reporters who’ll keep you spellbound.”—Cissie Cooper, San Francisco

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description

The Soprano State details the you-couldn't-make-this-up true story of the corruption that has pervaded New Jersey politics, government, and business for the past thirty years. From Jimmy Hoffa purportedly being buried somewhere beneath the end zone in Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands, through allegations of a thoroughly corrupt medical and dental university, through Mafia influence at all levels, to a governor who suddenly declares himself a “gay American” and resigns, the Garden State might indeed be better named after the HBO mobsters.

Where else would:

- A state attorney general show up after police pulled over her boyfriend who was driving without a valid license?

- A state senator and mayor of Newark (the same guy) spend thousands of dollars of taxpayers’ money on a junket to Rio days before leaving office?

- A politically connected developer hire a prostitute to tape sex acts with his own brother-in-law and then send the tape to his sister?

Only in the Soprano State.

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Product Details

Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press (February 19, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312368941
ISBN-13: 978-0312368944
Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.9 x 1.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (25 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #14,372 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

#5 in	Books > History > United States > State & Local > New Jersey
#10 in	Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Political Science > Government
#11 in	Books > History > United States > State & Local > Mid-Atlantic

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
In New Jersey's super-corrupt atmosphere, nothing is sacred or beyond conversion to a patronage pit. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
turnpike authority, patronage pit, federal probe

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New Jersey, The Soprano State, Atlantic City, New York, Camden County, Less Common Sense, Lots of Power, South Jersey, Asbury Park Press, Jon Corzine, The Gospel According, Garden State, Speaking Authoritatively, Attorney Christie, Hudson County, Mount Laurel, Union County, Jim Florio, Democratic Party, State Sen, Casino Control Commission, Monmouth County, George Norcross, Ocean County, Cherry Hill

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	94% buy the item featured on this page: The Soprano State: New Jersey's Culture of Corruption 4.8 out of 5 stars (25) $16.47
	3% buy The Boys from New Jersey: How the Mob Beat the Feds 4.3 out of 5 stars (9) $14.93
	2% buy Notorious New Jersey: 100 True Tales of Murders and Mobsters, Scandals and Scoundrels 4.5 out of 5 stars (4) $12.89
	1% buy MafiaNJ.com presents La Cosa Nostra $2.99

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Customer Reviews

25 Reviews

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.8 out of 5 stars (25 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AN HONEST LOOK AT DISHONESTY, February 21, 2008

By	Edcon Press LLC - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Soprano State: New Jersey's Culture of Corruption
This is an excellent book. I am familiar with many of the people and events in the book and I am very impressed with the writing ability of the authors to present the material in a clear concise and fair way. I was only sorry the book ended but I appreciate the updates on www.thesopranostate.com. A MUST READ!

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23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book that EVERY tax-paying citizen should own!!, February 19, 2008

By	Andrew DeMaio (Hillsborough, NJ) - See all my reviews

The Soprano State is a book that any person that has paid so much as even one dollar in taxes MUST read. Even if you don't live in New Jersey, you should still read this book so that you can ensure that your state doesn't fall in the same liberal bottomless pit that New Jersey has. Hopefully as more people read this book, they will see what a scam the tax system is, and that the only thing that the money that is forcefully stolen from us everyday is used to do nothing but line some corrupt politician and his friends pockets in the name of being "being good for the people," or "helping people that can't help themselves."

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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really....... It's not fiction!! , February 25, 2008

By	Speed Racer "Speed Racer" (Somerset, NJ) - See all my reviews

Bob Ingle and Sandy McClure deserve a Pulitzer Prize for this fine piece of journalism. With NJ being a cesspool of corruption for over 35 years I am amazed the book is only an inch thick. I was expecting a the book to be the size of NY phone book, but then again the publisher probably edited many of the stories.

They should have called the book volume 1 because I am sure there will be thousands of pages to follow in the upcoming years. The big problem with the book is that people from out of state (lucky individuals) and people who are not up to date on NJ politics may pass this off as fiction.

It should be mandatory reading for every pupil in the United States. I give the book, Bob, and sandy an A+!! I could not put it down.

By the way, I am so disgusted with NJ that I will be moving to Delaware. Yes my friend, learn how to pump your own gas and go!! NJ is doomed!! Have a nice day

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Political Reality
This book shows what can happen when the voters of a state to not look at who is running for office and then vote them out if they do not do a good job.

Published 7 months ago by Arthur Rittenhouse

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Expose
Excellent book. Well written. Should be read by all New Jersey
citizens...

Published 9 months ago by Robert S. Maurer

5.0 out of 5 stars Where have all the honest politicians gone?
According to this well written and documented book the elected have not ever been to New Jersey! It is not only amazing but downright disheartening to read all the unbelievable... Read more

Published 10 months ago by Bobcat Woman

3.0 out of 5 stars A Fair Read
If you are interested in and fairly familiar with New Jersey politics and politicians this is a reasonably entertaining and informative book. It's no page-turner, but not bad.

Published 11 months ago by Adrian

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Just for Jersey!
Even if you live a continent away in Washington state, "The Soprano State" will amuse, educate and yes, horrify you. Read more

Published 13 months ago by KateMc

5.0 out of 5 stars The Soprano State
As a former kid from New Jersey I purchased the book as
somewhat of a lark. After devouring the material it was
no longer a lark. Read more

Published 13 months ago by John G. Till

5.0 out of 5 stars Infuriating, but not Surprising
This book should be called, "The Corruption State," which is a better title, since New Jersey is one of three in our country that's known for corruption from the top all the way... Read more

Published 13 months ago by Marlene Rafferty

5.0 out of 5 stars This tells foreign observers more about American democracy than the primary
This book, along with another superb book about similarly dysfunctional New York State, 'Three Men in the Room', is more telling than usual, boring textbooks on state government... Read more

Published 14 months ago by amazomania

5.0 out of 5 stars The Cesspool of New Jersey Politics
I don't know how you can read this book without becoming disgusted with the state of affairs of New Jersey politics, and the sense of entitlement and greed the the politicians in... Read more

Published 14 months ago by Joseph J. Meloni

5.0 out of 5 stars Soprano State
Excellent book on the corruption in NJ.

Factual and hard hitting. Clears the air on the smoke & mirrors government in NJ.

Published 14 months ago by Ed B

› See all 25 customer reviews...

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