Customer Reviews

Superthief: A Master Burglar, the Mafia, and the Biggest Bank Heist in U.S. History

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

From robbing the milkman at age nine through petty thievery to union strongarming, safecracking, and the biggest bank heist in American history, with Mafia associations, drug dealing, and murder along the way, Phil Christopher's story is fast-paced, exciting, and ultimately tragic. As Phil himself admits from behind prison walls, "crime...does pay, but just not for long." Filled with double-dealing, deceit, broken lives, successful crimes, plus his own colossal failures which put Christopher behind bars for over half his life, this is one of best inside accounts of a career criminal I've ever seen. And no one is better qualified to bring Phil's story out than author-cop Rick Porrello, who knows so well the Cleveland underworld that spawned the Superthief.

Rick Porrello scores again with Superthief, detailing how master burglar, Phil Christopher, pulled off the largest bank heist in U.S. history. Porrello's dead-on, no-frills style exposes the underbelly of Phil Christopher, a guy who says about crime--"It's a rotten investment that will eventually suck the life out of you." One question: What could an intelligent, resourceful guy like Phil Christopher have achieved if he'd gone legit instead of taking the path of least resistence--greed? You'll want to keep a towel handy when you sweat out Christopher's 30+ crime-packed years as Superthief.

Cherie Rohn, Co-author of
THIEF! The Gutsy, True Story of an Ex-Con Artist
www.ThiefTrueStory.com

"Superthief" is another one of Porello's masterpieces, after reading "The rise and fall of the Cleveland mafia" I was very impressed, so I decided to try another one of Porello's books. Now after reading "Supertheif" Porello has become one of my favorite authors. This book is recommended for ages 13 and up.

The main character in the story is a guy named Phil Christopher. Christopher is involved in the mafia as a paid killer but most importantly, he pulled off one of the biggest bank robberies ever. Porello takes you into the criminal under world, so you can see how the heist was planned and executed. Like all of Porello's works he thoroughly tells the story and lets you see everyone that was involved in the crimes. In addition to the robbery at the United California bank in 1972, this book takes you inside another heist that took place in Lordstown, Ohio and, many people he murdered for money. Christopher rarely had any remorse for any of the people that he killed, and you get to see why throughout this book. All around this book a very good and I highly recommend it.

Superthief strips away the glitz and glamour of Hollywood's portrayal of crime. A great narrative that gives the reader an inside look at the real underworld and the harsh realities of doing scores, getting pinched, pulling time and doing time

Superthief: A Master Burglar, The Mafia, And The Biggest Bank Heist In U.S. History by Rick Porrello is the story behind some of the greatest incidents of thievery, deception, and burglary drawn from the infamous life of Phil Christopher. With mild alterations for the protection of others, Superthief is the remarkable narrative story of the great United California Bank robbery in 1972, along with dozens of other intriguing stories about and interviews with Mr. and Mrs. Phil Christopher. For its candor and engaging biographical stories of life as a career criminal, Superthief is to be given high praise and very strongly recommendation for personal reading lists, criminology studies supplemental studies, and community library collections.

Having read all the books written by Rick Porrello I am still drawn to the historical knowledge(places, connections, families) he lends to all his books. Superthief is an amazing account of the famous California burglary and what kind of life it has been since for the burglar himself. I couldn't put the book down.
Is it who you know, not what you know?

Superthief is one of those rare books that delivers more than its boast to be the story of one bank burglary, even if (unwittingly) America's biggest ever.

Whether or not imagined, the lines of this book seem rather widely spaced, perhaps a coded invitation to delve between them, which is where the true substance of this book is to be found. As with so many books that involve living criminal contributors, there is usually an element of self-serving deception in what they tell (especially when awaiting release), and this appears to be no exception.

What emerges from this simply written book, itself a skilfully deceptive device that lulls readers while they are led into ever darker, unexpected places, is that the record heist is not its biggest revelation. It is a searing insight into the casual moral vacuum in which criminals such as 'Superthief' Phil Christopher (Cristofaro before Anglicised) exist, a descent into a world where all values are debased until completely inverted. And the reader can only harbor deep suspicions that Christopher's provenance is more sinister than he would have us believe. From early petty thievery to later serious burglary, union corruption and violence, one senses that the 'prints of the mob are dabbed over these pages more than is being admitted into evidence.

And clearly Supertheft does not rely upon Superminds - in one Laurel & Hardy episode, these pros burgle a tough safe one night and Christopher reaches for the crucial device to open it, only to be told by his buddy that he hadn't got it because the pal he went to borrow it from wasn't home! Another fine mess...

But the jolting revelation comes after the Big Heist, after the chapters about prison life, just as the protagonist is beginning to see the light and endear himself a little. Hinted at earlier but artfully forgotten, it comes as a sudden, chilling jolt that would not have been out of place in 'The Godfather 2', yet is told without apology or remorse and in its telling reveals the true nature of this beast, raising bigger questions about his true past.

This is an important book for all those who would glamorize crime and wiseguys; it exposes the reality and the depravity, the ambition and delusions. However, readers should be ready to find their pulses quickening , there are times when they will genuinely feel the fear and tension from the audacity of the crimes so vividly described which will make many thankful for having their mundane jobs to go to on Mondays.

Some have compared Porello's style in this book to that of Nicholas Pileggi, but it is more; there is a taste of the dark side of humanity lurking within not served since the writings of Ed Bunker, and you don't get more authentic than that.

Rick Porrello is a Renaissance Man, an author and publisher who holds down a full-time job as a lieutenant with the Lyndhurst, Ohio, Police Department. Porrello also continues to perform as a jazz drummer, a talent which allowed him to spend an earlier chapter of his life on the road with Sammy Davis, Jr.

Porrello's most recent book, the self-published Superthief (Next Hat Press, 2006) is largely a memoir written by Phil Christopher. Christopher, the super thief of the book's title, has had plenty of time to concentrate on his life story. A burglar and an admitted paid killer, Christopher has spent approximately half of his life in prison.

The primary job which Porrello took on in Superthief was to pare down Christopher's unruly and too-long handwritten memoir into a manuscript suitable for publication, and Porrello has largely succeeded in that mission. Porrello weaves Christopher's memoir together with material that includes contributions from Christopher's wife, various law enforcement officers and Porrello himself.

A job which Porrello apparently did not take on, and which readers might wish he had, was to push and challenge Christopher for more details in some areas and for an honest emotional reaction from Christopher when reflecting back on his life of crime.

Christopher describes the killing of Arnie Prunella in two paragraphs consisting of 168 words. Did Christopher lose any sleep over shooting Prunella in the back of the head? How does Christopher, who regrets that his incarceration prevented him from being present at many big events in his son's life, reconcile the fact that he took away Prunella's daughter's chance to develop a relationship with her father? Prunella's daughter was three years old when her father was killed.

Christopher concludes his two paragraph description of Prunella's killing by writing, "...I never thought that night would come back to haunt me". Why did Christopher think that? He's been through the criminal system enough times to know there is no statute of limitations on murder. It's reasonable to come away with the impression that Christopher's biggest regret is that he found himself in a situation where it was in his best interest to plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter for killing Arnie Prunella. If Christopher was ever tortured by the taking of a human life Porrello does not show that torment to the reader, leaving one to wonder whether this is an editorial omission or whether Phil Christopher is simply a thug without a conscience.

Porrello and Christopher do a splendid job of portraying the Collinwood neighborhood of Cleveland as it existed in the 1960s and 1970s. The Collinwood of that era, in addition to being a vibrant working class and largely Italian neighborhood, was home to perhaps the most accomplished group of burglars in the nation.

Christopher's description of the famous Laguna Niguel bank robbery in California, along with the lucrative Lordstown bank heist near Youngstown, Ohio, make for fascinating reading and provide an inside look at just how hard Christopher and his ilk worked for their money. One is left to wonder how successful Christopher might have been had he worked as hard at something legitimate as he did at being a burglar. Many Cleveland readers will recognize the names Christopher sprinkles throughout the book, a Who's Who of the days before RICO laws and lure of big money selling cocaine, a time when an accomplished burglar could make a dishonest but comfortable living on the streets of Cleveland.

The most sympathetic figure in Supertief is Christopher's wife Mary Ann, who showed herself to be a well-spoken and dignified woman at a recent publicity event. Mary Ann married Phil Christopher at the Cuyahoga County jail before he got sent away for his most recent stretch in prison. Readers may be left hoping that Phil Christopher will finally break his pattern of finding a new woman every time he is released from prison. It's nice to think he may settle down with Mary Ann to live out the remainder of his life, but Superthief gives little reason for optimism in that regard with the exception of a brief mention of Christopher discovering the Christian-themed Left Behind novels and resorting to prayer.

The realistic prospect for Christopher's rehabilitation is another area where the reader may be left clamoring for more in an otherwise commendable effort by Rick Porrello.

"Only renowned author Rick Porrello could pull off this spectacular, captivating and intriguing true story about the largest bank robbery in American history. $uperthief is indisputably one of the greatest unsurpassed crime stories of the decade. Porrello tells it like it is "Point Blank" straight from the source. Highly recommended!" .........7ony Stewart - author of Dillinger, The Hidden Truth

I am a longtime fan of Rick Porello's work. His exhaustive research and lively writing style have made his previous books both entertaining reads and social / historical documents of real significance. His career as a police officer and the fact that he is descended from Cleveland organized crime figures give him insight into the criminal psyche from BOTH ends of the spectrum.

"Superthief" examines the life and crimes of Phil Christopher, labor official and sometime killer who pulled off the spectacular United California bank robbery in 1972. Although Christopher's legend is based on that primary heist, Porello goes into great detail about his other crimes, his personal and professional links to organized crime figures, and the spirited personality who can rob a bank or kill a rival without any remorse. When you also take into account the fact that the author collaborated with Phil Christopher during the research phase of "Superthief", you have to credit Rick for giving True Crime fans an entertaining and invaluable study of an underworld legend.