Customer Reviews

THE VIOLENT YEARS: Prohibition and the Detroit Mobs

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

 

 

Paul R. Kavieff handles his complex topic capably and professionally, providing us with a window into an active and influential Detroit underworld often neglected by other writers. The author of "The Purple Gang" broadens his focus for this, his second book, to explain in detail the activities and interrelationships of the Detroit area's significant Prohibition Era criminal organizations.
He discusses the warring factions of the Sicilian Mafia, as well as Polish and Irish ethnic gangs and the predominantly Jewish Purple Gang. He suggests credible causes for underworld conflicts, such as the Giannola-Vitale war, and shares the specifics of gang crimes and underworld hits.
Kavieff is not at all stingy with facts, but he still writes efficiently and keeps the story moving quickly - possibly a tad too quickly for a reader new to the subject. The book weighs in at just about 200 pages of easy-on-the-eyes type.
The Violent Years is a must-read for organized crime historians and those interested in the Motor City's past.

An excellent history of the Detroit underworld and a necessary book for any serious crime historian. Kavieff brings the material to life in a way that makes the reader feel as if they are at the scene of the crime. This book as well as Kavieff's first book The Purple Gang: Organized crime in Detroit 1910-1945 are the only histories ever written on the Detroit underworld of any period. The Prohibition era focus is most appropriate as Prohibition bankrolled modern organized crime

In The Violent Years: Prohibition And The Detroit Mobs, author Paul Kavieff draws upon his many years of meticulous research to provide an accurate, harsh, brutal look at the tremendous wealth and unspeakable savagery of organized crime in Prohibition-era Detroit. Turning an unflinching spotlight upon the gangster's worst excesses, The Violent Years pulls no punches in its sordid, factual, carefully researched account. Also highly recommended for students of organized crime in twentieth century American history is Paul Kavieff's companion volume The Purple Gang: Organized Crime In Detroit 1910-1945 (1569801479, $...).

This is a great successor and companion to Kavieff's previous volume, The Purple Gang, and an even better book than its predecessor. Covers the Mafia factions who succeeded the Purples as masters of Detroit's underworld and various independent mobs, some unheralded since their last appearances in 1930's vintage detective magazines, such as "Legs" Laman's kidnapping gang, or the "Flatheads" gang headed by Paul Jaworski who committed the nation's first armored car robbery. Violent crimes have soared in volume over the years but for sheer audacity "crime in the streets" pales in comparison to the 1920's and The Violent Years captures this spirit better than any book I've seen in a long while.

To be honest, I gave this book 3 stars simply for the fact that it wasn't my kind of book. I read it because it was the 2nd volume from Paul Kavieff. I thought the book was good, but there were too many different crews, accounts, details for me to follow. Not to compare, but I liked the book about The Purple Gang better. It focused on the one gang and really dove into their dealings. I don't doubt that this book is well documented, I just think it had too many details for me to really get involved.

On the other hand, to bring out a few good points, the book starts off discussing how the mafia came about, and how they had no use for authority figures when Sicilians 1st immigrated to the USA. It showed how in Italy, the mafia boss was more powerful/influential than the government (thus showing the lack of importance for government officials from the very beginning). This was interesting to see the origin of certain rules, how people think, for what reason, etc...

Then we read about "The Black Hand Extortion Racket" (receiving money for protection) which is explained in detail. It gave a quick summary of The Purple Gang which I enjoyed. To think they had a loose organization of 200 guys in 1925 (then again, they held control for such a short period of time) - remarkable history! The book also explains "The Snatch Racket" which involved kidnapping racketeers for ransom (something I never heard/or even thought of until now)! Overall, a decent book, I just wanted more flow, but I guess that's difficult when you're covering so many different gangs...

An excellent history of the Detroit underworld and a necessary book for any serious crime historian. Kavieff brings the material to life in a way that makes the reader feel as if they are at the scene of the crime. This book as well as Kavieff's first book The Purple Gang: Organized crime in Detroit 1910-1945 are the only histories ever written on the Detroit underworld of any period. The Prohibition era focus is most appropriate as Prohibition bankrolled modern organized crime