Customer Reviews

Wised Up

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Being a very visual person, as I read the book, I could actually see what Charlie Wilhelm was describing at any given event. In fact I felt at times I was actually there watching events unfold. Charlie has such a way with words that he had me laughing so hard at some of the events he described. He make me cry at times and he actually got me upset when describing how the government snafu'ed getting him and his famil new ID's so that he could get a job to support his family while hiding out, all the while cooperating with the FBI. The way the book was written,I was not able to put it down once I started reading it. I took a couple of breaks go give my eyes a rest but had to pick it up and read the book until the last page. After reading the book completly, I felt a numbness that I could not shake, knowing that this is a true story, and how the events unraveled and how Charlie how his family have survived all the odds against them.
I have sent this book to friends and would recomend to to all.
If Charlie Wilhelm writes another book, I will be the first to purchase it.

Sincerely
Marilyn Goga

My first read of this genre of book. AWESOME. I couldn't get my nose out of this book. My life was put on hold for 2 1/2 days because I couldn't put it down. Captivating from the first chapter.

Having grown up in the same neighborhood (Hampden), and lived on the same street (Keswick Rd.) as Charlie Wilhelm, I would never have known the blatant criminal activity he was into, and just feet from my own doorstep.. Hampden was a pool of organized crime, even to this day, like many parts of Baltimore. I know because I lived there. Though I didn't know him personally, Charlie and his crew were well known and feared throughout the community. Only after reading his book would I realize just how far reaching their crimes spanned, even to murder. Lucky for Charlie, he 'Wised Up' before it was too late.

Being a resident to the often mean streets of Baltimore myself, I was inspired by Wilhelm's choice to come clean, and amazed at his courage to change even when faced with overwhelming odds and the threat of being killed for his decisions.

This is absolutely one of the greatest and most fascinating books I've ever read. I simply couldn't put it down. Charlie's tale of redemption from his criminal life are like that of a Phoenix rising from the ashes. Not only is the book an awesome read, but it is an inspiring story that could help to reach others who want out of their criminal ways. Great job, Charlie!

"Wised Up" is an absolutely chilling account of organized crime in my home town, Baltimore. I previously believed that crime in this city was basically random and disorganized except for the activity of a few drug king pins. This book documents the organized superstructure of a very complex home grown "management system" of illegal activity. Moreover, it has no connection to the traditional Mafia. Charlie Wilhelm's candid revelation of his life including significant events is far more frightening and captivating then any of the "best seller" crime thrillers. He tells this story in a way that makes the reader "stand in his shoes" and experience Charlie's emotions as he reached a point of fear and ambivalence regarding his life of crime. We've all heard the "you-can't-get-out-of-it-once-you-get into-it" theme regarding the impact of an individual's participation in an organized crime syndicate. However, in this true story, you live the fear, the sleepless nights, the concern for love ones and the mental trepidation in a way that no fictional account can begin to relate.

Charlie's experience also revealed the level of corruption in Baltimore Law enforcement and City Government. Throughout the book, he provides examples of the impact of police on the take, city officials who are paid to look the other way, and even documemted leaks in the federal attorney general's office. In fact, once Charlie decided to extricate himself from this life, he had a major problem finding an official authority that he could trust. One bad move here and he would have been a dead man.

As I read this memoir, I began to feel that Charlie had a deep soft spot that prevented him from becoming the complete criminal. He seemed to have a mentally "drawn line" that caused him to have concern for some of his activity. In fact, he mentions that he personally paid the interest for some of his loan sharking customers who couldn't make the payments. This is reminiscent of the Sylvester Stallone's Rocky character who was also a collector of loans who had compassion for his particularly weak customers. In addition, when Charlie was asked to commit the ultimate crime... murder... his unconscious sense of morals guided him to make a break from this life. It is at this point that ultimate courage came into play. Not only did he have to summon the power to quit, he also had to "blow the whistle" on many of his "wise guy" friends to the FBI in order to achieve complete absolution. In making this choice, he underestimated how deep he had to go to protect both his sanity and his loved ones as he traversed this ordeal. Charlie also suffered the embarrassment of having to reveal his criminal life in a legal setting without knowing whether this voluntary confession would land him in jail for a good part of his remaining life. This is a must read for anyone from Baltimore as well as anyone who wants to understand the complex criminal enterprise from a realistic non-Hollywood standpoint.

Wised Up by Charlie Wilhelm is a very interesting book of a life I can not imagine. Charlie has a window of opportunity to be a positive influence for others especially children or teens in their formative years. Wised Up is written in a way that makes you feel you are there and experiencing everything Charlie is. Charlie showed great courage in going to the FBI and not asking for witness protectection. How many would have the courage to do that and return to Baltimore to live? Charlie has experienced a life most of us can only read about and not even imagine in our greatest imagination. When a man changes his life so completely, how can anyone say it is just another gangster story? If I could give this book a 10 star rating, I would.
Charlie, will there be a sequel or a movie?

Charlie Wilhelm should be admired for his courage and strength when became an informant for the FBI. It takes a strong man to turn away from wealth plus jeopardize the lives of his family and himself to do the right thing. It took a lot of courage for Charlie and Gina to return to the Baltimore area to live. This is NOT just another mob story. Any person who would believe that "Wised Up" is just another mob story, should read the article in the Huntsville Times, dated March 12, 2005. Not only should Charlie be admired and looked up to but so should the rest of his family who stood by him. This book is funny, sad and almost unbelievable at times although I know it is all true. I very much enjoyed reading it and will read it many times again. I highly recommend "Wised Up" as a must read book.

I highly recommend this book for ANYONE who is interested in true life drama and even for those who prefer crime fiction. It captivated me from the first page and I couldn't put it down - Charlie has more guts than anyone in most fictional stories

As a Baltimore native, I enjoyed this book very much and would probably rate it a "5" based on my enjoyment only. However, thinking of others--not from the Baltimore area--it probably would not be quite as interesting. Knowing the area, and even some of the players, made it a quick read for me. In fact, it was too quick of a read. Made me wish there was more. . .

I found this book impossible to put down. It is not only a facinating story of a bad guy's struggle to go good, it also provides an abundance of facts related to the history of Baltimore's underground crime world and how the police and FBI interact with wise guys in their attempt to stop these crimes. This book is a MUST read.

If you live in the area, have lived here or know anything at all about Baltimore, Charlie Wilhelm in "Wised Up" opens up a vista on Charm City that will ring many bells.

Dundalk, Hampden, Medfield, Woodlawn, Towson, Parkville, Gunpowder State Park, they're neighborhoods and places you'll know. What Charlie does in "Wised Up" is tell his story of growing up with a not-very-good father, a Baltimore City cop, with both parents problem drinkers. After dropping out of high school, he quickly found his way into crime as a wiseguy. He teamed up with a really bad guy named Billy Isaacs. Together they loansharked, dealt drugs, worked a numbers racket, torched cars and ran bars. With payouts to dirty cops and corrupt inspectors, they broke the rules and duped for years the City of Baltimore and the State of Maryland.

Charlie had enough of a moral compass to not commit the ultimate act, murder. However, he kept quiet about the one unsolved murder that he knew about for many years. Later he was pressured by Billy to commit murder himself. This is where Charlie was able to "draw the line," find himself and begin a process of transformation.

In part it was middle age and the high stress of continuing as a wiseguy but it was mostly conscience. In a cross-the-bridge and never-return decision, Charlie turned to the FBI, in particular, a childhood acquaintance Bruce, who had become an agent and therein, lies "the rest of the story."

This is a story about a life of crime and criminal activity of the mobster/wiseguy type, Baltimore-style. It is also a story about transformation and finding the courage to change. Charlie's details are precise and locale-specific but the anguish and pain of his transformation and redemption are universal. Five stars!