Mafia Wife: My Story of Love, Murder, and Madness (Mass Market Paperback)

by Lynda Milito (Author), Reg Potterton (Author) "My mother, Sophie Dostis, was a Sephardic Jew born in Greece..." (more)
Key Phrases: swag cars, New York, Staten Island, Sammy Gravano (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The seamy world of the Gambino crime family first took book form thanks to notorious turncoat Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano, who told his story to Peter Maas for the 1997 Underboss. Linda Milito, the long-suffering wife of Sammy's partner Louie Milito (murdered in 1988 under Sammy's orders, Linda maintains, though Sammy "told the feds it was John Gotti's idea"), now tells her own tale of the mob life, as seen from the home front. Hers is not a glamorous account: she documents her husband's rise from a petty crook who robbed pay phones to a "straightened out" tough who became a captain with the Gambinos. The grinding monotony and terrible strife of her existence-struggling to make money legitimately while her husband languished in jail, trying to protect her son from bullies, coping with terrible physical abuse-is chilling. The image-conscious "wiseguys" that formed her social circle (and who are rather hilariously obsessed with The Godfather) become pitiable figures, trapped in a cycle of murder and deceit. On the whole, Milito manages to tell her story unflinchingly, without sounding self-pitying, even as she details her mental illness and her current abusive relationship. Collaborator Potterton does an excellent job of keeping the narrative running smoothly, organizing the tangle of names and connections, and maintaining Milito's honest and streetwise Brooklyn voice. 8 pages of photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
In 1988, the author's husband of 23 years, Louie, vanished. Several years later, two men confessed to being responsible for his murder (although the body has never been found). Now, the dead man's widow tells her story, about her life with and without her husband. Sounds like a typical heartrending story, but here's the twist: Louie Milito was a "made man," a member of the Gambino organized-crime family; the men who confessed to having him rubbed out were John Gotti, the Gambino family boss, and his right-hand man, Sammy Gravano. Milito and her coauthor lay it all out for us: the rituals and the structure of a Mob family as well as the excitement, the danger, and the loyalty at gunpoint. Milito's hatred of Gravano, whom she calls a "weasel" and holds directly responsible for her husband's murder, is a palpable presence on every page. Like Peter Maas' Underboss, or Nicholas Pileggi's Wiseguy, this expose offers an often-shocking glimpse inside the world of organized crime. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Avon (March 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061032166
• ISBN-13: 978-0061032165
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #230,412 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not great but something to read to pass time., July 12, 2004

By	Octavia Holland "Bookworm" (New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mafia Wife: My Story of Love, Murder, and Madness (Hardcover)

Ok. I read lots of books about LCN and this one so far was the worst. It was poorly written. I know she tried to make the book sound very personal but it just came off that she threw this thing together. Then at the end she says it took her three years to complete this? I could have written her story in less time. The funny thing is, she had help. Ugh!!! It is so repetitive I got tired of reading the same words over and over again. She contradicts herself all the time and constantly goes into self pity.

Truth is, everything she says is absolutely taken with skepticism because she even says she picked up things in bits in pieces (the life, that is). She just put stuff together in her mind from certain things that may have overheard, saw, etc.

If they make a movie out of this one it will have to be pretty cheesy. If you're a mafia fan, read it just to put a notch on the booklist. Otherwise, skip it.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars PLEASE!, June 14, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Mafia Wife: My Story of Love, Murder, and Madness (Hardcover)

I don't know what book the Editorial Review read, but they missed a few important points. There was more self-pity in the first 35 pages than in most self-help books on the market. After the fall of the old Mafia families every goodfellow, associate, wannabe, relative or FBI agent that could, started writing books. Most have some information of value as does this. My problem is Lynda Milito still doesn't get it. She is the absolute personification of criminal thinking errors and contradiction. A great deal of time is spent venting at Sammy Gravano as the lowest of the low, which will get no argument from me. She forgets there are widows, children and loved ones who might say the same about her lowlife husband. (Who by the way, she keeps insisting was really a sensitive, caring guy, unless you crossed him!)

In any event, if you are truly interested in the Mafia cult, battered women, criminal thinking errors and want to do a quick Hare Scale on Psychopaths this is the book for you. Read between the lines, she's not sorry for anything but her own inconveniences.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting life, less interesting book, April 25, 2005

By	C. A. Huey - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Mafia Wife: My Story of Love, Murder, and Madness (Hardcover)

I was curious about Lynda's life and picked up this book to read on an airplane ride.
Very poorly written, it took me 4 months to finally finish it. I wasn't captivated and brought into her world, as the cover suggested. I didn't feel much for this self-pitying, lowly writer.