The Soprano State: New Jersey's Culture of Corruption (Hardcover)

~ (Author), (Author) "In New Jersey's super-corrupt atmosphere, nothing is sacred or beyond conversion to a patronage pit..." (more)
Key Phrases: turnpike authority, patronage pit, federal probe, New Jersey, The Soprano State, Atlantic City (more...)

Editorial Reviews

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: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #60,018 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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

  #6 in	Books > History > United States > State & Local > New Jersey
  #53 in	Books > Nonfiction > True Accounts > Organized Crime
  #65 in	Books > History > United States > State & Local > Mid-Atlantic

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 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!

25 of 30 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."

12 of 13 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