Mob Nemesis: How the FBI Crippled Organized Crime (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Don Denevi (Author) "Americans have a new love affair-with "organized crime..." (more)
Key Phrases: backup hit team, medical bond, bookmaking location, New York, Stefano Magaddino, Angelo Lonardo (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Retired Special Agent in Charge Griffin, currently CEO of an investigative firm, found his way to the FBI for pragmatic reasons: hailing from humble West Virginia beginnings, he wanted to work for the government in order to attend Georgetown at night. Initially rejected as too "immature" for special agent training (he was given a job as a clerk), Griffin was eventually accepted and soon developed an appetite for crime fighting. And as with many younger agents, he wanted to go after infamous La Cosa Nostra; how he does so is the subject of this no-frills memoir of the FBI-mob wars of the 1960s and '70s. Griffin details several protracted campaigns in unglamorous locales like Cleveland and Buffalo, which were hotbeds of Mafia activities like gambling, loan-sharking, prostitution and drug-related murders. His distant, hardboiled perspective is appropriate to the material, though the prose might be described as workmanlike at best, wooden at worst. Still, Griffin and DeNevi (Riddle of the Rock) offer ample unadorned recollections of the nitty-gritty a part of American underworld in its death throes. While the aging Rust Belt gangsters Griffin pursued were extremely violent and mercenary, their downfall seems foretold by their cheapness (they refused to hire lawyers for jailed underlings, whom Griffin was then able to "flip") and stupidity (they failed to dispose of cars, guns and loot from major crimes). (Jan.)Forecasts: Although this book's limited stylistic palette may fail to engage casual readers, mob and crime-fighting cognoscenti and die-hard Sopranos fans will certainly enjoy Griffin's detailed recollections of these lesser-known mobsters' downfall.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

When Griffin joined the FBI in 1957, La Cosa Nostra hadn't even been officially acknowledged, but the Mob families had a stranglehold on many American port cities. Soon after, though, the reality of La Cosa Nostra couldn't be denied. J. Edgar Hoover declared war on the Mob, and FBI Special Agent Griffin, who later won the FBI Medal of Valor, found his calling. After providing a very brief history of the Mafia in America, Griffin (with research help from DeNevi) details his experiences in fighting the Mob in Cleveland, Youngstown, Rochester, and Buffalo, describing the surveillance, the stings, the frustrations, and triumphs. He also discusses some internal problems, including feuds between law enforcement groups and the discovery of a Mob mole in their Cleveland office. The prose, written by a man who filed reports for a living, isn't stylish, and the not-quite-chronological order of the anecdotes and the vast number of names can be confusing. But Griffin comes off as a hard-working guy with a job to do, one that made the country a lot safer for the rest of us. For all true crime collections. Deirdre Root, Middletown P.L., OH
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books (May 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573929190
• ISBN-13: 978-1573929196
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #972,223 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Dull, December 16, 2002

By	H. Davis (Buffalo, NY) - See all my reviews

I guess this book was kinda interesting. It just seemd to drag on and go deep into FBI procedures and not so much into the everyday life of a gangster. Compared to other Mafia books I've read this is by far the worst. But it is still a mafia book, so I found it to be at least somewhat interesting. I would not recommend this book unless you are more interested in how the FBI fought organized crime, and not the everday operations of a mafia family.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you like Mob Books, you'll love this one, September 27, 2002

By	Antonio Viciedo (Miami, FL) - See all my reviews

This book detailed the FBI's fight against the mob and was very informative with regard to the psychological makeup of the so-called "Godfathers". In contrast to the constant portrayal of these characters as "upfront" and "honorable", Griffin shows their true colors in vivid detail. It was a quick, interesting read and a must for Mafia "aficionados". This book would make a great movie someday.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The real deal, September 27, 2002

By A Customer

This book presents the mob and their actions as what they are...vicious, greedy, and cowardly. Mr. Griffin tells the story of the rise and fall of La Cosa Nostra in down-to-earth regular language. Sometimes it seems as if you are sitting across the table from him listening to him reminisce.

As a reader of crime stories and international intrigue, I found this book to be gripping, and interesting, all the more so because it is true. I don't usually read true crime, but in this case, I was glad I opened this book.

Hey Hollywood...here is a story that would translate well to the big screen, along the lines of Donny Brasco.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is at all interested in the mob, the FBI, or the US legal system. It moves well, is an easy read, and well-told.