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Editorial Reviews
New York has always been the epicenter of the American gangster scene. I once saw a shirt in a store on St. Mark's Place that had a picture of a machine gun-toting gangster with the caption, "New York City, Family owned and operated since 1920." So true.
My publisher, Barricade Books, based out of Ft. Lee across the GW Bridge, has been putting out mob books on topics other than Al Capone and John Gotti. I just finished the new book by Ron Chepesiuk, Gangsters of Harlem. The book is a good overall picture of the various criminal elements that have held sway over the legendary Manhattan neighborhood. The early part of the book deals with the Mafia activity in the 1920s and '30s. It's some of the same material I've seen in other places. But the book really starts to take off when we get to the 1950s and the rise of the black crime figures. Ironically it's just as the neighborhood begins its gradual state of decline. Familiar names like Nicky Barnes and Frank Matthews (who is still on the lam after 25 years - take that Whitey Bulger!) are mixed in with Bumpy Johnson.
By the time the 1980s comes along, all hell breaks loose. Crack is the name of the game and gangbangers take control of the streets. No more code of honor. Paranoia and corruption rule. Some of the most violent criminals you'll ever read about plied their trade in Harlem. Chepesiuk delivers the story with plenty of quotes from cops and DEA agents who were there at the start of the crack "epidemic." Though street gangs are not my favorite crime subject, I have to say these are the best chapters in the book. It's new and fresh information, maybe that's why I liked them.
The book ends with two "tacked on" chapters, one on numbers kingpin Spanish Raymond Marquez (excellent), the other on police corruption (boring).
Overall, Gangsters of Harlem was a great read. It could have used more pictures, and there was hardly any mention of the Pleasant Avenue connection and the Italians who still ran East Harlem through the 1970s, but that does not detract greatly.
As Harlem reaps the benefits of gentrification (or not, as some people argue), stories like those in this book may become distant memories and the neighborhood might be known once again for more than crime. --Blog Critics
Product Description
For the first time ever, author Ron Chepesiuk chronicles the little known history of organized crime in Harlem. African American organized crime has had as significant an impact on its constituent community as Italian, Jewish, and Irish organized crime has had on theirs. Gangsters are every bit as colorful, intriguing, and powerful as Al Capone and Lucky Luciano, and have a fascinating history in gambling, prostitution, and drug dealing. In this riveting, vivid documentation, Chepesiuk tells the little-known story of organized crime in Harlem through in-depth profiles of the major gangs and motley gangsters whose exploits have made them legends.
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gang bangers, tea pads, crack gangs, white gangsters, ruthless gangster, crack trade, numbers banker, black gangsters Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York City, Gangsters of Harlem, Spanish Raymond, Pee Wee, Cotton Club, United States, Super Fly, East Harlem, Street Gang, Dutch Schultz, Preacher Crew, Big Apple, Frank Lucas, Black Caesar, Mad Dog, North Carolina, Bumpy Johnson, The Numbers King, Lincoln Houses, New Jersey, African American, Lincoln Crew, Barry Brown, Nicky Barnes, Virgin Islands Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?
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56% buy the item featured on this page: Gangsters of Harlem $14.96 |
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17% buy Superfly: The True, Untold Story of Frank Lucas, American Gangster $9.95 |
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16% buy Harlem Godfather: The Rap on my Husband, Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson $10.20 |
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6% buy Mr. Untouchable: My Crimes and Punishments $18.21 |
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