Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #96327 in Books
• Published on: 2003-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Customer Reviews

Fantastic read
Usually whilst reading accounts of Wiseguys straight from their own mouths can be perturbing, you want to believe what they say is true, but their whole life revolves around scheming, lying, cheating and the whole 'respect' thing etc. So you usually take what's said with a pinch of salt, conversations and events may not have gone like the Wiesguy wants you to believe. The Valachi Papers is different. For Joe Valachi has an amazing recall and sharpness of memory as both Maas and law enforcement officials will attest to. Everything is confirmed and it leaves you with piece of mind and even a little trust for Valachi.

It's an excellent book into the 'rats' life, from his earliest burglary days, through the Castellamarese War, Vito Genovese's ascension to power and finally the brutal act in prison in which he bludgeoned an innocent man whom he mistook for another inmate, a Mafia hitman was actually out to kill him because they wrongly believed he was an informer.

In the confinement of prison where their was no escape, he had two options, die by the hands of the Mafia and be forever wrongly branded as a rat in death, or actually become a rat and live. The rest is history.

very enjoyable
im a big fan of mob movies/books, and i noticed this book in series 5 of The Sopranos, which made me buy it. although it is a very slow start, due to the fact the author (Pete Mass) is explaining the process of getting such a high profile book like this on the shelves. once it starts though, BANG, your in, and there is no way you are putting this book down. a thoroughly enjoyable and believable book, and i say believable because there are some books/authors/co-authors who "big themselves up". Valachi tells how it was, and doesnt sell himself as a top figure

if you like a good read, then look no further

The original and best!
For a mafia reader this book is essential! The Rosetta stone of understanding the American Mafia. Its no exaggeration to say that, for a person with an interest in La Cosa Nostra, not owning a copy of this book would be similar to a priest not owning a bible!
Joe Valachi was the first to betray the rule of Omerta, the first to break ranks and confirm that there IS a MAFIA. The first to talk about the 'five families', 'consigliere's', 'initiation ceremonies'....
The names Gambino's, Genovese, Bonanno's and Lucchese were first told to the world by him (The then Profaci family became known as the Colombo's due to the subsequent media attention to Joe Colombo a decade later). Even the name of the entire organisation, 'La Cosa Nostra' was first said by Joe Valachi. One cannot overstate how much he was responsible for the secrets, of what was the most secret of secret societies, becoming known to an amazed world!
In this day and age every new arrest brings out a few more mafia 'rats' but back then it was unique and despite the fact that over 40 years have passed since this 'canary sang', the book is still relevent, interesting and enjoyable.
Many of Valachi's exposures are still discussed by O.C experts to this day, the identity of 'Buster from Chicago' is still one of the most frequently speculated upon mysteries of mafia history.
This is in the top 3 books that any LCN reader simply MUST own.