Product Description

Before Al Capone and Lucky Luciano, there was the one-fingered, cunning Giuseppe Morello and his murderous coterie of brothers. Had it not been for Morello, the world may never have heard of 'men of honour', the code of omerta or Mafia wars. This explosive book tells the story of the first family of New York, and how this extended close-knit clan of racketeers and murderers left the backwaters of Sicily to successfully establish themselves as the founding godfathers of the New World. First Family will explain in thrilling, characterful detail how the American Mafia established itself so successfully. Combining strong narrative and raw violence - set against the raucous bustle of early twentieth-century New York, and the impoverished rural life of nineteenth-century Sicily - this impeccably researched, groundbreaking study of a crucial period of American history is a compelling portrait of the early years of organised crime.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #177330 in Books
• Published on: 2009-03-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

About the Author
Mike Dash is a renowned historian and author of narrative non-fiction. His previous books include Satan's Circus, Murder, Vice, Police Corruption and New York's Crime of the Century, (Granta 2007). He has a Masters from Cambridge University and a PhD from the University of London. He lives in London.

Customer Reviews

Fresh information on the birth of the Mafia
It seems quite amazing, given the thousands of books published on the mafia both here and in America, that no one before Dr Mike Dash was able to trace their roots among counterfitters and blackmailers in turn of the century America, particularly New York.

Dr Dash tells the somewhat sprawling story of the first Italian crime family to come over from Sicily with great aplomb. I've never read so much interesting stuff about the political and social background affecting the formation of the Mafia in Sicily before, and knew nothing about Guiseppe Morello and his family of extortionists and criminals who carried out some of the bloodiest murders New York had ever seen. He doggedly follows the ups and downs of Morello's career, charting the expansion of his and other families' empires, their connections with other families across the country and abroad, revealing an organised and terrifyingly brutal group who preyed on their own countrymen before turning to the wider populace, and were capable of the most overt betrayals if there was money in it for them. But whatever they did to other Italians, for decades the police couldn't break their own code of honour and get information on their rackets and executions.

Most of the relevant police records were dumped in the river in the early 80s apparently, but Dr Dash had the bright idea of tracing this early criminal activity through the operations and reports of the American Secret Service, who were originally set up to tackle counterfitting after the American Civil War. At that point it's estimated that an incredible half of the country's money was fraudulent. Because the Secret Service were small - something like 9 officers covered the whole of New York - and because they fortuitously handed in a written report every day, Dr Dash was able to trace the painstaking gathering of information and throw light onto the birth of the Mafia as we know it today with his own painstaking researches.

He conjours up the atmosphere of the dirty streets of Little Italy, the inter-family feuds, sudden outbursts of violence and the length to which these characters would go to keep their secrets brilliantly, bringing to life what could have been a very dull account. It's a big tale, with a large cast, but somehow you never lose track of who's who and what's going on, no matter how complicated it becomes. Here's proof that decades before most people think the Mafia were operating in America they had roots in all the major cities where Italians had emigrated. If you're interested in American crime and the Mafia, this is a must read book.

The Ultimate Resource On New York's First Crime Family
Mike Dash has put together an extensively researched and well-sourced text on America's original Mafia family. They were a family in both senses of the word. Giuseppe Morello was New York's earliest known Mafia boss who ran a tight-knit crime family, and he and his stepfather, brothers, in-laws and cousins were integral to his organization. Even his wife helped to cover-up his crimes. The family's crimes stretch all from 1880s Sicily to 1940s New York. All of this information, never before put together in a single work, is not only informative, but makes a great read. Highly recommended for the researcher, the historian, and even those who enjoy historical fiction.

First Rate
The First Family: Terror, Extortion and the Birth of the American Mafia
On opening this book you are greeted with a daunting 'Rogues Gallery' of Sicilian names that it is to the author's credit that he has managed to make an enjoyable read without confusing the reader with such a cast of of characters.His explanation of the Barrel Mystery murder was a joy to read and by detailing the career of William Flynn of the US Secret Service he has shed light on one of the great lawmen of the era who is often overlooked. The author has also captured the flavour of the old time New York which he also successfully managed in his other excellent workSatan's Circus: Murder, Vice, Police Corruption and New York's Trial of the Century