The Mob and the City : The Hidden History of How the Mafia Captured New York

Forget what you think you know about the Mafia. After reading this book, even life-long mob aficionados will have a new perspective on organized crime. Informative, authoritative, and eye-opening, this is the first full-length book devoted exclusively to uncovering the hidden history of how the Mafia came to dominate organized crime in New York City during the 1930s through 1950s. Based on exhaustive research of archives and secret files obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, author and attorney C. Alexander Hortis draws on the deepest collection of primary sources, many newly discovered, of any history of the modern mob. Shattering myths, Hortis reveals how Cosa Nostra actually obtained power at the inception. The author goes beyond conventional who-shot-who mob stories, providing answers to fresh questions such as: • Why did the Sicilian gangs come out on top of the criminal underworld? • Can economics explain how the Mafia families operated? • What was the Mafia's real role in the drug trade? • Why was Cosa Nostra involved in gay bars in New York since the 1930s? Drawing on an unprecedented array of primary sources, The Mob and the City is the most thorough and authentic history of the Mafia's rise to power in the early-to-mid twentieth century. Forget What You Think You Know About The Mafia. After Reading This Book, Even Life-long Mob Aficionados Will Have A New Perspective On Organized Crime. Informative, Authoritative, And Eye-opening, This Is The First Full-length Book Devoted Exclusively To Uncovering The Hidden History Of How The Mafia Came To Dominate Organized Crime In New York City During The 1930s Through 1950s. Based On Exhaustive Research Of Archives And Secret Files Obtained Through The Freedom Of Information Act, Author And Attorney C. Alexander Hortis Draws On The Deepest Collection Of Primary Sources, Many Newly Discovered, Of Any History Of The Modern Mob. Foreword / By Dr. James B. Jacobs -- Introduction: The Godfather Vs. New York History -- A City Built For The Mob -- Prohibition And The Rise Of The Sicilians -- The Mafia Rebellion Of 1928-31 And The Fall Of The Boss Of Bosses -- The Racketeer Cometh : How The Mob Infiltrated Labor Unions -- The Mafia And The Drug Trade -- The Mob Nightlife -- The Lives Of Wiseguys -- Mouthpieces For The Mob : Crooked Cops, Mob Lawyers, And Prosecutors -- The Assassinations Of 1957 -- Apalachin -- Conclusion: New York's Mafia -- Acknowledgments -- Select Bibliography -- Notes. C. Alexander Hortis ; Foreword By James B. Jacobs. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "If there's a better book on the early history of Cosa Nostra in America, I haven't seen it." - Jerry Capeci, veteran mob reporter and author of Mob Boss. Informative, authoritative, and eye-opening, this is the first full-length book devoted exclusively to uncovering the hidden history of how the Mafia came to dominate organized crime in New York City during the 1930s through 1950s. Based on exhaustive research of archives and secret files obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, author and attorney C. Alexander Hortis draws on the deepest collection of primary sources, many newly discovered, of any history of the modern mob. Shattering myths, Hortis reveals how Cosa Nostra actually obtained power at the inception. The author goes beyond conventional who-shot-who mob stories, providing answers to fresh questions such as: * Why did the Sicilian gangs come out on top of the criminal underworld? * Can economics explain how the Mafia families operated? * What was the Mafia's real role in the drug trade? * Why was Cosa Nostra involved in gay bars in New York since the 1930s? Drawing on an unprecedented array of primary sources, The Mob and the City is the most thorough and authentic history of the Mafia's rise to power in the early-to-mid twentieth century.