Mafia Son by Sandra Harmon
Mafia Son by Sandra Harmon
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By Will Haine. |  |
Wednesday, 02, Sep 2009 05:00
Published by Icon Books, out now, paperback original, 302 pp, £11.99.
In a nutshell...
True-life, fascinating, mobsters, terrorists and betrayal
What's it all about?
Based on the research carried out by the author, Mafia Son chronicles the rise and fall of Gregory Scarpa and that of his son Greg Jr.
It is also the fascinating story of how both father and son, soldiers in the Colombo crime family, ended up as informants for the FBI. The author was granted unprecedented access to both Scarpa Jr and Scarpa Sr's long-time partner Linda Schiro when researching this book and as a result was granted a unique insight into the lives of the Scarpa family.
The story charts the rise of Scarpa Sr, his connections with the FBI and the crimes he got away with while working as a federal informant. It is interspersed with the story of his son, betrayed by his father to rot in prison who turned informant when he was placed next to a notorious terrorist in a Supermax prison.
Who's it by?
Sandra Harmon is the author of several bestselling books including Elvis and Me which she co-wrote with Elvis Presley's wife Priscilla.
When writing this book she was granted intimate access to the Scarpa family who were more than happy to give her information on their lives and the details of Greg Sr's dealings with the FBI.
Such was her connection and understanding of the case she was subpoenaed in the controversial trial of Lin DeVecchio, Greg Sr's liaison with FBI who was charged with being directly involved in some of Scarpa's crimes.
As an example.... /b>
"In modern parlance it would probably be said that Greg Scarpa Sr. suffered from an 'anger management' disorder. In the Mafia of the 1960s and 1970s, he was merely a powerful man with a bad temper, which wasn't such an unforgivable offense; indeed, a short fuse sometimes came in handy."
Likelihood of becoming a Hollywood blockbuster
With the successful transfer of similar books such as Donnie Brasco and Goodfellas to cinema, don't bet against this one finding its way to a screen near you. With all the essential elements Hollywood adores, this story has all the ingredients to make a fascinating movie.
What the others say
"Of course, no personal history of a Mob family can be consumed without the reader making mental reference to television's The Sopranos but the older Scarpa makes Tony Soprano seem like a choirboy." - Christopher Silvester, Daily Express
"An absorbing and intriguing look at a Mafia family whose violence and treachery knew no limits." - Vincent Bugliosi, author of The Prosecution of George W Bush for Murder
"A vivid and accurate account of one of the most notorious and ruthless families in the history of organized crime. Sandra Harmon has captured... the very essence of the Scarpa family in all its savage, corrupt, and murderous glory. A great read!" - Michael Vecchione, chief of the Rackets Division, Kings County District Attorney's Office
So is it any good?
From start to finish this story of intrigue, murder and betrayal will grab your interest and keep you reading. As an inside account of the murky and glamorous world of organised crime it paints a picture which is in contrast to some of the cooler, smoother gangster tales in the media.
By telling the story of the Scarpas, Harmon has a created a book which reads and feels more like the The Wire than The Godfather. The harsh reality of the brutal violence Greg Scarpa Sr would inflict on his victims and his callous nature which allowed him to betray his son to a life in prison all ring home with a sense of gritty realism.
With Greg Jr's life in prison, associations to terrorists and the failure and corruption of federal police thrown into the mix you're left with a fascinating and gripping story of America's underworld.
7/10
Jonathan Moore