The Valachi Papers Summary and Reviews

The Valachi Papers
by Peter Maas

The Valachi Papers
List Price: $13.99
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions

Book Summary Information

Author: Peter Maas
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2003-03-01
ISBN: 006050742X
Number of pages: 304
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Product features:

Book Reviews of The Valachi Papers

Book Review: Fantastic read
Summary: 5 Stars

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.

Biographies & Memoirs Books

Book Subjects
Most talked about in Organized Crime
Complete Idiot's Guide to the Mafia ImageComplete Idiot's Guide to the Mafia
by Capeci Jerry
Alpha; Published: 2001; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.85
Hollywood's Celebrity Gangster: The Incredible Life and Times of Mickey Cohen ImageHollywood's Celebrity Gangster: The Incredible Life and Times of Mickey Cohen
by Brad Lewis
Enigma Books; Published: 2007-05-20; Paperback; Book
Best price: $58.78
The Last Godfather: The Rise and Fall of Joey Massino (Berkley True Crime) ImageThe Last Godfather: The Rise and Fall of Joey Massino (Berkley True Crime)
by Simon Crittle
Berkley; Published: 2006-03-07; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.75
Price in other shops: $7.99
Boss of Bosses: The FBI and Paul Castellano ImageBoss of Bosses: The FBI and Paul Castellano
by Joseph F. O'Brien, Andris Kurins
Island Books; Published: 1992-05-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.44
Price in other shops: $7.99
The Valachi Papers ImageThe Valachi Papers
by Peter Maas
Harper Paperbacks; Published: 2003-03-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.96
Price in other shops: $13.99
Tongs, Gangs, and Triads: Chinese Crime Groups in North America ImageTongs, Gangs, and Triads: Chinese Crime Groups in North America
by Peter Huston
iUniverse; Published: 2001-06-27; Paperback; Book
Best price: $13.71
Price in other shops: $15.95
Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires ImageFive Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires
by Selwyn Raab
St. Martin's Griffin; Published: 2006-09-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.62
Price in other shops: $18.95
Legs ImageLegs
by William J. Kennedy
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 1983-01-27; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.31
Price in other shops: $15.00
Tough Guys Don't Dance ImageTough Guys Don't Dance
by Norman Mailer
Ballantine Books; Published: 1985-06-12; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $17.50
Underboss: Sammy the Bull Gravano's Story of Life in the Mafia ImageUnderboss: Sammy the Bull Gravano's Story of Life in the Mafia
by Peter Maas
Published: 1999-02-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.54
Price in other shops: $13.00
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
The Outfit ImageThe Outfit
by Gus Russo
Bloomsbury USA; Published: 2003-04-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.17
Price in other shops: $19.95
Serpico ImageSerpico
by Peter Maas
Harper Paperbacks; Published: 2005-01-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.98
Price in other shops: $13.95
Gaspipe: Confessions of a Mafia Boss ImageGaspipe: Confessions of a Mafia Boss
by Philip Carlo
Harper Paperbacks; Published: 2009-07-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.08
Price in other shops: $15.99
Mafia Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the Gambino Crime Family ImageMafia Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the Gambino Crime Family
by John H. Davis
HarperTorch; Published: 1994-06-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.43
Price in other shops: $7.99
Wiseguy ImageWiseguy
by Nicholas Pileggi
Pocket; Published: 1990-09-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.32
Price in other shops: $7.99
Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires ImageFive Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires
by Selwyn Raab
St. Martin's Griffin; Published: 2006-09-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.39
Price in other shops: $18.95
Murder Machine (Onyx) ImageMurder Machine (Onyx)
by Gene Mustain, Jerry Capeci
Onyx; Published: 1993-07-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.00
Price in other shops: $7.99
A Man of Honor: The Autobiography of Joseph Bonanno ImageA Man of Honor: The Autobiography of Joseph Bonanno
by Joseph Bonanno
St. Martin's Paperbacks; Published: 2003-01-20; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.55
Price in other shops: $7.99
Donnie Brasco ImageDonnie Brasco
by Joseph D. Pistone
Signet; Published: 1997-02-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.99
Price in other shops: $7.99
Underboss: Sammy the Bull Gravano's Story of Life in the Mafia ImageUnderboss: Sammy the Bull Gravano's Story of Life in the Mafia
by Peter Maas
Harper Paperbacks; Published: 1999-02-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.80
Price in other shops: $13.99