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Gravano might not be well-educated and he's certainly not glamorous, but he's a vivid storyteller. What he has to say is horrifying in its matter-of-factness. Car thief, extortionist, intimidator, and murderer, Gravano was also a dedicated family man who preferred to spend evenings home with his wife and kids. Above all, he never lost sight of who and what he was: "I don't think I'm Robin Hood. I think I'm a gangster." John Gotti, on the other hand, thought he was a celebrity, an attitude Gravano obviously disapproved of. The relationship between Gotti and Gravano lies at the heart of this story, for loyalty is what Gravano lived by and what he ultimately betrayed. His reasons make for compelling, disturbing reading. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Library Journal
-?Brent Newmoyer, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
"YEAH, YOU COULD SAY I CAME FROM A PRETTY TOUGH NEIGHBORHOOD," Salvatore (Sammy the Bull) Gravano said. Read the first page
Concordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
ANOTHER MOB HIT...,
By
This review is from: Underboss: Sammy the Bull Gravano's Story of Life in the Mafia (Mass Market Paperback)
This is an interesting look at the mob from someone who was a made member of the Cosa Nostra. Sammy the Bull Gravano is no angel and he pulls no punches, as he regales the reader with his tale of growing up on the mean streets of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn as the dyslexic son of Italian immigrants. A high school drop-out, Sammy graduated from local street gangs to the Cosa Nostra, taking a blood oath of silence. So much for promises.This book is a series of taped interviews that are edited by the author, who interposes little analysis but serves to connect the dots. The feel of the book is gritty, and Sammy the Bull Gravano comes across as a reasonably intelligent person who made a knowing choice early on to enter into a lifestyle that was fraught with murder, larceny, greed, betrayal, and fear. The book documents his rise in the mob, until he becomes the underboss for the "Teflon Don", the ever dapper John Gotti. There is clearly little love lost between Sammy the Bull Gravano and the late John Gotti, who comes across as a narcissistic, egomaniacal, stupid, greedy thug. Of course, Sammy's take on himself, although a hard core made member of the mob, is that of a guy who was let down by the bosses who promised honor but did not know the first thing about it. While Sammy tries to whitewash himself, there is no getting around that he was a killer, a thief, and a thug. I doubt that Sammy would have talked, had he not felt that he was being set up by Gotti to take the fall for him. Clearly, Sammy's motive for blabbing to the Feds was not altruistic. Still, through his defection, Gravano was responsible for the conviction of many key mob figures. His impact on organized crime will be felt for some time to come. For those that are interested in reading about the Cosa Nostra, this is definitely a must read book for an insider's view of that lifestyle.
4.0 out of 5 stars
A LOOK INTO THE DARK WOLD OF ORGANIZED CRIME,
By
This review is from: Underboss: Sammy the Bull Gravano's Story of Life in the Mafia (Mass Market Paperback)
I enjoyed reading the book not just for the entertainment value, but also for the things it taught me about life in the mob. Some of the things I learned are the organization structure, codes of conduct, methods of intimidation, sources of mob income, and the absolute ruthlessness of the lifestyle.I like reading these kinds of books not because I think this life these people like Sammy Gravano lead was somehow cool or glamorous. Nothing could be farther from the truth. It's a dangerous, deceptive, wicked lifestyle. I enjoy reading mob books like this because I get a look into a different world I am rarely if ever exposed to. And of course this book, being a true story and interview of a former high-level mob underboss made it a very interesting read.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Maybe the last chapter of La Cosa Nostra, & it's a great one,
By R.J. Corby (Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Underboss: Sammy the Bull Gravano's Story of Life in the Mafia (Mass Market Paperback)
This really is an amazing insider account of arguably the most famous Italian Mafia family in American history, and the book more than lives up to its billing. The most dramatic thought that I came away with after reading "Underboss" is that Sammy the Bull didn't bring down Gotti and the Gambinos - Gotti did that. Sammy just put the final nail in the coffin. Gotti's arrogant, publicity seeking ways were ultimately what brought down the Gambino family. Had Gotti been a little more humble and knew the art of "laying low" after several acquittals, he very well may never have been convicted, or at least he would have been out of jail and in power much longer. AND, had he not stabbed Gravano in the back, as Sammy heard on the tapes in a courtroom, Sammy may never have testified against Gotti in the first place. But, the truth is, Sammy is no model citizen, as he readily attests to in the book. He kills his brother-in-law and performs a number of other murders for seemingly minor Mafia indiscretions. To his credit, though, he doesn't pretend portray himself as a victim, either. Since he's currently doing a 20-year stretch for running an E ring, that's poetic justice in the eyes of the many he betrayed to avoid prison for his underworld doings. Sammy's lived quite a life, and this book let's the curious in on the action. It's probably one of the best Mafia books I've ever read. Highly recommended.
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