Boss of Bosses: The FBI and Paul Castellano
by Joseph F. O'Brien, Andris Kurins
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Book Summary Information
Author: Andris Kurins, Joseph F. O'BrienEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1992-05-01
ISBN: 0440212294
Number of pages: 384
Publisher: Island Books
Book Reviews of Boss of Bosses: The FBI and Paul Castellano
Book Review: The Danger of Isolation
Summary: 5 Stars
In "Boss of Bosses" the authors tell the vivid story of Paul Castellano's rise to the top of the Gambino crime family, and his sudden fall at the hands of John Gotti.
There were several points in the portrayal of Castellano's life where I sympathized with him. Here was a man who had worked hard to move up through the ranks, avoided any serious conflict with the authorities and who wished to 'rest on his laurels.' Castellano became a victim of isolation. It was not the velvet slippers or the silk pajamas, but what they represented that lead to his demise. His need to be perceived as a reputable business man, an executive, leads him to alienate those from whom support and counsel was critical. It could also be said that Castellano simply said too much to too many others. Time and again, his own words came back to haunt him and further the cause of his enemies. He seemed to lose sight of the 'business' he was in, decreeing rules from 'on high' and philandering with his Columbian mistress.
The law enforcement agents involved in the surveillance of Castellano clearly developed an affinity for him, blurring the lines between 'good and 'evil.' After all, they listened not only to meetings with other organized crime figures, but personal exchanges as well. At the conclusion of their investigation, agents knew Castellano not only as the Gambino family boss, but as a husband, father and an often cordial, cooperative man, ailing from the same human conditions anyone at his age may be battling.
In the end, the FBI's investigation seemed to me to serve as a catalyst in Castellano's murder and to install a more problematic figure in John Gotti.
"Boss of Bosses" is, in my opinion, a solid and accurate account of the decline of Paul Castellano and a must read for any one seriously interested in the Mafia and the FBI's ongoing effort to rid a nation of organized crime.
Summary of Boss of Bosses: The FBI and Paul Castellano
Paul Castellano headed New York's immensely powerful Gambino crime family for more than ten years. On December 16, 1985, he was gunned down in a spectacular shooting on Manhattan's fashionable East Side.At the time of his death, Paul Castellano was under indictment. So were most of the major Mafia figures in New York. Why? Because in 1983 the FBI had hidden a microphone in the kitchen of Castellano's Staten Island mansion. The 600 hours of recorndings led to eight criminal trials. And this book.
Agents Joe O'Brien and Andris Kurins planted that mike. They listened to the voices. Now they bring you the most revealing look inside the Mafia ever ... in the Mafia's own words.
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