Murder Machine (Onyx)
by Gene Mustain, Jerry Capeci
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Book Summary Information
Author: Gene Mustain, Jerry CapeciEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1993-07-01
ISBN: 0451403878
Number of pages: 496
Publisher: Onyx
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780451403872
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Book Reviews of Murder Machine (Onyx)
Book Review: Murder, madness and mayhem of the worst sort!
Summary: 5 Stars
"Murder Machine" is this explosive, no-holds-barred account of this very nasty and pernicious gang of homicidal psychopaths whose blood-drenched activities and wicked ways revealed the dark, repugnant side of the Gambino Crime Family, eventually giving them this very bad name through the horrendous acts of mayhem attributable to that gang of merciless killers and master corpse eliminators. For with the sole exception of the Westies (who were led by Jimmy Coonan and who ruled over this slice of Manhattan known as Hell's Kitchen back during the 70's and 80's) Roy Demeo's cold-blooded, trigger-happy crew of kill-crazy assassins, drug dealers, loan sharks and car thieves were just about the most ruthless, brutal and prolific hitmen/organized criminals that this nation has ever seen! For I was extremely shocked and appalled by the sheer brutality and amount of gory violence committed by the Demeo Crew, which usually came in the form of dozens upon dozens of bodies that were---for various reasons---shot, stabbed in the heart and then cut up and dismembered piece by piece in the gang's notorious "execution chamber" that was located in this Brooklyn apartment, whereby the various body parts were then "wrapped in plastic bags and placed in cardboard boxes" that were taken to this city dump for disposal, which was par for the course. The horrifying Demeo crew had scarcely any peers in that grisly, macabre field.
Also, many of their victims were innocent people who had the terrible misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time as they unwittingly fell into the murderous and bloodstained path of the ultra-vicious, gleefully homicidal Demeo crew, who seemed to enjoy killing. Also the bloody acts themselves---and their chosen methed of human dismemberment and systematic butchery that seemed to accompany most of their professional "hits"---became quite routine and brought that whole gang very close together (which usually numbered about 5 or 6 hard-core killers!), leading them into these gruesome and bizarre blood rituals that tended to define Demeo and Co., whereby they entered into this terrible pact of brotherhood, secrecy, perversity and non-stop bloodletting! They were pretty bloodthirsty indeed, as that vile and sadistic crew, the worst in Mafia history, killed over 200 people between 1975-1983 (and in which most were never found!), making them the most prolific group of hitmen in the annals of American crime save those that served in Murder Inc. (yet Demeo's crew was often more insatiable, crazy, capricious and savage than those old-school hitmen of the 1930's and 40's!).
Like I stated earlier, save the Irish Westies (who were the Gambino Family's favorite enforcers and contract killers!) no one else in the NYC underworld, before or since, was more feared, deadly or violent, and every crew in the Mafia, including the tough and brutish Gotti brothers, was afraid of Roy Demeo and his band of merry hitmen, who sometimes killed and chopped people up for the fun of it!
Moreover, not a few of their shootings and killings were on the spot and quite impulsive, which only served to add on to their very dangerous, at times unpredictable reputation. Though not quite as wild and as fearsome as the Irish Westies Demeo's Gemini crew were certainly very difficult to control, yet they were equally efficient in their ability to make their hapless victims simply "vanish" from the face of the Earth, and they were just as utterly depraved as their more mad-dog, psycho Irish-American counterparts (yet the Westies were the first gang to indulge in the grisly act of dismemberment, their specialty!). That despite the Demeo crew's often stylish, sophisticated ways and appearances, along with their normal seeming exteriors, which in many ways only made them and their violence more terrifying (the ambitious crew leader Roy Demeo seemed---and in many ways actually was---the ideal, typically suburban family man!).
Mustain and Capeci do this splendid job, writing in this easy-to-read and rather eloquent manner that is quite compelling and interesting, for the story itself, as written, is as riveting as the actual story is horrifying and utterly chilling. It's also brutally graphic in it's many descriptions of group murder and dismemberment, as the authors convey every aspect of this terribly shocking tale of Mafia intrigue, human drama and sheer butchery with the utmost skill and detail, making the story that much more complete. For Murder Machine is this excellent, well-researched book, filled with this flowing prose and these thoroughly detailed characterizations and various personality profiles and individual stories that, with the exception of Mickey Featherstone, seemed to be deficient within "The Westies." For the various character background descriptions are relatively thorough and in many ways illuminating (especially when it came to describing the main characters, like crew leader Roy Demeo, his powerful Capo "Nino" Gaggi and Nino's Vietnam Vet nephew Dominick Montiglio, the main source of info), as they try to provide the reader with this glimpse into the minds of all the gang members, their various complexities and what may have led them to this life of crime, all those dirty deeds and sordid murders that in turn only deepened and solidified that formidable brotherhood of depravity and evil.
So if tales of organized crime and other stories relating to the Mafia are what interest and fascinate you than I highly recommend you read "Murder Machine", for it's one of the better reads in that particular genre. Yet beware, for the level of unspeakable bloodshed and horror described within the pages of that book is absolutely awful and frightening in every way imaginable, although the story itself is powerfully told as common themes of friendship, neighborhood bonds, gang allegiance, solidarity, vengeance, human connivance, incessant power grabbing, blood oaths, extreme violence, greed, brutal treachery, sinister scheming, rampant disobedience, stupidity and ruthless intimidation are to be found throughout, leading to the exciting and tense climax where much soul-searching leads to the act of ultimate betrayal/and or witness cooperation with the government along with these abhorrent revelations which further fuel the story and eventually lead to the demise of Demeo's horrid crew, bringing about final justice in the end. Buy it, for "Murder Machine" is this very good and very scary read where the bad guys are really bad, exceedingly ruthless and without remorse as they continuously rack up this body count that is unmatched in American history (though the Westies, who were not quite as prolific in their murderous rampage, were more ferocious and brutal, true pioneers in the act of cutting up bodies and making them disappear!).
Summary of Murder Machine (Onyx)
An account of the exploits of the DeMeo gang--the most deadly hit men in organized crime--describes how their Mafia higher-ups came to know them, use them for profit and pleasure, and fear them. Reprint. K.General Books
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