5 Mafia Books Worth Reading

My non-fiction book, A Brotherhood Betrayed: The Man Behind the Rise and Fall of Murder, Inc., takes place in Brooklyn in the 1930s, so I had no chance of interviewing participants or eyewitnesses. Instead, I pored over hundreds of old newspaper clips, FBI files — and books. Lots and lots and lots of books. I walked among the stacks of university libraries and mail-ordered titles consigned to oblivion. Each half-forgotten book I opened brought a small corner of organized crime back to life. Here are five I recommend.