Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires

As I was totally immersed watching episodes of “Inside the American Mafia” on Netflix, I realized that Selwyn Raab’s interesting and invaluable commentary was what made the series so great. His authoritative knowledge and storytelling ability compelled me to order his book, FIVE FAMILIES, as I was watching the series. If there is one source I would recommend about understanding the “nuts and bolts” of Mafia in America, it would certainly be FIVE FAMILIES. The basic premise of FIVE FAMILIES is to illustrate how the crux of the American Mafia evolves around the happenings of the five major crime families in New York City (Luchese, Gambino, Genovese, Colombo and Bonnano). Paralleling the families’ stories is the gradual acceptance of the US government to acknowledge the Mafia’s existence and eventually formulate a plan to combat it. Raab does a magnificent job in presenting the birth, rise, decline (and likely resurgence) of these families and does so in a manner that is both entertaining and absorbing. Even more impressive is that FIVE FAMILIES manages to simplify the massive, interweaving complexities associated with these organizations to a level that most readers will appreciate. This meaty volume of 700+ pages provides an abundance of detailed information, but Raab graciously divides the material into 60 digestible (10-12 page) chapters that keeps readers focused. Miraculously, the book never became a tedious grind; I find it rare to read books this size that don’t either bore me to tears or eventually challenge my will to finish. FIVE FAMILIES is pretty much a chronological affair through the 1960s, when the families began to exploit their power. The period from the 1970s to the early 2000s, Raab informally groups chapters by family to better illustrate their peaks and subsequent downfalls in a more concise manner. This 70s-00s era provides much more intricate and juicy storylines as the US government’s willingness to fight the mafia resulted in a number of Mafiosi willing to violate their codes of silence. Much of the book describes the nitty-gritty of the violence perpetuated by the families (both within and outside the families) and the shady rackets that pretty much explains why everything in New York City costs so much (even candy bars). The power and the reach exerted by these families is eerily shocking. Ironically, the pages of mindless bloodshed is accompanied by stories that are both humorous and quirky. The plethora of gangster nicknames peppering each page (and the rationale behind the names) is a gem in-and-of itself. It was easy to see the basis for almost every significant Hollywood presentation of the Mafia being outlined in the book … even the fictitious “Sopranos”. What I appreciated most about FIVE FAMILIES is that it easily presents itself as being an authority on anything-everything related to the American Mafia. No stone is left unturned in this book as every major gangster from Luciano to “the last Don” Joe Massino (and everyone in-between) is addressed. Additionally, every significant mafia-related event is covered in satisfactory detail. Whether it be the famous Apalachin bust in 1957, the Kennedy assassination(s), the brutality of “Gaspipe” Casso, “Chin” Gigante’s decades-long mental illness ruse or the Teflon-turned-Velcro John Gotti trials … FIVE FAMILIES covers it ALL. More interesting is how the federal government went from turning its back to the Mafia’s existence to aggressively tackling each one of the five families by using the most powerful and effective tool in its armory: RICO. Each subsequent chapter is as engrossing as the previous. For anyone interested in the American Mafia, I cannot think of a better primer than FIVE FAMILIES as it provides such a comprehensive understanding of the entire organization (as a whole and each individual family) … it’s a one-stop-shop type of resource that entertains from beginning to end. While I have read several books that focus on specific mafia stories or individuals (Roy DeMeo, Nicky Scarfo or Richard Kuklinski), I have yet to see a book that ties everything together as well as FIVE FAMILIES manages to do … Selwyn Raab bats this one out of the park.

Absolutely a must read for any fans on Mafia Empires. This is a large book, but it tracks the history and the rise and the fall of the five Mafia families in NY. As one can imagine, there are plenty of characters big and small, but the author has done excellent job of keeping the narrative in such a way that you don't feel confused or overwhelmed. I liked this book so much that I have purchased my own personal copy.

Good books about the American Mafia are few and far between. Most of the ones I've found seem to be self-serving memoirs by former members and associates of organized crime, written in conjunction with professional ghost-writers. These books are okay, but don't really provide me with what I want: a good, solid, informative history of the American Mob and the efforts of law enforcement agencies to eradicate it. I recently discovered just such a book: "Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires" by Selwyn Raab. Here is a definitive history of the five great crime "families" of New York, written by a former "New York Times" investigative reporter who is also one of the foremost recognized authorities on organized crime in America. In "Five Families," Raab traces the rise and decline of the five most powerful and influential crime borgatas in the United States - so-called "families" named after their most famous bosses: Bonanno, Columbo, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese. These five Cosa Nostra "families" gradually became so powerful that they essentially ruled nearly all of American organized crime from the early 1930s until the 1990s, when their influence was severely diminished by the concerted efforts of local, state, and Federal investigators and prosecutors. These families were initially organized in 1931 by Charles "Lucky" Luciano, who was, at the time, one of the most notorious gangsters in America. Luciano proposed dividing criminal enterprises in New York City into five "families," with a governing "commission" of bosses. Each borgata would be organized into crews led by "caporegimes," or "capos." There was also a body of strict rules by which all members would live. Raab points out that for nearly six decades, The Five Families' criminal enterprises ran practically unchallenged in New York. Their power and influence gradually expanded into Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and other major American cities. It was estimated that, during the Five Families' heyday in the 1970s and '80s, billions of dollars were illegally diverted from the American economy through criminal activities that included gambling, loan-sharking, extortion, drug trafficking, fraud, hijacking, robbery, kidnapping, and murder. Raab also traces the efforts of state, local, and Federal law enforcement agencies to bring the Five Families to justice. A heroic and dogged group of investigators and prosecutors, most notably FBI Special Agent Joseph D. Pistone (of "Donnie Brasco" fame) and U.S. Attorneys Rudolph Giuliani and Michael Chertoff, used provisions of the newly enacted Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act to indict, convict, and sentence to long prison terms many of the Five Families' most powerful and notorious gangsters. I found "Five Families" one of the most fascinating books I've read in a long time. The book is packed with information that's presented in an easy to read and understand manner. Selwyn Raab is obviously a gifted writer whose style drew me in from the book's first paragraph. It's unfortunate that the Kindle version of "Five Families" is of such poor quality that it seriously distracts from Raab's outstanding research and writing skills. Nearly every page of the Kindle version contains serious typographical errors like wrongly italicized words, incorrect punctuation, and even misspelled words. These errors occur frequently enough for me to deduct one star from my otherwise five-star rating. They all should have been eliminated by more careful proof-reading and editing. Despite this serious technical flaw, "Five Families" is an important addition to the literature of organized crime, and should not be missed. Highly recommended.

Absolutely fabulous and complete information that is truthful and riveting to absorb too! Love it ! Thank yoi

A monumental achievement by Selwyn Raab, "Five Families" is history at its finest. This book traces the history of the American Mafia, focusing on the five crime families of NY, the epicenter of La Cos Nostra. From the Mafia's American, origins to its height of influence on organized labor to the strategic and aggressive use of RICO that left the mob crippled and to the post 9/11 time period where federal resources were diverted to fighting terrorism, "Five Families" is engrossing, informative and just plain brilliant. If you want to read a single book on the Mafia, there really shouldn't be any debate. If you are looking for book that glamorizes the mob, this isn't for you. If you are looking for a true accounting of everything and everyone that allowed the mob to grow in influence, its insidious grip on certain industries, the negative influence it had on businesses and consumers and much more, there is no better source. This is not a book you'll finish in a long weekend. It is over 700 pages without the footnotes, but is well worth the time investment. Kudos to Raab for his extensive research to compile the definitive account of the NY Mafia.

This was a great book overall. Raab's writing style is engaging, and, of course, the subject is hugely fascinating. Raab is able to make the characters come alive with funny and sometimes bizarre anecdotes about life inside the mob. Although not a hagiography, Raab does offer a sympathetic portrait of the times and high water mark of la cosa nostra in old New York. Totally readable and enjoyable.

I have always been fascinated with the idea of the Mafia or Cosa Nostra. This author gives you a very detailed description of just how these families formed, operated and have now become embedded in American society. The link between the families and the assassinations of the Kennedy clan is also worth noting. Highly recommended reading.

As someone who grew up in NYC at the '90 this book brings clearity to a brutal reality on how NYC was governed by the mob. I still remember how as a kid I was always told that those "green garbage" collecting trucks are the mafia. I also remember on hearing horrifying stories about businesses being intimidated by the mafia for protection money or garbage removal. There was a kid in the school that I went to whos dad was killed by the mafia over a dispute. I loved the way the author has summarized the entire history of the NYC mob from its rise and almost fall. It explains how the mob functioned and operated, how they were able to avoid being prosecuted, and how they eventually fell one by one into the hands of the government. This book give you great insight into the top players of the mab, how they evolved, how they lived, and eventually how they fell or got killed. The reason I gave this book a 4 star is for some grammar issues the book had, but the book itself, the reading, and all was an awesome read, and recommended for anyone interested is knowing a thing or two about the NYC mafia.

Para todo el que tenga interés en la mafia se trata de una lectura absolutamente imprescindible: Un tratado prolijo y perfectamente documentado sobre la historia de la mafia de Nueva York, pero también sobre las estrategias que siguieron las distintas agencias para contrarrestar su inmenso poder.

If you are a fan of American history, or the Mafia....this is THE book for you. It is very well written and very well detailed. Great read! Epic. If you've watched the 3 part T.V. series and want more...this is for you.

Per chi vuole comprendere il fenomeno mafioso al di fuori dei propri confini culturali e geografici. Un opera di giornalismo storico adatto anche a lettori poco esperti del settore

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A thesis on Mafia families of NY