Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Gefen Publishing House (2000), Edition: 0, Paperback, 288 pages
Description
Seventh printing includes more gangsters! Newly footnoted and expanded bibliography! New FBI documents! More detailed information about the alleged plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler! Gangsters dealt with in this book include Louis Lepke Buchalter, Benjamin Bugsy Siegel, Arthur Dutch Schultz Flegenheimer, Meyer The Little Man Lansky, Chalie King Solomon, Max Boo Boo Hoff and Abner Longy Zwillman. Over 10,000 sold. Also available in Hebrew.
Language
User reviews
LibraryThing member blumsclues
I loved this book. I couldn't put it down. Rockaway does an excellent job giving the reader a history lesson- I didn't even know I was getting one!! Well written, satirical- gets the reader right into the roaring 20's...
LibraryThing member JoelMack
A thoroughly compelling book and one of a kind. The apt title was chosen due to a response Rockaway’s mother gave when he was talking about a Jewish gangster – “But he was good to his mother!” What seemed to be common among most Jewish gangsters was the fact that they had strong family
The book is engaging and touches on the lives of the most notorious Jewish American gangsters. With the ‘main’ Jewish gangsters mentioned, Rockaway gives an entertaining background into their upbringing, life of crime, death, and if they survived, life after crime. It gives an insight into the psychology behind these gangsters which is fascinating. The writing style is an easy read and leaves you wanting to know more about them. It certainly whets the appetite.
Although hard to put down, the book does have its flaws. I cannot comment on historical accuracy, although the information is gathered from numerous sources, including FBI files, family members, and hearsay. One flaw with the book is that the pictures of the gangsters are in random places. It would have been more helpful to either have them all in one place, either at the beginning or in the centre of the book. As a result the book can be a bit confusing. Furthermore, Rockaway does have a tendency to jump around with the characters. This however, could also be a positive as they didn’t live their lives in isolation of one another, although it could have possibly been better handled.
On the whole a most enjoyable read.
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ties, and were unwilling for any of their families to get involved in any of their heinous crimes. In some cases what they did was a mystery to their families.The book is engaging and touches on the lives of the most notorious Jewish American gangsters. With the ‘main’ Jewish gangsters mentioned, Rockaway gives an entertaining background into their upbringing, life of crime, death, and if they survived, life after crime. It gives an insight into the psychology behind these gangsters which is fascinating. The writing style is an easy read and leaves you wanting to know more about them. It certainly whets the appetite.
Although hard to put down, the book does have its flaws. I cannot comment on historical accuracy, although the information is gathered from numerous sources, including FBI files, family members, and hearsay. One flaw with the book is that the pictures of the gangsters are in random places. It would have been more helpful to either have them all in one place, either at the beginning or in the centre of the book. As a result the book can be a bit confusing. Furthermore, Rockaway does have a tendency to jump around with the characters. This however, could also be a positive as they didn’t live their lives in isolation of one another, although it could have possibly been better handled.
On the whole a most enjoyable read.
Show Less
ISBN
9652292494 / 9789652292490