Mafia history

Overall a good read although contains some inaccuracies and is a bit rambling.

Decline and Fall of the Unholy Mafia Empire

This book provides the definitive rendering of New York's five Mafia families. Although Selwyn Raab's account of the early years won't add much to what experienced Mob buffs already know, he is tops--absolute tops--on the last 30 years, when he covered the Mob for the New York Times. Raab provides a meticulously detailed account of their ups and (mostly) downs. I finally made sense of the revolving-door "leadership" (if you can call it that) of the Five Families. He also explains how the various scams--the garbage hauling rackets, the "Concrete Club," the Fulton Fish Market--worked, and how they generated billions for the Mob. He provides a superb explanation of the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act; and how, after a decade-long learning curve, law enforcement was able to use RICO to bring down the Mob. The Bible for any serious Mob buff.

A Superb and Detailed Overview

The prior reviews that seem peeved that this book offers little in the way of revelations or breakthrough analysis are accurate. If you are one of the country's great experts, OK, you've heard it before; don't buy the book.