Bringing Down the Mob: The War Against the American Mafia

Description

Former police commander Reppetto narrates the ferocious ascendancy of organized crime in America. In this sequel, he follows the mob from its peak into a shadowy period of decline as the government, no longer able to deny its existence, made subduing the Mafia a matter of national priority. Reppetto draws on a lifetime of experience to tell the stories of the Mafia's leadership, showing how men such as Sam Giancana and John Gotti became household names. Crusaders like Robert Kennedy led concerted--if sometimes sporadic--attacks against organized crime. As the battles between the feds and the Mafia moved from the streets to the courtrooms, Reppetto describes how it came to resemble a conflict between sovereign powers.--From publisher description.;The road to Apalachin : war is declared on the American Mafia -- Top hoodlums : the FBI plays catch-up -- Wheeling and dealing with mobsters : the friends of Jimmy Hoffa -- "Do something about it" : Bobby Kennedy's attack on the mobs -- Hail Colombo : the Mafia makes a comeback -- From Havana to Dallas : the Sunbelt Mafia and the killing of JFK -- Actors on the same stage : organized crime and corrupt politicians -- Strawmen : skimming Vegas -- The mob and the Teamsters : Jimmy's fate, Jackie's dilemma -- From the French Connection to the Pizza Connection : drugs, the Mafia, and its would-be successors -- RICO : decommissioning the Commission -- The defector and the don : taking down John Gotti -- Dealing with the devil : the hunt for "Whitey" -- Stinging the mobs : digging out the Mafia root and branch -- The future of the old Mafia : the emergence of the new.