Boston Mob

Author: Marc Songini

Like anyone who grew up with movies like Scarface and The Godfather, or who heard the stories of the Kray Brothers and Al Capone, the Mob has always held a macabre fascination. Portrayed as an honourable crime institution while being openly reviled as a despicable group of violent bullies, thieves and murderers. Over its many years of operation, across various families and relationships, the Cosa Nostra would always inevitably become a victim of its own lust for money and power. Breaking its own rules and always going that step too far. Some Mobsters even took on an almost movie-star like quality. In fact they cultured and nurtured this perception of themselves, and some even came to view themselves as untouchable by the law.

Boston Mob follows the rise and fall of the New England Mob, in particular one of the star hit men, Joe Barboza. An ambitious psychopath who used fear, pain and a lack of respect for life in general to force his way up the Cosa Nostra ladder of power. Yet all was not well with him, and his fellow gangsters. They were in the midst of a gang war, and the FBI and local cops were laying on the heat. Looking for opportunities to turn jail birds into stool pigeons, who would eventually be integral in bringing the New England Mob leaders to their knees. Marc Songini compelling take on this tumultuous period is fascinating and difficult to put down once you start reading. A deep dive into the murky underworld of Boston Mob families and the horror they wrought while they fought for control of the city and beyond.

Read this if you like: Books about the Mob, the Boston Mob, The New England Mob, Joe Barboza, The Patriarca Family, true crime.

Rated: 3 scoops out of a possible 5 flavours.