The Mob and the City

March 24, 2014
Though this book is far from the first to claim that the mob did not deal drugs or that its members didn’t snitch on each other, attorney Hortis does offer a detailed look at the history of La Costra Nostra in New York City during the first half of the 20th century. However, the writing and organization of material is far inferior to Selwyn Raab’s Five Families, which took the story to the near-present. Intriguing anecdotes presented here include identification of perhaps the earliest mob turncoat, “Millionaire Charlie” Matranga, who testified against his New Orleans colleagues in the 1890s. Facts post-dating Apalachin (the infamous 1957 mob summit in upstate New York), where the narrative ends, can be confusing, especially since the book lacks even a short epilogue to catch readers up on major developments in the American Mafia, and its prosecution, in the last 50 years. Agent: Scott Mendel, Mendel Media Group.

May 1, 2014

Most mob histories focus on the glamorous lives of the big bosses; novels and popular films have enhanced this image of sex, stardust, and violence. Attorney Hortis takes a different approach, digging into primary sources and recently opened files to explore the true history of the mob in New York. His focus is on the little guys, the street soldiers who form the backbone of La Cosa Nostra. Hortis begins with the rise of the Mafia in the 1890s, as Italian immigration soared and the Italian mob gradually took over from the Irish and Jewish gangs. The author looks at the gradual transition of Mafia interests, from early days of dockworker rackets through the union interference to bootlegging, gambling, boxing, and cabarets, including the gay and lesbian nightclubs in pre-Stonewall Greenwich Village. A lot of mythology gets discredited here and is replaced by hard sociological facts that are even more compelling. VERDICT While the very academic tone of this book doesn't make for light reading, the new material and different perspective will be enlightening to readers of New York City history as well as Mafia history.--Deirdre Bray, Middletown P.L., OH

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