The First Family

British historian Mike Dash assures us that this look at the beginnings of the American Mafia is not a fanciful imagining of what might have happened. Every conversation, every piece of information comes from interviews, news articles, court transcripts, and police records. Lloyd James offers an unemotional, intelligent narration of this lively book. Dash's main focus, Joe Morello--born with a disfigured hand that earned him the nickname "The Clutch Hand"--is the Italian immigrant who built "the first family of organized crime in the United States." Following Morello's life, from his involvement in Sicilian "protection" organizations in the 1890s to his American counterfeiting operation in the early decades of the twentieth century, James's narration remains calm and balanced, even during descriptions of brutal torture and murder. New historical information, well written and well read. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

Starred review from May 25, 2009
Decades before the Five Families emerged and more than half a century before Mario Puzo wrote The Godfather
, Giuseppe Morello and his family controlled all manner of crime in New York City. Bestselling historian Dash (Satan's Circus
; Tulipomania
) presents an enthralling account of this little-known “boss of bosses,” dubbed “the Clutch Hand” because of his deformed arm. Arriving with his family from Corleone, Sicily, in 1892, Morello soon set up a successful operation counterfeiting American and Canadian bills. His empire expanded to include extorting local businesses, insurance scams and kidnappings. The Mafia—a term that Dash underscores was used by outsiders, not members—was in its infancy when Morello came to America, but by the time he was gunned down in 1930, families had cropped up in all five boroughs and in cities across the country. Dash depicts the balance between loyalty and betrayal as an ever-changing dance and nimbly catalogues the endless gruesome murders committed in the name of revenge and honor. Readers may think they know the mob, but Morello's ruthless rule makes even the fictional Tony Soprano look tame. Maps.