The cure for everyone tired of slick lawyers whose business cards should say "Have Word Processor, Will Travel." Cutler is the Method Actor of the Bar. He tries cases from the inside out, with no cynicism, no patronization of the jury, and no distaste for the client hidden under a barrel of glib professionalism. Cutler lays his thoughts and feelings bare in this book, and it's an inspiration. If you're in law school, reading it may remind you why you bothered. If you're in practice, it will inspire you to try cases. If you're a gangster, it will make you check your address book to see if you have Cutler's number. For everyone else, a hugely entertaining, edifying book about America, the legal system, the System, and a guy who has the b--ls to buck it and often win.

This has been an excited experience by reading such great book. I concider there should be more books like that which inform and let people know about the truth involved in these events such as Gotti and Gravano connections.

Perhaps the publisher or Peter Maas was trying to do something new to appeal to the public. By selectively editing interviews this book is written in the prose of Sammy the Bull's slang and jargon, fragmented sentences, non-sequiturs, and poor train of thought. I didn't finish the book. To all others, in my humble opinion it's not worth starting.

Many reviewers have compared this work to Nicholas Pileggi's fine book "Wiseguy" (which was the basis for the movie "GoodFellas"). And rightfully so. "Wiseguy" concerned real life crime figure Henry Hill and how he eventually turned government informant against the mob. "Underboss" likewise tells the tale of a mobster turned informant, except this time the stool pigeon, Sammy Gravano, is a capo (and later a consigliere) in the Gambino crime family, and the mafioso he fingers is none other than John Gotti himself.

As you might expect, "Underboss" is a fascinating read. (Author Peter Maas previously wrote the books "Serpico" and "The Valachi Papers", among others, so he knows how to tell a good crime story). Gravano does not portray himself as a saint. He candidly reveals in horrifying (though not gory) detail crimes he committed in the mob, including some nineteen murders and literally hundreds of burglaries, armed robberies, and kickback/extortion plots. All the major New York crime bosses of the time (Carlo Gambino, Joe Columbo, Paul Castellano, Vincent Gigante, and of course Gotti) figure in the proceedings, as Gavano had dealings with them and others, as well.

Unlike some true crime books where you end up skipping chapters to get to the "good stuff", this book was gripping every step of the way. So much so that I ended reading it cover to cover, all 301 pages, in less than a week. If you're looking for a good insider's book on the Mafia, this is it.

I really enjoyed the behind the scenes look into one of the largest New York crime families that this book gave! The most difficult part about the book is trying to distinguish between fact and Sammy Gravan's version of things. He is thought of as a heartless thug. In the book he seems to be a fairly likable guy who took advantage of the glamourous life of a mobster.

I understand he is now out of the witness-protection program. Don't know how he is still around.

John Davis has definitely done his research. He is a good soty teller, and I will probably read more of his books. My problem is with the title. It leads you to believe this book is about the Gambino Family. Only the first 150 pages really talks about the previous bosses. The rest is about John Gotti. I was looking into reading about the older bosses, but instead got another book about Mr. Gotti. If you haven't read any of the books about Gotti, than this is a good buy for you, as you will learn a little of the history about the Gambino Family, and then also get a book about Gotti.

Read this book for a corrective to the seductive powers of Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather trilogy and HBO's The Sopranos, which promote the "The Family" in more or less sympathetic tones. Davis' narrative combines historical research (locating the roots of Cosa Nostra in 19th century feudal Italy), psychological profiling (well-drawn portraits of the genius Carlo Gambino, luxury-loving but ultimately out-of-touch Paul Castellano, and blowhard John Gotti), and legal journalism (blow-by-blow accounts of the three Gotti trials of the 1980s and 1990s). There are comical moments, most notably Castellano's tawdry affair with his maid (caught on FBI tapes) and Gotti's obscenity-laden self-incriminating boasting that he always knows what is on (while being taped), and mob lawyer Bruce Cutler's courtroom tirades. But most of all, there is throughout the undeniable rot of organized crime, where murder is treated not as a sin, but as a business expense. Despite some grammatical errors and occasionally too much information (the book could have been better edited in my view), this book will balance out American culture's strange ambivalence regrading organized crime.

I picked this book up on a whim. I had just read the Westies and I wanted to learn more about the Italian mafia. Well this book was probably the best I could have picked up for an overview and it led me to some other more cetralized books. I see a lot of reviewers have complained that it centers too much on Gotti and yes this is true. In fact the book mostly focuses on Gotti and Castellano. I feel this is because there isn't much to go on for the older bosses in the way of written history. Davis does a good job of piecing together bits to create a history of the Cosa Nostra from the turn of the century to Carlo Gambino. You can tell that information is pretty scarce because he moves quickly through the bosses and the histroy and you get to Castellano after like 200 pages. Most of Davis's information comes from Gotti's and Castellano's tapes. Therefore the remainder of the book gets very detail oriented and recounts much of the history at a pretty rapid pace. One thing I think Davis could have done better would have to not be so repetitive about quotes. He used many of Gotti's and Castellano's quotes from the tapes and testimony over and over. But if you are looking for a solid history and are new to this genre of reading then this is probably the best you can find. Then if you want more precise novels pick up; Boss of Bosses, Bound By Honor, The Westies, Wiseguy, Donnie Brasco, Underboss, etc...

Good Book

The book called, Gangland: How The FBI Broke The Mob by Howard Blum was a good book to read. I pick this book for the interest in the mob and how it works. The book is a big book and it holds a lot of details. Gangland is about the Gotti Family and the boss John Gotti. In the beginning of this book it really explains the FBI agents life and it also talks about how they were on to the mob. Howard Blum talks about what the mob is and what there about. Gangland tells you how they busted the mob one by one and who turned on his own boss to get them busted. If you really like mob stories and want to learn what happened to this family of gangster's, then read this book.

I have always been a fan of true crime books dealing with the American mafia so I could be a bit biased in this review. I really enjoyed this book. It is a very interesting view of what took place with John Gotti. It had a lot of detail about how the FBI worked with other law enforcement organizations, and the techniques they used to gather the evidence that turned John Gotti into a ward of the state. This book moves fast and never gets bogged down in legalese. Another positive with the book is the author is a reporter and not a FBI official, therefore the writing is better. It is an interesting study of an important event in the American Mafia

Gangland is the most thorough and professional telling of the fall of John Gotti. I was already familiar with the characters from other books, primarily "Boss of Bosses," so I was very pleased to wrap up the story as told by this highly skilled author and journalist.

The biggest difference between this and other mafia books is that almost all other books are written as first person accounts by the participants (i.e. FBI agents, mobsters, etc.). As an unbiased observer, Blum can tell the entire story in all of its fascinating detail - from FBI squad rooms to the inner circle of Gotti's most private mob retreats. This professional detachment does not in any way hamper the personal details of the story. Blum can still make you feel like an insider. Probably the best example of this is when he recounts Gotti and Sammy "the Bull" Gravano's murder of Gambino crime family boss Paul Castellano. When you read the story again later in the book - as part of Gravano's confession - it brings chills down your back yet again. You can sense the excitement of the government agents and prosecutors who are hearing the story for the first time. It is a true pinnacle in American organized crime history.

Gangland is a required companion to other fine mafia books like "Donnie Brasco," "Boss of Bosses," and to a lesser extent "Underboss." The only thing to remember is that its journalistic approach is markedly different from the "I was there" approach of other books. Just stick with it as everything unravels perfectly in the end.

The book is a one sided story told by a man who is "obsessed" with John Gotti. Full of news reports that could be fact or fiction. This author has made a ton of money off the Gotti name and continues to do so. He will not let go, we know $$$ motivates him, we know the name GOTTI sells/promotes his web site, articles, and books, but could there be more to the relentless vendetta he has against JOHN GOTTI or is it in Italians themsleves. A dirty little secret?? The rumor is Jerry Capeci uses a pen name, and in fact he is of "irish" ethincity by birth. Could he have a hiddin agenda which motivates his writings of Italian Americans negative light????? Let us know Mr.Capeci!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

John Gotti started out as a nobody from Queens,New York, who would later become the biggest know name in the mafia today. After he assassinated Paul Castellano, the boss of the Gambino family John started to climb his way up in the mafia life.Through out the book the authors go into great detail about John and the family. John was always a fan of the press and media, he wanted his name to be know to all. That was also exactly what happend. John was the most feared man in New York for most of the 80's and the early 90's. After gettin extreamly popular the FBI and RICO started to fallow him and bug his hidouts and homes. In the mid 90's John and his two main men Sammy and Frankie were arrested and sentenced to life in prison.After that the Gambino family fell apart.

The book Mob Star was thrillin and exciting. After reading the first chapter it was hard not to put this book down. The way the authors go into great detail about what is going on and how it happens, you feel like you were in the same room with john at every moment.Mob Star is a very fast reading book,only because you can not wait to see what John Gotti gets into next.I would recomend this book to anyone who likes the Mafia or just wants to read an excilent book.

The final chapter in John Gottis book of life. The prologue and postscript give the reader true insight to the late John Gotti and his final days existing in solitary confinement in one of the toughest correctional facilities in the American system.
This is a must read for anyone with the least bit of curiosity about the Mafia and it's late "Teflon Don".

The "RISE AND FALL" of "GOTTI" was a book that I really enjoyed reading and found very interesting . The book really described how the notorious John Gotti (leader of the Gambino family, which is one of the most powerful , and most respected mob familes in the history of the mafia) gained both wealth and control of the Gambino family. It had actual facts on his early life as a criminal thug in East New York and other parts of New York . The book also revealed how he lived his personal life , and his life as a man of business with a heart bigger than a lion. It describes how Gotti was first considered an "EARNER", as other members of crime families would refer to it. He would go and highjack trucks, make his money in one day, and spend it all mostly at horse tracks or illegal off track bets.

The book kept good track of timing on how and when Gotti was going to be the next fierce leader of his crime family . The number of arrests and court cases also were on point with those that were kept on records of news reporters , lawyers , and judges . It lead the readers like myself to have enough knowledge of what he was doing wrong and what cases would put him away behind bars for good.

I enjoyed this book because it has plenty of details of one true gangster who was at the top but was being taken down by one who was close to him . For those who are interested in knowing the real Gotti and what he was really about from start to finish, I suggest you read this book!

I think the book is excellent. As a mafia novice who purchased the book for something to read during spring break, I read the book in one night- I could not put it down. It does a good job at detailing the organization of the Gambino family and Cosa nostra in general. It also gives good biographical accounts of both Gotti and Gravano. I find mob movies empty most of the time so reading a non-fiction account of Mob life in its most famous family was fascinating for me. For 6 bucks, you get ten times more out of it than an 8 dollar movie.

This is the best book on John Gotti, there is no question about it. Capeci & Mustain provide an entirely objective, intelligent and succint synopsis of the short reign of the flamboyant mobster from his rise until his inevitable fall, to define the namesake of the book title. The text is legible, concise, and matter-of-fact, without personal opinions or confusing dialogue that is not properly formatted. One could almost consider the book a well-researched and reader-friendly FBI briefing minus the capitals. There are many books available on John Gotti, and the Gambino family, but none are as carefully scrutinized and well-displayed as Rise And Fall. The addition of photographs is a plus, as they give the reader a glimpse of whom the press referred to as 'The Dapper Don' in all his Brioni, Armani and Hugo Boss glory. But the man himself is not glorified for the book, rightfully, and any romanticisms that remained ingrained in the minds of mob buffs is duly erased in this novel, for it is a blow-by-blow account of a ruthless mob boss, a liar, a bragger, a criminal and a killer. In fact, the aftermath of the gangster's demise resonates justice, and brings a sense of pride to a once-corrupted American justice system. Capeci is, as always, the cream of organized crime media.

9/10

John Gotti( Dapper Don), I feel is the cause for the downfall of the Gambino crime family. In "Goombata", it shows how Gotti loved the attention from the Press and Media. He alone made the FBI and RICO chase after him. John Gotti wanted a flamboyant life-style, which is why he was number one target among organized crime leaders. John Gotti broke the number one rule in La Cosa Nostra, the secret life.
I like the tone the author set. Chapter after chapter I wanted to know what John Gotti was going to do to become a known man within the Gambino family. "Goombata" is a fast and terse biography. This novel would've been the perfect biography but the author, John Cummings, did'nt make the novel long enough. He could've coverd more about his coming up among the ranks years. Also, there was no clear resolution because when this book was published, John Gotti was on trial for racketereering charges that he later was found guilty for. Overall rating, three stars.

not the best book i have read but not the worst.despite the book being flawed because it finishes before the final prossecution. it does offer a few good chapters and also throws down some opinions that s contradicted by other sources.like who did whack his body gaurd near the end of the book.some good photos but not exactly a work of art. if only he good have waited to find out what happened at the final prossecution then he could have definately called the rise and fall of john gottis crew .there are definatelly better mob books on the market but if you do want a different veiw then it may be worth checking out.

goombata is not a great mob book.it tends to explore too much of john gottis childhood.the book is about the rise and fall of gotti but it didnt really float my boat.it has a couple of good chapters but the rest are average.on one occasion it tells how gotti,i guess you can say killed the man who accidentally ran over his son.the man pleaded with gotti but john didnt have mercy for the man.he just dissapeared but we all know that gotti got him.