Cheap The Outfit (Book) (Gus Russo) Price

Related Products

Customer Reviews of The Outfit

I hope the Pulitzer people read this book.....
This is the first book that I have recommended for the Pulitzer, and this book richly deserves the honor and many more to be heaped upon it.
This book is a fascinating and well researched book, but it is much more than that. It is funny, smartly written and so entertaining that the book is actually a real page turner. The book is a real eye opener to the inner workings of the Chicago mafia and their dealings with the upperworld and political figures spanning 50 years. This book is shocking! The Outfit describes in great detail the association between the mafia and Truman, Lyndon Johnson, The Kennedy's, and numerous state and federal officials.
The book also details the life of Curly Humphreys, the most important mob figure, Tony Accardo, Paul Ricca, Johnny Rosselli, Sam "Momo" Giancana, and Al Capone. The book is rich in details of their lives, it tells of all their exploits and describes their murders, rackets, and other operations. The book breaks down myths and realities regarding certain aspects of their businesses. They talk about the control of unions, the fixing of the Kennedy election, Las Vegas, and various other well known mob exploits that are often surrounded in modern day folklore.
This book is absolutely excellent and it will give you straight facts, which is the most amazing aspect. While entertaining, it is extensively researched which is the best part of the book.

I highly recommend this book, you will not be disappointed.

---

Compelling Look at the Chicago Mob After Capone
"The Outfit" is a well written, thoroughly comprehensive look at the post-Capone history of organized crime in the city of Chicago. Gus Russo does an excellent job of leaving no stone unturned as he chronicles the Outfit's activity from the jailing of Capone to its decline in the 90s. Along the way we meet the gangsters who made the Chicago mob rich and famous: Tony "Joe Batters" Accardo, Paul "the Waiter" Ricca, "Curly" Humphries, Johnny Roselli,Jake "Greasy Thumb" Guzik, and Sam "Mooney" Giancana. Russo discusses the role of each in making the Chicago Syndicate the power it was in the world of organized crime.

Russo's breezy style makes "The Outfit" an absolute joy to read, deftly mixing facts and ancedotes like a master chef. Read about the takeover of IATSE, the Hollywood union, and the infiltration of the mob into the world of the Hollywood studios; the Mob's entry and takeover of Las Vegas; the infiltration into the Teamsters and the scheming of the Outfit to fix the 1960 presidential election and what happened when they were doublecrossed. It was by no means a smooth ride - along the way Russo details the eforts of law enforcement to balance the books, so to speak, with the result that the Outfit always had to keep scheming, keep looking, for new rackets and businesses to infiltrate. Russo keeps the pages turning with a compelling style that makes the book's 550 pages seem like 100 when you hit the end.

Few books even attempt to cover the history of the Chicago Mob after Al Capone left the scene. Fewer still are this enjoyuable. A must for crime historians and those just interested in a good book.

---

overrated author
I found alot of the authors references extremely dubious. For example, if Murray Humphries was such a smart mobster I find it hard to believe that he would allow his wife to keep a written journal detailing how the Kennedy election was fixed. The author also left out details of references to bolster his case that with the death of Tony Accordo the Outfit died also. When he cites an article called "Mob Lite" stating that there are only 50 outfit members remaining, he left out the part stating that there are at 700-1200 associates remaining and how they are more sophisticated than ever. I only wonder what else he left out.