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Mafia Hits, Misses, Wars, and Prosecutions
The Rise and Decline of the Mob in America
Mafia Hits, Misses, Wars, and Prosecutions The Rise and Decline of the Mob in America
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Description
Though there are many books about organized crime, this is the only book that focuses on how the mob adapted to the murders of its bosses, failed hits, internecine wars, and to prosecutions and continued to thrive throughout the United States for the better part of the 20th century.
Mafia Hits, Misses, Wars, and Prosecutions is about pivotal events that changed the way the Italian American Mafia has done business since its establishment in the United States. This book covers the murders and wars that ended the careers of Mafia bosses from the Five Families and the prosecutors who built successful political careers following noteworthy mob convictions for ambitious prosecutors like Thomas Dewey, Robert F. Kennedy, and Rudolph Giuliani.
Throughout the book, Sussman covers the notorious murders and wars the mob engaged in from the St. Valentine's Day Massacre to the Castellamarese War, even the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and shows how with each event the mob learned and changed to continue its reign of terror however it could.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: A Bullet in the Gut Ends an Era
Chapter 2: No Love Lost on Valentine's Day
Chapter 3: The Castellammarese Wars and the Emergence of the New Mafia
Chapter 4: Jews and Italians
Chapter 5: Lansky and Luciano: Brothers in Crime
Chapter 6: The Business of Murder
Chapter 7: Little Man Against the Mob
Chapter 8: The Only Mob Boss Fried in Old Sparky
Chapter 9: Deportations
Chapter 10: The Biggest Hit on Television
Chapter 11: Another Committee Hearing
Chapter 12: Unseating the Lord High Executioner
Chapter 13: The Apalachin Disaster
Chapter 14: The Canary Sang
Chapter 15: Robert F. Kennedy, Mafia Nemesis
Chapter 16: The Gallo Wars
Chapter 17: The Colombos Go to War Again
Chapter 18: The Banana Wars
Chapter 19: Flippers, Informants, Rats, Explainers
Chapter 20: Friends of the FBI
Chapter 21: Decapitation
About the Author
Bibliography
Index
Product details

Published | Feb 19 2026 |
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Format | Hardback |
Edition | 1st |
Extent | 320 |
ISBN | 9798881804794 |
Imprint | Bloomsbury Academic |
Illustrations | 25 b/w photos |
Dimensions | 9 x 6 inches |
Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
About the contributors
Reviews
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A lively romp through the highest profile gangland hits and milestones and their fallout on the American rackets. Some of these underworld maneuvers were strategic, while others stemmed from opportunism, personality clashes, and turf struggles. A worthwhile compendium for those of us who like to keep up with mob lore.
Eric Dezenhall, author of Wiseguys and the White House
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Rich Cohen's Tough Jews meets Capeci and Mustain's Murder Machine. Jeffrey Sussman has written a must-read for mob enthusiasts and true crime aficionados.
Louis Ferrante, author of The Borgata Trilogy
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From Gotti to Gambino, a highly absorbing catalog of mafia murder and mischief.
Michael Cannell, author of Blood and the Badge: The Mafia, Two Killer Cops, and a Scandal that Shocked the Nation
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For over a century, the Mafia has been known for its many murders, schemes, bloody wars, and prosecutions. The list is long, and for anyone trying to get an insight into that history, the job can be daunting. Thankfully, Jeffrey Sussman's Mafia Hits, Misses, Wars, and Prosecutions has arrived to give us an encyclopedic volume that will satisfy anyone interested in the history of La Cosa Nostra and its cast of characters. From the Castellammarese War through the Kefauver hearings, various prosecutions, and the bloody Gallo and Colombo wars, Sussman lays out a gangland history that is now part of modern American folklore. It is a welcomed addition to the library of any crime buff.
Tony DeStefano, award-winning journalist and bestselling true crime author of Gotti's Boys, Top Hoodlum, and The Big Heist
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Drawing on his encyclopedic research into America's criminal empires, Jeffrey Sussman has fashioned a narrative of organized crime's 'greatest hits' from the early 20th century right up until today. The body count is over the top. The headlines are lurid. Read it!
David Rabinovitch, author of Jukebox Empire: The Mob and the Dark Side of the American Dream