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Carmine the Snake

Carmine Persico and His Murderous Mafia Family

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Carmine the Snake

Written by: Frank DiMatteo, Michael Benson
Narrated by: Johnny Heller
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In this blistering street-level account, "Mafia survivor" Frank DiMatteo teams up with true-crime master Michael Benson to take down one of the most notorious figures in the American La Cosa Nostra. This is the real inside story of Carmine "The Snake" Persico, from his crime-filled childhood on the streets of Brooklyn to the long-term jail sentences that didn't stop him from controlling his criminal empire, with the help of his brother - the equally kill-crazy Alphonse "Allie Boy" Persico.

This is the story of his deadly teen years as leader of the fearsome Garfield Boys; his recruitment into the Profaci - later the Colombo - crime family; his bloody betrayal of the Gallo brothers; his role in the hair-raising ambush and slaying of Albert Anastasia - the Lord High Executioner of Murder, Inc. - as he sat in a barbershop chair getting a shave; the terror he struck into the hearts of the New York Mafia's other families, and even his own crews; and the many courtroom trials where Persico walked after witnesses came down with sudden cases of "amnesia."

Today, Persico schmoozes with Ponzi king Bernard Madoff behind bars. There, at age 84, his legend - packed as it is with coldblooded brutality - continues to inspire goodfellas everywhere.

©2018 Frank DiMatteo and Michael Benson (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Crime Murder Organized Crime True Crime Mafia
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Another amazing story about a larger-than-life mafia boss.

I love the narrator's accent. Adding a real New York feel.

What a life.

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a great book really sheds light on a very interesting life of a man who made a living in a different way then whats prescribed everyone else

great book

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Take many of the assertions in this book with a handful of salt. Author Frank DiMatteo is for sure an "insider" (with firsthand knowledge and credibility), but has a vested interest in the overall impression of Carmine Persico's character - and he unapologetically plays fast & loose with the facts in this book ("Making Your Bones" as a requirement to be "Made" is clearly fiction, for example). DiMatteo plays up the romanticized image of your "average" Mafiosi as an honorable thief while portraying Persico as a monstrous villain - a man who manipulated, betrayed, and murdered his way to the head of the Colombo crime family.
Michael Benson was an excellent choice for co-writer: penning a logical, interesting presentation. I felt educated after listening to this somewhat biased but well-researched & well-written exposé of the life of a legendary Racketeer.

Johnny Heller is a brilliant performer that improves the favorable impression that I got from this recording, too. His diction, timbre, cadence, and tone are exemplary and his Italian names and phrases sound authentic. True, he reads a little too slowly (listen at 1.15X), but Heller was a great casting choice from Blackstone Audio.

As long as you understand that this book isn't necessarily authoritative, it's well worth a download and your time (even if you can't get it for free). 'Carmine The Snake' rates 8.5 stars out of 10.

Solid Gangster Biography

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