Listen free for 30 days
-
The Whisky King
- The Remarkable True Story of Canada's Most Infamous Bootlegger and the Undercover Mountie on His Trail
- Narrated by: Richard Davidson
- Length: 18 hrs and 14 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $37.53
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's Summary
At the dawn of the 20th century, two Italian men arrived in Canada amid waves of immigration. One, Rocco Perri, from southern Italy, rose from the life of a petty criminal on the streets of Toronto to running the most prominent bootlegging operation of the Prohibition era, taking over Hamilton and leading one of the country’s most influential crime syndicates. Perri was feared by his enemies and loved by the press, who featured him regularly in splashy front-page headlines. So great was his celebrity that, following the murder of his wife and business partner, Bessie Starkman, a crowd of 30,000 thronged the streets of Hamilton for her funeral.
Perri's businesses - which included alcohol, drugs, gambling and prostitution - kept him under constant police surveillance. He caught the interest of one man in particular, the other arrival from Italy, Frank Zaneth. Zaneth, originally from the Italian north, joined the RCMP and became its first undercover investigator - Operative No. 1. Zaneth’s work took him across the country, but he was dogged in his pursuit of Rocco Perri and worked for his arrest until the day Perri was last seen, in 1944, when he disappeared without a trace.
With original research and masterful storytelling, Cole details the fascinating rise to power of a notorious Prohibition-era Canadian crime figure twinned with the life of the man who pursued him.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
You may also enjoy...
-
Inside the Montreal Mafia
- The Confessions of Andrew Scoppa
- Written by: Félix Séguin, Eric Thibault, Julia Jones - translator
- Narrated by: Gianpaolo Venuta
- Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For the first time in Canadian history, a high-ranking Mafioso agreed to break the code of omertà by talking to journalists. From October 2014 to October 2019, Félix Séguin and Eric Thibault held multiple secret meetings with Andrew Scoppa, getting an exclusive inside look at the inner workings of the North American Mafia. This book is the culmination of their perilous investigation. It sheds light on the life—and death—of one of the most influential organized crime figures in recent years.
-
-
Great work done by all parties
- By Anonymous User on 2023-07-23
Written by: Félix Séguin, and others
-
The Great Halifax Explosion
- A World War I Story of Treachery, Tragedy, and Extraordinary Heroism
- Written by: John U. Bacon
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From best-selling author John U. Bacon, a gripping narrative history of the largest manmade detonation prior to Hiroshima. On Monday, December 3, 1917, the French freighter SS Mont-Blanc set sail from Brooklyn carrying the largest cache of explosives ever loaded onto a ship, including 2,300 tons of picric acid, an unstable, poisonous chemical more powerful than TNT.
-
-
Should be read in school!
- By Anonymous User on 2024-09-30
Written by: John U. Bacon
-
Enforcer
- The Real Story of one of Australia’s Most Feared Outlaw Bikers
- Written by: Caesar Campbell, Donna Campbell
- Narrated by: Dave Ferguson
- Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Among members of the outlaw motorcycle clubs, Caesar Campbell is a legend. Former sergeant-at-arms and chief enforcer for the Comancheros, Caesar became the founding member and sergeant-at-arms of the Australian chapter of the Bandidos. He epitomised bikie culture - unbeatable in a fight, brutal in the extreme, fearing no one and nothing, and loyal until death. This is Caesar's story, from his recruitment into the Comancheros, to the savage split within the club that led to the foundation of the Bandidos and the bloody massacre at Milperra that resulted from it.
-
-
Terrible, what a waste or time
- By Andrew Perkins on 2024-07-31
Written by: Caesar Campbell, and others
-
The Sixth Family
- The Collapse of the New York Mafia and the Rise of Vito Rizzuto
- Written by: Lee Lamothe, Adrian Humphreys
- Narrated by: Danny Campbell
- Length: 22 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On May 5, 1981, three rebellious members of New York's Bonanno crime family were gunned down in a Brooklyn social club. One of the gunmen was Vito Rizzuto, a man who would rise to the top of the underworld in Canada and then expand his reign across continents to become a global superboss. The Sixth Family, now revised and updated, reveals the hidden history of the rise of the Rizzuto clan, the alliances it forged around the world, and the bloody events that led to charges against Vito Rizzuto in the United States and Italy for racketeering and corruption.
-
-
Riveting.
- By Bill Venieris on 2021-11-22
Written by: Lee Lamothe, and others
-
Exile on Front Street
- My Life as a Hells Angel...and Beyond
- Written by: George Christie
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After 40 years in the Hells Angels, George Christie was ready to retire. As president of the high-profile Ventura charter of the club, he had been the yin to Sonny Barger's yang. Barger was the reckless figurehead and de facto world leader of the Hells Angels. Christie was the negotiator, the spokesman, the thinker, the guy who smoothed things out.
-
-
loved it, great story. appreciate him sharing it.
- By Mike on 2020-05-28
Written by: George Christie
-
A Man of Honor
- The Autobiography of Joseph Bonanno
- Written by: Joseph Bonanno
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 14 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born in Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, Joseph Bonanno found his future amid the whiskey-running, riotous streets of Prohibition America in 1924, when he illegally entered the United States to pursue his dreams. By the age of only 26, Bonanno became a don. He eventually took over the New York underworld, igniting the "Castellammarese War", one of the bloodiest Family battles ever to hit New York City.
-
-
Good book
- By Daniel Bewsher on 2022-11-03
Written by: Joseph Bonanno
-
Inside the Montreal Mafia
- The Confessions of Andrew Scoppa
- Written by: Félix Séguin, Eric Thibault, Julia Jones - translator
- Narrated by: Gianpaolo Venuta
- Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For the first time in Canadian history, a high-ranking Mafioso agreed to break the code of omertà by talking to journalists. From October 2014 to October 2019, Félix Séguin and Eric Thibault held multiple secret meetings with Andrew Scoppa, getting an exclusive inside look at the inner workings of the North American Mafia. This book is the culmination of their perilous investigation. It sheds light on the life—and death—of one of the most influential organized crime figures in recent years.
-
-
Great work done by all parties
- By Anonymous User on 2023-07-23
Written by: Félix Séguin, and others
-
The Great Halifax Explosion
- A World War I Story of Treachery, Tragedy, and Extraordinary Heroism
- Written by: John U. Bacon
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From best-selling author John U. Bacon, a gripping narrative history of the largest manmade detonation prior to Hiroshima. On Monday, December 3, 1917, the French freighter SS Mont-Blanc set sail from Brooklyn carrying the largest cache of explosives ever loaded onto a ship, including 2,300 tons of picric acid, an unstable, poisonous chemical more powerful than TNT.
-
-
Should be read in school!
- By Anonymous User on 2024-09-30
Written by: John U. Bacon
-
Enforcer
- The Real Story of one of Australia’s Most Feared Outlaw Bikers
- Written by: Caesar Campbell, Donna Campbell
- Narrated by: Dave Ferguson
- Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Among members of the outlaw motorcycle clubs, Caesar Campbell is a legend. Former sergeant-at-arms and chief enforcer for the Comancheros, Caesar became the founding member and sergeant-at-arms of the Australian chapter of the Bandidos. He epitomised bikie culture - unbeatable in a fight, brutal in the extreme, fearing no one and nothing, and loyal until death. This is Caesar's story, from his recruitment into the Comancheros, to the savage split within the club that led to the foundation of the Bandidos and the bloody massacre at Milperra that resulted from it.
-
-
Terrible, what a waste or time
- By Andrew Perkins on 2024-07-31
Written by: Caesar Campbell, and others
-
The Sixth Family
- The Collapse of the New York Mafia and the Rise of Vito Rizzuto
- Written by: Lee Lamothe, Adrian Humphreys
- Narrated by: Danny Campbell
- Length: 22 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On May 5, 1981, three rebellious members of New York's Bonanno crime family were gunned down in a Brooklyn social club. One of the gunmen was Vito Rizzuto, a man who would rise to the top of the underworld in Canada and then expand his reign across continents to become a global superboss. The Sixth Family, now revised and updated, reveals the hidden history of the rise of the Rizzuto clan, the alliances it forged around the world, and the bloody events that led to charges against Vito Rizzuto in the United States and Italy for racketeering and corruption.
-
-
Riveting.
- By Bill Venieris on 2021-11-22
Written by: Lee Lamothe, and others
-
Exile on Front Street
- My Life as a Hells Angel...and Beyond
- Written by: George Christie
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After 40 years in the Hells Angels, George Christie was ready to retire. As president of the high-profile Ventura charter of the club, he had been the yin to Sonny Barger's yang. Barger was the reckless figurehead and de facto world leader of the Hells Angels. Christie was the negotiator, the spokesman, the thinker, the guy who smoothed things out.
-
-
loved it, great story. appreciate him sharing it.
- By Mike on 2020-05-28
Written by: George Christie
-
A Man of Honor
- The Autobiography of Joseph Bonanno
- Written by: Joseph Bonanno
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 14 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born in Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, Joseph Bonanno found his future amid the whiskey-running, riotous streets of Prohibition America in 1924, when he illegally entered the United States to pursue his dreams. By the age of only 26, Bonanno became a don. He eventually took over the New York underworld, igniting the "Castellammarese War", one of the bloodiest Family battles ever to hit New York City.
-
-
Good book
- By Daniel Bewsher on 2022-11-03
Written by: Joseph Bonanno
-
The Gotti Wars
- Taking Down America's Most Notorious Mobster
- Written by: John Gleeson
- Narrated by: Adam Grupper
- Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
John Gotti was without a doubt the flashiest and most feared Mafioso in American history. He became the boss of the Gambino Crime Family in spectacular fashion—with the brazen and very public murder of Paul Castellano in front of Sparks Steakhouse in midtown Manhattan in 1985. Not one to stay below law enforcement’s radar, Gotti instead became the first celebrity crime boss. His penchant for eye-catching apparel earned him the nickname “The Dapper Don;” his ability to beat criminal charges led to another: “The Teflon Don.”
Written by: John Gleeson
-
The Prez
- Written by: David Spiteri
- Narrated by: Dino Marnika
- Length: 19 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
David Spiteri was a founding member and long-time president of one of Australia's first outlaw motorcycle clubs from its inception in the early 1960s through to the early 2000s. He has been uniquely placed to witness the clubs develop from loose affiliations of riders to the well-structured and well-connected groups we see today. In this never-before-told inside story, Spiteri puts himself at risk to reveal everything from the drug trafficking which funds the clubs' operations to the extreme violence that continues to make them infamous.
Written by: David Spiteri
-
Robert Pickton: The Pig Farmer Killer
- Crimes Canada: True Crimes That Shocked The Nation
- Written by: Chris Swinney
- Narrated by: Don Kline
- Length: 1 hr and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Robert Pickton, inherited a pig farm worth a million dollars and used his wealth to lure skid row hookers to his farm, where he confessed to murdering 49 female victims; dismembering and feeding their body parts to his pigs, which he supplied to Vancouver area restaurants.
-
-
AVERAGE AT BEST
- By Vengeance on 2019-09-30
Written by: Chris Swinney
-
Hell's Angels
- A Strange and Terrible Saga
- Written by: Hunter S. Thompson
- Narrated by: Scott Sowers
- Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas author Hunter S. Thompson rocked the literary world with his mind-bending style of Gonzo journalism. First published in 1966, Hell’s Angels is Thompson’s up-close and personal look at the infamous motorcycle gang during the time when its moniker was most feared.
-
-
Thompson does it again
- By Jordan McMurray on 2018-09-19
Written by: Hunter S. Thompson
-
The Vietnam War
- An Intimate History
- Written by: Geoffrey C. Ward, Ken Burns
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders, Ken Burns, Brian Corrigan
- Length: 31 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
More than 40 years after it ended, the Vietnam War continues to haunt our country. We still argue over why we were there, whether we could have won, and who was right and wrong in their response to the conflict. When the war divided the country, it created deep political fault lines that continue to divide us today. Now, continuing in the tradition of their critically acclaimed collaborations, the authors draw on dozens and dozens of interviews in America and Vietnam to give us the perspectives of people involved at all levels of the war.
-
-
STUNNING
- By Rob on 2017-11-29
Written by: Geoffrey C. Ward, and others
-
The Cigar
- Carmine Galante, Mafia Terror
- Written by: Frank Dimatteo, Michael Benson
- Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The son of Sicilian immigrants, Camillo Carmine Galante was raised in Manhattan's Little Italy and by all accounts born bad. By fifteen he was terrorizing the streets of New York's Lower East Side, scoring high marks for the "errands" he was running for his La Cosa Nostra elders. When he turned twenty, Galante was already one of the mob's top enforcers-a sadistic thrill killer and clinically diagnosed psychopath with big dreams.
Written by: Frank Dimatteo, and others
What listeners say about The Whisky King
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- affleck
- 2020-07-15
Remarkable!
This book is my 48th title with Audible. Truthfully i thought the story was just amazing. The historical facts within tied in with world events of the time are very interesting. It offers timelines that parallel the story. I'm going to listen to it again at some point. As well, the Narrator is by far the most talented narrator i have heard yet. Im will definitely be looking for more from him. I loved it!!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Eva Cheshire
- 2024-06-07
Fascinating Story
I was fascinated by the facts and the narrator kept me interested.
I always wanted to know more facts about Rocco Perri.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2018-10-20
Amazing book
if you want to hear about prohibition in Canada get this!! Great narrator and experience
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2024-07-06
Coaky Reader
Interesting story but the reader has a croak in his voice the whole time. Hard to listen to for that many hours. Never finished.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kevin
- 2020-02-11
Not my type of orator
Tried to get into it but just did not like the style of writing.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!