In honor of James Gandolfini's death yesterday, here are three great books (both fiction and non-fiction) about the Mafia. These books go beyond "Fuggedaboutit!" and explore the true secrets of the world's longest-running criminal syndicate.
The Godfather
Mario Puzo
When you talk about Mafia-related works of literature, you are basically talking about Mario Puzo. Puzo was an Italian-American from a working-class family who grew up in Hell's Kitchen in the 1930s and 1940s, arguably the height of Mafia reign in New York City.
It's hard to choose just one of Puzo's Mafia books to spotlight here. I picked The Godfather because it was one of his biggest bestsellers, but those who prefer books that have not been made into movies may want to sample The Sicilian, The Last Don, or Omerta.
Cosa Nostra: A History of the Sicilian Mafia
John Dickie
This in-depth history of the Mafia compiles acres of hard-won research into the ultra-secretive organization, but presents it in an eminently readable fashion. Apparently in Italy, Dickie's book is considered to be the best book ever written about the Mafia. Unlike other Mafia-related books, Cosa Nostra doesn't romanticize the mob, but focuses on the organization as a historical shadow state, one which rules with secrecy and murder.
No Questions Asked: The Secret Life of Women in the Mob
Claire Longrigg
Until Carmela Soprano, you didn't hear much about the women who are directly tied to the Mafia, whether they are daughters, wives, or girlfriends. The Mafia is a resolutely, even proudly sexist organization, and its women often fare badly. Longrigg tells the story of several different women involved with the Mafia, from the brave mother who testified in order to save her son from her husband's bad influence, to the brash Victoria Gotti, daughter of the infamous John Gotti.
Image courtesy Flickr/FScottFitzgerald
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