What Happens In Five Families: The Rise, Decline, And Resurgence Of America'S Most Powerful Mafia Empires?

2026-01-07 10:05:51 144

3 Answers

Phoebe
Phoebe
2026-01-11 03:27:12
Reading 'Five Families' felt like peeling back the layers of a shadowy, meticulously organized underworld. Selwyn Raab's book dives deep into the origins, power struggles, and eventual decline of New York's infamous crime syndicates—the Bonannos, Colombos, Gambinos, Genoveses, and Luccheses. What struck me was how these families weren't just gangs; they operated like corporations, with hierarchies, codes, and even 'boards of directors.' The book chronicles their golden era, where they controlled unions, politics, and entire neighborhoods, followed by the slow unraveling due to RICO laws and turncoats like Sammy 'The Bull' Gravano.

The most gripping parts detail how law enforcement cracked their secrecy through wiretaps and undercover ops. It's surreal to think how these figures—like John Gotti, flashy and reckless—became their own downfall. Raab doesn't just list events; he paints a saga of arrogance, betrayal, and resilience. Even now, whispers of their influence linger, though diluted. It's a masterclass in how power corrupts and systems adapt—or collapse.
Ethan
Ethan
2026-01-11 04:43:30
Raab's book is a crash course in why the Mafia fascinates us. It's not just the violence—it's the twisted loyalty, the theatricality (like Gotti's tailored suits vs. his thuggery), and the way they mirror 'normal' power structures. The rise was brutal: extortion, hits, and political grafts. The fall? Even messier. RICO laws turned their own rules against them, and greed eroded solidarity. The resurgence bits are speculative but chilling—like digital-age rackets. It's a story about American ambition, just... sideways.
Yaretzi
Yaretzi
2026-01-12 11:36:14
If you're into true crime, 'Five Families' is like a binge-worthy series in book form. Raab's research is nuts—he traces how Italian immigrants built these empires from Prohibition bootlegging to controlling construction, garbage hauling, and even Wall Street. The Genovese family's cold efficiency versus the Gambinos' flamboyance under Gotti makes for wild contrasts. I kept thinking about how these guys had rules (omertà) but broke them constantly when convenient. The FBI's decade-long infiltrations read like spy thrillers, especially the 'Donnie Brasco' operation.

What haunts me is the human cost: the cops, informants, and even mobsters' families caught in the crossfire. The book doesn't glorify; it shows the grime behind the glamour. And hey, it's oddly relevant today—seeing how organized crime evolves into white-collar stuff. Makes you side-eye every 'legit' business a bit harder.
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