-
Your next favorite book
is waiting.
The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires
by Selwyn Raab
Genovese, Gambino, Bonnano, Colombo and Lucchese. For
decades these Five Families ruled New York and built the American Mafia (or
Cosa Nostra) into an underworld empire. Today, the Mafia is an endangered
species, battered and beleaguered by aggressive investigators, incompetent
leadership, betrayals and generational changes that produced violent and
unreliable leaders and recruits. A twenty year assault against the five
families in particular blossomed into the most successful law enforcement
campaign of the last century.
Five Families is the vivid story of the rise and fall of New York's
premier dons from Lucky Luciano to Paul Castellano to John Gotti and more. The
book also brings the reader right up to the possible resurgence of the Mafia
as the FBI and local law enforcement agencies turn their attention to homeland
security and away from organized crime.
'Swift-moving history with much news, even for well-read students of
crime and punishment.' - Kirkus.
'This masterpiece stands an excellent chance of becoming a bestseller with
crossover appeal beyond devoted watchers of The Sopranos.' - PW Starred and
Boxed Review.
This information about Five Families was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
If you liked Five Families, try these:
by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
Published 2025
An exhilarating novel about one American family, the dark moment that shatters their suburban paradise, and the wild legacy of trauma and inheritance, from the New York Times bestselling author of Fleishman Is in Trouble.
by Alex Perry
Published 2019
The electrifying, untold story of the women born into the most deadly and obscenely wealthy of the Italian mafias – and how they risked everything to bring it down.
by Brendan Mathews
Published 2018
Three brothers caught up in a whirlwind week of love, blackmail, and betrayal culminating in an assassination plot, set in prewar New York.
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
One spring morning, a stranger arrives in the small southern city of Golden. No one knows where he has come from…or why…
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
