Gaspipe: Confessions of a Mafia Boss

I know I might be breaking omerta but, this is a good one an tells you all you need to know about gasping!

Both my brother and I read Gaspipe: Confessions of a Mafia Boss and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is without question the most informative, riveting inside look into the American Mafia ever written -- it is boca di lupo...from the mouth of the wolf. In that the author apparently had the cooperation of the book's subject, the notorious head of the Lucchese family, Anthony Casso, a world of information about the true nature, innerworkings of the Mafia, is provided here, honestly and unvarnished. One of the reviewers here below takes umbrage with the author for referencing how mob guys kiss one another and how, in that world, "respect" is essentially important, part of their daily lives. As people in the know realize, a lack of respect can get somebody killed immediately. It's absurd that this reader could criticize the author for "not telling the truth about Casso" when, in the opening scene, Casso shoots a man who tried to kill him -- James Hydell -- nineteen times and we see and feel and know the murder in a very personal, visceral way. We note another reviewer here criticizes Carlo for getting the year Valachi testified at the congressional committee on organized crime wrong. This type of anal retentive criticism does the book and the author grave injustice. In writing a book like Gaspipe, there are quite literally thousands of facts. To cite one or two facts as being incorrect and therefore the book does not merit one's attention is ludicrous. More than likely, this was a typo and/or an error that had nothing to do with the author. Also, interestingly -- Mannyside -- claims that there are no new revelations in Gaspipe. I almost find this offensive because there are startling revelations about Casso's childhood, his induction into the Mafia, the first murder he committed, his intimate, stirring story about the only woman he ever loved, his amazingly fast rise within La Cosa Nostra, the shocking and disturbing B & E crew he put together that robbed dozens of banks and jewelry stores without ever being caught. Carlo also goes into great detail about Casso's involvement in drugs, the selling of drugs, and how he bought three trollers to bring the many tons of marijuana to Brooklyn. We learn about the Brooklyn warehouse Casso bought to store the marijuana and even the methods used to dry the marijuana when it got wet from crossing the Atlantic, which involved special heating lamps and rum. Here, too, we learn that Sammy the Bull Gravano was partners with Casso in the selling of heroin, cocaine and marijuana. These are all revelations that were denied by Gravano when he took the stand and testified against dozens Mafiosi in courtrooms across the tri-state area. We learn, too, in Carlo's book that Casso was given a contract to kill John Gotti; that Casso had numerous FBI agents and NYPD detective working on his payroll...all substantiated, accurately portrayed facts never known before. Here, too, we finally learn all the details about th

In my opinion the reader will learn more about the New York mafia from "Gaspipe" than from any other book on the market. Who better to understand how a person is exposed to the mob culture than the author who came from the same tough streets? Philip Carlo even lived next door to "Gaspipe" Anthony Casso for a while. Mr. Carlo's gritty, matter of fact style of writing and excellent organization make "Gaspipe" a delight to read. Unlike a lot of mob books the government does not come out looking so good in "Gaspipe." There are some definite problems with the witness protection program which "Gaspipe" so brilliantly points out. Very highly recommended.

Great Novel-like read...Altho author biases towards Casso, he truly makes a hero out of him in reader's eyes. Paints vivid pictures of every crime and non-crime-related tale and leaves reader waning more and more after each chapter, not only about Casso but every Made Man mentioned.

Both my husband and me thoroughly enjoyed Gaspipe. Both of us come from Dyker Heights and thought Carlo's portrayal of the Mafia culture was eerie and uncanny. We note with dismay the posting here of R.J. Rios. I can only say that this fellow's sources of information are the three hundred books he says he read. That's woefully inadequate. The Mafia is all about secrecy. The Mafia is clandestine by its very nature. Having said that, it seems ludicrous that any one person, based on the reading of books, would set himself up as an authority. I am sure there are people in law enforcement who knew nothing about what Carlo wrote so insightfully and simply in Gaspipe. We note, too, that Carlo has publicly said -- we recently heard him on a radio show -- that Richard Kuklinski, aka the Iceman, did lie about certain crimes. When most of the participants in any given crime, murder, are dead, it's very hard for an author to verify one way or another what exactly happened. No author in any one book could tell all the tales, trials and tribulations of a character like Anthony Casso. To do such a thing, the book would have to be thousands of pages. A compelling book has to be a condensed version of all that happened. The days of Tolstoy and Joyce are long gone and forgotten. We think Carlo wrote the most insightful, in-depth tale of a Mafia boss ever put on paper. It's a first class job from a first class writer. Highly, highly recommended.

I got this book July 1st AM (the day it was released) and once I started reading it I couldnt put the book down. What I like about the authors style is he never sits on one subject too long and there isnt a moment that I feel like saying "oh this is getting boring". Being from Brooklyn NY and reading the local newspapers all the time I thought I knew everything there is to know about gaspipe but this book really blew my mind, real stories real crimes that happened not too long ago and the author is very strict about giveng details like street names and other data bringing the book to life even more.