Mobbed Up: Jackie Presser's High-Wire Life in the Teamsters, the Mafia, and the F.B.I.

It is obvious that James Neff spent huge amounts of time and effort in researching and writing this book. It shows. This is a first rate book. It outlines the early days when Bill Presser was a young "organizer" in the Cleveland labor movement (forced associations that pay protection money to the "organizers"). Neff does a great job showing the evolution of Jackie from a self-centered, spoiled boy who rode on his pop's coat-tails to a self-centered union politician that could wheel-deal his opponents into a corner. Try seeing the film "Teamster Boss" with Brian Dennehy as Jackie. It is based on the book (not as good of course) but well worth seeing.

James Neff, is a great writer. At first glance this book looks like a collage textbook. But he has a ton of well researched information. The book just flows and doesnt get boring. It gives you an idea what the Mob had the power to do. And how they accomplished it. What is amazing to me is these thugs actually meet with our presidents. This book is a must read.

Jackie presser did an unbelieveable believeable balancing act to decieve the mob, and to throw suspension off hinself every time something linked him to a betrayal. He really seemed sincere about trying to clean up the union. Jackie also had a complex about trying to look good in his fathers eyes. The book takes you back to his child hood, where it says he was a bully and major screw up. and his father knew it. Book told of some family life, and how times were, put this all together and you get very interresting story. I live in cleveland and am very familiar with true events that took place, and find book to be very acurate.