Smaldone: The Untold Story of an American Crime Family

This is a great book about not only the family - Smaldone, but of Denver and north Denver and the are of the 1920's - 1950's. The mobs hay-day. I live in Denver and know the area. In fact I am an artist and I am in a gallery at 37th and Navajo, it used to be a drug store. To imagine back in the day what it looked like is amazing to me. The restaurant is still there. I grew up in Chicago and have an interest in the mob there while growing up, so it tied things together.

Being a native Denverite, and having heard of the Smaldone family all my life (I can recall my dad referring to the North Denver area as "Little Italy" when I was a little girl) I enjoyed this book very much. It was factual, well written, and fascinating. I'd like to see it made into a movie!

Thisbbook is just what it says "The Untold Story of an American Crime Family" I thought it was well written. Having lived in the neighborhood where the Smaldones operated I knew parts of some of the stories. This book opened my eyes to a lot of other things that had gone on.

As a retired Denver Police Sgt, and lifelong Denver resident, I can attest to the accuracy of this book. As always, Dick presents the facts in an interesting, and often humorous way. It is an easy read, and of special interest to crime buffs and locals. Every resident of Denver has heard of, or been affected by the Smaldones. I learned several things I didn't know, and enjoyed the book immensely.

I grew-up in California and moved to Colorado 9 years ago. Since then I have become facinated with the history of this state and while listening to an interview with Dick Kreck on a local Denver station I could not wait to purchase this book. I had no idea about the Smaldone's and their mob dealings in Denver. Most mob histories are centered on New York and Chicago, and rarely is "fly over" country mentioned, unless there is mention of Vegas or New Orleans. I was shocked by the depth of the Mafia in Colorado, especially in Denver and Pueblo and the vastness of the Smaldone empire. Living in the state and having been to Central City and Blackhawk, I never thought about how these gambling towns came about. Now I know. Anyone interested in the history of Colorado or a fan of Mafia History must purchase this book. Kreck, with the help of Clyde Smaldone's sons and his personal recordings done by his son, paints a picture of a Denver deeply entrenched in the Mob and of a criminal who, especially after reading this book, did not see himself as the criminal that law enforcement saw him as. The only issue I had with the book is that it does a bit of repeating itself and it could have done a bit of a better job with the time line, but overall it's a great book and a must read.