The Outfit: The Role of Chicago's Underworld in the Shaping of Modern America

This is about as good as it gets in terms of criminal history. I agree with others that some of the secondary sources Russo cites are questionable (my eyes crossed when he cited the discredited "Last Testament of Lucky Luciano"), but Russo does an excellent job of placing the Outfit in historical context and telling their tale. Much previous writing on American organized crime has focused on the fractious and colorful New York families, but after you do a certain amount of reading, it begins to occur to you that the guys in Chicago seem to have a finger in every pie, but (after Capone) a knack for staying out of the papers. Russo makes the argument that the Outfit was actually much more powerful and cohesive than the New York families and had a much greater influence on American politics and culture. He convinced me.I am also convinced by Russo's basic thesis -- that "upperworld crime" utterly dwarfs underworld crime, both in terms of dollar volume and its affect on society. For example, it would take a thousand Outfits a thousand years to steal as much money as Wall Street did during the dotcom bubble.Thorough, well-organized, but never dry, this book will probably stand as the best work on the subject for many years to come.

"The Outfit" is an absolute must-read for anyone interested in organized crime in the United States. I would also place it high on a list of books to read to understand 20th century U.S. History. Russo traces the role of organized crime in the shaping of modern America from the time of Capone's rule in late '20's early '30's Illinois. While Russo's primary focus is on Chicago's syndicate and its bosses, he details syndicate activities from Miami, to Hollywood, from to Las Vegas to New York. This is not just the story of the Mafia, which, while an important element in organized crime, shares top billing with bosses of other ethnicities. Perhaps no one was more prominent then Welshman Curly Humphries, about whom a multi volume biography could be written.One of Russo's greatest feats is showing how blurred the lines are between the "Underworld" of organized crime and the "Upperworld" of supposed legitmate businesses. Russo also shows us the compliant role of power hungry politicians in the success of crime syndicates, whether city alderman or US presidents."The Outifit" is rich with colorful stories and characters, some familiar such as Bugsy Seigel and others doubtless new to most readers. Russo's genius is tying all the stories and characters into a larger context concluding with a powerfully stated epilogue.My only quibble with Russo is that he obviously ignored all the information that must have stared him in the face about the role of organized crime in the Kennedy assassination. He relies heavily on "Double Cross" a book by Sam Giancana's brother and godson yet ignores their assertions (repeated by other mob bosses) that they had advanced knowledge of the murder. Russo's only reference to former Mob bagman Jack Ruby is to say that he killed Oswald to avenge Jackie Kennedy. (Yeah right!)That aside "The Outfit" is an awesome piece of work.

"The Outfit" is a well written, thoroughly comprehensive look at the post-Capone history of organized crime in the city of Chicago. Gus Russo does an excellent job of leaving no stone unturned as he chronicles the Outfit's activity from the jailing of Capone to its decline in the 90s. Along the way we meet the gangsters who made the Chicago mob rich and famous: Tony "Joe Batters" Accardo, Paul "the Waiter" Ricca, "Curly" Humphries, Johnny Roselli,Jake "Greasy Thumb" Guzik, and Sam "Mooney" Giancana. Russo discusses the role of each in making the Chicago Syndicate the power it was in the world of organized crime. Russo's breezy style makes "The Outfit" an absolute joy to read, deftly mixing facts and ancedotes like a master chef. Read about the takeover of IATSE, the Hollywood union, and the infiltration of the mob into the world of the Hollywood studios; the Mob's entry and takeover of Las Vegas; the infiltration into the Teamsters and the scheming of the Outfit to fix the 1960 presidential election and what happened when they were doublecrossed. It was by no means a smooth ride - along the way Russo details the eforts of law enforcement to balance the books, so to speak, with the result that the Outfit always had to keep scheming, keep looking, for new rackets and businesses to infiltrate. Russo keeps the pages turning with a compelling style that makes the book's 550 pages seem like 100 when you hit the end.Few books even attempt to cover the history of the Chicago Mob after Al Capone left the scene. Fewer still are this enjoyuable. A must for crime historians and those just interested in a good book.

This is the first book that I have recommended for the Pulitzer, and this book richly deserves the honor and many more to be heaped upon it. This book is a fascinating and well researched book, but it is much more than that. It is funny, smartly written and so entertaining that the book is actually a real page turner. The book is a real eye opener to the inner workings of the Chicago mafia and their dealings with the upperworld and political figures spanning 50 years. This book is shocking! The Outfit describes in great detail the association between the mafia and Truman, Lyndon Johnson, The Kennedy's, and numerous state and federal officials. The book also details the life of Curly Humphreys, the most important mob figure, Tony Accardo, Paul Ricca, Johnny Rosselli, Sam "Momo" Giancana, and Al Capone. The book is rich in details of their lives, it tells of all their exploits and describes their murders, rackets, and other operations. The book breaks down myths and realities regarding certain aspects of their businesses. They talk about the control of unions, the fixing of the Kennedy election, Las Vegas, and various other well known mob exploits that are often surrounded in modern day folklore.This book is absolutely excellent and it will give you straight facts, which is the most amazing aspect. While entertaining, it is extensively researched which is the best part of the book.I highly recommend this book, you will not be disappointed.

Most non-fiction books on organized crime tilt toward fiction either because writers enjoy claiming to be "in the know" about the mob or because they're subjects' activities are so murky that nobody will be able to prove or disprove what's written. Gus Russo's book will go down as one of the few scholarly works on the mob and it's well worth its length to read the whole thing.Of particular interest is Russo's portrayal of the vast shade of gray that exists between the darkness of the mob and the alleged purity of legitimate business. Russo documents how hard it is to draw the line between where the mob ends and legit business begins. Furthermore, Russo examines the least flashy bust most powerful organized crime figures such as Murray Humphreys and Tony Accardo, two names largely unknown to the public, but of enormous American significance. This confirms what the FBI has always known -- that it's the guys who stay out of the newspapers who really run the show.Finally, if anyone remains in America naive enough to believe that Camelot ever existed, The Outfit will dispel the Kennedy legend quickly and reveal the family for what they are: Well-polished children of a stone racketeer who had the savvy to invest his fortune in spin.For mob watchers and American history buffs, The Outfit is a necessary, if disturbing read. It'll be hard for future mob writers to knock Russo's work off the shelf.