Gambino: The Rise: A Novel Based on the True Story

The story itself is reasonably good, but you have to wonder just how accurate it is due to very blatant mistakes.As example, it's the early 1900's and the author has the Interstate Highway system in use, which wasn't built until the 1950's.In an age of manual car transmissions people put the car in "Park".He has stainless steel kitchens long before they were available.It's the 1920's and he arms criminals with "assault weapons" which were not invented until mid-World War Two.The story has Gambino meeting a politician in early WWII, were they mention that Al Capone is about to go to prison for a long time.In fact Capone was sent to prison in 1931.People are shot with shotguns, which are then described as rifles.In one real howler, the author has hit men from Sicily known as "zips" being the equivalent of Navy SEALs.....SEALs of course, according to the author are in the Army!!.The story is badly disrupted by being laced with anachronisms that any research at all would have found.This raises serious questions about how well the author researched Gambino and the other historic criminals of the day, and how close to real life this book manages to come.It is a novel, which certainly allows for some literary license, but this one pushes that license a bit too hard.The story is further burdened by making Gambino a near god-like infallible figure.Having never been trained to use a pistol, Gambino is still able to shoot the tires out of a police car from a good distance as well as being able to cover a pistol with a pillow and merely point the gun and still hit a victim in the head.Because of glaring errors and a failure to do proper research as well as stretching credibility to the breaking point, I rate this as a pure fiction novel and not a true historic novel. This is on the same order as books that turn vicious Western outlaws into great Robin Hood-like heroes.Not recommended.

I ordinarily don't read fiction. When I have tried I have found myself giving up on a book. However, this book on the historical fiction of the New York City mob held my interest throughout the book. This book is part one of a two part series with author James Pierre presently working on part two on Carlo Gambino. A number of other New York mobsters are included in this number such as Albert Anastasia, Neal Dellacroce, and Vito Genovese, Frank Costello, and others.I realize the conversation is made up to fit the situation but I feel the author does a good job in portraying the individuals according to their authentic personalities. Gambino fits his laid-back and grandfatherly attitude while Anastasia comes across as a homicidal maniac which coincides with his "Mad Hatter" nickname.I felt the author took a lot of liberties with the assassination of Albert Anastasia, but please understand this book is fiction based on true events that happened in the New York City mob. I found the book to be very entertaining and look forward to reading part two when the author completes it.

in a word - disappointing. It would be a great NOVEL (and it was depicted directly on the cover as such), but only if the reader happens to be clueless on events comprising the real Carlo Gambino / Cosa Nostra history., If this book was depicted as a documentary, it would not qualify as such, being terribly filled with a plethora of inaccuracies. The most egregious example was the account of the Albert Anastasia hit: in this book,i.e.; Carlo Gambino was the sole gunner and Anastasia's final traitor - helper Anniello (Neal) DeCroce (sp?) on the hit was more or less put in this book as Albert's driver. I recall reading the hit was -greatly to the contrary - a team effort with a chorus of gunfire. Neil was much more than a driver in that he was an underboss for Gambino, later the same for Paul Castellano, and for a short time, the same for Gotti. Read Selwin Raab's The Five Families" for the best rendering of Mafia history in NYC. Next, read "The Last Testament of Lucky Luciano" which is believed to be a FIRST PERSON account of the American Mafia history, starting with his Sicilian origin. I agree pretty much with other reviewers on the support given to our belief and knowledge that this book could not be based on true story in terms of the apparent Fact-to-Story Incident ratio is extremely low. With all due respect, the author should significantly upgrade his Fact-to-Story Incident ratio in future novels in the Carlo Gambino series he is proposing. Maybe Jerry Capece (sp?) should be consulted as a fact checker or co-author next round. Otherwise true fans of Mafia lore will not number among his future readership market. The writer was factual about Carlo's wiliness and master planning executed with the greatest touch of deception. (He probably got lessons from Lucifer directly!!!)

This novel literally hits close to home because Carlo Gambino was a neighbor of mine. I never met the man but his home is around the corner from mine, and is the plainest, least adorned home on the entire block; so much so that one would never take notice of it in passing. This was not accidental because Don Carlo never left anything to chance, and this characteristic comes through loud and clear in this marvelous book. The author illustrated the multidimensional character that this kind/brutal/intelligent/thoughtful/sensitive/cruel/calculating brilliant man possessed. For those who like books about the mob, they will not be able to put down this one. I learned many things--not only about Mr. Gambino--but also about other members of the different organized crime "families" that I had not known before.I am eagerly looking forward to the next book which the author has on tap for sometime in the future.

Best book I have read in a long time! Really enjoyed reading it would recommend to anyone.

This book has been made up there are absolutely no sources referenced at all! If this guy wanted to write a novel he should have gone elsewhere!

This was a really great book...Extremely well written and even though it was a true story based on Carlo Gambino's "rise" to the top, it read like a novel. If I were a movie producer, I would use this book to make a movie of his life.

Came in when it was suppose to and it's a good price

Excellent book, well written, very interesting story. Thanks James Pierre!