Blood and Honor: Inside the Scarfo Mob--The Mafia's Most Violent Family, Updated and Expanded

Every Italian should read this, good rear.

"Blood and Honor" is a well-researched account of the Philadelphia/Atlantic City Mafia family headed by Nicky Scarfo. The primary source of the author's information is Nick Caramandi who turned to the witness protection program once he became one of the many people on Nicky Scarfo's hit list. Caramandi is a low-life crook and murderer who claims of duping and robbing only the greedy, not the innocent. However, it is evident that anyone from whom he could make a dollar was fair game. For example, the young pharmacist he scammed didn't know that Caramdi was connected and eventually committed suicide once he knew he was in over his head. Nicky Scarfo was the volatile and paranoid Family boss who killed his most loyal people one-by-one at the slightest bit of perceived threat. The story of this family and Caramdi's account of the events are interesting and gripping at times. This Mafia Family could be described as backstabbing, violent, disorganized, and greedy, but not the "most violent". Anyone interested in the most violent family of organized crime, should read the "Murder Machine" which describes in great detail the brutal murders committed by Roy Demeo's gang - a faction of the Gambino crime family. Finally, there are so many names mentioned in "Blood and Honor" that the who-and-what of the story is sometimes hard to follow. Had the author not included a special section for the names of the people involved, the story would've been even harder to follow.All in all, "Blood and Honor" is an interesting book for those interested in factual accounts of Organized Crime.

Blood & Honor details the mob world that's hiding in plain sight all around us. Using the story of mob-made-man turned informant, Nick "The Crow" Caramandi, as his pivot point author George Anastasia weaves a bloody tale of transition from the low key, respect based leadership of the Philadelphia mob under boss Angelo Bruno to the flamboyant excesses of "Nickey" Scarfo. Scarfo felt that fear trumped respect & consolidated control of both Philly & the then booming Atlantic City through a series of audacious murders & power plays. Anastasia wisely allows Caramandi to speak directly about scams, murders, hustles & other crimes he personally took part in. That gives the narrative a riveting authenticity. Whether finding the right spot to dump a body or detailing the steps involved in taking over the office of the Mayor of Atlantic City, the reader is there. Anastasia is a crack investigative reporter with the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper. That background gave him the resources to assemble a mountain of facts. But here he lets the storyteller in him come through, letting Caramandi & the others provide context, motivation, hopes & dreams that the cold facts barely hint at. This is not a recitation of a list of crimes. It is a look into the souls of men for whom those crimes are their stock in trade & how a day spent doing shakedowns & hustles is their day at the office. In so doing, Anastasia has humanized his subject without in any way excusing their deeds. That is not easy to pull off but he does & we, the readers, are the benefactors of his efforts.

This book never disappoints keeping you enthralled in its blood soaked pages on the history of the infamous “Scarfo Mob”. This is a must read for anyone wanting to know more about a criminal enterprise that had the nation wrapped around its finger. Extraordinary details, the author pulls no punches with this one. A rare account on an inside look on one of the Mafias most violent and bloody families. You couldn’t make this stuff up.

Good book as a history marker,not good for all I suppose. Not really much new or hasn't been out or covered on tv or in other books on the same particular topics.

I read this book many times over a two-year period. What I noticed on each different read was how much scarier Nicky Scarfo became.Scarfo, like all mobsters, had a code, but his was a little different than that espoused by the fictional Vito Corleone. Fear was the only way to rule, and the gun solved all problems. His code became clearer and clearer in each read, because everyone feared him. He realized that no one loved him, and it made him more maniacal.That's what the first book in the Scarfo duality story (Anastasia also wrote Mobfather, a story dealing with Scarfo captain Tommy DelGiorno that was also in the Scarfo era) is about through the eyes and experiences of Nicholas 'Nicky Crow" Caramandi. Some in these comments have issues with minor mistakes, but that's their issue. The overall idea-that Scarfo was a crazy person who decimated what once was a thriving, powerful criminal enterprise-remains. And it's not debatable.Anastasia seems tentative at first, not hitting the stride he eventually would as he wrote more books-but this story is still so great it overwhelms any mistakes that could conceivably force the story to the roadside. It stands the test of readability: Could you pick it up and become engrossed in the story immediately no matter how long ago you read it? The answer is yes. Enjoy.

This is a well written book. It is really a perspective of the Philly mob from the viewpoint of former mafioso Nick Caramandi. I’m sure other former members would offer different views, but, I imagine Caramandi has talked much more than the others. The electronic version I had was missing some quotes and the publisher should review. Regardless, the content of the book makes it a good read. I really recommend it to anyone from or familiar with South Philly.

George Anastasia is a master of the Philadelphia underworld . He has incredible sources in law enforcement and the underworld

Great book. In depth about the day to day action they where involved in. Some funny things too!

Great read. Highly recommend it Especialy if you enjoy reading about the mob from someone who lived it. 5 stars

Good Book.

Great read start to Finish. Perfect view into the mafias most dysfunctional family. A must have for anyones mafia book collection. A+

A bit over the top but a good read if you're interested in the mafia. I think if they tried to operate in England like they seemed to in the states they'd get laughed down the road.