The Genovese Family

The Genovese Family is a well-researched book on the 100-plus-year history of one of New York's infamous La Cosa Nostra organizations. It begins with an outline of the first Boss, Giuseppe Morello, and ends with the present leader, Liborio Bellomo.

I profile many of the leaders of the Family, such as Lucky Luciano, Frank Costello, Vito Genovese, and Vincent Gigantes. Also covered are some acting Bosses like Jerry Catena, Tommy Eboli, and Anthony Salerno. High-profile Capo Ruggiero Boiardo's career is summarized in one chapter as well.

Corrupt union locals were a prime source of illegal income for the Family, so one chapter discusses their infiltration and use of these entities. In addition, in the section on Boss Frank Costello, I discuss his many tribulations with the IRS and his attempted assassination in 1957. A jury found his successor, Vito Genovese, guilty of a heroin conspiracy that remains controversial. Still, some skeptics may find the conviction warranted after reading the government's evidence in the case.

I have included official indictments and various appeals that readers may find interesting. In addition, a transcript of a conversation between an informer and a prominent Genovese figure provides some insight into the personality of a made guy. Finally, most will be stunned by the endless court battles some characters endure. The cost of time and lawyers had to be staggering.

As always, it is impossible to include every significant event when writing a history of the Family. Consequently, many important characters had to be left out, but the book covers the Bosses in detail. In addition, I have included my analysis of the Jimmy Hoffa disappearance here, because many authors and law enforcement figures have mistakenly, in my opinion, pinned the crime on Tony Provenzano, a long-time Genovese Capo and Teamster leader.