Customer Reviews
Great buy. - By: , 17 Oct 2005 
I have found this book helpful, informative but most important of all the author Carl Sifakis does not under or overestimate the effect that the Mafia had on society or the importance of ethnic groups within modern crime. I have read many books on American crime & each author over estimates the importance of the ethnic group he/she is writing about e.g. books on Irish-American crime tend to exaggerate their impact on the Mafia. Carl Sifakis does not do this. He freely (In my opinion) admits for example the equal importance of the Jews (In relation to the Italians) on the Mafia citing Meyer Lansky as the true Godfather of the modern Mafia. I would recommend any one with an interestin the Mafia to by this book.
DID HE ACTUALLY RESEARCH THIS ? - By: Tom, 02 Aug 2003 
I don't want to completely slate this book I gave you a brief review earlier saying that I thought it was good for a general overview you need to read this carefully then(PLEASE NOTE I HAD JUST STARTED TO READ IT AND I HAD ONLY REACHED PAGE 36).This encyclopedia is riddled throughout with historical innaccuracys, heck even thats too good a term to describe it & one of you talked about it being written by somebody who knows the field, maybe for the present day but not for the past, blimey Pittsburgh Phil would have cringed, where does it sayin Puggy Feinsteins autopsy report that he received injurys from an ice axe? I would dearly love to know! yes there was an ice axe present but it was never used "Kid Twists" testimony put paid to actually what happened along with what "Dukey Maffetore" testified that he saw, I could go on forever about the inaccuracys but hey as a very brief overview of a mobsters lifein crime its ok just remember not to take it all at face value due to the all too frequent slip ups. I've read many many books on the mafia before I took it upon myself to read this, to be honest I wish i'd never read it a complete waste of my time.
the mafia encyclopedia cracking facts - By: Tom, 19 Jun 2003 This is the best book i've come across so farin terms of the Mafia, it really gives you a background context I would say that it would be more useful to the amateur or enthusiast mob watcher but not to an avid expert, who prefers books focused on a specific section of the mafia.
This is an excellent book! - By: , 14 Aug 1999 There is tons of informationin the Mafia Encyclopedia. Alsoin it are a lot of great, hard to find photos. If you are interestedin organized crime, this book is for you!
The Mafia Encyclopedia Is A Wonderful Book. - By: , 09 Aug 1999 Within the 400 pages of information it contains, there are dozens of descriptions of mobsters & Mafia events, almost one hundred rare photos, & much more. Just by reading this book, you can become an expert on the subject of the Mafia. Everything you would ever want to know isin it.
