Busting the Mob: The United States V. Cosa Nostra

An examination of the forces and events that led to the most successful organized crime control initiatives in American history

Since Prohibition, the Mafia has captivated the media and, indeed, the American imagination. From Al Capone to John Gotti, organized crime bosses have achieved notoriety as anti- heroes in popular culture. In practice, organized crime grew strong and wealthy by supplying illicit goods and services and by obtaining control over labor unions and key industries.

Despite, or perhaps because of, its power and high profile, Cosa Nostra faced little opposition from law enforcement. Yet, in the last 15 years, the very foundations of the mob have been shaken, its bosses imprisoned, its profits diminished, and its influence badly weakened.

In this vivid and dramatic book, James B. Jacobs, Christopher Panarella, and Jay Worthington document the government's relentless attack on organized crime. The authors present an overview of the forces and events that led in the 1980s to the most successful organized crime control initiatives in American history. Enlisting trial testimony, secretly taped conversations, court documents, and depositions, they document five landmark cases, representing the most important organized crime prosecutions of the modern era--Teamsters Local 560, The Pizza Connection, The Commission, the International Teamsters, and the prosecution of John Gotti.

Author: James B. Jacobs
Publisher: New York University Press
Published: 10/01/1996
Pages: 292
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.88lbs
Size: 9.18h x 5.90w x 0.73d
ISBN: 9780814742303

About the Author
Panarella, Christopher: -

Chris Panarella is a Fellows at Center for Research in Crime and Justice at New York University.
Jay Worthington is aFellows at Center for Research in Crime and Justice at New York University.

Worthington, Jay: - Jay Worthington is aFellows at Center for Research in Crime and Justice at New York University.Jacobs, James B.: - James B. Jacobs, legal scholar and sociologist, was Warren E. Burger Professor of Law and Director, Center for Research in Crime and Justice, NYU School of Law. Among his books are Mobsters, Unions & Fed: The Mafia and the American Labor Movement, Gotham Unbound: How New York City Was Liberated from the Grip of Organized Crime, Busting the Mob: United States v. Cosa Nostra, and Corruption and Racketeering in the New York City Construction Industry, all published by NYU Press.