Have you ever fantasized about being able to do whatever you want, when you want, and to whom you want? Or perhaps you’ve dreamed about never having to take crap off anyone ever again? If so, then the Mafia could be the perfect new profession for you! For the first time in history, there is now an easy-to-follow self-help guide on how to join and rise in the most exclusive men’s club in the world—the Italian-American Mafia (aka La Cosa Nostra). Learn everything from loansharking to leg-breaking to corpse disposal, all without leaving the comfort of your mobile home or prison cell.
Based on interviews with dozens of former high-ranking Mafiosi and many other hardcore mobsters from across the globe, true-crime auteur Roman Martín has risked life and limb to bring you this spellbinding tour de force. Whether you’re a couch-surfing gangster-wannabe or simply someone who’s watched “The Godfather” too many times, this breathtaking exposé of “the Honored Society” offers something for everyone.
Pushing the bounds of the First Amendment to their breaking point, Don Martín also reveals the FBI’s most closely guarded secrets when it comes to “wiseguys” and “goodfellas.” Wanna know the one surefire way to find out who in your crew is an undercover cop or fed? Or the best way to deal with those annoying witnesses? Then look no further, friends, for all your questions about the outlaw lifestyle shall be answered in UNDERWORLD.
It’s about goddamn time someone realized that mobsters need love, too.
“I laughed so hard at times that my jaws ached!” – Dennis N. Griffin, award-winning true-crime author of The Rise and Fall of a “Casino”Mobster: The Tony Spilotro Story
From The Book:
In 1964, Jon Roberts (née John Riccobono) was a “connected” guy (an associate, not a made man) with the Gambino crime family in New York. This was over a decade before he moved to Miami and became one of the biggest cocaine traffickers in the history of the United States. He smuggled in tons of cocaine from the late ‘70’s to the late ‘80’s, and was considered by the DEA to be the Medellín Cartel’s top distributor in North America.
One particular evening, Jon was besieged by a marauding band of Hells Angels. The bloodthirsty bikers were seeking retribution for some perceived slight and decided to storm his bar. Terrified and alone, he locked the door and called his mentor, fellow Gambino soldier Andy Benfante.
Roberts braced the door with whatever was at hand, but the wood buckled and strained from the weight of the invading Hessians. “You fucking guinea!” the barbarian horde screamed through the thick oak. “We’re gonna stuff you like a Christmas goose!”
Jon held out as long as he could, then BOOM! The door exploded inward, and 20 leather-clad Neanderthals burst through the entryway. Roberts saw his 21 years of life flash before his eyes. He knew he was a dead man, so he braced for impact and prayed for a miracle….
The miracle barged in hot on the heels of the Angels – it was Andy Benfante and two refrigerator trucks’ worth of 300-pound monsters. These were massive Italians from a nearby meat-packing plant, armed with baseball bats and metal hooks. They crushed the invading Huns and turned their Harleys that were parked outside into scrap metal. It was in that instant that Jon truly understood that by being formally associated with a Mafia family, he had virtually unlimited power in the underworld. He knew that after stomping the Angels, there was nobody he couldn’t fuck with.
Accolades For UNDERWORLD:
“In his book UNDERWORLD, Roman Martín has hit a home run. It is amazingly well-researched and jam-packed with stories by sources whose names will be very familiar to Mob enthusiasts. While the stories and other matters addressed are accurate descriptions of serious things, such as murder and mayhem, they are told with humor and may often have you laughing hysterically. Congrats, Mr. Martín, on a job well done.” – Dennis N. Griffin, author of Surviving the Mob and Rogue Town
“I couldn’t let go of it! I read and laughed out loud the whole LA-to-Amsterdam flight. I feckin’ love Martín’s ‘voice.’ Kudos!” – Alex Rotaru, award-winning documentary filmmaker and playwright
“As a decades-long associate of the Chicago Outfit, I thoroughly enjoyed Roman MartÍn’s book UNDERWORLD. He accurately describes ‘the Life,’ and the pros and cons of becoming a mobster. But he does it in a very unique manner that will no doubt have you in stitches at times. I highly recommend it.” – Frank Cullotta, co-author of CULLOTTA: The Life of a Chicago Criminal, Las Vegas Mobster, and Government Witness, and former crime partner of Tony “the Ant” Spilotro (Joe Pesci in Casino)
“If you only read one book about the Mafia in your entire life, you should read this book. Actually, you should probably read The Godfather by Mario Puzo instead. But if you only read two books about the mob, uh, well, never mind – you should then maybe read Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi. Okay, fuck it, if you read only three books about Cosa Nostra, then you should read UNDERWORLD!” – Marco “Babar” Falcón (self-proclaimed ex-half-assed wiseguy)
“As a former associate of the Colombo organized crime family, I thoroughly enjoyed reading UNDERWORLD by Roman Martín. If you are into true accounts of organized crime told with a sense of humor, this book is a must read.” — Orlando “Ori” Spado, the “Godfather of Hollywood” and co-author of The Accidental Gangster
“At the end of a global thermonuclear war, there will be two things left
on this planet: cockroaches and Roman Martín.” – J.R., former federal public defender (Northern District of California)
“Hemingway, Faulkner, Steinbeck, Fitzgerald, Twain, Salinger, and Martín. No doubt history will find Don Roman taking his rightful place among the pantheon of America’s greatest auteurs.” – Roman Martín (no relation to the author)
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