The Mafia and the Machine
The story of the American Mafia is not complete without a chapter on Kansas City. Even Hollywood gives a nod to the "City of Fountains," in films like The Godfather, Casino, and on HBO's "The Sopranos." Events unfolding in Kansas City have affected the fortunes of all the Mafia "families," shaping the entire underworld along the way.
Promises Kept
Ernest Michel survived against tremendous odds. His parents and friends were murdered by German Nazis. After narrowly escaping the same fate, he went to the United States. But he couldn't forget promises he'd made to friends, many of whom had died in Nazi concentration camps.
Frank Nitti
Frank "The Enforcer" Nitti is arguably the most glamorized gangster in history. He was an infamous Chicago wiseguy who eventually rose to command the city's premier underworld organization--The Outfit. Though he has been widely mentioned in fictional works, this is the first book to document Nitti's real-life criminal career alongside his pop culture persona.
Mark It with a Stone
He stayed alive while his family perished, working as a slave laborer, and surviving torture at Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. As a witness to the destruction of six million Jews, Joseph Horn writes, "It is time for me to leave a record of the crimes I have seen."