Sunshine State Mafia
A History of Florida's Mobsters, Hit Men, and Wise Guys
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Sunshine State Mafia
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Narrated by:
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Steve Menasche
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By:
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Doug Kelly
About this listen
A vivid, wild ride through a century of Mafia lore, this book tells stories of organized crime rings that have settled in Florida and made the state their base of operations for bootlegging, gambling, extortion, money laundering, and drug running.
Featuring Al Capone and crime rings in Miami and South Florida, the Trafficante family in Tampa, Harlan Blackburn and his gambling empire in Orlando, and many more individuals both infamous and little known, this book explains how and why mob bosses from northern states came to Florida in the early 1900s-they saw the state as a respite from cold weather and a good place to evade law enforcement.
Doug Kelly offers never-before-told information from newly released files, interviews with retired police and FBI agents, and his own career as a security consultant during the Cocaine Cowboys era. He also defines roles within Mafia families, discusses how changes in policing have impacted the patterns of criminal organizations, and talks about what distinguishes the Mafia from other groups.
Sunshine State Mafia will surprise listeners with its insights into the influence of organized crime in the history of the state's small towns and cities.
©2024 Doug Kelly (P)2024 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 197
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 173
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Darkest Hour: John Alite
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- Unabridged
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 60
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 53
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Story3.5 out of 5 stars 54
A college baseball scholarship was his way out of the inner city, but his dreams of going pro were crushed by an arm injury. John Alite was forced to return home to the only life he knew, where having to live on the streets of New York meant one thing - earning how to survive. From a young age, he found himself influenced by the wrong crowd. Enticed by the wealth, power, and prestige of the mafia, he immersed himself in a world that was foreign to most. But the cold, bitter truth was he was expendable, and his sworn allegiance was rewarded with betrayal.
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- Unabridged
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1 out of 5 stars
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Complete waste of money.
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- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 71
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 70
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Story5 out of 5 stars 70
Despite what Scarface might lead one to believe, violence was not the dominant characteristic of the cocaine business. It was corruption: the dirty cops, agents, lawyers, judges, and politicians who made the drug world go round. And no one managed that carousel of dangerous players better than Willy Falcon.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Just wow unbelievable
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By: T. J. English
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Mafia Murders
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- By: M. A. Frasca
- Narrated by: Eric Meyers
- Length: 6 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 2
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 2
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Story3.5 out of 5 stars 2
Revenge killings, gangland shootouts, brutal executions and drownings - there was no escape from the Mob's hitmen. Mafia Murders details the bloody ends of these infamous gangsters. Since the late 19th century, the Mafia has used intimidation and worse to exert its control over organized crime. Mafia Murders recalls the 100 most important executions by the Mob. In a world where family, turf wars and crime were big business, the relentless murders of rival bosses, stool pigeons, snitches, good cops, and dirty cops became part of everyday life.
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3 out of 5 stars
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I wanted to like it
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Garden State Gangland
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- By: Scott M. Deitche
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 83
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 73
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 73
The Mafia in the United States might be a shadow of its former self, but in the New York/New Jersey metro area, there are still wise guys and wannabes working scams, extorting businesses, running gambling, selling drugs, and branching out into white collar crimes. And they are continuing a tradition that's over 100 years old. Some of the most powerful mobsters on a national level were from New Jersey, and they spread their tentacles down to Florida, across the Atlantic, and out to California.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Cringeworthy mispronunciation of Italian names
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By: Scott M. Deitche
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The Gotti Wars
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- By: John Gleeson
- Narrated by: Adam Grupper
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- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 340
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 305
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 303
John Gotti was without a doubt the flashiest and most feared Mafioso in American history. He became the boss of the Gambino Crime Family in spectacular fashion—with the brazen and very public murder of Paul Castellano in front of Sparks Steakhouse in midtown Manhattan in 1985. Not one to stay below law enforcement’s radar, Gotti instead became the first celebrity crime boss. His penchant for eye-catching apparel earned him the nickname “The Dapper Don;” his ability to beat criminal charges led to another: “The Teflon Don.”
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4 out of 5 stars
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I spoke to soon.
- By Ductman on 04-20-24
By: John Gleeson
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The Five Families of New York
- 5 Books in 1: The Complete History of America's Notorious Mafia Organizations
- By: Mafia Library
- Narrated by: John Raynar, Lee Sterry, Daniel Winski, and others
- Length: 16 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 36
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 34
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 34
In "The Five Families of New York," Mafia Library presents a gripping account of the ascension and decline of New York's foremost crime syndicates, from the legendary Lucky Luciano to the notorious Paul Castellano and John Gotti, and beyond. Through vivid storytelling, the book chronicles the relentless assault waged against these five families over two decades, a campaign that stands as the most successful law enforcement effort of the last century.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent book
- By Jason P. on 08-14-24
By: Mafia Library
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- Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 126
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 125
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 125
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2 out of 5 stars
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Turned into a sermon.
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