The Brotherhoods
The True Story of Two Cops Who Murdered for the Mafia
1 of 1 copy available
This gripping, true-life detective story is remarkable for its psychological intrigue, criminal audacity, and paranoid, blood-soaked fury. Written by prize-winning journalist Guy Lawson and William Oldham, the brilliant detective who quietly investigated the rogue cops for seven years, The Brotherhoods provides unparalleled access to the secretive workings of both the NYPD and organized crime-their hierarchies, rituals, and codes of conduct. Sprawling from Brooklyn to Las Vegas, this incredible story features wiseguys, informants, hit men on the lam, snitches, cops on the take, a crooked accountant, flamboyant defense attorneys, and many other colorful characters.
Destined to rank with such modern crime classics as Serpico, Donnie Brasco, and Wiseguy, this quintessential American mob tale goes to the heart of two brotherhoods—the police and the mafia—and the two cops who belonged to both.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
December 15, 2006 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781400123520
- File size: 706869 KB
- Duration: 24:32:38
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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Both an insider's view and historical account, this memoir reveals the workings of the New York Police Department from the 1970s to the current day. It chronicles police corruption, organized crime, and the development of laws and task forces to battle them. Through the story of the investigation into murder/kidnapping/racketeering charges against NYPD Detectives Stephen Caracappa and Louis Eppolito, the two brotherhoods of the NYPD and organized crime are both juxtaposed and intertwined. Dick Hill's varied intonation helps maintain interest, and the dialogue of both police and Mafia wise guys flows well. Hill gives Oldham, the lead detective who investigated the case, an authentic-sounding voice, and the result is more than a tell-all memoir as shocking betrayals of power are revealed. D.L.M. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine -
Starred review from October 30, 2006
The trial of Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa, two retired cops who were convicted of assisting the mafia during their long careers with the NYPD-in everything from providing information to murder-riveted New York and much of the U.S. earlier this year. Here, investigative journalist Lawson has captured the story of their downfall with the input of Oldham, the detective who caught them. Chronicling Oldham's seven-year investigation, and looking into the lives of two of the most crooked cops in the city's history, this book will fascinate true crime and mafia buffs, but is certainly vivid and compelling enough to capture a wide audience. Colorful mafia characters are a big draw, and Eppolito's strange, conflicted journey as the son of both a gangster and a cop is particularly intriguing. Because Eppolito and Caracappa remain stubbornly unknowable, however, the clearest character to emerge is Oldham himself. While the switch between a third-person account and Oldham's first person commentary could have been jarring, the detective's lengthy, articulate insights actually make the book; on his decision to move to New York twenty years ago, he explains, "I didn't want to be famous or rich. I wanted to put people in jail. The attraction for me was the crime. ...Crime was everywhere, but in New York City it was for real." Oldham's personal insight, and his keen ability to express it, makes Lawson's skillful, populist account truly riveting. Photos. -
Starred review from February 26, 2007
Hearing award-winning audio veteran Hill deadpan his way through a no-nonsense New York street accent through the cast of characters (Charlie "Flounderhead" Visconti is one of them), you might think you're listening to a Woody Allen routine or a Sopranos
takeoff. But this is serious stuff—a solid and exciting audio version of journalist Lawson's and top anticrime detective Oldham's book on the headline-making trial of Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa, two retired cops who were convicted of assisting the Mafia during their long careers with the NYPD. They were charged with providing information to mobsters and even killing for cash. The trial became even more sensational when an honest judge threw the case out of court because the evidence hadn't been collected correctly. Fiction writers couldn't make this stuff believable, but Lawson and Oldham pull it off in style. Simultaneous release with the Scribner hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 27).
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