Saturday, April 21, 2012

April 2012 Issue of Informer


April 2012 Contents
Editorial

The average Mafia aficionado likely feels that he or she already knows a great deal about New York gangland chieftain Charlie "Lucky" Luciano. Just about everyone knows, for example, that Luciano survived being taken "for a ride" by his rivals, that he was nicknamed "Lucky" as a result of that episode and that he single-handledly revolutionized organized crime in the United States. Just about everyone knows those things; unfortunately none are true. The problem is that much of what is generally believed about the 1930s-era crime boss can be traced to fictional works and a single, terribly suspect Luciano biography.

In this issue, Informer takes a close look at Salvatore Lucania, a.k.a. Charlie Luciano, intending to separate fact from fiction and to establish the real-world details of his life and criminal career. A great deal of the material written about Luciano and his associates since the mid-1970s rests upon an insecure foundation: The Last Testament of Lucky Luciano by Martin Gosch and Richard Hammer.

Though often criticized by historians as the product of Gosch's imagination, The Last Testament has been widely (and inexplicably) accepted as a near-autobiographical telling of Luciano's life story. Quotes from the work have appeared in books about Luciano and his ally Meyer Lansky. Even some who have been vocally critical of Last Testament's contents and Gosch's methods have found it impossible to resist borrowing tales from the book for their own works.

In our featured article, historian Richard Warner explores The Last Testament and the claims of its authors. He compares its contents to the historical record in order to deliver what should be "The Last Word on The Last Testament" (preview).

Thomas Hunt follows up with a Luciano lifetime chronology. While the Gosch-Hammer controversy is noted, "Year-by-year: Charlie Lucky's life" is devoid of Last Testament influence (preview).

Also in this issue, we present the second installment of “Gunmen of the Castellammarese War,” as historians Lennert van ‘t Riet, David Critchley and Steve Turner tell the story of Steve Rannelli (preview); Edmond Valin identifies underworld informants from the Philly Mob (preview); Bill Feather provides an extensive membership chart for the post-Luciano Genovese Crime Family of New York (preview); Richard Warner recommends books on Al Capone (preview); and Patrick Downey discusses gangsters who were sent to watery graves (preview).

One hundred pages. Published April 20, 2012.

Preview/purchase electronic and print editions through MagCloud.



No comments:

SITE INDEX

100 Years Ago (2) 1891 (1) 1909 (3) 1928 (3) 1929 (2) 1931 (2) 1932 (1) 1937 (1) 1957 (2) 1964 (1) 2008 (1) 2009 (1) 2009 April issue (1) 2009 January issue (1) 2009 July issue (1) 2009 October issue (2) 2010 January issue (1) 2011 April issue (9) 2011 January issue (7) 2011 July issue (10) 2011 October issue (10) 2012 April issue (9) 2012 January issue (10) 2012 July issue (9) 2012 October Issue (6) 2013 April issue (10) 2013 July issue (8) 2013 October issue (8) 2014 January Issue (7) 2014 May Issue (4) 2014 November issue (8) 2015 June issue (16) 2015 October issue (9) 2016 October Issue (8) 2016 September issue (1) 2017 August issue (11) 2018 November issue (10) 2019 August Issue (22) 2020 October issue (36) 2021 October issue (18) 2022 November issue (30) 2023 October issue (21) 2024 November Issue (1) a look back (9) Accardo (3) ad rates (2) Address Book (1) Addresses (1) adobe (1) advertisers (12) advertising (4) agnello (2) Aiuppa (1) Al Capone and His American Boys (1) Albany (2) aleman (1) alfano (1) Allen (1) alo (1) Altamura (1) Amazon (8) Analysis (1) anarchists (4) anastasia (6) anastasio (2) andolino (1) Angelo Carbone (1) Angelo DiCarlo (1) Angersola (1) angiulo (3) Anna Antonio (2) apalachin (5) apparel (1) April (1) ardizzone (3) ardonia (1) Arrigo (1) articles (32) artis (3) Asbury (4) ask the informer (7) Assassination (1) atlanta federal prison (3) atlantic city (2) audiobook (4) authors (4) avena (1) Baby Face Nelson (2) Back issues (1) Bad Seeds in the Big Apple (1) Baff (2) balsamo (1) Banana War (1) bandits roost (1) bangor maine (2) bank robber (1) bank robbery (2) barbara (1) Barber brothers (2) Barre (2) barrel murder (4) Barricade (1) batista (2) bazzano (5) beck (1) Behind the Murder Curtain (1) Benevento (1) Benld (1) berrien county (2) bettini (1) bilek (3) Bill the Butcher (2) bingham (1) binion (1) Biographies (2) Biography (1) Biondillo (1) Biondo (1) Birmingham (1) Black (1) black hand (6) blade (1) Blasi (2) blog (1) Blurb (2) Bo Weinberg (1) boardwalk empire (1) Bobby Doyle (1) Boccia (3) bolton (1) bombtown (1) Bommarito (1) bonanno (19) Bonomo (2) Book (1) books (55) books. (1) Bootlegging (2) Boss of Bosses (6) boston (9) brady gang (2) Brod (1) Brogno (1) brooklyn (11) brouillette (1) Bruce Sackman (1) bruno (1) buccellato (2) buccola (2) buchalter (3) bufalino (3) buffalo (13) Bugsy Siegel (1) bulger (3) Bureau of Investigation (1) burke (2) bushwick (2) buster from chicago (2) Butch Cassidy (1) Butsey (1) C. Joseph Greaves (1) Cain (1) calabrese (4) calabria (7) Calamia (1) calendar (1) calicchio (1) california (7) Cammarata (1) campagna (1) Campbell (3) campisi (1) canada (4) Capital Punishment (2) Capitano (1) capodecina (1) capone (14) Car-bombs (1) caracappa (1) carbondale (2) carbone (2) carfano (1) Carlino (5) Carlisi (1) carneglia (3) Carollo (1) Carressi (1) Carroll (2) Cascio (2) Cascio Ferro (1) cascioferro (1) casinos (2) Castellammare del Golfo (5) castellammarese war (18) castro (2) Catanzaro (1) Cavallaro (1) cecala (1) Cheese (1) Cheese War (1) chepesiuk (3) chiappetta (2) chicago (27) chicago heights (3) Chicago Outfit (1) Chilanti (1) chinatown (1) Christian Cipollini (2) CIA (1) Ciaramello (1) cina (1) cipolla (1) Cipollini (5) circulation (12) civello (2) Clark (1) classified ads (1) cleveland (14) Cocchiara (1) cocozza (1) cohen (5) Cokey Flo (1) colacurcio (1) Coll (1) colombo (10) Colorado (6) colosimo (2) coluccio (1) columnist (1) columns (44) comito (2) communism (1) congress (1) connecticut (6) connolly (1) Conti (2) contributors (3) Corallo (1) corleone (9) coronavirus (1) corozzo (2) costantino (1) costello (4) counterfeiting (10) COVID-19 (1) crescent city lynchings (1) Crime History (1) crimetown (1) critchley (19) Crooked Brooklyn (1) cuba (6) Cuccia (1) Culotta (1) cumberland house (1) cuntrera (1) Customs (1) Cutrone (1) d'alessandro (1) d'andrea (2) d'aquila (4) d'elia (1) dallas (6) danbury (6) dane (1) danny greene (1) Dara (1) Dark History and Horror Convention (1) dash (4) David Critchley (1) Daytona Beach (1) dead guys in suits (5) dead rabbits (1) deadlines (9) deaths (5) decavalcante (1) deep water (7) Deirdre Marie Capone (2) deitche (4) DeJohn (1) delancey street (1) deleo (1) DelGaudio (1) delivery (2) DeLosa (1) deluna (1) DeMarco (1) DeNiro (1) Denver (2) depalma (1) desimone (2) Detroit (11) devecchio (2) dewey (1) DiCarlo (8) dicola (1) DiDato (1) DiFranchi (1) DiFronzo (1) Digest Format (1) digiorgio (2) digiovanni (1) Dillinger (4) DiLucia (1) dinunzio (3) dioguardi (1) DiPalma (1) discount (5) dispenza (2) display ads (43) distribution (15) Ditte (1) Dixie Davis (1) dmoz (1) Dock Boss (3) Dom DeLuise (1) domingo (1) downey (15) download (1) Doyle (1) dragna (4) drugs (1) dugard (4) Dunn (1) Dusseldorf (1) Dutch Schultz (1) Dutchess County (2) E-book (7) East Harlem (1) eastern state (2) ebook (1) Eddie McGrath (1) Editorial (5) Edmond Valin (3) Electric Chair (2) electronic edition (12) Elia Corti (2) Ellen Poulsen (1) Emmino (3) Engel (1) eppolito (1) EPUB (3) Erra (1) Esperia Film (1) Esperti (1) esposito (4) Ethics (1) evola (1) facebook (2) Falcone (1) family secrets (2) Farah (1) Faranzano (1) Father Cerruti (1) fbi (25) FBN (3) feather (30) features (9) federal bureau of narcotics (1) federal hill (2) ferrara (1) Filasto (1) five points (1) florida (5) Florino (1) Floyd (2) flynn (4) Fond du Lac (2) fontana (1) foxit (1) frank lanza (1) Frank Romeo (1) Frank Zito (1) frankie rio (1) Fratuzzi (2) free (1) Freemasonry (1) Fusco (1) Galleani (2) gambino (7) gambliing (1) gambling (4) gangster (1) Gangster City (1) Gangsters (1) gangsters incorporated (3) gangsters of miami (1) gatto (1) Genealogy (4) genna (1) genovese (12) gentile (31) George Morton Levy (1) Geraci (1) Germany (1) Ghost (1) Giancana (1) Giannola (1) gift (1) giunta (1) Giuseppe Morello (1) Gizzeria (1) Google Play Books (2) Gorilla Convict Publications (1) Gosch (2) gotti (7) Government (1) grand street (1) Grande Cheese (1) Greaves (3) greene (1) Guardalabene (2) gustin (1) H.K. Petschel (1) H.L. Mencken (1) Haggerty (1) hamer (1) Hamilton (1) Hammer (2) hardcover (1) harmon (8) Haseltine (1) Hatrack (1) havana (2) hawkins (1) hayde (1) helmer (5) hennessy (2) Henry Hill (2) henze (4) Hillsville (1) Hillsville PA (3) hoffa (2) holiday (2) Hollywood (1) hoover (10) hortis (3) hotel statler (3) Houk (1) houston (1) howard prison (1) hudson (1) humble (1) hunt (38) iaconi (1) Ignazio Lupo (1) Illinois (2) Impastato (1) in the news (8) index (4) Informant (2) Informants (7) informer (8) innocenti (1) interview (3) introduction (2) ipad (1) Issues to date (2) italian squad (1) Italy (1) Jacob Stoops (1) James Howell (1) Jeffery S. King (6) Jerry Schmetterer (1) Joe the Boss (3) john mcgurk (1) johnny spanish (1) Jones (2) Joseph Petrosino (2) Jungle Inn (1) Just One More Thing (9) Justin Cascio (2) kansas city (5) kaplan (1) karpis (1) KDP (1) Keeler (1) kefauver (2) kennedy (8) Kill-Crazy Gang (1) Kindle (8) King (1) knockbacks (4) knokaround (4) kovacic (1) Krist (1) la cosa nostra (7) Labor Racketeering (1) labriola (1) LaGaipa (1) lansky (3) lanza (3) larocca (2) las vegas (4) LaSala (1) LaTempa (1) latorre (2) law enforcement (1) Leggio (1) Legs Diamond (6) Lennert Van`t Riet (1) leo (1) LePore (1) letters (1) Levy (2) Licavoli (1) limone (1) lindbergh (1) lockwood (2) lolordo (1) lombardo (2) Lombardozzi (2) lonardo (2) Lopresto (2) los angeles (11) louisiana (5) Lower East Side (6) Lucania (9) lucchese (5) luciano (23) Lucky Luciano: Mysterious Tales of a Gangland Legend (4) lucky luciano: the real and the fake gangster (1) lupo (7) Lynching (1) lyon (1) macheca (4) madonia (1) mafia (61) mafia denials (2) mafia monograph (1) mafia son (1) Mafia Summit (1) Mafia: Inside the Dark Heart (1) Mafia's demise (2) Mafiahistory.us (1) mafiosi (1) magaddino (11) Magazine (1) magcloud (15) magliocco (1) Mahoning Valley (2) Maisano (1) Mallamo (1) mangano (4) manhattan (1) manocchio (1) maranzano (27) marcello (4) Marion OH (1) marlow (1) masseria (10) massullo (1) Matranga (2) mattix (6) mcclellan (4) McGrath (2) McKeever (4) McNeiley (2) membership chart (24) Memorandum Book (1) men of montedoro (2) messina (4) meyer lansky (1) Miami (2) Michael R. McGowan (1) Michael Vecchione (1) michigan (1) milano (1) Milwaukee (7) Minore (1) Minutolo (2) Miracle of Brooklyn (1) Miranda (1) Miriam Davis (1) Missouri (1) mistretta (1) Mob Corner (1) mob tours (1) mock duck (1) Monaco (1) monk eastman (1) montagna (1) montreal (3) moran (4) morelli (3) morello (15) moretti (2) morgenthau (1) morici (1) Movies (1) mr. new orleans (4) mulberry bend (1) murder (6) Murder Incorporated (2) murdered brothers (2) murders (2) murdertown (1) museum of the american gangster (1) Musolino (1) Mussolini (1) Naples (2) Narcotics (2) nardi (1) Naturalization (1) Neil G. Clark (1) Nelson (1) New Castle PA (4) new england (12) new jersey (4) new orleans (8) new york (43) New York City (6) newark (4) Niagara Falls (2) nicolo schiro (1) nicolosi (2) nitti (1) northeastern Pennsylvania (4) novel (1) novels (1) nucky johnson (2) O'Connell (1) O'Connell Machine (1) O'Haire (1) o'malley (1) obituary (1) oct 2010 (8) oddo (1) office (1) ohio (3) oldfield (1) on the rock (1) on the spot (4) onewal.com (1) Ontario (2) open city (1) Organized Crime (1) Origin of Organized Crime in America (2) Oscar Goodman (2) Oswald (3) otway (1) ouseley (2) outfit (3) Palermo (4) palizzolo (2) Palmer (1) palmer raids (2) palumbo (1) Panto (1) Paperback (5) Paretti (1) Park Avenue (2) parke (1) patriarca (2) Patrick Downey (2) paul kelly (1) pdf (4) peduto (2) pennachio (1) Pennsylvania (5) pennsylvania crime commission (1) penology (1) Perri (1) persico (5) Peter Kurten (1) Petrelli (2) petrosino (7) Petschel (3) Petto (1) philadelphia (8) Photograph (3) photographs (2) Picco (1) Piccola (2) Pierce (1) Pieri (3) Pinsky (1) piranio (2) pittsburgh (12) pittston (2) pizza connection (1) Podcast (1) police (1) policy (2) Politics (1) pollaccia (2) pollina (1) porrello (4) post office (1) postal inspection service (2) Postal Inspector (2) Postal Inspectors (1) Poughkeepsie (1) poulsen (5) Prato (1) Pre-Order (3) preorder (1) Press Releases (1) Pretty Boy Floyd (3) price increase (1) Pricing (3) print edition (10) print version (11) profaci (12) Prohibition (21) prostitution (3) Protheroe (1) Provenzano (1) providence (7) Publishing (1) Pueblo (2) purchase (1) Purge (4) purpose (1) quakers (1) Queens (3) Racco (2) racism (3) racketeeers (1) Ralph Pezzullo (1) randazzo (1) rannelli (1) rastelli (1) Ray (1) Raymond Street Jail (3) readership (2) Reavill (1) Red-Nose Mike (1) Regina Pacis (3) Reina (2) Reles (2) Religion (5) restivo (1) rfk (2) rhode island (3) riccobene (1) Richard Warner (4) Richetti (1) rio (1) Rizzotto (2) rizzuto (4) robbery (1) Rochester (1) romano (3) Romeo (3) Romero (1) roosevelt (1) Rosato (1) rosenthal (1) rossetti (1) ruby (3) Ruffino (2) Russo (1) sabella (2) sacco and vanzetti (2) sack murders (1) safari (1) sai wing mock (1) salemi (1) Saltfleet Township (1) Sam Giancana (1) sammartino (1) San Francisco (5) San Giuseppe Jato (1) San Jose (2) San Pedro (1) sanfilippo (1) Santa Rosa (1) Santantonio (2) Santino (2) Santuccio (2) Sberna (1) Scaglia (2) scala (1) scalise (1) Scandifia (2) scarpa (4) Scarpato (1) schedule (2) Schmitt (1) schweihs (1) sciandra (2) scranton (3) scribd (6) seattle (1) second avenue (1) secret service (3) secret societies (1) Sewickley PA (1) shaw (2) sheldon (5) Shenango Valley (2) shillitani (2) sica (1) Sicilian Vespers (1) Siciliano (2) Sicily (8) Siegel (1) Siragusa (1) skelly (1) Smario (1) social clubs (1) Socialists (2) Society of Honor (1) society of the banana (2) sources (1) spatafora (1) Special Issue (6) spero (1) Sporting Goods (1) springfield (4) st. laurent (1) St. Louis (2) St. Petersburg (2) St. Rosalia (2) st. valentine's day massacre (3) Stamp Counterfeiting (2) stamps (1) Stephan Talty (1) stevens (2) Strange (1) Street Gangs (2) Streva (1) Strollo (2) submissions (1) subscription (3) suicide hall (1) superthief (1) sylvester (1) Syracuse (1) T-shirts (1) tampa (4) Tape Bandits (1) Taranto (2) television (1) Tenora (1) terranova (4) Terrorism (1) texas (3) The Axeman of New Orleans (1) The Black Hand (1) the case against lucky luciano (3) the first vice lord (1) The Gangs of New York (4) The History of Street Gangs (1) the mafia and the machine (1) the man (1) The Members Only Podcast (1) The Milwaukee Mafia (3) The Mob and the City (3) The Writers of Wrongs (1) Thomas Dewey (1) Thomas Hunt (3) timelime (1) timeline (4) todaro (1) Tom & Lucky and George & Cokey Flo (1) tom lee (1) tona (9) tongs (1) top 10 (1) top hoodlum program (1) tornabene (2) Toronto (2) torrio (2) trafficante (4) traina (1) Trapani (2) Travels (1) Troia (2) true crime books (10) true crime websites (6) true-crime books (2) Turner (8) twitter (2) Two Mafias (1) u.s. postage (1) uk (1) Unabomber (1) Uncle Al Capone (4) unione siciliana (1) USPS (1) VA (1) vaccarelli (1) valachi (15) valente (2) valenti (1) Valin (8) van meter (1) Van Tress (1) van`t Reit (11) Vermont (2) vice trial (2) villabate (2) Villano (1) Vita di Capomafia (3) Vitale (1) Voelker (1) vol 1 no 1 (21) vol 2 no 1 (13) vol 2 no 2 (12) vol 2 no 3 (16) vol 2 no 4 (15) vol 3 no 1 (13) vol 3 no 2 (9) vol 3 no 3 (8) Vollero (1) volpe (3) Wappingers Falls (1) warner (26) warner files (16) Warren Commission (3) Warren Ohio (1) Washington D.C. (1) Waterfront (1) Waugh (1) welcome (1) White League (1) White Slave traffic (1) white slavery (1) whyos (1) William Dara (2) Willie the Tile Maker (1) winkeler (2) Wiser Guy (1) worcester (1) world war i (1) Wrongly Executed? (1) yale (4) Yanowsky (1) Yonkers (1) young (1) young al capone (1) Youngstown (24) zagona (1) zanghi (1) zarcone (8) Zito (1)