The Outfit: The Role of Chicago's Underworld in the Shaping of Modern America

From Publishers Weekly Investigative reporter Russo (Live by the Sword: The Secret War Against Castro and the Death of JFK) offers an impressive in-depth history of Chicago's elusive crime syndicate. Unlike their trigger-happy East Coast counterparts, Chicago's gangsters stressed businesslike discretion following the chaotic Capone era, and they had a wide-ranging impact on American culture, entertainment and politics that has never been fully documented. Russo has new sources, ranging from entertainer Steve Allen's "crime files" to the widow of the book's most memorable figure, the Outfit's financial manager, "Curly" Humphreys. Others, like Paul "The Waiter" Ricca, will be known to Mob aficionados, but even they will note Russo's novel thesis, that the lucrative scams carried out during the group's 40-year heyday involved members of the respected "upperworld." These ventures ranged from the well known, such as the gambling operations that fueled Chicago's civic corruption, to the surprising (Mob-linked dairies were the first to use "sell by" dates). The Outfit started off-track betting and Top 40 charts and, in its declining years, the Outfit's "fixer," Sidney Korshak, vetted the cast of The Godfather. According to Russo, their "respectable" partners who publicly abhorred the gangster element included Joe Kennedy, MCA president Jules Stein, Bing Crosby, Presidents Roosevelt and Truman, and innumerable public servants. Russo humanizes the shadowy gangsters without denying their violent proclivities. He also examines them in the context of traditional immigrant ambitions. Russo's illuminating history may disorient some readers; still, this is the book to beat in examining this midcentury criminal empire. B&w photos not seen by PW. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal In this impressive work, investigative journalist Russo (Live by the Sword: The Secret War Against Castro and the Death of JFK) combines hundreds of his own interviews and newly revealed government files with the latest in exposes (e.g., Sally Denton and Roger Morris's The Money and the Power, on Las Vegas) to present an in-depth history of the Chicago mob from the 1920s through the 1960s. Russo shows how, during that period, "The Outfit," as it called itself, helped elect several presidents, created Las Vegas, and bankrolled Hollywood. The book is studded with revelations, such as the true story of "The Untouchables," Bing Crosby's debt to the mob, and Al Capone's surprise conviction for tax evasion. The author has no sympathy for those in political power, decrying corruption in the Roosevelt, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations. In an afterword he reveals his strong opinions on the topic, stating that white-collar criminals ("the upperworld") have been ignored at the expense of those in the "underworld" because of prejudice against Italians and the poor in general. Whether or not the reader agrees, Russo has written the most detailed book on the subject to date. Recommended for general collections. Harry Charles, Attorney at Law, St. Louis Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From The New Yorker Despite the grandiose subtitle, this thick volume is a valuable addition to accounts of organized crime in America. Russo, an investigative reporter, pries open the history of the Mob in Chicago, led by Tony Accardo (known as Joe Batters) and his lieutenants Murray Humphreys (known variously as Curly and the Camel), Paul Ricca (the Waiter), and Johnny Rosselli. Showing a corporate mind-set designed to preserve the legacy of more famous gangsters like Al Capone and Frank Nitti, the foursome reigned over Chicago crime for decades. The tales of corruption and violence have a familiar scent—a political payoff here, a midnight hit there—but Russo manages his plots and subplots admirably, and he isn't shy about letting readers know when he's deploying previously inaccessible files. The influence of the Kennedy family alone, especially Joe Kennedy's alliance with the Mob (which helped elect his son President), is given more detailed treatment than in any previous work. Copyright © 2005 The New Yorker From Booklist Russo's painstakingly researched chronicle documents the incredible impact that the Chicago underworld has had on contemporary society. After 1930, the heirs to Al Capone's empire adopted a low-profile, businesslike approach to organized crime. As Capone's flamboyant syndicate waned, the more streamlined and influential outfit emerged. Broadening the traditional power base to include union leaders, politicians, corporate executives, and studio heads, sophisticated bosses such as Tony Accardo never sought the limelight, preferring instead to operate quietly and efficiently outside the public eye. Insidiously injecting itself into the fabric of everyday American life, the savvy, Chicago-based outfit was able to successfully control and manipulate a large number of seemingly legitimate business, entertainment, and government ventures during its primacy, from 1930 to 1980. Though its potency has waned over the past 20 years, interest in the history and the inner workings of the organized underworld has not. Margaret Flanagan Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved “An impressive in-depth history...illuminating...this is the book to beat in examining this mid-century criminal empire” ― Publishers Weekly “...insightful and revealing...Russo is so engagingly in command of his material...it all holds together in a seamless web” ― Baltimore Sun “Russo's amazing book gets to the heart of the Chicago Outfit. This is an authoritative and engrossing work.” ― Nick Pileggi, bestselling author of Casino and Wiseguys “Absolutely captivating! For a 'Wiseguy' like me it was like going back to the neighborhood for an education.” ― Henry Hill, the inspiration for the film Goodfellas and the best-selling book Wiseguys “...In-depth, dispassionate study of organized crime...Russo located most of the skeletons in this masterful probe.” ― Jack Clarke, Special Investigator for Chicago Mayors Kennelly through Daley, and Illinois Governors Stevenson through Kerner Gus Russo is the author of Live By the Sword: The Secret War Against Castro and the Death of JFK . He is an investigative reporter who has worked for various major television networks, including PBS' Frontline series. Read more