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Post by Lord Emsworth on Jun 16, 2020 18:42:49 GMT
Any True Crime fans in the house? I've just started a book called... One of the Family: The Englishman and the Mafia...which I am pretty sure I came across whilst reading the wonderful Jumpin' Jack Flash: David Litvinoff and the Rock’n’Roll UnderworldIt's about a shadowy British figure called Wilf Pine Anyway it's already a bit of classic and I'm still only on his childhood/teenage years - in just those few years he's had an eventful and extraordinary life. It's engrossing stuff. I know he goes on to manage Black Sabbath and, via a chance encounter, became deeply embroiled with the Genovese crime family I'm addicted already It's by the same writer, John Pearson, who wrote The Profession of Violence: The Rise and Fall of the Kray Twins which was one of the original True Crime books - at least as far as I recall. It's also reputedly the most read book in British prisons!
Here's the blurb....
At Ronnie Kray's funeral, London crime expert John Pearson saw a man he didn't recognise - but who all the notorious criminals present deferred to.
This is the remarkable true story of that man: 'the Englishman'.
Investigations revealed that the Englishman was never mentioned in any of the previous books on organised crime, not because he wasn't involved, but because everyone was too scared to speak his name. Moreover, he was as legendary a figure on the streets of New York as on the streets of London.
Pearson persuaded the mysterious criminal leader to talk to him - and the result was a story even more extraordinary than that of the Kray twins. Here Pearson reveals the true story of the Englishman who became the adopted son of Joey Pagano, the head of one of the major New York crime families. Here the Englishman tells the story that no-one else dared to tell.
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Post by smogquixote on Jun 28, 2020 8:12:26 GMT
I love a lot of true crime stuff but I normally listen to long form podcasts as opposed to reading books, there a few YouTube channels I hit up to get my fix as well.
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Jun 28, 2020 9:19:22 GMT
Thanks Smog - any top picks amongst your YouTube favourites? I've just started...
Pretty good so far - only about 30 pages in though
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Post by smogquixote on Jun 28, 2020 11:38:48 GMT
Thanks Smog - any top picks amongst your YouTube favourites? I've just started...
Pretty good so far - only about 30 pages in though
“Jim Can’t Swim” does interrogation analysis, “Criminally Listed” is pretty good and he’s very active atm
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Jun 28, 2020 12:13:24 GMT
“Jim Can’t Swim” does interrogation analysis, “Criminally Listed” is pretty good and he’s very active atm Thanks Smog I'll have a gander
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Post by stu77 on Sept 10, 2020 20:55:45 GMT
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Sept 10, 2020 21:38:12 GMT
Thanks Stu. Added to the list
Have you seen the Ripper documentary on iPlayer?
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Post by stu77 on Jan 8, 2021 2:51:17 GMT
Currently reading this , about Paul Massey and the Salford criminal underworld. O Mahoney has done a few good books , including one on his time in the British Army and another, Hateland , about the far right.
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Post by doug61 on Feb 9, 2021 16:00:05 GMT
Any True Crime fans in the house? I've just started a book called... One of the Family: The Englishman and the Mafia...which I am pretty sure I came across whilst reading the wonderful Jumpin' Jack Flash: David Litvinoff and the Rock’n’Roll UnderworldIt's about a shadowy British figure called Wilf Pine Anyway it's already a bit of classic and I'm still only on his childhood/teenage years - in just those few years he's had an eventful and extraordinary life. It's engrossing stuff. I know he goes on to manage Black Sabbath and, via a chance encounter, became deeply embroiled with the Genovese crime family I'm addicted already It's by the same writer, John Pearson, who wrote The Profession of Violence: The Rise and Fall of the Kray Twins which was one of the original True Crime books - at least as far as I recall. It's also reputedly the most read book in British prisons!
Here's the blurb....
At Ronnie Kray's funeral, London crime expert John Pearson saw a man he didn't recognise - but who all the notorious criminals present deferred to.
This is the remarkable true story of that man: 'the Englishman'.
Investigations revealed that the Englishman was never mentioned in any of the previous books on organised crime, not because he wasn't involved, but because everyone was too scared to speak his name. Moreover, he was as legendary a figure on the streets of New York as on the streets of London.
Pearson persuaded the mysterious criminal leader to talk to him - and the result was a story even more extraordinary than that of the Kray twins. Here Pearson reveals the true story of the Englishman who became the adopted son of Joey Pagano, the head of one of the major New York crime families. Here the Englishman tells the story that no-one else dared to tell.
Loved the Litvinoff book so will give it a try.
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Feb 9, 2021 19:58:42 GMT
Any True Crime fans in the house? I've just started a book called... One of the Family: The Englishman and the Mafia...which I am pretty sure I came across whilst reading the wonderful Jumpin' Jack Flash: David Litvinoff and the Rock’n’Roll UnderworldIt's about a shadowy British figure called Wilf Pine Anyway it's already a bit of classic and I'm still only on his childhood/teenage years - in just those few years he's had an eventful and extraordinary life. It's engrossing stuff. I know he goes on to manage Black Sabbath and, via a chance encounter, became deeply embroiled with the Genovese crime family I'm addicted already It's by the same writer, John Pearson, who wrote The Profession of Violence: The Rise and Fall of the Kray Twins which was one of the original True Crime books - at least as far as I recall. It's also reputedly the most read book in British prisons! Here's the blurb....
At Ronnie Kray's funeral, London crime expert John Pearson saw a man he didn't recognise - but who all the notorious criminals present deferred to.
This is the remarkable true story of that man: 'the Englishman'.
Investigations revealed that the Englishman was never mentioned in any of the previous books on organised crime, not because he wasn't involved, but because everyone was too scared to speak his name. Moreover, he was as legendary a figure on the streets of New York as on the streets of London.
Pearson persuaded the mysterious criminal leader to talk to him - and the result was a story even more extraordinary than that of the Kray twins. Here Pearson reveals the true story of the Englishman who became the adopted son of Joey Pagano, the head of one of the major New York crime families. Here the Englishman tells the story that no-one else dared to tell.
Loved the Litvinoff book so will give it a try. It’s good Doug but not Litvinoff level good More of your standard true crime fare
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Post by smogquixote on Feb 12, 2021 1:32:51 GMT
Paid £50 for an old copy of “The Deaths of Cindy James” which should be an interesting read once it arrives
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Post by stu77 on Apr 26, 2021 15:09:14 GMT
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Apr 26, 2021 15:44:31 GMT
Thanks Stu The extraordinary story of underworld Mr Big Paul Massey - shot dead on his own doorstep in a notorious gangland execution - and told by those close to him and Massey himself. Is it any good though? I've never heard of Paul Massey
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Post by stu77 on Apr 27, 2021 1:20:10 GMT
Thanks Stu The extraordinary story of underworld Mr Big Paul Massey - shot dead on his own doorstep in a notorious gangland execution - and told by those close to him and Massey himself. Is it any good though? I've never heard of Paul Massey It's not bad. Massey was well known in the north west, had some kind of connection with Class War supporters at one point. Ran protection rackets and is seen in the same way the Krays are in London in some quarters - kept the scum in line etc but was actually lowlife who dealt drugs.
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Post by stu77 on Jun 13, 2021 21:05:48 GMT
Anyone read this ? It's currently the subject of a Netflix series. Had it years never got around to reading it
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