Mafia Summit

J. Edgar Hoover, the Kennedy Brothers, and the Meeting That Unmasked the Mob

By: Gil Reavill

Narrated by: Keith Szarabajka

Here is the true story of how a small-town lawman in upstate New York busted a Cosa Nostra conference in 1957, exposing the Mafia to America.

In a small village in upstate New York, mob bosses from all over the country—including Vito Genovese, Carlo Gambino, Joe Bonanno, Joe Profaci, Cuba boss Santo Trafficante, Jr., and future Gambino boss Paul Castellano—were nabbed by Sergeant Edgar D. Croswell as they gathered to sort out a bloody war of succession.

For years FBI director J. Edgar Hoover had adamantly denied the existence of the Mafia, but young Robert Kennedy immediately recognized the shattering importance of the Apalachin summit. Appointed attorney general after his brother John became president, Bobby embarked on a campaign to break the spine of the mob, engaging in a furious turf battle with the powerful Hoover.

Detailing mob killings, the early days of the heroin trade, and the crusade to loosen the hold of organized crime, this momentous story will caputre fans of Gus Russo and Luc Sante. Reavill scintillatingly recounts the beginning of the end for the Mafia in America and how it all began with a good man in the right place at the right time.

Gil Reavill is an author, screenwriter, and playwright whose work has been widely featured in magazines. He is the author of Aftermath, Inc. and coauthor of Beyond All Reason and the screenplay that became the 2006 film Dirty, starring Cuba Gooding, Jr.

©2012 Gil Reavill (P)2013 Blackstone Audio, Inc

Critic reviews

"The infamous Apalachin gangster conclave of 1957 is best remembered for the images of hoods in $1000 suits scrambling through the muddy upstate New York woods after the cops closed in. Gil Reavill’s Mafia Summit at last fleshes out the story to give us the gang wars that led up to the gathering and the law enforcement turf battles that followed it. Here is gangland history that is compelling, thoughtful and well-grounded in scrupulous research. With a lively cast of characters that includes ruthlessly ambitious bosses such as Vito Genovese and ambitiously ruthless politicians such as Bobby Kennedy, Mafia Summit is a set-the-story-straight page-turner." (Gus Russo, author of The Outfit and Supermob)

Amazing Book

Dispels all the BS that we've all heard over the years. To the author thank you for an amazing and thorough telling of a historical event that helped shape our nation and forever gave us an image of what mob life must be like. This book even tells you how to properly pronounce "Apa Lake In". love it.

Something I Didn't Know

Would you try another book from Gil Reavill and/or Keith Szarabajka?

Yes. The book was well-enough written and Keith Szarabajka did a great job!

If you’ve listened to books by Gil Reavill before, how does this one compare?

I have not listened to his books.

Which character – as performed by Keith Szarabajka – was your favorite?

Again, Keith Szarabajka did a great job. I think the narrator is hugely important and love when they use subtle inflection to seperate characters without trying to do impersonation. All the caracters were done perfectly.

Did Mafia Summit inspire you to do anything?

I was inspired to research some newspaper articles on the topic. Again, it gave me knowledge and inspired me to seek more.

Leave the book??? Take the Cannoli!!

Not bad in the “history lesson” guise of presentation. Tons of information on top of information with a little bit more information. Although taxing, it does eventually come full circle. If it hadn’t been for narrator Keith Szarabajka (whom I believe is hands down the best narrator) I almost for certain would’ve let it sit in the library. Narration insured this book a pass from “Sleeping with the fishes”

Boring from start to finish.

What did you like best about Mafia Summit? What did you like least?

I didn't like much at all. It could have been much better.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Written a new book.

Which scene was your favorite?

Wasn't one.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No

Any additional comments?

Maybe it's me, but I thought this was extremely boring. It pained me to almost finish it. Too many great book on same subject.

first half Iof the book was good

first half of the book was good but the back half the author could leave his politics out.