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The Last Gangster Kindle Edition

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 525 ratings

Journalist George Anastasia’s New York Times bestseller The Last Gangster is a revelatory biography of mobster turned informant Ron Previte.

“It’s over. You’d have to be Ray Charles not to see it.” —former New Jersey capo Ron Previte, on the mob today

As a cop, Ron Previte was corrupt. As a mobster he was brutal. And in his final role, as a confidential informant to the FBI, Previte was deadly.
The Last Gangster is his story—the story of the last days of the Philadelphia Mob, and of the clash of generations that brought it down once and for all.

For thirty-five years Ron Previte roamed the underworld. A six-foot, 300-pound capo in the Philadelphia-South Jersey crime family, he ran every mob scam and gambit from drug trafficking and prostitution to the extortion of millions from Atlantic City. In his own words, “Every day was a different felony.” By the 1990s, old-school workhorse Previte found himself answering to younger mob bosses like “Skinny Joe” Merlino, who seemed increasingly spoiled, cocky, and careless.

Convinced that the honor of the “business” was gone, he became the FBI’s secret weapon in an intense and highly personalized war on the Philadelphia mob. Operating with the same guile, wit, and stone-cold bravado that had made him a force in the underworld—and armed with only a wiretap secured to his crotch—Previte recorded it all; the murder, the mayhem, and even the story of mob boss Ralph Natale’s affair with his youngest daughter’s best friend. Previte and his FBI cronies eventually prevailed, securing the convictions of his nemeses, “Skinny Joey” Merlino and Ralph Natale.
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Covering much the same ground as his 1998 book, The Goodfella Tapes, which also dealt with the Philly mob's decline in the 1990s, true-crime journalist Anastasia here focuses on Ron Previte, a crooked cop who became a big moneymaker for the Philadelphia underworld before turning informant for the Feds. The author entertainingly chronicles Previte's long catalogue of brutal misdeeds, but offers little insight into the man's character. There are a few factual errors (e.g., Cleveland underboss Angelo Lonardo did not begin to cooperate with the government until the mid-1980s), but the larger flaw is the effort to inflate Previte's role in diminishing organized crime's influence not only in the City of Brotherly Love but also in the country as a whole, as the subtitle suggests. In addition, Anastasia fails to make a convincing case for the extent of Previte's local impact, undercutting his thesis several times by citing other factors—the elevation of greed, an upsurge in violence, other informants—leading to the demise of the syndicate built in large part by the late Angelo Bruno. The author knows how to enhance the basic story with the odd bit of background detail (like a defense lawyer's favorite sandwich), but the book's primary appeal will be to Mafia buffs eager to read everything written on the subject.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

George Anastasia, who spent more than thirty years reporting on crime for the Philadelphia Inquirer, is the grandson of Sicilian immigrants who settled in South Philadelphia. He is the author of six books of nonfiction, including Blood and Honor: Inside the Scarfo Mob—the Mafia’s Most Violent Family (which Jimmy Breslin called the “best gangster book ever written”); The Last Gangster; and The Summer Wind: Thomas Capano and the Murder of Anne Marie Fahey. He lives in southern New Jersey.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B005DB7RU2
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Morrow Paperbacks (October 18, 2011)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 18, 2011
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 15.1 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 372 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0060544236
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 525 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
525 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book well-written and entertaining. They appreciate the honest, straightforward analysis and accurate facts about the mob. The book provides a great insight into the Merlino era and Ron Previte's life.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

24 customers mention "Story telling"24 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's storytelling. They find it engaging and well-written. Readers describe it as a classic and say it moves along nicely.

"...In any case, the book is well written and also compelling, giving a disturbing picture of what the Philadelphia Atlantic City Mafia crime family is..." Read more

"...The Last Gangster' is a very entertaining book well written by the legendary George Anastasia but if you've read [..." Read more

"Book was very good. It is well written and the facts are accurate. George Anastasia is one of the best authors when it comes to mafia...." Read more

"...Still, it was well written, coherent and moved along nicely. I did enjoy it and felt it was well worth its price." Read more

7 customers mention "Information quality"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative and interesting. They appreciate the honest, straightforward analysis and accurate facts. The book is described as a throwback to realistic mob books of the past.

"...I loved his honest and straightforward analysis of the Philly goons that ran the show...." Read more

"Book was very good. It is well written and the facts are accurate. George Anastasia is one of the best authors when it comes to mafia...." Read more

"Great read in every way.............awesome writing style , gritty , real , like the good mob books of the ole days" Read more

"interesting book" Read more

4 customers mention "Entertainment value"4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's entertainment value. They find it entertaining enough, making them laugh and believe in the story.

"...The Last Gangster' is a very entertaining book well written by the legendary George Anastasia but if you've read [..." Read more

"...Ron is a Mob Associate but he is also very funny. Enjoy, laugh and believe." Read more

"Entertaining enough, but not one of the best in the genre...." Read more

"Informative, entertaining book...." Read more

3 customers mention "History"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's history. They find it provides a good overview of the Merlino era and Ron Previte's life.

"...I loved it and was so fascinated by the history behind this group. It really is evidence of fact is usually better than fiction...." Read more

"Good look at the life of Ron Previte and general coverage of the family he was a member of though I felt it was mostly from Ron's point of view...." Read more

"...Great insight into the Merlino era." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2025
    This book takes up from where "The Goodfellas Tapes" left off, this time from the viewpoint of Ron Previte, the former crooked cop from the Philadelphia PD.
    The fact that this group has been labeled as "the gang that couldn't shoot (or think) straight" is something of an understatement. In my opinion, I'm reminded of the Forrest Gump adage, "stupid is as stupid does ".
    In any case, the book is well written and also compelling, giving a disturbing picture of what the Philadelphia Atlantic City Mafia crime family is and has become, at least up to the start of the new millennium. I recommend, along with "The Goodfellas Tapes"; "Blood And Honor", and "Mafia Prince."
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2013
    As a hustler and former dirty cop from South Jersey, Ron Previte was one day solicited by the FBI to work undercover in helping them take down the new and unimproved Philly Mafia family in the middle of a violent power struggle. Joe Merlino, aka Skinny Joey, was the young and flashy South Philly wiseguy on the make and John Stanfa was the old school, Sicilian-bred boss chosen by the New York Commission to bring the troubled family in the city of brotherly love back together. 'The Last Gangster' is a very entertaining book well written by the legendary George Anastasia but if you've read The Goodfella Tapes you'll be very familiar with the details of the mob war. Besides Previte, the main difference here is one Ralph Natale, a sleazy and bumbling ex-con who quickly takes the reign of the family after his prison release. The at-times unbelievable and hilariously dark slice of American crime works well in a book, especially when penned by Anastasia.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2018
    I'm a huge fan of George Anastasia during his interviews. This book, filled with all of the mob stories every mob fan craves, was a good introduction to the hot mess that is, or was, the Philly LCN. I loved his honest and straightforward analysis of the Philly goons that ran the show.

    The only thing I will mention is the beginning seems a little disorganized. He jumps between his intros about the three main guys so it was sometimes hard to keep track of the names. I also didn't have much knowledge about the Philly mob. What helped me was watching a documentary about them. If you have a basic knowledge of the key players you should be ok with this book.

    I loved it and was so fascinated by the history behind this group. It really is evidence of fact is usually better than fiction. You can't make this stuff up.
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2017
    Another so so Anastasia book about the Philly Mob. Ron Previte is another of those fringe mob guys who got lucky a few times. The book has different tales but the tune is the same as all the other Philly Mob books. On a plus side you could probably skim this book and be done with it in less than an hour. It seems like a 3rd grader wrote it.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2021
    Book was very good. It is well written and the facts are accurate. George Anastasia is one of the best authors when it comes to mafia. The Philadelphia family of LCN was always a mess & this book shows a few f the reason why. I recommend this book. The fat rat has good story telling abilities & that’s who the book is primarily about.
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2016
    Good look at the life of Ron Previte and general coverage of the family he was a member of though I felt it was mostly from Ron's point of view. That's not entirely unexpected since the subjects being depicted are not usually publicity hounds. I am not an expert on the particular mafia family discussed but there appears to be the standard aggrandization of the importance of the subject found in similar works. Still, it was well written, coherent and moved along nicely. I did enjoy it and felt it was well worth its price.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2020
    A great book on Ron Prevites association with Philadelphia Mobs higher ups and soldiers. When he was wearing a wire, his life was in danger everyday. Ron is a Mob Associate but he is also very funny. Enjoy, laugh and believe.
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2017
    As a life long Philadelphia area resident, I followed the trials when they were going on. In The Last Gangster, George Anastasia details the goings on of one of the most dysfunctional crime families. Good pace and details without bogging down on minutiae.

Top reviews from other countries

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Do it
    Reviewed in Canada on October 14, 2018
    Gave it as a gift but looked good
  • alan odd
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 30, 2017
    very good and interesting book on the Mafia inside workings.
  • Shaun
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good Read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 7, 2022
    Well researched account of the mob in their heyday.
  • BJD
    3.0 out of 5 stars Well researched account, lots to take in. The ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 3, 2017
    Well researched account, lots to take in. The relationship between crime bosses, law enforcers and informants is intriguing. Imagine a life in which you have to always keep your wits about, constantly look behind you, expect betrayal at every step, and extreme violence and murder is part of a normal normal day!
  • James McAreavey
    5.0 out of 5 stars the last gangster
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 3, 2017
    very good read. really enjoyed it.

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