Annotated Bibliography 2

Salerno, Ralph, and John Tompkins. The Crime Confederation: Cosa Nostra and Allied Operations in Organized Crime. Doubleday, 1969. Print.

Unfortunately, this book is out of date. However, it does give a fabulous background of the Cosa Nostra family and others involved in some of their earliest documented dealings. Salerno was an office in police intelligence and gives firsthand accounts of his mafia-related findings. Through this, he offers a very clear picture of The Syndicate and “America’s most successful industry.” Information includes mafia recruiting methods, the ways they gained power, and corruption both in local governments (top-down approach) and within their own organization. Salerno also offers a plan of attack and predicts that the future holds more profit for the Cosa Nostra. Then he contrasts the rise of other ethnic groups in America and their influences, as well as the American general populous’ reaction to mafia dealings.