Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 In 1975, the Mafia had influence over almost every corner of American society. The five families in New York City, the hub of organized crime worldwide, operated with grim efficiency. #2 The Mafia, like any profitable organization, was focused on growing profits, eliminating competition, and dodging taxes or any other constraints that might stand in their way. They were so successful because they followed a cynical credo: they should appear to be merciful, humane, and well-meaning, but when the need arose or their power was threatened, they must be ready to take the way of evil. #3 The Mafia, like many other organizations, had a credo that members should respect others' property and women. I was proposed for membership when I was 21 years old, and within a few years, I had made more money for the Mob than anyone since Al Capone. #4 The Mob had a mythology about itself in those days. People romanticized it. The public saw the Mafia as a modern-day version of Robin Hood and his band of merry men, stealing from the king and sharing the wealth with the common man.