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-tall, 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. By the 1990s, Previte, an old-school workhorse, found himself answering to younger mob bosses like "Skinny Joey" Merlina. Spoiled, cocky, and careless, the young, up-and-coming gangsters were hungry for the media's attention and the public's recognition. Gone were the days of loyalty and discretion.
Convinced that the honor of the "business" was over, Previte 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, Previte recorded it all: the murder, the mayhem, and the betrayal.In The Last Gangster, George Anastasia -- the critically acclaimed author of Blood and Honor and The Goodfella Tapes -- tells Previte's story for the first time. Unflinching and enthralling, The Last Gangster is the true story of how the once monolithic, highly organized, powerful, and secretive Cosa Nostra was defeated by its own hand.

The Last Gangster: From Cop to Wiseguy to FBI Informant: Big Ron Previte and the Fall of the American Mob

Biographies & Memoirs

Anastasia, George

Arts & Literature

Harpercollins

The Last Gangster

"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 35 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, Previte, an old–school workhorse, 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.

William Morrow Paperbacks

The dramatic true story of golden boy Tom Capano and his lover, Anne Marie Fahey, the secretary to the governor of Delaware, retraces their tempestuous two-year affair, which culminated in murder, leaving no slimy stone unturned. Reprint.

Summer Wind: Thomas Capano and the Murder of Anne Marie Fahey

True Crime

Harper

Goodfella Tapes by George Anastasia is the true story of how the FBI recorded a mob war and brought down a mafia don. A riveting, eye-opening true crime masterwork in the vein of Wiseguy, Underboss, Havana Nocturne, The Valachi Papers, and other bestselling exposés of life in La Cosa Nostra, Goodfella Tapes is an astonishing story of the brutal acts and remarkable blunders of soldiers, capos, and kingpins of the Philadelphia mob and the ingenuity of government agents that, combined, help topple a powerful criminal enterprise.

The Goodfella Tapes

Leaders & Notable People

From the New York Times bestselling author of Blood and Honor and The Last Gangster—“one of the most respected crime reporters in the country” (60 Minutes)—comes the sure to be headline-making inside story of the Gotti and Gambino families, told from the unique viewpoint of notorious mob hit-man John Alite, a close associate of Junior Gotti who later testified against him.
In Gotti’s Rules, George Anastasia, a prize-winning reporter who spent over thirty years covering crime, offers a shocking and very rare glimpse into the Gotti family, witnessed up-close from former family insider John Alite, John Gotti Jr.’s longtime friend and protector. Until now, no one has given up the kind of personal details about the Gottis—including the legendary “Gotti Rules” of leadership—that Anastasia exposes here. Drawing on extensive FBI files and other documentation, his own knowledge, and exclusive interviews with insiders and experts, including mob-enforcer-turned-government-witness Alite, Anastasia pokes holes in the Gotti legend, demystifying this notorious family and its lucrative and often deadly machinations.
Anastasia offers never-before-heard information about the murders, drug dealing, and extortion that propelled John J. Gotti to the top of the Gambino crime family and the treachery and deceit that allowed John A. “Junior” Gotti to follow in his father’s footsteps. Told from street level and through the eyes of a wiseguy who saw it all firsthand, the result is a riveting look at a family whose hubris, violence, passion, and greed fueled a bloody rise and devastating fall that is still reverberating through the American underworld today.
Gotti’s Rules includes 8 pages of black-and-white photographs.

Gotti's Rules: The Story of John Alite, Junior Gotti, and the Demise of the American Mafia

Community & Culture

Dey Street Books

From the New York Times bestselling author of Blood and Honor and The Last Gangster—“one of the most respected crime reporters in the country” (60 Minutes)—comes the sure to be headline-making inside story of the Gotti and Gambino families, told from the unique viewpoint of notorious mob hit-man John Alite, a close associate of Junior Gotti who later testified against him.In Gotti’s Rules, George Anastasia, a prize-winning reporter who spent over thirty years covering crime, offers a shocking and very rare glimpse into the Gotti family, witnessed up-close from former family insider John Alite, John Gotti Jr.’s longtime friend and protector. Until now, no one has given up the kind of personal details about the Gottis—including the legendary “Gotti Rules” of leadership—that Anastasia exposes here. Drawing on extensive FBI files and other documentation, his own knowledge, and exclusive interviews with insiders and experts, including mob-enforcer-turned-government-witness Alite, Anastasia pokes holes in the Gotti legend, demystifying this notorious family and its lucrative and often deadly machinations.Anastasia offers never-before-heard information about the murders, drug dealing, and extortion that propelled John J. Gotti to the top of the Gambino crime family and the treachery and deceit that allowed John A. “Junior” Gotti to follow in his father’s footsteps. Told from street level and through the eyes of a wiseguy who saw it all firsthand, the result is a riveting look at a family whose hubris, violence, passion, and greed fueled a bloody rise and devastating fall that is still reverberating through the American underworld today.Gotti’s Rules includes 8 pages of black-and-white photographs.

Harper Large Print

The Mob Only Spoke in the Strictest Confidence. . .
As mob families go, the Philadelphia Mafia is the most dysfunctional family of all -- with brother turning against brother, sons turning on their fathers. In 1993 an embittered legacy of rivalry and hatred exploded in a brutal, bloody battle between old world mobster John Stanfa and the young, flamboyant Joey Merlino. However, this would be warfare different from any other. This time, the FBI had it all down on tape.
And the FBI Was Listening...
Veteran true crimes journalist George Anastasia takes you inside the world of mobsters at war, and FBI agents so close on the heels that they even watched one hit unfold live through a surveillance camera. Drawing on the transcripts themselves, here are mobsters bragging, lamenting, and marking their comrades for death.
Among Them: John Stanfa, the violent often irrationally paranoid old style mob don battling a new generation of savage young turks.
Rosario Bellocchi, the young Sicilian-born hitman in love with his boss's lovely daughter who would do anything to get ahead -- even kill his best friend.
John Veasey, the five foot six inch, two hundred pound mad dog hitman who once had to postpone a hit -- in order to visit his parole officer.
After four years, two thousand conversations, and dozens of shoot outs -- some on crowded Philadelphia Streets -- the goodfella tapes made a perfect net to catch some of the most vicious mobsters in America.

Goodfella Tapes (True Crime)

AVON.

In May 2012, April Kauffman, a well-known local radio personality and staunch advocate of military veterans rights, was found shot to death in the bedroom of the home she shared with her husband, Dr. James Kauffman. Six years later, in the fall of 2018, Freddy Augello, a leader of the notorious motorcycle gang the Pagans, went to trial facing murder, conspiracy, and drug dealing charges. And there were ties between Augello and the husband: Dr. James Kauffman, a prominent New Jersey endocrinologist, and also one of the area s most prolific drug traffickers.

Doctor Dealer: A doctor high on greed, a biker gang high on opioids, and the woman who paid the ultimate price

History

Cipriano, Ralph

Americas

BERKLEY

Product Description 
Dr. James Kauffman and his wife, April, were the perfect couple: a respected endocrinologist and a beautiful radio host. But under the surface lurked a world of drugs, sex, and biker gangs. A world Dr. Kauffman would kill to keep secret.\nIn May 2012, April Kauffman, a well-known local radio personality and staunch advocate of military veterans rights, was found shot to death in the bedroom of the home she shared with her husband, Dr. James Kauffman.\nSix years later, in the fall of 2018, Freddy Augello, a leader of the notorious motorcycle gang the Pagans, went on trial for drug dealing and murder. He was charged with arranging the death of April Kauffman in exchange for $50,000 from her husband, who, in addition to practicing medicine, was one of the area’s most prolific drug traffickers. \nTold by two accomplished reporters and authors with exclusive insights and details provided by two principal players, this is the story about one man's descent into evil and the people he took with him. It's a story about a doctor who helped flood the streets with opioids, about a husband who hid dark secrets from his wives, and about a man so consumed with greed and arrogance that he thought he could get away with murder. 
 About the Author 
George Anastasia was the mob writer at the 
 Philadelphia Inquirer for years and is the author of six books on true crime. He is the recipient of numerous journalism awards and has worked on and been featured in a number of television documentaries, the most recent being a four-part series for the History Channel titled 
Kingpin that profiled the lives of John Gotti, James "Whitey" Bulger, Pablo Escobar, and Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman.\nRalph Cipriano is an award-winning veteran muckraking reporter who has exposed corruption in city and county governments, the Philadelphia D.A.'s office, local police departments, Ivy League football programs, and the Catholic Church. He's the author of three books: 
Courtroom Cowboy, 
The Hit Man, and 
Target. His book on former mob hit man turned government witness John Veasey was the basis for a 
60 Minutes profile of Veasey in 2013. 
 Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. 
One\nThe murder was carried out with cold-blooded efficiency.\nApril Kauffman was asleep in the bedroom she no longer shared with her husband in their stately two-story home on Woodstock Drive in Linwood, New Jersey, an upper-middle-class neighborhood just outside of Atlantic City. It was a little after five a.m. on May 10, 2012. Her husband, Dr. James Kauffman, was downstairs getting ready to leave for work. He was an endocrinologist with a lucrative practice in a busy office less than a fifteen-minute drive from their home.\nThe doctor, as he did almost every morning, would stop at a Wawa, a local convenience store, on his way to work. The store was a few blocks from their house. The security camera in place at the Wawa would capture him that morning entering and leaving the store.\nThis, investigators would later determine, was just a few minutes after he had handed the hit man a gun and pointed to his wife's upstairs bedroom.\n"She's up there," he said.\nSeveral hours later a handyman who worked for the Kauffmans would discover April's body sprawled on the floor next to her bed. She had been shot twice. One bullet had shattered her elbow. The other had ripped through her side, slicing through a lung, her heart and her other lung. A medical examiner would speculate that she struggled out of bed after being shot, then collapsed on the floor. She had bled to death internally, he said, estimating that at least two liters of blood had poured from her wounds.\nThe hit man was later identified as Francis "Frank" Mulholland. He was a junkie and, it would turn out, he was ill suited for the job. But he had been offered $10,000 to commit the murder. That was enough to satisfy his habit for several months. He was driven to the home that morn

Science Fiction & Fantasy

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Anastasia, George. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Anastasia, George

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Anastasia, George. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Last Gangster: From Cop to Wiseguy to FBI Informant: Big Ron Previte and the Fall of the American Mob

The Last Gangster

Summer Wind: Thomas Capano and the Murder of Anne Marie Fahey

The Goodfella Tapes

Gotti's Rules: The Story of John Alite, Junior Gotti, and the Demise of the American Mafia

Gotti's Rules: The Story of John Alite, Junior Gotti, and the Demise of the American Mafia

Gotti's Rules: The Story of John Alite, Junior Gotti, and the Demise of the American Mafia

Goodfella Tapes (True Crime)

Doctor Dealer: A doctor high on greed, a biker gang high on opioids, and the woman who paid the ultimate price

Doctor Dealer: A doctor high on greed, a biker gang high on opioids, and the woman who paid the ultimate price