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Ronald D. Humble
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Frank Nitti: The True Story of Chicago's Notorious Enforcer Kindle Edition

by Ronald Humble (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 39 ratings
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Frank The Enforcer Nitti is arguably the most glamorized gangster in history. He was an infamous Chicago wiseguy who eventually rose to command the city's premier underworld organization—The Outfit. Though he has been widely mentioned in fictional works, this is the first book to document Nitti's real-life criminal career alongside his pop culture persona, with special chapters devoted to the many television shows, movies, and songs featuring Nitti. Author Ronald Humble chronicles The Enforcer's beginnings in New York's Navy Street Boys to his position as Al Capone's second-in-command and eventual leadership of the outfit, with bodies piling up along the way.
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  1. Print length
    320 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Barricade Books
  5. Publication date
    March 1, 2008
  6. File size
    2717 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
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  9. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Frank Nitti has been one of the most elusive figures in American criminal history, but Ron Humble has captured him within the pages of this impressive book. I've never read a more in-depth study of a major gangland figure--from the real man to the pulp-fiction persona, it's all here in this compelling biography...a staggering piece of research. -- Max Allan Collins, author of Road to Perdition

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B007N6VIB4
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Barricade Books (March 1, 2008)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 1, 2008
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2717 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 39 ratings

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Ronald D. Humble

Ronald D. Humble

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
39 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Joseph R. Calamia
5.0 out of 5 stars "Capo Di Tutti Capi #1"
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2008
Verified Purchase
"Frank Nitti" (The True Story of Chicago's Notorious "Enforcer") by Ronald D. Humble is a superb and clinically crafted literary trail in persuit of historical footsteps from the notorious and infamous "Frank Nitti." Nitti was the successor of Al Capone's Chicago apparatus, a position he subsequently held from about 1931 until his death in 1942.

The author's research points to the fact that Nitti's illegal interests and cladestine ventures went far deeper into the dark abyss of the underworld than Capone ever dreamed of! No one was exempt from his vendeta...including the mayor of Chicago, Anton Cermak. Nitti's influence even cast it's dark shadow into the 60's some 20 (+) years after his death in the name of one, Jack Ruby (et al).

Despite the fact that the author is a Specialist on International Security and Intelligence, one begins to feel that he may even start to sympathize with this master criminal about whom he writes.

Frank Nitti's complex personality is somewhere between Machiavelli, Joseph Stalin, and Heinirich Himmler...all rolled into one.

Sometimes however, the reader feels that he/she may be reading exerts from some Government Agent's legal manual on Organized Crime yet...tactfully combined with extensive historical layering of the Cosa Nostra and "Gangsterism".

A well formatted and informative biographical piece with more than enough resource material for anyone interested in contemporary American Social History. Well worth the price!
2 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Better than expected
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2010
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Lots of footnotes and researched completely. Takes the reader to higher ground by delving into later 20th century mob information. Even has information on mind control and expendable puppets used for assassinations. I read the several amazon reviewers thoughts on this book. Two people gave it an unjust thumbs down (my edition does not "list...every single person nitti had killed" as one reviewer stated.) and I wonder if these guys even read the book.
If your a student of Jazz age/Depression era Chicago you'll find this book well worth the time it takes to actually read it. It is well written and holds the readers interest.
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Wayne R. Klatt
3.0 out of 5 stars Frank Nitti
Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2012
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This is an ernest biography of the little understood man who took over the South Side gang after Al Capone. Thank heavens Richard Humble avoids the fictional dialogue and imagined details that pad several books about gangland figures. He gives us a straightforward account but could have used a firmer grasp of Chicago in the 20s. His depiction of mob control in 1930s Hollywood is better. Overall, the tone is rather dull, considering his subject, but the book is reliable and thorough.
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Andy M
4.0 out of 5 stars A must for all Frank Nitti 'fans'
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2014
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Its a while since I read the book so my review is not really up to date. The Untouchables with Robert Stack and Bruce Gordon's Frank Nitti is my all time favourite series, so I am a bit biased towards Bruces over the top portrayal of Nitti, and what comes over in the book perhaps quite surprisingly, is that the real Frank had pretensions to or was a quite cultured man.
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Elizabeth L. Place
5.0 out of 5 stars Mafia Finally Place in Historical Context
Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2008
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I enjoyed this book so much - I read it in two sittings. As a ghostwriter on several mafia stories I've had to read dozens of books about Chicago's powerful mob organization - The Outfit. I've found most to be overly sensational, speculative and gruesome in their story telling. Ronald has broken through the mold. Frank Nitti: The True Story of Chicago's Notorious Enforcer is written in a refined style that makes the true horror jump off the page. Ronald does a great job framing the mafia in historical context, showing the blurred lines between good and evil in mid-nineteenth century. Great book.
2 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars I highly recommend it. The speculative links between the Outfit and ...
Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2016
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This is a very enjoyable read. I highly recommend it. The speculative links between the Outfit and the Kennedy assassination and the clear links to Saul Alinsky (on whom Hillary wrote here masters thesis) suggest that the long term of the effect of the Chicago Outfit are still being felt today in the way politics is conducted today.
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Mark C. Lapienski
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2018
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Good book
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Adrianus Schweinsbergen
3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2016
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Good read. Frank Nitti wasn't a very nice guy.
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Top reviews from other countries

Gavin Covington
3.0 out of 5 stars Ok
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 10, 2014
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It's a good book about the era with some extra stuff thrown in but for a book this size a lot of supposition and not much on Frank Nitti.
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