Red Hook: Brooklyn Mafia Ground Zero - Book Talk

Talk Highlights:

• Discover why Red Hook was such a fun place to grow up in the 1960s and '70s (especially when your dad is a gangster)
• Uncover the history of the White Hand and the hapless police who tried to keep up with the corpses
• Revisit the early days of Al Capone
• Find out how the adult mob used juvenile delinquent gangs as a farm system

About this Event:

Dive into the history of Red Hook, Brooklyn, from the days of the Lenape Indians to the Gallo gang. Co-authors of Red Hook: Brooklyn Mafia Ground Zero, Frank DiMatteo and Michael Benson, will discuss the geographic and psychological reasons why the isolated Brooklyn neighborhood has been historically prone to crime. You'll learn about The White Hand, the Irish mob, the Black Hand (the Italian mob), the Anastasio years, and the days when an upstart group of gangsters on President Street took on the mighty Profaci/Columbo Family. Benson will share findings from his research into Red Hook's history of Red Hook, while DiMatteo provides first-hand accounts from growing up surrounded by the mafia.

About the Authors:

Frank DiMatteo is the author of the Kensington True Crime books The Cigar, Mafia Hitman, Lord High Executioner, Carmine the Snake and President Street Boys: Growing Up Mafia, and the publisher of Mob Candy magazine. He was born in Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY, in 1956. His father Rick Dimatteo was a key member of Joey Gallo’s crew.

Michael Benson was Frank’s co-author on The Cigar, Mafia Hitman, Lord High Executioner, Carmine the Snake —and an editor on President Street Boys: Growing Up Mafia. On his own, he is one of today’s most popular true-crime writers. His books include Gangsters vs Nazis, Nightmare in Rochester, The Devil at Genesee Junction, Betrayal in Blood, Murder in Connecticut, Killer Twins, The Burn Farm, Mommy Deadliest, Watch Mommy Die, A Killer’s Touch, and Evil Season. He is a regular on true-crime TV.

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