The book begins in 1947 with Jimmy Fratianno becoming a
made man in the
Los Angeles crime family, then headed by
Jack Dragna. It then goes back to Fratianno's early childhood, growing up in
Cleveland, Ohio in the 1920s and 1930s. The book then generally follows a chronological timeline of Fratianno's life up to 1978, when under the threat of death, Fratianno decided to turn against his crime family and become an FBI government witness. Events covered include his three prison stints, two failed marriages, numerous girlfriends, five murders, working for the
Chicago Outfit, running a successful trucking company, and attempts at buying into a Las Vegas casino. The book is a revealing tale of life in the Mafia. It gave an in depth look at the Los Angeles crime family, The
Chicago Outfit, and The
Cleveland crime family. Amongst the notable mobsters prominently featured are
Jack Dragna,
Mickey Cohen,
John Roselli,
Sam Giancana,
Frank Bompensiero,
Louis Tom Dragna,
Dominic Brooklier,
Michael Rizzitello,
Frank Tieri and
Peter Milano. With dozens of Mafiosi and their connections featured in the book, it quickly became an important source of the Mafia's history and workings. Notable non-mobsters featured are
Frank Sinatra,
Dean Martin and
Joseph Alioto. Being a close associate and friend of Fratianno, Johnny Roselli's life is also detailed (he is one of the few mobsters Fratianno speaks highly of, the others being Mike Rizzitello and Leo "Lips" Moceri). The book describes conversations the two had about Roselli's involvement in the CIA's plot to assassinate
Fidel Castro. Details were revealed over 25 years before the plot, known as "
Family Jewels", became
declassified in 2007. The book also mentions Roselli's alleged involvement in the
John F. Kennedy assassination, but dismisses the notion that the Mafia had anything to do with the murder. ==Errors==