Having grown up in Central Pennsylvania in the 60s and 70s, I was familiar with the name Russell Bufalino. Spoken in hushed voices, it conjured up images of gangsters and guns. So I was keen on learning more about this unassuming man who was the alleged model for Marlon Brando's character in "The Godfather". Quietly living a very modest lifestyle in Northeastern PA, Bufalino was one of the most ruthless and feared mob bosses in the US.But inaccuracies, material "borrowed" from another book, & haphazard organization combined to ruin what should have been an entertaining, enlightening story. There are some eye-opening moments regarding Cuba, Las Vegas, Jimmy Hoffa, & the making of the Godfather movie. But they are buried in mountains of minutiae of Pennsylvania politics, newspaper quotes, and backgrounds of countless small-time hoodlums.
A much better read is "I Heard You Paint Houses" by Delaware author Charles Brandt.
No comments:
Post a Comment