Mafia Allies: The True Story of America's Secret Alliance with the Mob in World War II - Hardcover

Newark, Tim

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0760324573 ISBN 13: 9780760324578

Publisher: MBI Publishing Company, 2007

Synopsis

The Mafia is one of the most feared and powerful criminal organizations the world has ever known. It was also, briefly during World War II, Americas ally--a fact that had a profound effect on the fortunes of the Fascists, and on those of the Mafia, whom Mussolini had effectively crushed.

This book brings to light a little-known chapter in the history of World War II, and of organized crime. It tells how Cesare Mori, deputized by Mussolini to "cauterize the sore of crime in Italy," waged all-out war on the Mafia in the name of fascism; and how the Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943 (Operation Husky) gave the Mafia an opening to regain its strength--and its hold on political power--in the vacuum created by the Fascists defeat.

A provocative account of how the rise and ultimate defeat of fascism in Italy affected the worlds largest and most notorious criminal organization, Mafia Allies also illuminates a dark truth about the unexpected long-term consequences of wartime alliances of convenience.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

“Newark tells an extraordinary tale with pace and conviction, and impressively unravels what really happened from the pervasive myths”—History Today Magazine

“A highly readable account of a fascinating, little-known piece of Mafia history”—James Morton, author of Gangland Bosses

“An absorbing, widely researched and lively account which not only sheds fresh light on the Mafia, Allied intelligence operations and the workings of military government but also explodes a number of myths on the way”—Charles Messenger, editor of the Reader’s Guide to Military History

“An engrossing account that has the read-on factor of the finest thriller, and which shows, all too clearly, the compromises the Allies were prepared to make in the pursuit of victory”—James Holland, author of Fortress Malta and Together We Stand

“Tim Newark has written a compelling work on three of the most evil movements of the first half of the twentieth century. It ought to be required reading for anyone looking for insights into the period and the movements that so dominated it and the world”—Richard Hammer, author of The Last Testament of Lucky Luciano

Mafia Allies is a dramatic and provocative account of how a criminal organization brilliantly exploited the grim realities of war to revive its fortunes and dominate global crime.

Using first-hand testimony and declassified intelligence reports, Tim Newark traces the relationship between the Mafia, Mussolini, and Hitler , and tells the remarkable story of Mafia-Allied collaboration during World War II.

The author’s findings are startling. Newark shows how Jewish gangsters clashed with Nazis on the streets of New York; how Mafiosi nearly issued contracts to kill top Nazis, including Hitler; how Mafia-backed bandits conducted a guerrilla war for Sicilian independence; and how General Eisenhower was happy to arm the Mafia during the Allied invasion of Sicily. And, it reveals how the U.S. government worked with the Mafia to “protect” the docks of the American ports that were so vital in supplying the Allied armies.

About the Author:

Tim Newark is the editor of Military Illustrated, the leading British military history magazine. He is the author of numerous books, including The Barbarians, War in Britain, Where They Fell, Turning the Tide of War, and Camouflage. He was also the scriptwriter and historical consultant for six television documentary series about World War II for BBC Worldwide. Tim lives in London.

About this edition

• Publisher: MBI Publishing Company
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0760324573
• ISBN 13: 9780760324578
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 320