"Marc Mappen proves an adept storyteller as he takes readers beyond 'Boardwalk Empire.' Mappen spins some good yarns about the gangsters, dominated by New Yorkers, whose rise was triggered by the 18th Amendment, which took effect in 1920, and who proved that, at times, crime not only pays, but pays very well."
~Sam Roberts, The New York Times
"Prohibition created an enormous economic opportunity for a generation of young criminals. As chronicled by Marc Mappen, the true, violent, and extravagant lives of these men make dramatizations like Boardwalk Empire look tame by comparison. A must -read for anyone interested in the origins of organized crime in America."
~Nicholas Gage, author of The Mafia is Not an Equal Opportunity Employer
"Kudos to Marc Mappen for producing so riveting a study about a generation of gangland mobsters who used National Prohibition to grab lots of money and petty power for themselves. A big winner of a book about a bunch of lousy looting losers. . . . Fascinating reading. Highly recommended!"
"A well researched, historical overview of the major Prohibition era gangsters. These men became the founding fathers of modern organized crime."
~Paul R. Kavieff, author of Detroit's Infamous Purple Gang
"Given its subject matter, a book about the Prohibition gangsters should be a fascinating and exciting read. Mappen does not disappoint. His fast-moving but authoritative narrative takes readers through the Prohibition years and beyond as he traces the careers of such underworld luminaries as John Torrio, Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky, Legs Diamond, and Dutch Schultz ... Mappen's book is a splendid introduction to the story of a generation of criminals who captured the American imagination."
~The Journal of American Culture
"Mappen writes with the energy of a narrative historian. Mappen far outstrips his fellow crime writers ... describing mob activity in smaller U.S. cities. Chicago and New York have been examined enough, so Mappen turns his eye on the Purple Gang of Detroit, the Pendergast machine in Kansas City, and the bootleg wars of Cleveland."
~Philadelphia Review of Books
"Mappen explores the most notorious crimes, the bloody violence, the cities that hosted crime syndicates, and the colorful cast of characters who gained notoriety by their associations with the mob. His approach helps to illuminate the generational rivalries, the ethnic animosities, and the strange allegiances and frequent betrayals that characterized mob activity in this period ... An entertaining read and suitable for a broad audience."
~The Historian
"A colorful recounting of how the 18th Amendment, which forbade the sale of alcohol, gave rise to a generation of criminals."
~Rutgers Magazine
