First published 2011
Frank Calabrese Jr. grows up in a tight Chicago family where his father Frank Sr. and uncle Nick run legitimate businesses while secretly operating as made members of the Chicago Outfit. As the oldest son, Frank Jr. gets pulled into the family's criminal activities, working alongside his father in loan sharking, gambling, and extortion. The crew commits brutal murders, including killings later depicted in the film Casino. When Frank Jr. and his father end up in the same federal prison, Frank Sr. expects his son to continue outfit operations after their release. Frank Jr. faces a critical choice. He decides to go straight and realizes he must keep his father locked up to protect his own family. For six months in prison, Frank Jr. secretly records his father confessing to decades of crimes. His cooperation launches Operation Family Secrets, one of the largest organized crime prosecutions in American history, reopening eighteen unsolved murders and targeting the century-old Chicago Outfit.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, crime, 21st-century, true-crime, family-drama
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, family-drama, redemption
Setting: Chicago, United States
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
336 pages · Hardcover · Broadway Books
Content warnings: violence