First published 2018
T. J. English chronicles the rise of the Cuban mob in America following Castro's takeover of Cuba. The book traces how political refugees from the island transformed into one of the most formidable criminal organizations in the United States by the 1980s. English draws on insider interviews and decades of investigative research to reveal how exile community members in south Florida created "the Corporation," a powerful syndicate that dealt in drugs, violence, and murder. The narrative follows multiple generations of gangsters, corrupt police officers, hitmen, and their families as they built their criminal empire while nursing dreams of overthrowing Castro and reclaiming their homeland. English places this underworld story within the broader context of American immigration, political upheaval, and ethnic identity. The book exposes how desperation and ambition drove an entire community into organized crime, creating what the author presents as a major but previously untold chapter in American gangster history.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, american, crime, non-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Cuba, United States, Florida
Period: 1980s
582 pages · Kindle Edition · William Morrow
Content warnings: violence