by Dick Lehr
First published 1989
In early 1981, federal agents slip into the North End headquarters of Boston's most powerful crime family. Their target: Gennaro Angiulo, the ruthless underboss who controls one of America's most profitable criminal enterprises. The FBI plants surveillance equipment that will record every conversation, every deal, every betrayal within the Mafia's inner circle. As the tapes roll, they capture Angiulo and his organization conducting business with brutal efficiency. The investigation builds slowly but relentlessly toward February 1986, when Angiulo faces conviction for racketeering and a forty-five year prison sentence. The case reveals the complex web of corruption connecting the Italian Mafia, the Irish Mob led by Whitey Bulger, and federal law enforcement itself. Bulger manipulates his FBI contacts while feeding them intelligence about his rivals, playing all sides in Boston's underworld wars.
Genres: historical-fiction, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, investigation
Setting: Boston, North End
Period: 1981, 1986
Paperback · St Martins Pr
Content warnings: violence