READ THIS: Kill the Irishman by Rick Porrello
Kill the Irishman: The War that Crippled the Mafia by Rick Porrello is a great read for anyone who is interested in the mafia, true crime stories, or even just some good action. Porrello relates the true story of Irishman Danny Greene and his battle with the Italian-American Mafia in Cleveland during the 1970's. Before reading this book, I knew very little about the mafia in the United States. I was shocked and amazed by the great power and influence these groups had. Porrello writes about these events in a way that keeps the reader interested and the action and drama flowing. His writing style is very direct, which I find to be very important when retelling these true events. If you are looking for a bit of danger and excitement in your life, pick up a copy of this book! It was so good, I think I have to go check out the movie!
Kill the Irishman by Rick Porrello was such an interesting read. I found myself Google-ing the people and places mentioned in this book. I couldn't put it down and when I had to, I couldn't wait until I could pick it back up again to learn more. I liked what the pictures brought to the story as well. I like when stories like this have pictures from the time it's being told with the actual people in them. Being Irish Catholic myself, I had never heard of this growing up in school. This would've been a story that I would've loved to have read and do a project on. I cannot wait until the movie comes out. I love when movies from books are made. I think this is a wonderful read and have recommended it to many people.
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KILL THE IRISHMAN: THE WAR THAT CRIPPLED THE MAFIA
BY RICK PORRELLO
“Must reading…A true-life story more dramatic than anything ever to come out of Hollywood.”
—The Midwest Book Review
Rick Porrello’s KILL THE IRISHMAN (Pocket Star Books; February 15, 2011; $7.99) tells the story of a fearless Irishman who boldly muscles in on the Italian-American Mafia—intrepid, charismatic, shrewd, cunning, and armed with a master plan to take over the rackets under the auspices of the Irish banner of which he was so fiercely proud. His name is Greene, his signature color is green, and with his Irish luck for surviving bungled mob attempts on his life, he is seemingly indestructible. In the end, the war with Danny Greene—and his ultimate murder—severely crippled the Italian stranglehold on organized crime, with historic repercussions that outlived the unsinkable Irishman himself.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rick Porrello is a Greater Cleveland police chief with Mafia roots. He is the author of The Rise and Fall of the Cleveland Mafia, written as he researched the murders of his grandfather and three uncles, who were Prohibition-era mob leaders killed in bootleg violence. Porrello’s true-crime book Superthief won a ForeWord Magazine award in 2006, and his account of Danny Greene, Kill the Irishman, is the basis for the major motion picture Kill The Irishman, starring Ray Stevenson (HBO’s Rome), Christopher Walken, Val Kilmer, and Paul Sorvino.
Porrello is an accomplished jazz musician and soloist; he toured worldwide for three years as the drummer for the late Sammy Davis, Jr., and continues to perform in the Ohio area. He has a degree in criminal justice and is a lifetime member of the Greater Cleveland Peace Officers Memorial Society.
KILL THE IRISHMAN By Rick Porrello
Pocket Star Books; ISBN: 978-1-4391-7174-5; February 15, 2011; $7.99
Gallery Books is an imprint dedicated to publishing a wide variety of must-read books on a wide array of topics. The imprint was designed to showcase established voices and to introduce emerging new ones—in both fiction and nonfiction, and across a variety of genres. Some of Gallery Books’ bestselling titles include Gunn’s Golden Rules by Tim Gunn, High on Arrival by Mackenzie Phillips, Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me Chelsea by Chelsea Handler, Uncharted TerriTORI by Tori Spelling, and Left Neglected by Lisa Genova. Upcoming titles include Satan’s Sisters by Star Jones, The Butterfly’s Daughter by Mary Alice Monroe, and Kate Jackson’s memoir.
Pocket Star Books is an imprint of Simon & Schuster, a part of CBS Corporation, is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats. Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, Simon & Schuster Digital, and international companies in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit our website at http://www.simonandschuster.com.
Over the summer of 1976, thirty-six bombs detonate in the heart of Cleveland while a turf war raged between Irish mobster Danny Greene (Ray Stevenson) and the Italian mafia. Based on a true story, KILL THE IRISHMAN chronicles Greene’s heroic rise from a tough Cleveland neighborhood to become an enforcer in the local mob. Turning the tables on loan shark Shondor Birns (Christopher Walken) and allying himself with gangster John Nardi (Vincent D’Onofrio), Greene stops taking orders from the mafia and pursues his own power. Surviving countless assassination attempts from the mob and killing off anyone who went after him in retaliation, Danny Greene’s infamous invincibility and notorious fearlessness eventually led to the collapse of mafia syndicates across the U.S. and also earned him the status of the man the mob couldn’t kill.
Written and directed by Jonathan Hensleigh and also starring Val Kilmer, Paul Sorvino and Linda Cardellini, KILL THE IRISHMAN is inspired by Rick Porrello’s true crime account "Kill The Irishman: The War That Crippled The Mafia." Release date: March 11, 2011 (limited)
