"The last days of the Roman Empire, if it were populated by snitches, gamblers, mobsters, lowlifes, and homicidal maniacs. In other words, this book is entertaining as hell. In chronicling one small, parochial, though notorious faction of the American Mafia in Springfield, Massachusetts, Arillotta tells the story of the whole damn thing.South End Syndicateis a worthy addition to any organized crime bookshelf."
-T. J. English,New York Timesbestselling author ofThe Westies,The CorporationandDangerous Rhythms
On a hot November day in 2003 in Springfield,Massachusetts, local Genovese family captain "Big Al" Bruno got shot five timeswith a .45 caliber handgun as he walked out of the Our Lady of Mount Carmelsocial club-a lit cigar smoldering next to his lifeless body. Since VitoGenovese took his empire north from New York City, a string of mobsters datingback a hundred years have operated in the Greater Springfield area. With thismigration came murders, mayhem, treachery, criminal trials, and constant corruption.
Not until 2010 did authorities charge new Springfield Genoveseboss Anthony "Bingy" Arillotta with Bruno's murder. At the time, Arillotta'sconnections spanned the Northeast-from the Patriarca family in Rhode Island to theAngiulos in Boston to the Gambinos and Bonannos in New York, and from BillyGrasso and Whitey Tropiano in New Haven to Whitey Bulger's Winter Hill Gang. Duringhis seven-year reign, Arillotta had beautiful women, total power, and millionsin cash. But it eventually came with adevastatingprice.
South End Syndicate tellsthe untold story of a young man infatuated with Springfield wiseguys who rosefrom being a street criminal to becoming his city's Mafia boss. How did a youngItalian-American kid from Springfield work his way up the chain to become aMade wiseguy in charge of Western New England? Arillotta, now a free man, tellsa timeless tale of power, money, and murder.
“An entertaining contribution to the venerable genre of Mafia memoirs.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Anthony ‘Bingy’Arillotta pulls no punches in candidly exploring the evolutionary process ofhis life, decisions, involvements in murder and crime, and the specialchallenges of being a Mafia boss. . . . Libraries and readers interested in Mafiastories written by bosses themselves will find South End Syndicate anexceptional acquisition and read.”
—Midwest Book Review
“As a crime reporter for twenty-five years in Boston, I'd known only the mythology surrounding Anthony Arillotta. But the greatest Hollywood screenwriter couldn't compose a story even close to the reality of his life inside the Mafia.”
—Dave Wedge, New York Times bestselling author of Hunting Whitey: The Inside Story of the Capture and Killing of America's Most Wanted Crime Boss
“Part Shakespearean tragedy, part gritty gangster thriller, South End Syndicate reads like a movie turned into a book. On par with Nicholas Pileggi’s Wiseguy—and the timeless film it inspired, Martin Scorcese’s Goodfellas—Anthony Arillotta’s book is an instant classic that will be read by Mob fans for years to come. Spellbinding.”
—Bob Batchelor, author of The Bourbon King: The Life and Crimes of George Remus, Prohibition’s Evil Genius
“Delivered in straightforward language, this tale of mostly street-level mayhem and misdeeds reads nearly like a diary, taking the reader along page after page. Because South End Syndicate establishes its bona fides so viscerally, it is impossible to put down.”
—Charles Farrell, author of (Low)life: A Memoir of Jazz, Fight-Fixing, and the Mob
“The real deal from a real gangster."
—Seth Ferranti, author of Thug Life: The True Story of Hip-Hop and Organized Crime and director of Dope Men: America's First Drug Cartel
Anthony Arillottais the former boss of the Springfield, Massachusetts, faction of New York City's Genovese crime family.
Joe Bradleyis a former gang-unit cop in Springfield, Massachusetts, with a Master's degree in criminal justice. He lives in Connecticut with his family.
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