james randolph

I was a graduate student at the University of Iowa when I received my first hardcover edition of The Last Testament of Lucky Luciano. That was some time around the summer of 1974 or 1975. That book made a lasting impact on me because of the way Richard Hammer and Martin Gosch brought their subject to life. The presence of danger and violence always simmered just below the surface. In spite of that dangerous world Lucky grew up in, and became a part of, it was not difficult to discern that he was funny, witty, and human in spite of his character flaws. The thing I found so fascinating was how a bunch of elementary school dropouts managed to organize a powerful criminal conspiracy known as the Mafia, the Outfit, the Combination or La Cosa Nostra. This feared criminal organization had a board of directors called a Commission. The CEO was Lucky Luciano. The story that Hammer and Gosch tell reads like a suspense novel. The action is linear and follows a trajectory that culminates at a Naples Airport in January, 1962. The power of the Mafia can easily reach across oceans. Eugenio Giannini was a dope dealer. When he informed law enforcement about Mafia business he was in Italy. The order to kill Giannini was given by Luciano in Italy. The contract for the murder was planned by Vito Genovese. The actual execution of the murder was consummated by Joseph Valachi in New York City where Giannini died in the gutter. When I read Mario Puzo's the Godfather I thought the Five Families was pure imagination. Not so, according to Luciano. The Five Families are real and just as deadly! The book is filled with all kinds of revelations including the mystery of the Abe Reles murder. It is a fascinating and extremely interesting book.