Wiseguy book review

This is the most exciting biography you'll ever read. The only book you ever need to read about the Mafia is Wiseguy, by Nicholas Pileggi. Wiseguy is the amazing true story of Henry Hill, as told to Pileggi, who wanted, as far back as he can remember, to be a gangster. His house in New York City was directly across from a taxi depot run by local mobsters. As he started running errands for the taxi depot, his life as a gangster began.

Hill then recollects his meeting and befriending of Jimmy Burke and Tommy DeSimone, how he joined the army (and hustled while he was there), and his life with his wife Karen. The best part of the story is the before, during, and after of the legendary Lufthansa heist, in which over six million dollars was stolen in a little over an hour. The story ends with Henry joining the witness protection program, in order to save himself from his good friend Jimmy.

Anyone will enjoy this book, and I dare you to give me one reason as to why this book isn’t a classic. It was later adapted into a 1990 Martin Scorsese film entitled GoodFellas, which is one of the best films ever made. This book will give you many reasons to want to be a gangster, but just as many (and more important) reasons to not be a gangster. These are people who kill someone because they ask them for a shoeshine.