The Quiet Don: The Untold Story of Mafia Kingpin Russell Bufalino Kindle Edition

Not very detailed regarding Buffalino himself but regardless, an interesting read on the corruption of Pa’s Governor & his Mob associates. Not much on the Hoffa/ Buffalino relationship at all. A better read on Buffalino is “I hear you paint houses”.

So much information about the mob that you typically don't hear about. The mafia in New York & Chicago are well documented, but mobsters and their associates from other parts of the country aren't usually well known. Getting so much information about Russell Bufalino all these many years after he was at the height of his powers is both a great thing and very frustrating. The book itself is oddly structured, with many items described at an earlier point of the book and then covered again in a later portion of the book. It sometimes gives you a sense of deja vu. But to learn about the mob's activities in Pennsylvania, and the associated activities of business & government in the same region is fascinating. There are some things int he book that may not be completely accurate, in particular the circumstances surrounding the death of Jimmy Hoffa and how the mob factored into the killing of JFK. The circumstances behind both killings may never be fully known. But otherwise, this is a good book full of details, obscure people and events that helped shape the world in which we lived back in the 50's, 60's & 70's and even up to this day.

A very good read on a lesser known area of the Mafia. (Bufalino did a good job of staying under the radar of the LE community for the most part, but they knew who he was.)First, I had some prior knowledge of this story and its many intersects. (A couple of family members grew up in the Wilkes-Barre area.) Having heard many stories of Bufalino and his influence and organization, I really didn't expect to learn much more. I was wrong. I had to ask those who lived it if some of this story really was true (it was).That said, I've actually read this book twice now. It's a good, solid read on a part of the Mafia somewhat ignored in other Mafia stories. It's a real page-turner, borderline addicting. If you like crime dramas, complete with all the unsavory stuff that goes with it, this is well worth the time to read.

Matt Birkbeck has blown the lid off the scandal behind the selection of casino licensees in Pennsylvania. While the background story and history of Russell Buffalino and his crime family is interesting, I was more interested in Bufalino's legacy that controlled gambling in Pennsylvania.I was a member of the PA House and at one time Chaired the Gaming Oversight Committee. While many of us suspected that slots locations and licenses were pre-determined, it was not easy to prove. Even when a grand jury report provided details on how this happened, those in charge sneered at the report, dismissed it because they knew they were shielded from wrongdoing.This book answers the question of why a person with a felony conviction, a known associate of gangsters, evidence of various criminal activities associated with selling flooded cars after Hurricane Katrina, could get a license. This book also answers the question of how this same individual could not be indicted by a grand jury no matter how hard Dauphin County DA Ed Marsico tried. You see, our illustrious Supreme Court was more interested in tracking down alleged leaks from the grand jury than the underlying question of whether Mr. DeNaples lied during his gaming license approval hearings. The Supreme Court used an extradorinary judicial power called Kings Bench to reach down into the county court system and immediately take hold of the DeNaples case and grand jury proceeding. The court's actions thus ended any ability to complete the grand jury proceedings against Louis DeNaples.This book exposes this shameful episode which implicates every level of Pennsylvania state government: Executive, Legislative and the Courts!Congratulations to MAtt Birkbeck for having the courage to expose this.

I am giving this book 5 stars for its history on corruption and mafiosi influence on politics in Pennsylvania, and not for its story on Russel Buffalino. The Buffalino information in the book felt secondary to the rest of the story. As a side note, I grew up in Northeast Pa. less than two miles from Buffalino’s Kingston, Pa. house. Whenever my mother would drive by his very unremarkable plain residence, she would say to me in a hushed tone that “a mafia gang member lives there”. Pittston, Pa. is mentioned quite a bit in the book as a center of mafia activity. Anyone who lives in the Wilkes Barre/Scranton area will tell you the same. I was disappointed to read about Governor Ed Rendell’s alleged corrupt background as described in the book.

While this is a story about Russel Buffillino better than half of what's written is about associates and in particular one De Naples who is alive as of this book. It also spends much time drawing the political ties his organization was able to develop and control. A good outline and historical account of a far-reaching enterprise led by a man who didn't crave notoriety but was most powerful of job bosses in the usa.

I grew up in NEPA area and was aware of the Mafia presence, especially in the Pittston area. My mother would mention the various names and businesses that appeared in the book and told me to stay away from these people. Was always told of the "dead" people voting. Well, that not only happens in NEPA, but it is nationwide, particularly in the bigger cities. Too bad the author didn't name the Luzerne county judge that had fixed Bufalino's speeding ticket from Forty-Fort police. I was always told that Bufalino took over the entire top floor of a nursing home in Kingston - on Wyoming Avenue - when he was confined to a nursing home; not a nursing home in Scranton. Book made me realize that the working people, the little people don't really stand a chance when the Mafia, the politicians, judges and other public officials join forces and get paid off.

hoffa riddles answered

Enlightening

Good historical facts.

very little about R.B. in this book

Exceptionally well written biography of the life and times of an old time Pennsylvania mob boss. The description of Bufalino’s involvement in illegal gambling, Cuba and the casinos, the Bay of Pigs, the Teamsters Union under Jimmy Hoffa as well as his link to mobsters and his disappearance is especially revetting. The only downside is the digression into activities and failed prosecution in the 21st C of businessman with dodgy connections. Wish book had just focussed on Bufalino.