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the_library_of_larry 's review for:
Gangster Squad: Covert Cops, the Mob, and the Battle for Los Angeles
by Paul Lieberman
I listened to the Audible audiobook version.
This book was an experience that paralleled and complemented another historical LA epic I read a while back: LA Noir by John Buntin. It was somewhat weirdly comforting to dive back into post war Los Angeles and hear about the tales of the LAPD vs Mickey Cohen again. Though in this book, Paul Lieberman focuses on the titular Gangster Squad, a group of tough cops who worked behind the scenes and many times outside the law to try and put a stop to the massive organized crime problem in 40s-50s Los Angeles. They made a movie out of this book which I watched a few years ago, and I must say this book is not really anything like that movie, so keep that in mind if you are going into this expecting an epic shootout at the end for example. They really Hollywoodized this book, which in a weird way is actually quite fitting given the topic.
This is a very thoroughly researched historical book, the exact type I like. While LA Noir mostly focused on telling the story of Los Angeles through the lens of the dynamic between Mickey Cohen and LAPD Chief William Parker, this book follows the lives and careers of a much larger cast of characters that, through their actions, demonstrate how intense the conflict between cops and robbers could really get back then, and how naive the country as a whole was to organized crime as a problem in the great metropolises of America. You'll follow the members of the Gangster Squad like the straight and true Jack O'Mara, Jerry Wooters who befriended a criminal tough man, and the technical expert Conwell Keeler. In the underworld, along with the legendary Mickey Cohen, you're introduced to Jack Dragna, the entire Wheeler family, and a whole slew of other wiseguys, bookies, and bootleggers. Through it all, you get the sense that L.A. was a city both held hostage yet enthralled by the very criminals that made it infamous. Everything just seems more glamorous in Hollywood, even the gangsters.
Besides the history, I actually really liked the writing style. There were many period accurate terms and phrases used, particularly when recounting interviews. It makes the reader/listener feel like they're truly heading back in time, which is always a nice touch for someone like me who values immersive experiences. Robert Petkoff did an excellent job attempting the accents of 1940's gangsters, which are somewhat considered ridiculous nowadays but it lent credence to the idea you were really listening to court recordings of Mickey Cohen, for example.
A high recommend from me and an entertaining and informative historical account of a rather secretive LAPD squad that would likely never be even considered today. These were different men facing a different problem in a very different time. It's good that there is a preserved record of their history, and an entertaining and informative read at that.
This book was an experience that paralleled and complemented another historical LA epic I read a while back: LA Noir by John Buntin. It was somewhat weirdly comforting to dive back into post war Los Angeles and hear about the tales of the LAPD vs Mickey Cohen again. Though in this book, Paul Lieberman focuses on the titular Gangster Squad, a group of tough cops who worked behind the scenes and many times outside the law to try and put a stop to the massive organized crime problem in 40s-50s Los Angeles. They made a movie out of this book which I watched a few years ago, and I must say this book is not really anything like that movie, so keep that in mind if you are going into this expecting an epic shootout at the end for example. They really Hollywoodized this book, which in a weird way is actually quite fitting given the topic.
This is a very thoroughly researched historical book, the exact type I like. While LA Noir mostly focused on telling the story of Los Angeles through the lens of the dynamic between Mickey Cohen and LAPD Chief William Parker, this book follows the lives and careers of a much larger cast of characters that, through their actions, demonstrate how intense the conflict between cops and robbers could really get back then, and how naive the country as a whole was to organized crime as a problem in the great metropolises of America. You'll follow the members of the Gangster Squad like the straight and true Jack O'Mara, Jerry Wooters who befriended a criminal tough man, and the technical expert Conwell Keeler. In the underworld, along with the legendary Mickey Cohen, you're introduced to Jack Dragna, the entire Wheeler family, and a whole slew of other wiseguys, bookies, and bootleggers. Through it all, you get the sense that L.A. was a city both held hostage yet enthralled by the very criminals that made it infamous. Everything just seems more glamorous in Hollywood, even the gangsters.
Besides the history, I actually really liked the writing style. There were many period accurate terms and phrases used, particularly when recounting interviews. It makes the reader/listener feel like they're truly heading back in time, which is always a nice touch for someone like me who values immersive experiences. Robert Petkoff did an excellent job attempting the accents of 1940's gangsters, which are somewhat considered ridiculous nowadays but it lent credence to the idea you were really listening to court recordings of Mickey Cohen, for example.
A high recommend from me and an entertaining and informative historical account of a rather secretive LAPD squad that would likely never be even considered today. These were different men facing a different problem in a very different time. It's good that there is a preserved record of their history, and an entertaining and informative read at that.