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Book Review of The Way of the Wiseguy: True Stories from the FBI's Most Famous Undercover Agent

jjares avatar reviewed on + 3548 more book reviews


This book is an explanation of the wiseguy mystique; what Mafia soldiers do and how they do it. This book has definitely whet my appetite for the two Donnie Brasco books he has also written (see below). There are fairly short chapters about different facets of being a wiseguy. Some chapter titles talk about what an average day is like for a wiseguy and what wiseguys say versus what they mean.

No matter how charming Hollywood makes wiseguys seem, Pistone lays the facts out about how ruthless and vicious they can be. Make no mistake, Pistone lays out their lack of caring in the first chapter and continues until the reader is a believer. If you want to know about the American Mafia culture, this is a great book. It's quick and each chapter is captivating.

Nonfiction by Joe Pistone
Donnie Brasco (1988) (with Richard Woodley)
** The Way of The Wiseguy (2005)
Donnie Brasco: Unfinished Business (2008)