Killer

The Bronx-born son of a Jewish bootlegger, "Joey the Hit Man" was introduced to crime when he was just eleven years old. For the next thirty years he was a numbers king, scalper, loan shark, enforcer, and drug smuggler. He hijacked trucks, fenced stolen goods, and trafficked in pornography. But Joey really made his name as a Mafia assassin, racking up thirty-eight cold-blooded hits-thirty-five for cash, three for revenge. In Killer, Joey tells the true story of life in organized crime. He exposes the reality of gang wars, discusses how he raised a family while living on the wrong side of the law, and documents the day-to-day business of crime-from making and breaking alliances to staying one step ahead of the cops. "People think because they saw [The Godfather] they know everything there is to know about organized crime," Joey contends. In this no-holds-barred account, he reveals the brutal truth behind the Hollywood fantasy. This new edition of Killer includes an afterword by coauthor David Fisher that unmasks Joey's real identity-and the circumstances behind his death that add another layer of mystery to his complicated, colorful, and fascinating life. Contains mature themes.