Carmine the Snake: Carmine Persico and His Murderous Mafia Family, Paperback

The shocking true story of the most ruthless and deadly mob boss in the annals of the American Mafia.

In the golden age of organized crime, Carmine "The Snake" Persico was the King of the Streets. The defacto boss of the Colombo Mafia family since the 1970s, he oversaw gang wars, murders, and major rackets, even from prison. He is suspected of personally murdering as many as 60 people and ordering the hits of hundreds more. Sentenced to 139 years in the fed, he continued to exert power over a vast criminal empire from behind bars. His brutal rise and bloody reign is the stuff of Mafia legend.

In this blistering street-level account, "Mafia survivor" Frank Dimatteo teams up with true-crime master Michael Benson to take down one of the most notorious figures in the American La Cosa Nostra. This is the terrifying inside story of Carmine "The Snake" Persico, from his crime-filled childhood on the streets of Brooklyn to the longterm jail sentences that didn't stop him from controlling his criminal empire with the help of his brother, the equally kill-crazy Alphonse "Allie Boy" Persico.

Frank Dimatteo is a lifelong Brooklynite, Mafia "survivor," and publisher of Mob Candy magazine. He is the author of the acclaimed memoir, The President Street Boys: Growing Up Mafia, as well as Mob Candy's Brooklyn Gangsters and Manhattan Gangsters.

Michael Benson is the author of more than sixty books, including the true crime titles Betrayal in Blood, Killer Twins, and Mommy Deadliest. He also wrote Who's Who in the JFK Assassination, and most recently, The Devil at Genesee Junction. He regularly appears on ID: Investigation Discovery channel, including On the Case with Paula Zahn, and Deadly Sins. He is the recipient of the Academy of American Poets award.