Deal with the Devil audiobook

In Deal with the Devil, Peter Lance reveals the secret thirty-year relationship between the FBI, and Gregory Scarpa, Sr., a Mafia capo, nicknamed “the Killing Machine” who stopped counting after fifty murders. The FBI enlisted Scarpa Sr. as early as 1960 to provide detailed debriefings on Mafia practices, and activities sent straight to J. Edgar Hoover. Thoroughly documented, Peter Lance proves that the FBI’s playbook against “La Cosa Nostra” was designed, and shaped by what Scarpa Sr. fed them. This was long before the celebrated Valachi hearings. Scarpa Sr. was the first Mafioso to reveal ‘the face of the enemy’ and the true source for Mario Puzo’s Godfather trilogy. Shocking details demonstrate:Time and time again, the FBI protected Scarpa Sr. The FBI has blood on their hands as Scarpa Sr. carried out more than twenty-six ‘hits’ while acting as a paid informant. The Mafia capo was a bigamist, and adulterer who would watch his mistress have sex with the younger man he ‘adopted’ as his own son, and protégé. Scarpa Sr. punched 666 into his phone to communicate each significant kill. Deal with the Devil is deliciously written for a true Mafioso lover. But more importantly, it is a must read for every American citizen who deserves to know the truth.

Good readThe Feds are always doing what ever it is they want so it was good to see someone throw it out there for the public to see.

What more can I say about Peter Lance that hasn't already been said? The man's journalistic prowess really shines through in a work that not only satisfies the mafia junkie in me, but also provides a bit of a contemporary history lesson in regards to the corrupt practices that have plagued our law enforcement institutions for generations. While certainly not for the casual true crime consumer, clocking in at nearly 700 pages, this thome is rich with mafia lore and a harrowing story of two of the most corrupt individuals in American history. Throughout the course of my studies, I have become intimately aware of the life and work of Agent Lindley Devecchio, who was nothing more than another iteration of Lou Eppolito with a pedigree. What truly sets this work apart from other mafia accounts is the personal look into Scarpa's life. Applying some semblance of humanity to a monster is a tricky balancing act, but Lance does it with the expertise his readers have come to revel in. He removes the stark black and white terms in which we as a society tend to view these stories and reveals the grey that lies beneath it.

Holy smokes this one took me forever at over 700 pages. But I think this is the definitive account of Scarpa Sr and Lin DeVecchio's FBI/Mafia relationship. Scarpa was essentially given a license to kill by his handler Lin and nobody in Cosa Nostra knew he was an informant for 20 years. He also goes into Scarpa Jr being locked up next to Khaleed Sheik Mohammed who masterminded 911 and how he tried to tell the FBI that this guy was telling him about these terrorist threats they intended to carry out and nothing was done about it prior to 911. They had this info 6 years before and did nothing with it. This book is incredibly well researched and well documented and I will be reading other Lance stories.

Great book. Very informative. Less of a story book and more of a study in criminal procedure involving the mafia, courts, and police. Audiobook version was a tad difficult. The narrator, who I think may be the author, had a somewhat grating voice. He’s got that “newscaster” inflection. Totally worth listening to, but slightly odd.

I thought the book was a great read without getting overly in depth. I think the biggest event from this book was the ruination perpetrated against a NY detective by the Agent in charge. How was this allowed to happen? In all honesty, you need to read it to understand, but I was both amazed and angry about it.

Really good..you know with books about organized crime there are a lot of layers and people to go through but the author does it well. Delvecchio..I can't say with certainty his hands are clean

Well researched and very wild for a true crime story.

Great read. It's really no wonder people have distrust and disgust with our government.

It feels strange rating a book so highly when I can honestly say I spent half the time wondering what the hell was going on. Everyone's name ended in a vowel, everyone was getting killed on every other page, everyone had a given name as well as a nickname, and on and on it went. Hey, so this is a book about a made man, Gregory Scarpa, Sr., who is turned by the FBI, and his handler is a dude named Lin DeVecchio. Needless to say, from the title of the book, neither of the two are on the up and up. Scarpa doesn't tell the entire truth to the FBI and *gasp* makes sure what he does tell the FBI suits his situation. DeVeccihio uses his in with the mob to, well, get in with the mob, you'll see. Another thing about Scarpa is that he has full-blown AIDS through-out much of his life due to a transfusion, so that adds a little twist. Then, to make things even MORE confusing, the author, Peter Lance, he of the fully-researched book (no kidding, wow, holy cow), shows at the end how if the FBI would just stop investigating the dying mafia already, they totally could have prevented 9/11. Look, it's hard to explain in a book review because I'm not very good at book reviews, but Peter Lance does a great job of it because he is very good at writing well-researched books. I'm going to read all of his books now. Heck, I even read his footnotes at the end, and I never do that, because who the heck cares about footnotes.

There are alot of unexpected developments in this very readable tale. What really struck me the most was that the subject of the book, Nikki Scarpa, was that he was used to go down to the deep south during the civil rights crisis of the 60s, to aid in their enforced interrogations there. Besides that, though there is quite a bit in here, that is very revelatory, about how not only the mafia works, but also how FBI units handle their prized CIs (confidential informants), and how much some of them get away with, as well. Just as with all of the other investigative journalist type of books this author has written, you are left feeling more informed, but also more disgusted, at how the people reported on got away with so much for so many years. If you are a fan of this mans body of work, then you will like this book, or if you just like good, to the point journalism, this will keep your interest, too.

This is a decent read. Has the right combination of fact and detail to keep you focussed and tells some incredible stories. Really is pretty incredible how the FBI turned a blind eye for all those years to allow Scarpa to commit so many terrible crimes. Just a case of letting mob guys kill each other. That said many innocent folks were effected as well. Pretty connected and influencial guy overall. Fit right in the stereotype but was more violent than most Mafia leaders.I thought the book was done very well. Gave this 3.5 stars.

Incredible book ! Absolutely the best one available on the Scarpa / FBI deal from hell . You really need to get into it ,because you get a lot of info in this one , but it never once gets dull ! Proof once again that our F.B.I. operate like criminal thugs with no regard for peoples safety or rights. Even FBI rules mean nothing to these folks !! I will be getting all of Mr Vance's books .....cannot wait to dig into them !

I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.It was a very interesting and entertaining book. I can't believe i never heard of greg scarpa before this book. even all the court stuff still held my interest and i'm not a big fan of that sort of thing. it's a good balance of mafia violence and the courtroom.

Greg Scarpa was probably the biggest serial killer in the history of NYC (maybe the US) and no one knows his name. The FBI knew he was killing people in on behalf of the Gambino Family and did nothing. This book tells that history.

Had a hard time following it here and there but I finally realized this was incredibly well researched and fascinating. The crimes themselves aren't fascinating but the depths of depravity some law enforcement officers stooped to is! Will read more by this author!

Makes me sick to think that such a relationship existed, and yet Lance has everything so well laid out, that I don't doubt a thing.

The truth shows The details kept me from putting this book downFbi in NY and boston showed the same corrupt culture from top down.