The Corporation audiobook

That moment when my father tells me not to review a book on the Cuban mafia and organized crime because "friends are implicated."#yikes

I thought it was a gripping book. I heard about it first on the Joe Rogan Podcast when the author was a guest.It's definitely an ambitious tale, you can tell by the length, time span, and the amount of characters it attempts to cover. The story of the Cuban mafia is a hidden gem, just like Bolita is a hidden gem in the world of crime. It often goes unnoticed compared to the Mafia, black gangs like the Bloods and Crips, the Colombian cartels, and the infamous cocaine crime era.Jose Miguel Battle, the main character, compares Bolita to cocaine dealing; he says something like, "your business is like a tap that turns on suddenly and gushes a lot of water before turning off for a long time. My business is like a smaller tap and a smaller stream that is constantly on."I find that second part of the description also matches this book. Once the characters are introduced, the story practically tells itself. It has a natural momentum and it keeps the reader engaged, even though the story arc of a rags-to-riches-and-back-again crime story is familiar to many readers.The author does a good job of juggling all of the characters. There are a lot of technicalities like government branches, police districts, etc. and the author does a good job of not getting entangled in them.The story-telling itself is very direct and factual. I think a more talented writer could have added more flair and dynamism to the story, especially when it comes to anecdotes. I don't necessarily blame the author -- like I said, the story tells itself, he just winds the gear and points in the right directionOverall I was very satisfied. I would definitely recommend this to book to people interested in true crime, history, the Cuban diaspora, the JFK assassination, and the Bay of Pigs.

This true crime book sucks you in from the very first page, illuminating the role of organized crime and gangsterism that is inseparable from the American Identity. TJ English not only recalls with exceptional detail the events surrounding the creation of the Cuban Mafia and their relationship to the Five Families via illegal gambling in NYC but also the personal histories of each person involved amongst a backdrop of American History that is influenced by Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution, the CIA and its relationship to Cuban anticommunist militants, The Bay of Pigs and the Assassination of JFK, the influx of narcotics into Miami through the latter half of the 20th century, and even the funding of the CONTRAS in opposition to the Sandanista Government of Nicaragua in the 1980's. A truly exceptional book, would recommend!

If you like crime and mob histories this one is a good one. Don't agree with the author on some items where he tends to get his facts from Cuban government spokesmen; but his narrative of the criminal activity and the players is done very well.

I loved Havana Nocturne and I loved this one, If you like to read about organized crime, the mob or even Cuban history, no body does it better than T.J. English.

I was not able to get away from the non-stop reading of The Corporation by T J English. From the moment I found out about this book and the connection with my soon to be published novel, Papi's Lover, it became a must-read. Having personally known Jose Miguel Battle and my involvement with the world of "La Bolita", it immediately sparked my interest in the book's content and legitimacy. While there are many anecdotes still to be told and information on how "La Bolita" business operated, the research done by Jose Daniel Freixas (Jaydee), Tony Gonzalez and by T J English was excellent. The movie, which rights were acquired by Paramount Pictures is a fantastic project and one movie you wouldn't want to miss. The book: An excellent read and masterwork by author TJ English. Congratulations to this amazing team.

The best book I have read this year.

Over the past few weeks, I burrowed down into a rabbit hole of sorts off the beaten path of my usual genres, delving into the criminal underworld of Cuban American racketeering with T.J. English’s The Corporation: An Epic Story of the Cuban American Underworld. In this text, English provides a narrative overview of the rise of Jose Miguel Battle in the cities of New York and Miami as a bolitero, or numbers boss, following his army service as a Bay of Pigs brigadista.Within the text, English offers a narrative of how Battle rises from the streets as a numbers runner to eventually holding the title of El Padrino for the continental United States concerning the bolita - illicit ball lottery. Along the way, readers are presented with a variety of characters including hitmen, fellow numbers bosses, lawyers, detectives, and spouses - both wives & girlfriends. The interactions between these personages is greatly emphasized, backed by wiretaps and manuscripts from police interviews, truly providing an in depth analysis of how incidents went down, including the motivations behind them. One of the aspects of the storyline that particularly gripped my attention was the parallel storyline English offers of other Bay of Pigs veterans that continued working with the CIA in clandestine attempts to assassinate Castro and ultimately overthrow the communist regime of Cuba. Criminal activities aside for these Cuban men in the bolita underworld, they remained deeply committed to their patriotism towards Cuba, even funnelling funds towards such anti-Castro activities when possible. Accordingly, characters such as Luis Posada Carriles and Felix Rodriguez make recurring appearances throughout the text, and offer an idea into how intertwined mafia operations and undercover operations truly are. This is something that has become increasingly present in modern day historical depictions, such as in Narcos or The Untold History of the United States. Overall, The Corporation does a fantastic job at providing a glimpse into the criminal underworld surrounding racketeering, detailing ever chilling aspect of the horrific violence based on greed, bloodlust, and thirst for revenge. Steeped deeply in Cuban patriotism and the hate for communism, English is magnificent in his portrayal of fellow Bay of Pigs veterans, only this time as foils - some turning to the criminal lifestyle of bolita, whereas others remained committed to the cause, ultimately working for the CIA in many different clandestine ways to topple the communist government of the island. Regardless of your love of mafia stories or your preference to clandestine historical tales, The Corporation offers a little bit of narrative for everyone in this page turning text. Happy Reading!

TJ English has once again added another great volume to his ongoing series of books on ethnic organized crime in America with 'The Corporation". Having already done 2 books on Irish mobsters, The Mob in Cuba and Vietnamese mafia, English has written a lengthy tale of the Cuban Mafia. Centered around a clique of former Bay of Pigs veterans who once released from Castro's gaols came to the US to run their own version of the "Numbers Racket" in the NY/NJ and Miami area. Centered around one Jose Miguel Battle, a one time Havana cop turned CIA sponsored anti-Castro mercenary, the Cuban mafia would morph into the Corporation whose bread and butter was Bolita a Cuban borne version of the Numbers racket. With initial permission, but often heated conflict with the NY Italian Mob, the Corporation used this inner city illegal lottery to create a mulit-million behemoth that its peak in the 70s generated $45M a year in profits. While not as glamorous as other mob enterprises the money itself was enough to trigger a string of internecine fights and killings amongst those involved that spanned decades up and down the East Coast. Making matters worse since many of those involved had been trained by the CIA in their Brigade 2506 days, they had a flair and love of bombs. In the mid 1970s car bomb hits in Union City/Hudson County NJ were de rigeur. Battle would eventually become known in the Cuban emigre community as El Padrino and seemed to even start emulating Brando's character in The Godfather down to the raspy voice honed by almost continuos viewings of the Coppola trilogy. Like all such tales it all eventually imploded in a swirl of excessive murder & mayhem, blood feuds and of course tax evasion/money laundering prosecutions.

Fascinating and thrilling story of Cuban American Underworld by T.J. English. This is almost an investigative journalism account of the Godfather of Cuban mafia, a product of failed American Diplomacy with Cuba turned mob boss, a story of a decorated war hero of Bay of Pigs invasion. What started as a small time gambling venture morphed into an enterprise(The Corporation) involving putting out hits, racketeering, money laundering, drugs business under the leadership of Jose Miguel Battle who was given asylum in the US due to failed bay of pigs invasion. With complex structural organization this was truly a Corporation. After ruling the mob scene for years, a hardworking and a dedicated cop David Shanks eventually brought the Corporation and it's key players to their knees. Overall this is an interesting book and if you are looking for a fictional thriller that is really a true crime story, a mob or gangs historian or a history buff you will enjoy this book.

The comprehensive study of a once honorable life, destroyed by delusion and hubris.The Corporation, by T. J. English is the most detailed chronicle of a ruined life I have ever read. The main character evolves throughout the book from an honorable revolutionary and war hero into a monstrosity of evil, power and greed ultimately becoming a perfect sociopath. English captures the true nature of a RICO investigation. Unfortunately, the single-minded obsession of the lead investigator exposed him as a bit of a dick, leaving me with no one left to like in the book. Cases like this will do that. I know. I used to do them for a living. Still, T. J. English has crafted an enthralling plus on the Cuban mob, maintaining his status as the best true-crime writer of our generation. I highly recommend this book for readers of any genre. It's that good.

I received a free copy of "The Corporation: An Epic Story of the Cuban American Underworld" by T. J. English, through the "Good Reads First Reads Giveaway."This is a lucid and detailed look at the Cuban American Criminal World. This book is both well researched and well written, given the reader historic information about heroes becoming criminals. Although, the book reads like a series of short novels, it seems to represent true history. "The Corporation" had to involve tremendous research and organization by the author. A TV series based on the events documented here, would give the "Sopranos" a run for their money.

Crime and History Crushes Egos and Fortunes There is nothing better than a great crime story especially if it’s from a history that few of us know about. I grew in NJ and it certainly related to many of the things I saw as a young adult but did not fully understand until this book.Well researched and organized and a book you don’t want to put down. I need to find out what else this author wrote for my next read.

It is very obvious that lot of research and effort has gone into this book. Book is divided into three main sections and allows the reader to truly understand how long the "Corporation" existed. Allows you to really understand how much effort goes into the indictment of criminal organizations. As well how much goes into running away from the law. If you want a truly epic true story, I would recommend this book.