PhillyMafiaHistory.com - The Last Gangster (2004)

This is one of the last books published by Regan Books and it can be found online for as little as $3.95, which is what it’s worth. There is no index for quick checking as to who’s in the book, so one has to read about the “gangster” called “Fat Rat” by Joey Merlino’s buddies. Ron Previte is the “Fat Rat” who is telling his story. It’s not a history. It’s Previte’s so-called information and like others in the federal witness protection program who cut deals, there may be some “information” that seems hard to believe. At least that’s what Anastasia set out to prove about this guy and the others. But what Anastasia wrote without Previte bites and seemed too personal. He laid out a lot of nasty remarks about the FBI that weren’t related to Previte, like this: “Ask any big city police detective or state police investigator…what he or she thinks of the FBI, and the answer will be laced with expletives.” (p.199) He said more, but this sentence sort of sums it up. Anastasia’s “history of the Philly mob” then includes pages of unkind “hits” on the FBI here.

Readers of this book would see Previte compared to others, but this guy had been a police officer in New Jersey, a corrupt one, too. Supposedly that’s the twist here and that this is no ordinary mob rat. But is it contributing to the history of the Philly Mob? Maybe not. It doesn’t help Anastasia to make glowing remarks about Angelo Bruno after Ralph Natale, the oldest member of the Family of this time, testified about killings at Bruno’s orders. How long does Anastasia think people are going to believe the “gentle Don” stuff? In fact, Anastasia wrote more positive things about the mob boss who really did kill and really did allow drugs all over than he did the FBI. What’s there to believe in this book?

After writing about the Philly mob for almost 20 years it says a lot about Anastasia that he couldn’t track down at least one member of Angelo Bruno’s Family to talk and get the story straight.

	This is one of the last books published by Regan Books and it can be found online for as little as $3.95, which is what it’s worth. There is no index for quick checking as to who’s in the book, so one has to read about the “gangster” called “Fat Rat” by Joey Merlino’s buddies. Ron Previte is the “Fat Rat” who is telling his story. It’s not a history. It’s Previte’s so-called information and like others in the federal witness protection program who cut deals, there may be some “information” that seems hard to believe. At least that’s what Anastasia set out to prove about this guy and the others. But what Anastasia wrote without Previte bites and seemed too personal. He laid out a lot of nasty remarks about the FBI that weren’t related to Previte, like this: “Ask any big city police detective or state police investigator…what he or she thinks of the FBI, and the answer will be laced with expletives.” (p.199) He said more, but this sentence sort of sums it up. Anastasia’s “history of the Philly mob” then includes pages of unkind “hits” on the FBI here. Readers of this book would see Previte compared to others, but this guy had been a police officer in New Jersey, a corrupt one, too. Supposedly that’s the twist here and that this is no ordinary mob rat. But is it contributing to the history of the Philly Mob? Maybe not. It doesn’t help Anastasia to make glowing remarks about Angelo Bruno after Ralph Natale, the oldest member of the Family of this time, testified about killings at Bruno’s orders. How long does Anastasia think people are going to believe the “gentle Don” stuff? In fact, Anastasia wrote more positive things about the mob boss who really did kill and really did allow drugs all over than he did the FBI. What’s there to believe in this book? After writing about the Philly mob for almost 20 years it says a lot about Anastasia that he couldn’t track down at least one member of Angelo Bruno’s Family to talk and get the story straight.









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