Book Review: Surviving The Mob by Dennis N. Griffin and Andrew DiDonato
A Street Soldiers Life Inside The Gambino Crime Family
I have been salivating over the release of this book for months. I was given a glimpse at an early draft and have been eagerly waiting for it to hit the book stores. That happened a few days ago, and I had a copy in my hands!
I know author Denny Griffin quite well, and I have talked to Andrew DiDonato on more that a few occasions. I had a hunch that Surviving The Mob would be quite the collaboration, and it is. It is a blockbuster and then some.
Let me introduce the protagonists, Denny Griffin is a well known author, crime writer and heads up a new venture Crimewire. Andrew DiDonato grew up in New York and at the tender age of 14 entered the world of crime. A life that led him quickly into the world of organized crime and the Mob.
Surviving The Mob is the story of Andrew DiDonato. In 1997 his world crashed around him, he found himself a wanted man, the Gambino crime family had a price on his head, and the FBI also were hot on his heels. As he told me:
I had two choices, death on the street, or death behind bars
Either the Mob would hit him while he was on the run, or some inmate on the inside would shank him. Life looked very bleak, and very short. In this darkest of darkest times Andrew DiDonato made a decision that even today is still causing tremors in the world of Organized Crime, he did the unthinkable, he became a government witness.
Surviving The Mob is a book that operates on several levels. It certainly lays out Andrews many criminal adventures, some of which are truly amusing. Stealing the car of another crime families money collection guy and finding $80,000 in a briefcase, alas the code of ethics forced him to return the car and the money is a great example. Andrew returned everything but did explain that the cash was $10 short, well the gas tank was empty!
The humor however is far outweighed by the seriousness of his story. Andrew DiDonato even as a teenager was known for his violence, fists gave way to baseball bats, the bats in turn were retired in favor of guns. What probably has saved Andrew is that at no point has he actually killed another human being.
Because of his co-operation with law enforcement he became part of the Witness Protection Program, a program that is far different from the Hollywood version. In my discussions with Andrew this was always a touchy subject. Surviving The Mob sheds a little light on the subject, but just enough to get the mind working. Although it is years later Andrew still has his defenses up. It is always possible that a ghost from the past might return.
I have to admit that probably know more about Surviving The Mob than the regular reviewer, but being objective and taking a step back, I have to say that is a supremely well crafted book. Denny Griffin is a great writer, and Andrew DiDonato adds the action. The balance works just great. Denny is soft spoken, but usually gets his point across, Andrew is a little more forthright in his views, I can only imagine the interesting conversations that took place.
I have to wonder if Andrew told Denny the same thing he told an unhappy customer in a pizza restaurant he opened while in the WPP:
Listen to me and listen good. Don’t come into my place barkin’ orders and actin’ tough. If you say one more word, I’m gonna put your f**kin’ head in that oven
Now that is what I call customer service
Surviving The Mob is well worth reading, many names that you have seen on TV or read about in the newspaper are included. Andrew DiDonato may have been just a Foot Soldier in the Gambino crime family, but his testimony effectively removed an entire generation of New York Mobsters.
One thing is crystal clear Andrew DiDonato deeply regrets his previous career choice. The Andrew of today is a far different man from the one associated with organized crime.
Source: bloggernews.net
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I am almost done with this book it’s ok, il review it when I finish it but they have this whole chaper about wild bill cutola’s son, Billy jr who wrote it. I never heard this guy was a big gangster and do not think he was who he said he was some quotes he had were “up until then my only friend was a silent one. It was a friend without a conscience. It held fifteen clip and one in the chamber”. When talking about why he didn’t kill his fathers murderers he states that “it was harder to not kill them then to kill them”. I just don’t believe a word he says he then says his father looked after him while he was wearing a wire as was god and just a lot of ridicoulessnes.
Andrew or Sonny as I knew him is a poor excuse for a human being. Not only did he abandone his wife and son, I took him in when he had noone and not a dollar to his name. I bought him two businesses that I lost because he is incapable of working. We lived in Las Vegas with my daughter and she loved him and called him daddy. He then told us he would be away in NY for a week or two at most to “testify one last time”. And never came back! leaving us stranded in Indiana. This was after he went through $400k of my money gambling. I wound up going to Rikers Jail in NY for a check I cashed for him and he never covered. Instead he took the money the government gave him which I personally saw, and disappeared from our lives leaving me broke and homeless. Now he claims to want to prevent and kids from a life of crime he is scum.
Wow Mary..I feel So sorry for you…I understand FULLY…He is a big Scum..He’ll
take you for all your money and dump your ass…What a shame..You should have known he’s the biggest Skeemer…Make sure U never contact him…He’s married now.
And looks like hes living the good life…..But he’ll never be happy..Trust me..
I just wanted to comment on the book.That was one of the worst books I have ever
read.Dennis and Andrew you should be ashamed of yourselves.So many lies.That Book
should’ve never been written…And who the hell is Andrew…Nothing but scum of the earth..I can really feel for that woman and her child..I hope he paid her back
and more…He’s definitely no big shot. just a wanna be who thought…Wussy I should say.Going around Las Vegas thinking who the hell he is,Also the other places he lives..And Dennis You were really tricked…Looser…Boy Andrew has alot of children..That’s a scary thought,that anyone would let their children near
him….And I only read that book because someone handed it to me.I would never of paid A penny…Well thats my thought….
This is a joke why wouls a well known writer write about such a jerk like Didonato the guy is a fake and full of it not ok in my book dont bother even reading it or wasting time on it next time dennis do your homework
I have read Andrew’s book and it was very compelling. The stories he speaks about are true and re-searchable. The above comments are an obvious slander between a very sick individual and con-woman by the name of Mary Curwin, and her cohort.If you would like to read more abut Mary Curwin, you may go to this link or copy and paste >> http://www.silive.com/eastshore/index.ssf/2010/12/dongan_hills_mom_charged_with.html I know first hand that Andrew has been helping charities through out the country and spreading the word to children about the evils of organized crime. If you are a mob enthusiast…you must read “Surviving the Mob” by Andrew Didonato. Do not listen to the jealousy that lurks by the above.
After reading the article about Mary Curwin, it is obvious that she has substantial issues of her own when it comes to the subject of children. Ellis Mac is entirely correct in questioning the motivation and credibility of Curwin and her sympathizer.
First of all to those pathetic moral less responses to my post. I had an extremely wonderful life, living in NJ with a beautiful home and thriving business! I was completely fooled and tricked by Andrew/Sonny. I have affluent family and friends to verify these facts. I bought Andrew not one but two business in a period of 8 months. When I met him he didnt have a enough clothes to fill a suitcase!
And as for trying to discredit me for a very stuid and unfounded situation, which I have since been cleared for.. My daughter was never in a vehile with me nor was I every charged with drunk driving! The entire story was unfounded..
I’m a con artist you say.. explain how that piece of garbage scammed me out of all that money.. Ran my Italian Deli into the ground in less than a year and then disappeared early one morning..
If you don’t know what you;re talking about keep your comments to your self!!
let us not forget that he abandoned his own son!! And his facts are incorrect.. I am personnally friends with the victims he describes families and have been for over 20 yrs.
Thats right, I forgot about his wonderful father, degenerate gambler living in Las Vegas.. The reason Sonny convinced me to move there.. Yes I had to pay his rent to on many occasions.
I’ve now wasted precious mins even commented on this garbage of a family!!