Red Hook

Long before Brooklyn was known as the world’s hippest neighborhood, it was the deadliest - the seedy, dangerous underbelly of New York City, where mobsters and gangs could commit murder and dump dead bodies without getting caught.

For more than a hundred years, the Red Hook section of Brooklyn was Ground Zero for organized crime. Whoever controlled the piers controlled everything. From the infamous Irish gang known as The White Hand at the turn of the century, to the notorious Italian Gallo brothers who ran President Street—and everything else—generations later, the blood-soaked history of Red Hook is the story of American crime at its most powerful, corrupt, and coldly efficient.

It's all here: the brutal Mob hits, bullet storms, and backstabbings of the most colorful cutthroats to ever terrorize the streets. A rogue’s gallery of killers with nicknames like “The Mad Hatter,” “The Executioner,” “Wild Bill,” and “Peg Leg.” The Brooklyn bar fight that gave Al “Scarface” Capone his legendary scars. The godfather of America’s first Sicilian crime family whose gruesomely mangled hand could scare men half to death. And, to bring it all home, the author’s own eyewitness account of multiple shootings growing up as the son of a Mafia bodyguard.

Packed with jaw-dropping stories of public violence and personal vengeance, vivid insights into the Mafia’s way of life, and shocking portraits of America’s most wanted crime families, Red Hook is a must-read for anyone fascinated by the history of organized crime in America.Praise for the work of Frank DiMatteo and Michael Benson

“Carmine the Snake, written in a conversational style with street vernacular and sprinkled with Frank DiMatteo’s personal anecdotes and reminiscences, offers another look at the infamous crime boss.” —The Washington Times

“DiMatteo tells what it was like to grow up with Mob royalty.” —VICE on The President Street Boys

“The authors give a detailed account of the suspected assassins . . . don’t shy away from discussing Gallo’s flaws . . . fans of true crime and Mafia stories will appreciate the insider’s look at the figures and neighborhoods that comprised New York Mob life in the 20th century.” —Library Journal on Mafia Hit Man

“The President Street Boys is nothing like any other Mafia-related book I’ve ever read. I loved this book. I will be reading it again in the future. The level of detail is so high, to me, it requires multiple passes to absorb it all.” —Crimespree Magazine

“At times, this book is unsettling. Other times, it's humorous. No matter what part you're reading, it’ll remain a tour-de-force.” —Criminal Element on The President Street Boys

“This title will please Mafia fans looking for gruesome details.” —Library Journal on Lord High Executioner

“Takes me back as if it was a time machine . . . compelling reading. I loved the book because I was there.” —Sonny Girard, author of Blood of Our Fathers on The President Street BoysMichael Benson is the acclaimed author of nonfiction history and crime books, including Gangsters vs. Nazis, Hollywood vs. Nazis, Evil Season, and Betrayal in Blood, as well as Moguls, co-authored with Craig Singer. He is also one of America’s most accomplished and popular Mafia experts, having co-authored numerous books on the subject, including Carmine the Snake, Mafia Hit Man, Lord High Executioner, Red Hook, Carlo Gambino, and Olive Oil King with Frank DiMatteo and Mafia Secrets with Gianni Russo. He is a regular commentator, appearing on numerous radio and television shows such as 20/20, On the Case with Paula Zahn, and Deadly Sins on the ID: Investigation Discovery channel. A recipient of the Academy of American Poets Award, he can be found on Facebook at /AuthorMichaelBenson.