The Company She Keeps

A female Goodfellas—the true story of a supermodel turned getaway driver for the mob.

All-American beauty Georgia Durante was one of the most photographed models in the country when she married mobster Joe Lamendola. It plunged her into a world she never dreamed of—and one she feared she’d never survive—as a getaway driver for the mafia and an eyewitness to unspeakable violence, brutality, and murder, as she came to understand the terrifying risk of being married to the mob. In this raw and gripping memoir, Durante guides readers through her moving journey from her unstable teen years to marriage, motherhood, and her escape from an abusive partner—and finally to her successful career as a commercial stunt driver.Georgia Durante is a former model, stuntwoman, and mafia getaway driver. Her modeling career began at the age of 12, and by 17 she was a "Kodak Girl" and one of the most recognizable faces in the country. Before she turned 20, she had endured a brutal rape, involvement with the mob, a failed marriage, and the birth of her daughter. After seeking refuge from a mob war across the country and later fleeing an abusive second marriage to the mafia-tied Joe Lamendola, she began a lucrative career in Los Angeles as one of the country's most successful commerical stunt drivers. The author of the powerful memoir The Company She Keeps, Durante now lives in Southern California and speaks across the country about her experiences with domestic violence.