{"product_id":"the-big-heist-isbn-9780806538938","title":"The Big Heist","description":"\u003cb\u003e“A comprehensive account of the legendary 1978 heist . . .  impressive.”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eThe crime that inspired the movie \u003ci\u003eGoodfellas\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eThe rest of the story that couldn’t be told—until now.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e One of the biggest scores in Mafia history, the Lufthansa Airlines heist of 1978 has become the stuff of mafia legend—and a decades-long investigation that continues to this day. Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Anthony DeStefano sheds new light on this legendary unsolved case using recent evidence from the 2015 trial of eighty-year-old mafioso Vincent Asaro, who for the first time speaks out on his role in the fateful Lufthansa heist. This blistering you-are-there account takes you behind the headlines and inside the ranks of America’s infamous Mafia families—with never-before-told stories, late-breaking news, and bombshell revelations.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003ePraise for Anthony D. DeStefano’s \u003ci\u003eTOP HOODLUM:\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eFrank Costello, Prime Minister of the Underworld\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e“An engrossing chronicle of the life of notorious Mafia boss . . . DeStefano’s canny insight into the don’s mind and motivations set this biography apart from others on Frank Costello.”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e“DeStefano tells Costello's story well.”—\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for Anthony M. DeStefano\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJIMMY THE GENT\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“At last! Anthony M. DeStefano’s \u003ci\u003eJimmy the Gent\u003c\/i\u003e explains the mystery behind Jimmy Burke being the only Irishman at the Mob’s Italian table.” \u003cb\u003e—Nicholas Pileggi, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eWiseguy\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eCasino\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBROADWAY BUTTERFLY: VIVIAN GORDON\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Mob expert Tony DeStefano tells the little-known story of Vivian Gordon, one of Prohibition’s most notorious racketeers, who, along with the corrupt cops and politicians of her day, set New York on a crooked path that is often followed today.” \u003cb\u003e—Nicholas Pileggi, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eWiseguy\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eCasino\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“DeStefano wrangles the sprawling implications of Gordon’s still unsolved murder into an entertaining package. DeStefano paints an alluring portrait of Prohibition-era New York and the mobsters and millionaires who ran it.” \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eGOTTI’S BOYS\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“In this solid true crime account, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist DeStefano explores the inner machinations of the New York Mob and John Gotti’s rise to the head of the Gambino family . . . DeStefano does a fine job capturing the essence of New York . . . Aficionados are sure to relish the finer, exhaustively researched details.” \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTOP HOODLUM\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“DeStefano vividly recalls the crime boss whose wounding by an assassin in 1957 got a bigger headline in the\u003ci\u003e Daily News \u003c\/i\u003ethan the death of Senator Joseph McCarthy.” \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist DeStefano draws from recently released FBI documents, family testimony, and court records to construct an engrossing chronicle of the life of notorious Mafia boss Frank Costello, a ‘reluctant prince of the Mafia’ . . . The book provides ample historical background, including a fascinating historical twist in which Costello’s quest for legitimacy plays out during WWII when Costello and cohort Charles ‘Lucky’ Luciano supplied the military with vital information on Sicilian geography just before the Allied invasion in 1943. DeStefano’s canny insight into the don’s mind and motivations set this biography apart from others on Costello.” \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Biography of a low-profile ‘original gangster’ who connected the Prohibition era and the Five Families, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist DeStefano creates another readable, well-researched take on organized crime . . . Will appeal to readers of criminal histories and tales of New York’s political underworld.” \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTHE BIG HEIST\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Terrific. DeStefano finally gives us a fitting end to the murderous and fabled story of the 1978 Lufthansa heist.” \u003cb\u003e—Nicholas Pileggi, author of \u003ci\u003eWiseguy\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eCasino\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“A comprehensive account of the legendary 1978 heist . . . impressive.” \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A longtime journalist, DeStefano writes clearly about the case . . . Readers also know when they are in capable hands. DeStefano knows gangsters and Mob history.” \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe Star-Ledger\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eVINNY GORGEOUS\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A dark, informed, and effective bio, and DeStefano is a master at cutting through the secrecy of the Mafia hierarchy.” \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Dramatic . . . thrilling . . . tantalizing.” \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eKING OF THE GODFATHERS\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Riveting.” \u003cb\u003e—Nicholas Pileggi, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eWiseguy\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eCasino\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The best and last word on the subject . . . DeStefano brings the story to life.” \u003cb\u003e—Jerry Capeci, bestselling co-author of \u003ci\u003eMurder Machine \u003c\/i\u003eand creator of GangLandNews.com\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Thrilling American crime writing.” \u003cb\u003e—Jimmy Breslin, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of \u003ci\u003eThe Good Rat\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Tracks the downfall not only of Massino himself but all of the old organized crime families . . . DeStefano gives us unique insights.” \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eNew York Law Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003ePulitzer Prize-winning journalist\u003cb\u003e Anthony M. DeStefano\u003c\/b\u003e has covered organized crime for over three decades, including the crime beat for New York\u003ci\u003e Newsday\u003c\/i\u003e for the past twenty years. His books on organized crime include \u003ci\u003eGangland New York\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eKing of the Godfathers\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eMob Killer\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eVinny Gorgeous\u003c\/i\u003e among others.","brand":"Citadel","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48233628729573,"sku":"NP9780806538938","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780806538938.jpg?v=1767738369","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-big-heist-isbn-9780806538938","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}