The Best Books About The Mafia And Organized Crime
“What are the best books about The Mafia & Organized Crime?” We looked at 207 of the top books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!
Learn more about the Mafia and Organized Crime with our list of the best nonfiction & fiction books on the subject. Below you can find the top 25 books, all appearing on 2 or more “Best Mafia” book lists, ranked by how many times they appear. The remaining 150+ books, as well as the lists we used, are in alphabetical order at the bottom of the page.
Happy Scrolling!
Top Organized Crime Books
25 .) All These Things I’ve Done by Gabrielle Zevin
Lists It Appears On:
- Goodreads 2
- Lake Forest High School
In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city’s most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.’s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she’s to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight–at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.
24 .) Black Mass by Dick Lehr and Gerard K. O’Neill
Lists It Appears On:
- Goodreads 2
- Polka Cafe
James “Whitey” Bulger became one of the most ruthless gangsters in US history, and all because of an unholy deal he made with a childhood friend. John Connolly a rising star in the Boston FBI office, offered Bulger protection in return for helping the Feds eliminate Boston’s Italian mafia. But no one offered Boston protection from Whitey Bulger, who, in a blizzard of gangland killings, took over the city’s drug trade. Whitey’s deal with Connolly’s FBI spiraled out of control to become the biggest informant scandal in FBI history.
23 .) Casino by Nicholas Pileggi
Lists It Appears On:
- Goodreads 2
- Ranker
No one knew more about casinos than Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal, the gambling mastermind who, along with his best friend and partner, Anthony Spilotro, virtually ran Las Vegas for the mob. For years, it was the perfect arrangement—Lefty provided the smarts, while Tony kept the bosses happy with their weekly suitcases filled with millions in skimmed cash. It should have lasted forever, but Lefty’s obsession with running the town—and Tony’s obsession with Lefty’s beautiful showgirl wife, Geri—eventually led to the betrayals and investigations that exploded into one of the greatest debacles in mob history.
22 .) Cocaine Kingpins by Sybil Jensen
Lists It Appears On:
- Goodreads
- Goodreads
The late 1970’s and early 80’s saw the rise of the ‘Cocaine Kingpin’. Many criminal figures sought their worldly riches through the distribution of Cocaine. While many were successful, others found death and misery. This book covers a handful of the most notorious bosses of the Cocaine underworld all the way up until the early 2,000’s. Their meteoric and methodical ascensions to the top of the world and ultimate incarcerations and assassinations, are all covered inside!
21 .) Cosa Nostra: A History of the Sicilian Mafia by John Dickie
Lists It Appears On:
- Goodreads
- Goodreads 2
Hailed in Italy as the best book ever written about the mafia in any language, Cosa Nostra is a fascinating, violent, and darkly comic account that reads like fiction and takes us deep into the inner sanctum of this secret society where few have dared to tread.In this gripping history of the Sicilian mafia, John Dickie uses startling new research to reveal the inner workings of this secret society with a murderous record. He explains how the mafia began, how it responds to threats and challenges, and introduces us to the real-life characters that inspired the American imagination for generations, making the mafia an international, larger than life cultural phenomenon. Dickie’s dazzling cast of characters includes Antonio Giammona, the first “boss of bosses”; New York cop Joe Petrosino, who underestimated the Sicilian mafia and paid for it with his life; and Bernard “the Tractor” Provenzano, the current boss of bosses who has been hiding in Sicily since 1963.
20 .) Little Man: Meyer Lansky and the Gangster Life by Robert Lacey
Lists It Appears On:
- T.J. English
- Goodreads
The story of Meyer Lansky and the criminal empire he supervised exposes the harsh reality of life in the underworld and demonstrates how Lansky’s desire to achieve mythic status as an outlaw ultimately destroyed him
19 .) Mafia Brotherhoods by John Dickie
Lists It Appears On:
- The Guardian
- Questia
“The Sicilian mafia, known as Cosa Nostra, is far from being Italy’s only dangerous criminal fraternity. The country hosts two other major mafias: the camorra from Naples; and, from the poor and isolated region of Calabria, the mysterious ‘ndrangheta, which has now risen to become the most powerful mob group active today.
Since they emerged, the mafias have all corrupted Italy’s institutions, drastically curtailed the life-chances of its citizens, evaded justice, and set up their own self-interested meddling as an alternative to the courts. Yet each of these brotherhoods has its own methods, its own dark rituals, its own style of ferocity. Each is uniquely adapted to corrupt and exploit its own specific environment, as it collaborates with, learns from, and goes to war with the other mafias.
Today, the shadow of organized crime hangs over a country racked by debt, political paralysis, and widespread corruption. The ‘ndrangheta controls much of Europe’s wholesale cocaine trade and, by some estimates, 3 percent of Italy’s total GDP. Blood Brotherhoods traces the origins of this national malaise back to Italy’s roots as a united country in the nineteenth century, and shows how political violence incubated underworld sects among the lemon groves of Palermo, the fetid slums of Naples, and the harsh mountain villages of Calabria.”
18 .) Midnight in Sicily by Peter Robb
Lists It Appears On:
- Ranker
- The Guardian
South of mainland Italy lies the island of Sicily, home to an ancient culture that–with its stark landscapes, glorious coastlines, and extraordinary treasure troves of art and archeology–has seduced travelers for centuries. But at the heart of the island’s rare beauty is a network of violence and corruption that reaches into every corner of Sicilian life: Cosa Nostra, the Mafia. Peter Robb lived in southern Italy for over fourteen years and recounts its sensuous pleasures, its literature, politics, art, and crimes.
17 .) Paddy Whacked: The Untold Story of the Irish American Gangster by T.J. English
Lists It Appears On:
- Goodreads
- Goodreads 2
Here is the shocking true saga of the Irish American mob. In Paddy Whacked, bestselling author and organized crime expert T. J. English brings to life nearly two centuries of Irish American gangsterism, which spawned such unforgettable characters as Mike “King Mike” McDonald, Chicago’s subterranean godfather; Big Bill Dwyer, New York’s most notorious rumrunner during Prohibition; Mickey Featherstone, troubled Vietnam vet turned Westies gang leader; and James “Whitey” Bulger, the ruthless and untouchable Southie legend. Stretching from the earliest New York and New Orleans street wars through decades of bootlegging scams, union strikes, gang wars, and FBI investigations, Paddy Whacked is a riveting tour de force that restores the Irish American gangster to his rightful preeminent place in our criminal history — and penetrates to the heart of the American experience.
16 .) Raze (Scarred Souls, #1) by Tillie Cole
Lists It Appears On:
- Goodreads 2
- Goodreads
“One man stripped of his freedom, his morals… his life. Conditioned in captivity to maim, to kill and to slaughter, prisoner 818 becomes an unrivaled and unstoppable fighter in the ring. Violence is all he knows. After years of incarceration in an underground hell, only one thought occupies his mind: revenge… bloody, slow and violent revenge. Revenge on the man who wronged him.
Kisa Volkova is the only daughter of Kirill ‘The Silencer’ Volkov, head of the infamous ‘Red’ bosses of New York’s Russian Bratva. Her life is protected. In reality, it’s a virtual prison. Her father’s savage treatment of his rivals and his lucrative and coveted underground gambling ring-The Dungeon-ensures too many enemies lurk at their door. She dreams to be set free. Kisa has known only cruelty and loss in her short life. While working for her church-the only reprieve in her constant surveillance-Kisa stumbles across a tattooed, scarred, but stunningly beautiful homeless man on the streets. Something about him stirs feelings deep within her; familiar yet impossibly forbidden desires. He doesn’t talk. Doesn’t communicate with anyone. He’s a man beyond saving. But Kisa becomes obsessed with him. Yearns for him. Craves his touch. Needs to possess this mysterious man… … this man they call Raze.”
15 .) Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
Lists It Appears On:
- Mystery Tribune
- Polka Cafe
“””It took me a long time and most of the world to learn what I know about love and fate and the choices we make, but the heart of it came to me in an instant, while I was chained to a wall and being tortured.””
So begins this epic, mesmerizing first novel set in the underworld of contemporary Bombay. Shantaram is narrated by Lin, an escaped convict with a false passport who flees maximum security prison in Australia for the teeming streets of a city where he can disappear.
Accompanied by his guide and faithful friend, Prabaker, the two enter Bombay’s hidden society of beggars and gangsters, prostitutes and holy men, soldiers and actors, and Indians and exiles from other countries, who seek in this remarkable place what they cannot find elsewhere.
As a hunted man without a home, family, or identity, Lin searches for love and meaning while running a clinic in one of the city’s poorest slums, and serving his apprenticeship in the dark arts of the Bombay mafia. The search leads him to war, prison torture, murder, and a series of enigmatic and bloody betrayals. The keys to unlock the mysteries and intrigues that bind Lin are held by two people. The first is Khader Khan: mafia godfather, criminal-philosopher-saint, and mentor to Lin in the underworld of the Golden City. The second is Karla: elusive, dangerous, and beautiful, whose passions are driven by secrets that torment her and yet give her a terrible power.”
14 .) Takedown: The Fall of the Last Mafia Empire by Douglas Century
Lists It Appears On:
- Ranker
- National Crime Syndicate
A NYPD detective describes his work as an undercover cop, in which role he infltrated a lethal mob cartel to uncover evidence of a conspiracy among the various mob families to extort billions of dollars from the nation’s most influential corporations.
13 .) The Girl With Caterpillar Eyebrows by Lisa Ditchkoff
Lists It Appears On:
- Goodreads
- Goodreads
Lisa Ditchkoff explains her life in hiding for 27 years, enduring physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, as well as her ties to the Irish Boston Mafia in “Southie.” She grew up in fear of her father, an alleged “mobster” and legendary Boston Garden record-holding fastest knockout boxer. Memories of Lisa’s father were shadowy ones, but she remembered him as generous in his love toward her. Her only memory was of her father saying, “You’re so beautiful,” just before her mother escaped during the middle of the night in a telephone truck during Boston’s record snowfall in 1978. Lisa also remembers hearing the name, “Whitey Bulger,” and the delivery of black roses to her doorstep. Forced to be a survivor in this world, and regardless of extraordinary obstacles, she refused to be the victim. In addition to searching for love and becoming a mother at a very young age, she slipped through the cracks in regard to education and other things. Lisa shares the intimate details of her life having undergone violence, which nearly took her life. The Girl with the Caterpillar Eyebrows is more than just a compilation of heartbreaking tragedies, lessons learned, and words of encouragement to others facing extraordinary obstacles. It’s also a story of never giving up hope no matter how difficult any situation, including the domino effect on business failures and difficulties due to the 2008 economic downturn and since.
12 .) The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer by Philip Carlo
Lists It Appears On:
- Ranker
- Goodreads
“Philip Carlo’s The Ice Man spent over six weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List. Top Mob Hitman. Devoted Family Man. Doting Father. For thirty years, Richard “”The Iceman”” Kuklinski led a shocking double life, becoming the most notorious professional assassin in American history while happily hosting neighborhood barbecues in suburban New Jersey.
Richard Kuklinski was Sammy the Bull Gravano’s partner in the killing of Paul Castellano, then head of the Gambino crime family, at Sparks Steakhouse. Mob boss John Gotti hired him to torture and kill the neighbor who accidentally ran over his child. For an additional price, Kuklinski would make his victims suffer; he conducted this sadistic business with coldhearted intensity and shocking efficiency, never disappointing his customers. By his own estimate, he killed over two hundred men, taking enormous pride in his variety and ferocity of technique.
This trail of murder lasted over thirty years and took Kuklinski all over America and to the far corners of the earth, Brazil, Africa, and Europe. Along the way, he married, had three children, and put them through Catholic school. His daughter’s medical condition meant regular stays in children’s hospitals, where Kuklinski was remembered, not as a gangster, but as an affectionate father, extremely kind to children. Each Christmas found the Kuklinski home festooned in colorful lights; each summer was a succession of block parties.”
11 .) The Valachi Papers by Peter Maas
Lists It Appears On:
- Goodreads 2
- Polka Cafe
“The First Inside Account of the Mafia
In the 1960s a disgruntled soldier in New York’s Genovese Crime Family decided to spill his guts. His name was Joseph Valachi. Daring to break the Mob’s code of silence for the first time, Valachi detailed the organization of organized crime from the capos, or bosses, of every Family, to the hit men who “”clipped”” rivals and turncoats. With a phenomenal memory for names, dates, addresses, phone numbers—and where the bodies were buried—Joe Valachi provided the chilling facts that led to the arrest and conviction of America’s major crime figures.
The rest is history.
Never again would the Mob be protected by secrecy. For the Mafia, Valachi’s name would become synonymous with betrayal. But his stunning exposé. broke the back of America’s Cosa Nostra and stands today as the classic about America’s Mob, a fascinating tale of power and terror, big money, crime … and murder.”
10 .) Tokyo Vice by Jake Adelstein
Lists It Appears On:
- Polka Cafe
- Wikipedia
Jake Adelstein is the only American journalist ever to have been admitted to the insular Tokyo Metropolitan Police Press Club, where for twelve years he covered the dark side of Japan: extortion, murder, human trafficking, fiscal corruption, and of course, the yakuza. But when his final scoop exposed a scandal that reverberated all the way from the neon soaked streets of Tokyo to the polished Halls of the FBI and resulted in a death threat for him and his family, Adelstein decided to step down. Then, he fought back. In Tokyo Vice he delivers an unprecedented look at Japanese culture and searing memoir about his rise from cub reporter to seasoned journalist with a price on his head.
9 .) Excellent Cadavers by Alexander Stille
Lists It Appears On:
- Five Books
- Ranker
- The Guardian
In 1992 Italy was convulsed by two brazen Mafia assassinations of high-ranking officials. The latest “excellent cadavers” were Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, the Sicilian magistrates who had been the Cosa Nostra’s most implacable enemies. Yet in the aftermath of the murders, hundreds of “men of honor” were arrested and the government that ad protected them for nearly half a century was at last driven from office. This is the story that Stille tells with such insight and immediacy in Excellent Cadavers. Combining a profound understanding of his doomed heroes with and unprecedented look into the Mafia’s stringent codes and murderous rivalries, he gives us a book that has the power of a great work of history and the suspense of a true thriller.
8 .) Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America’s Most Powerful Mafia Empires by Selwyn Raab
Lists It Appears On:
- National Crime Syndicate
- Goodreads
- Goodreads 2
“For half a century, the American Mafia outwitted, outmaneuvered, and outgunned the FBI and other police agencies, wreaking unparalleled damage on America’s social fabric and business enterprises while emerging as the nation’s most formidable crime empire. The vanguard of this criminal juggernaut is still led by the Mafia’s most potent and largest borgatas: New York’s Five Families.
Five Families is the vivid story of the rise and fall of New York’s premier dons, from Lucky Luciano to Paul Castellano to John Gotti and others. This definitive history brings the reader right up to the possible resurgence of the Mafia as the FBI and local law-enforcement agencies turn their attention to homeland security and away from organized crime.”
7 .) Havana Nocturne: How the Mob Owned Cuba & Then Lost it to the Revolution by T.J. English
Lists It Appears On:
- Goodreads
- Goodreads 2
- Ranker
“In modern-day Havana, the remnants of the glamorous past are everywhere—old hotel-casinos, vintage American cars & flickering neon signs speak of a bygone era that is widely familiar & often romanticized, but little understood. In Havana Nocturne, T.J. English offers a multifaceted true tale of organized crime, political corruption, roaring nightlife, revolution & international conflict that interweaves the dual stories of the Mob in Havana & the event that would overshadow it, the Cuban Revolution.
As the Cuban people labored under a violently repressive regime throughout the 50s, Mob leaders Meyer Lansky & Charles “”Lucky”” Luciano turned their eye to Havana. To them, Cuba was the ultimate dream, the greatest hope for the future of the US Mob in the post-Prohibition years of intensified government crackdowns. But when it came time to make their move, it was Lansky, the brilliant Jewish mobster, who reigned supreme. Having cultivated strong ties with the Cuban government & in particular the brutal dictator Fulgencio Batista, Lansky brought key mobsters to Havana to put his ambitious business plans in motion.
Before long, the Mob, with Batista’s corrupt government in its pocket, owned the biggest luxury hotels & casinos in Havana, launching an unprecedented tourism boom complete with the most lavish entertainment, the world’s biggest celebrities, the most beautiful women & gambling galore. But their dreams collided with those of Fidel Castro, Che Guevara & others who would lead the country’s disenfranchised to overthrow their corrupt government & its foreign partners—an epic cultural battle that English captures in all its sexy, decadent, ugly glory. “
6 .) The Firm by John Grisham
Lists It Appears On:
- Lake Forest High School
- Mystery Tribune
- Ranker
When Mitch McDeere signed on with Bendini, Lambert & Locke of Memphis, he thought that he and his beautiful wife, Abby, were on their way. The firm leased him a BMW, paid off his school loans, arranged a mortgage, and hired the McDeeres a decorator. Mitch should have remembered what his brother Ray–doing fifteen years in a Tennessee jail–already knew: You never get nothing for nothing. Now the FBI has the lowdown on Mitch’s firm and needs his help. Mitch is caught between a rock and a hard place, with no choice–if he wants to live.
5 .) The Outfit: The Role of Chicago’s Underworld in the Shaping of Modern America by Gus Russo
Lists It Appears On:
- National Crime Syndicate
- T.J. English
- Ranker
“The never-before-told story of the great Chicago crime family called The Outfit.
It is a common misperception that all the true-life organized crime stories have been written. Yet perhaps the most compelling gangster tale is one that has been, until now, too well-hidden. This is the story of the Outfit: the secretive organized crime cartel that began its reign in prohibition-era Chicago before becoming the real puppet master of Hollywood, Las Vegas, and Washington D.C.
The Outfit recounts the adventures and exploits of its bosses, Tony ‘Joe Batters’ Accardo (the real Godfather), Murray ‘The Camel’ or ‘Curly’ Humphreys (one of the greatest political fixers and union organizers this country has ever known), Paul ‘The Waiter’ Ricca, and Johnny Rosselli (the liaison between the shadowy world and the outside world). Their invisibility was their strength, and what kept their leader from ever spending a single night in jail. The Outfit bosses were the epitome of style and grace, moving effortlessly among national political figures and Hollywood studio heads-until their world started to crumble in the 1970s.
With extensive research including recently released FBI files, the Chicago Crime files of entertainer Steve Allen, first-ever access to the voluminous working papers of the Kefauver Committee, original interviews with the members of the Fourth Estate who pursued the Outfit for forty years, and exclusive access to the journals of Humphrey’s widow, veteran journalist Gus Russo uncovers sixty years of corruption and influence, and examines the shadow history of the United States.”
4 .) The Westies: Inside New York’s Irish Mob by T.J. English
Lists It Appears On:
- Goodreads
- Goodreads 2
- National Crime Syndicate
Even among the Mob, the Westies were feared. Starting with a partnership between two sadistic thugs, Jimmy Coonan and Mickey Featherstone, the gang rose out of the inferno of Hell’s Kitchen, a decaying tenderloin slice of New York City’s West Side. They became the most notorious gang in the history of organized crime, excelling in extortion, numbers running, loan sharking, and drug peddling. Upping the ante on depravity, their specialty was execution by dismemberment. Though never numbering more than a dozen members, their reign lasted for almost twenty years―until their own violent natures got the best of them, precipitating a downfall that would become as infamous as their notorious ascension into the annals of crime.
3 .) Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi
Lists It Appears On:
- Goodreads 2
- Ranker
- T.J. English
“This is the true-crime bestseller that was the basis for Martin Scorsese’s film masterpiece GoodFellas, which brought to life the violence, the excess, the families, the wives and girlfriends, the drugs, the payoffs, the paybacks, the jail time, and the Feds…with Henry Hill’s crackling narration drawn straight out of Wiseguy and overseeing all the unforgettable action.
Read it and experience the secret life inside the mob—from one who’s lived it.”
2 .) Gomorrah by Roberto Saviano
Lists It Appears On:
- Five Books
- Goodreads 2
- Polka Cafe
- The Guardian
- Wikipedia
“A groundbreaking, unprecedented bestseller in Italy, Roberto Saviano’s insider account traces the decline of the city of Naples under the rule of the Camorra, an organized crime network more powerful and violent than the Mafia. The Camorra is an elaborate, international system dealing in drugs, high fashion, construction, and toxic waste, and its influence has entirely transformed life in Campania, the province surrounding Naples.
Since seeing his first murder victim, at thirteen, Roberto Saviano has watched the changes in his home city. For Gomorrah, he disappeared into the Camorra and witnessed up close the drug cartel’s audacious, sophisticated, and far-reaching corruption that has paralyzed his home city and introduced the world to a new breed of organized crime.”
1 .) The Godfather by Mario Puzo
Lists It Appears On:
- Goodreads 2
- Lake Forest High School
- Mystery Tribune
- Ranker
- The Guardian
- Polka Cafe
“With its brilliant and brutal portrayal of the Corleone family, The Godfather burned its way into our national consciousness. This unforgettable saga of crime and corruption, passion and loyalty continues to stand the test of time, as the definitive novel of the Mafia underworld.
A number-one New York Times bestseller in 1969, Mario Puzo’s epic was turned into the incomparable film of the same name, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. It is the original classic that has been often imitated, but never matched. A tale of family and society, law and order, obedience and rebellion, it reveals the dark passions of human nature played out against a backdrop of the American dream.”
The 175+ Additional Best Books About The Mafia
| # | Book | Author | Lists |
| (Titles Appear On 1 List Each) | |||
| 26 | A FATHER’S STORY | LIONEL DAHMER | T.J. English |
| 27 | A Love of Vengeance | Nancy Haviland | Goodreads 2 |
| 28 | A Necessary Sin | Georgia Cates | Goodreads 2 |
| 29 | A PICKPOCKET’S TALE | TIMOTHY J. GILFOYLE | T.J. English |
| 30 | Accardo: The Genuine Godfather | National Crime Syndicate | |
| 31 | Al Capone: A Biography | Luciano Iorizzo | Questia |
| 32 | ALL GOD’S CHILDREN | FOX BUTTERFIELD | T.J. English |
| 33 | ALWAYS RUNNING | LUIS RODRIGUEZ | T.J. English |
| 34 | An Obsession with Vengeance | Nancy Haviland | Goodreads 2 |
| 35 | And Then You Die | Michael Dibdin | Ranker |
| 36 | Anthony’s Boy: The Prince of Bath Avenue; the True Story of Former Bonanno Family Hitman, Joey Calco | Richard Stanley Cagan | Goodreads |
| 37 | ARTEMIS FOWL (Artemis Fowl, #1) | Eoin Colfer | Lake Forest High School |
| 38 | Assassin: a terrifying true story | Christopher Robbins | Goodreads |
| 39 | AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X | ARTHUR HALEY | T.J. English |
| 40 | Black Irish | Mystery Tribune | |
| 41 | Blowing Up Russia | Wikipedia | |
| 42 | Bomb grade | Brian Freemantle | Ranker |
| 43 | Bone in the Throat | Anthony Bourdain | Ranker |
| 44 | Born to the Mob: The True-Life Story of the Only Man to Work for All Five of New York’s Mafia Families | Frankie Saggio | Goodreads |
| 45 | Boss of Bosses: The FBI and Paul Castellano | Joseph F. O’Brien | Goodreads 2 |
| 46 | Bound | Cora Reilly | Goodreads 2 |
| 47 | Brooklyn: A State of Mind | Gang Land News | |
| 48 | Bugsy : The Bloodthirsty, Lusty Life of Benjamin ‘Bugsy’ Siegel | George Carpozi Jr. | Goodreads |
| 49 | Burn | Callie Hart | Goodreads 2 |
| 50 | BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE | DEE BROWN | T.J. English |
| 51 | Business or Blood: Mafia Boss Vito Rizzuto’s Last War | Peter Edwards | Goodreads |
| 52 | By Any Other Name | J.M. Darhower | Goodreads 2 |
| 53 | Byculla to Bangkok | Wikipedia | |
| 54 | California fire and life | Don Winslow | Ranker |
| 55 | Capone: The Life and World of Al Capone | John Kobler | Goodreads 2 |
| 56 | Capone: The Man and the Era | Laurence Bergreen | Polka Cafe |
| 57 | Captive in the Dark | C.J. Roberts | Goodreads 2 |
| 58 | City of Ice | Mystery Tribune | |
| 59 | Codes of Betrayal | Mystery Tribune | |
| 60 | Cornered Coyote | Dianne Harman | Goodreads 2 |
| 61 | Corruption and Organized Crime | Sandu, Adriana Magdalena; Nitu, Mirela Loredana | Questia |
| 62 | Cose di Cosa Nostra | Judge Giovanni Falcone | Five Books |
| 63 | Crow | A. Zavarelli | Goodreads 2 |
| 64 | Dark Protector | Celia Aaron | Goodreads 2 |
| 65 | Deciphering the Linkages between Organized Crime and Transnational Crime | Albanese, Jay S | Questia |
| 66 | DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY | JONATHAN LARSON | T.J. English |
| 67 | Dirty Angels | Karina Halle | Goodreads 2 |
| 68 | Dirty laundry | Tori Carrington | Ranker |
| 69 | Dock Boss: Eddie McGrath and the West Side Waterfront | Neil G. Clark | Goodreads |
| 70 | Donnie Brasco | Joseph D. Pistone | Goodreads |
| 71 | Easy Money | Jens Lapidus | Polka Cafe |
| 72 | Easy Street | Wikipedia | |
| 73 | EDUCATION OF A FELON | EDDIE BUNKER | T.J. English |
| 74 | El Diablo | M. Robinson | Goodreads 2 |
| 75 | Encyclopedia of Organized Crime in the United States: From Capone’s Chicago to the New Urban Underworld | Robert J. Kelly | Questia |
| 76 | FBI’s Mr. Big Rips FBI Bosses | Gang Land News | |
| 77 | Firewall | Andy McNab | Ranker |
| 78 | For Nothing | Mystery Tribune | |
| 79 | Gangland Gotham: New York’s Notorious Mob Bosses | Allan R. May | Questia |
| 80 | Gangland How the FBI Broke the Mob | Howard Blum | Ranker |
| 81 | Gangster | Lorenzo Carcaterra | Ranker |
| 82 | Get Even (Don’t Get Mad, #1) | Gretchen McNeil | Lake Forest High School |
| 83 | Ghost | A. Zavarelli | Goodreads 2 |
| 84 | Global Mafia | Antonio Nicaso and Lee Lamothe | The Guardian |
| 85 | God’s Mafia | Mystery Tribune | |
| 86 | Gotham Unbound: How New York City Was Liberated from the Grip of Organized Crime | James B. Jacobs; Coleen Friel; Robert Radick | Questia |
| 87 | HEIST SOCIETY (Heist Society, #1) | Ally Carter | Lake Forest High School |
| 88 | Hell’s Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs | Hunter S Thompson | Polka Cafe |
| 89 | Honor Thy Father | Gay Talese | Goodreads |
| 90 | Il Tenebroso Sodalizio | Salvatore Lupo | Five Books |
| 91 | ILLUSIVE (Illusive, #1) | Emily Jones-Lloyd | Lake Forest High School |
| 92 | IN COLD BLOOD | TRUMAN CAPOTE | T.J. English |
| 93 | Invisible Chains | Wikipedia | |
| 94 | Joseph Bonanno – A Man of Honor | National Crime Syndicate | |
| 95 | Killing Sarai | J.A. Redmerski | Goodreads 2 |
| 96 | King | T.M. Frazier | Goodreads 2 |
| 97 | Last Hit | Jessica Clare | Goodreads 2 |
| 98 | Layer Cake | JJ Connolly | Polka Cafe |
| 99 | Lords of the Levee | Wikipedia | |
| 100 | Lucian | Bethany-Kris | Goodreads 2 |
| 101 | Mafia | Gang Land News | |
| 102 | Mafia and Antimafia | Umberto Santino | The Guardian |
| 103 | Mafia and Mafiosi | Henner Hess | The Guardian |
| 104 | Mafia Cop: The Two Families of Michael Palermo; Saints Only Live in Heaven | Richard Stanley Cagan | Goodreads |
| 105 | Mafia Women | Clare Longrigg | Five Books |
| 106 | Mafias on the Move: How Organized Crime Conquers New Territories | Federico Varese | Questia |
| 107 | Man Overboard: The Counterfeit Resurrection of Phil Champagne | Burl Barer | Goodreads |
| 108 | MANHUNT | JAMES L. SWANSON | T.J. English |
| 109 | Meet The Bosses: From Capos to Godfathers | Nataniele Rossi | Goodreads |
| 110 | MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL | JOHN BERENDT | T.J. English |
| 111 | Mob Boss: The Life Of Little Al D’Arco, The Man Who Brought Down The Mafia | Gang Land News | |
| 112 | Mob over Miami | Michele McPhee | Ranker |
| 113 | Mobsters, Unions, and Feds: The Mafia and the American Labor Movement | James B. Jacobs | Questia |
| 114 | Monster in His Eyes | J.M. Darhower | Goodreads 2 |
| 115 | Mr. Capone: The Real Story of Al Capone | National Crime Syndicate | |
| 116 | Mr. Majestyk | Mystery Tribune | |
| 117 | Murder, Inc.: The Story Of The Syndicate | Burton B. Turkus | Goodreads |
| 118 | MY DARK PLACES | JAMES ELLROY | T.J. English |
| 119 | Narcoland | Anabel Hernandez | Polka Cafe |
| 120 | Nero | Sarah Brianne | Goodreads 2 |
| 121 | No Time for Heroes | Brian Freemantle | Polka Cafe |
| 122 | Notorious New Jersey | Gang Land News | |
| 123 | On Every Street | Karina Halle | Goodreads 2 |
| 124 | Organizing Portland: Organized Crime, Municipal Corruption, and the Teamsters Union | Donnelly, Robert C | Questia |
| 125 | Party Time | Shaun Attwood | Goodreads |
| 126 | Playboy’s Illustrated History Of Organized Crime | Richard Hammer | Goodreads |
| 127 | Primitive Rebels | Eric Hobsbawm | The Guardian |
| 128 | Prohibition Gangsters: The Rise and Fall of a Bad Generation | Marc Mappen | Questia |
| 129 | Ravage (Scarred Souls, #3) | Tillie Cole | Goodreads |
| 130 | Reap (Scarred Souls, #2) | Tillie Cole | Goodreads |
| 131 | Reaper | A. Zavarelli | Goodreads 2 |
| 132 | Red Square | Martin Cruz Smith | Ranker |
| 133 | Repeat Offender: Sin City’s Most Prolific Criminal and the Cop Who Caught Him | Bradley Nickell | Goodreads |
| 134 | Riot (Scarred Souls, #4) | Tillie Cole | Goodreads |
| 135 | Road to paradise | Max Allan Collins | Ranker |
| 136 | Ruin | C.D. Reiss | Goodreads 2 |
| 137 | Ruthless People | J.J. McAvoy | Goodreads 2 |
| 138 | Saint | A. Zavarelli | Goodreads 2 |
| 139 | Saving Caravaggio | Neil Griffiths | Ranker |
| 140 | Sempre | J.M. Darhower | Goodreads 2 |
| 141 | Snow Crash | Neal Stephenson | Ranker |
| 142 | SON OF THE MOB (Son of the Mob, #1) | Gordon Korman | Lake Forest High School |
| 143 | Sparrow | L.J. Shen | Goodreads 2 |
| 144 | Spin | C.D. Reiss | Goodreads 2 |
| 145 | SUCKER’S PROGRESS | HERBERT ASBURY | T.J. English |
| 146 | Target on Our Backs | J.M. Darhower | Goodreads 2 |
| 147 | Tears & Tiers | Gang Land News | |
| 148 | TEMPLAR | Jordan Mechner | Lake Forest High School |
| 149 | The Accountant’s Story | Roberto Escobar | Polka Cafe |
| 150 | The Bank Holiday Murders: The True Story of the First Whitechapel Murders | Tom Wescott | Goodreads |
| 151 | The Big Bankroll: The Life And Times Of Arnold Rothstein | Leo Katcher | Goodreads |
| 152 | The Canary That Couldn’t Fly | Gang Land News | |
| 153 | The Client | tJohn Grisham | Ranker |
| 154 | The company she keeps | Georgia Durante | Ranker |
| 155 | The Con Man’s Daughter | Mystery Tribune | |
| 156 | The Day of the Owl | Leonardo Sciascia | The Guardian |
| 157 | The dog who bit a policeman | Stuart M. Kaminsky | Ranker |
| 158 | The Dragon Syndicates | Martin Booth | Polka Cafe |
| 159 | THE EXECUTIONER’S SONG | NORMAN MAILER | T.J. English |
| 160 | The Family Corleone | Edward Falco | Goodreads 2 |
| 161 | The First Family: Terror, Extortion, Revenge, Murder, and the Birth of the American Mafia | Mike Dash | Goodreads 2 |
| 162 | The Four Corners, a Sicilian Story | Peter Cimino | Goodreads |
| 163 | The Gangs of New York | Wikipedia | |
| 164 | The Godfather Returns | Mark Winegardner | Ranker |
| 165 | The Good Rat A Great Read | Gang Land News | |
| 166 | The Greatest Menace: Organized Crime in Cold War America | Lee Bernstein | Questia |
| 167 | The Green Felt Jungle | Wikipedia | |
| 168 | The hit and The marksman | Brian Garfield | Ranker |
| 169 | THE HOT HOUSE | PETE EARLY | T.J. English |
| 170 | THE HOUSE OF THE SCORPION (House of the Scorpion, #1) | Nancy Farmer | Lake Forest High School |
| 171 | The Hunting Accident: A True Story of Crime and Poetry | David L. Carlson | Goodreads |
| 172 | The Japanese Mafia: Yakuza, Law, and the State | Peter B. E. Hill | Questia |
| 173 | The Last Don | Mario Puzo | Ranker |
| 174 | The Last Testament of Lucky Luciano | Martin A. Gosch | Goodreads |
| 175 | The Mad Ones: Crazy Joe Gallo | National Crime Syndicate | |
| 176 | The Mafia | Michele Angelo Vaccaro | Goodreads |
| 177 | The Mafia | Claire Sterling | Ranker |
| 178 | The Mafia Cops | Gang Land News | |
| 179 | The Mafia: The First 100 Years | William Balsamo | Goodreads |
| 180 | The Man to See | National Crime Syndicate | |
| 181 | The Man Who Robbed the Pierre | Ira Berkow | Goodreads |
| 182 | The night we met | Rob Byrnes | Ranker |
| 183 | The Origin of Organized Crime in America: The New York City Mafia, 1891-1931 | David Critchley | Goodreads |
| 184 | The Pirates of Somalia | Wikipedia | |
| 185 | The plan | Stephen J. Cannell | Ranker |
| 186 | The President’s Keepers | Wikipedia | |
| 187 | The Real Lucky Luciano | National Crime Syndicate | |
| 188 | The Republic of Gupta | Wikipedia | |
| 189 | The Russian Mafia: Private Protection in a New Market Economy | Federico Varese | Questia |
| 190 | The Salvation of Vengeance | Nancy Haviland | Goodreads 2 |
| 191 | The Shame of the Cities | Wikipedia | |
| 192 | The Sicilian | Mario Puzo | Ranker |
| 193 | The Ten Million Dollar Getaway: The Inside Story of the Lufthansa Heist | Doug Feiden | Goodreads |
| 194 | The Untouchables | Wikipedia | |
| 195 | The Wiseguy Cookbook | Gang Land News | |
| 196 | This Is for the Mara Salvatrucha | Samuel Logan | Polka Cafe |
| 197 | Threat Analysis: Organized Crime and Narco-Terrorism in Northern Mexico | Knowles, Gordon James | Questia |
| 198 | To Save a Son | Brian Freemantle | Ranker |
| 199 | Top 10 American Serial Killers: Inside the Minds of Psychopaths | Sybil Jensen | Goodreads |
| 200 | Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitives | Sybil Jensen | Goodreads |
| 201 | Torture to Her Soul | J.M. Darhower | Goodreads 2 |
| 202 | TOUGH JEWS | RICH COHEN | T.J. English |
| 203 | TULIA | NATE BLAKESLEE | T.J. English |
| 204 | Vendetta: An Exciting Action Story about the Mob | Ed Frederico | Goodreads |
| 205 | White shadow | Ace Atkins | Ranker |
| 206 | Wrong | L.P. Lovell | Goodreads 2 |
| 207 | Yakuza: Japan’s Criminal Underworld | David E. Kaplan; Alec Dubro | Questia |
13 Best Mafia Book Sources/Lists
| Source | Article |
| Five Books | John Dickie recommends the best books on theItalian Mafia |
| Gang Land News | Books About the Mob |
| Goodreads | True Crime – Organized Crime, Mafia |
| Goodreads 2 | Popular Organized Crime Books |
| Lake Forest High School | The Mob, Mafia, and Other Organized Crime Novels |
| Mystery Tribune | Top 10 Great Mafia And Organized Crime Novels |
| National Crime Syndicate | Top 10 Mafia Books |
| Polka Cafe | 15 Books That Show You The Dark And Gritty World Of The Mafia |
| Questia | Organized Crime |
| Ranker | The Best Mafia Books |
| T.J. English | 20 Essential Non-fiction Crime Books (for the aficionado) |
| The Guardian | The top 10 books about the mafia |
| Wikipedia | Category:Non-fiction books about organized crime |
