On November 14, 1957, state troopers raided an estate in Apalachin, New York, and arrested 59 affluent men, with nearly as many more escaping through the surrounding woods. The next morning’s headlines hailed the gathering as a summit meeting of organized crime, alerting America to the reality of a national Mafia whose existence had been hotly debated. This first in-depth study of that historic meeting chronicles how it changed the course of American history by inspiring federal legislation to crack down on labor racketeering; forcing drastic policy revisions within the U.S. Department of Justice; and prompting charges of criminal fraud in one of America’s most heatedly contested presidential elections. By explaining the context and consequences of the raid, this volume establishes the gathering at Apalachin as a pivotal event in the history of syndicated crime and of the government’s response to the Mafia.

Michael Newton is an award-winning author of numerous books on topics ranging from cryptozoology to civil rights and organized crime. He lives in Indiana.

Michael Newton
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 240
Bibliographic Info: 82 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2012
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6640-5
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8986-2
Imprint: McFarland

Preface      1

1: “Our Thing”      3

2: Black Hands      15

3: Liquid Gold      30

4: Gangbusters      46

5: Bright Lights, Big Cities      67

6: Rumors of War      76

7: The Sit-Down      85

8: Busted!      104

9: Playing Catch-Up      115

10: Trial and Error      143

11: Electing Giovanni      162

12: The Roundup      181

Chapter Notes      201

Bibliography      219

Index      223

“a detailed, comprehensive, and methodical historical survey and analysis…informed, informative, superbly written and presented…must read”—Midwest Book Review; “this well researched book focuses on the general history of organized crime in the U.S.”—Reference & Research Book News.