My Father, My Don by Tony Naopli--Book Review

A gripping and raw true story of a father and son's relationship and the world of organized crime can be found in My Father, My Don by Tony Napoli with Charles Messina.

James "Jimmy Nap" Napoli was a mob kingpin who ruled over the largest gambling empire in America for almost forty years. In this no-holds-barred autobiography, James's son, Tony, describes his own life in the mob under the influence of his father and depicts the sometimes tense, but always cherished relationship he had with his father.

My Father, My Don opens with a powerful, graphically violent scene. But it is this scene that sets the tone for the telling of such a brutally honest story, and it is a scene that will be revisted toward the end of the book, when Tony has come full circle and is on the road to sobriety and healing.

This truly is a book that is about more than just two lives in the mysterious world of organized crime. It is the story of a boy whose family came to America from Italy on a banana boat looking for a better life. It is the story of a young James Napoli, seeking to be a man in the way he wished, instead of seeking the life his father wanted him to live. It is the story of Tony Napoli, who grew up the son of a mobster, loving his father, feeling his influence, but ultimately wanting to be himself. Most of all, it is a story of family--the ties that bind and the lengths to which one will go to protect his own.

From the first word to the last, this book will be one you won't be able to put down. You'll be disturbed at times and astounded at times, but more often you'll be moved by the level of respect and the amount of love one man has for his father. While exploring a world that is vastly different than what you might have experienced, you'll gain fresh insights into the intriguing and complicated world of organized crime. And there is at least one scene that will move you to tears.

Fascinating and gritty, My Father, My Don is a must read for anyone intrigued by organized crime or powerful stories of coming to grips with the past and moving on.


Title: My Father, My Don
Author: Tony Napoli with Charles Messina
Publisher: Beckham Publications Group, Inc.
ISBN: 978-0-9802380-5-1
SRP: $14.95 (U.S.)

You'll find our interview with Tony Napoli here.