The Last Gangster: From Cop to Wiseguy to FBI Informant: Big Ron Previte and the Fall of the American Mob

by George Anastasia

Book Overview

As a cop Ron Previte was corrupt. As a mobster he was brutal. And in his final role, as a confidential informant to the FBI, Previte was deadly. The Last Gangster is his story -- the story of the last days of the Philadelphia mob, and of the clash of generations that brought it down once and for all.

For thirty-five years Ron Previte roamed the underworld. A six foot-tall, 300-pound capo in the Philadelphia-South Jersey crime family, he ran...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060544228
• ISBN13: 9780060544225
• Release Date: March 2004
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 305 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A great read.Don't let Previte's "cuddliness"style fool you!

The inside cover has a quote by Ron Previte,a US Air Force veteran,father of 2(or more?)and a Philly mob member who wore a wire for the FBI.Previte says in regard to to Philly mob,"It's over.You'd have to be Ray Charles not to see it"!After reading this book you would have to agree that the Italian Philly mob has definitely suffered a dumbing down in the gene pool.There are actually comical parts in the book where Previte,while wearing his FBI microphone obseves that it has slid down his pants leg and is in plain view of the mobsters he's taping.With his intelligence and his sense of humor he covers the mic before anyone notices then goes about taping some more as if nothing happened! Previte comes off as a jolly Santa-Claus type figure laughing about the ridiculousness of his police informer status but well aware that his life is at risk every moment. I could see how some of Previte's mob associates would claim that Previte "entrapped"them but that's a hard case to prove when it comes to a criminal organization like LCN. There is a chapter where Previte compares the mafia of old to the new generation of LCN. It seems the mafia of old was smart businessmen who used assasinations sparingly.According to Previte's book,the new Mafia hiearchy is small time street hustlers in designer clothes who use murder as part of a "macho" type policy.The book contains a history of the Philly mob from homocide godfathers like Nicky Scarfo to the more recent ones.Like Ron says,"It's Over"!At least let's hope he's right.By the way you might like Previte's style but I would have to advise to keep a distance from him,the farther the better.Like a "Don't Feed the Bears" type distance.But you can still gaze in awe.In short, it appears that since the government is involved now in "legalized" gambling the Mafia is out of business.Too bad it took so long.Any "vice" industry that the government outlaws,the mob picks up and makes millions.The best way to stop the mob is to legalize "vice" industries then regulate them?

Good mob book

I love mob books and this one doesn't dissappoint. Must have for the mob book lover.

A Great Book

I think the writer of this book did an outstanding job in bringing together an outstanding book and those who rank it low have never read it to begin with it is worth the 5 star ranking

Anastasia succeeds with another volume on the Philly Mob

I must admit I came to this book with a little bias. About four years ago I read the author's first book, "Blood and Honor", about the Nicky Scarfo mob and was blown away. That book followed Nick Caramandi's rise from petty scam man to Mafia power within the Scarfo crew and at the same time excellently documented the day to day life of murder and treachery within the organization. "Mobfather" and "Goodfella Tapes" were Anastasia's next books and they followed as Scarfo and his guys went to jail and their sons and friends tried to hold on to what remained of the organization. "The Last Gangster" picks up where "Goodfella Tapes" left off. The boss who succeeded Scarfo is in jail and now Ralph Natale, an old hood who was in prison during the 15 years of turmoil, has emerged as the new boss. He was installed by Joey Merlino, the son of the underboss of Nicky Scarfo. The 35 year old Merlino was the victor of the mafia war over the remnants of the Scarfo empire documented in "The Goodfella Tapes". The books central character is Ron Previte who survived working for the previous boss and has emerged as a big earner for Natale and Merlino. Previte is also an informant for the FBI. He records conversations with scores of mobsters with the hope of crippling the Philly Mob once and for all. Like his previous books "The Last Gangster" succeeds in illustrating life as a hustler and a crook. More than that though it is a book with shows just how successful the governments fight against organized crime has been. Most of the talented mobsters are in jail and a lot of the sons and brothers still on the street do not have have the sophistication or intelligence of their predecessors and have to resort to street level crime. A fascinating book by itself and even more so when combined with Anastasia's previous work "The Last Gangster", is a keeper in any library.

Terrific insight into the Philly mob

Anastasia has written a very good book about the Philadelphia Mafia, plain and simple. The book covers the time period from Angelo Bruno's murder on March 21, 1980 through the present, with some background on Bruno as well. The man most responsible for the downfall of Philadelphia mob bosses Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino, Ralph Natale and John Stanfa was Ron Previte, a gangster-turned-FBI informant who managed to capture all of the above on devastating FBI surveillance tapes by wearing a wire while putting his life at risk every day. The book centers mostly around Previte, and it's a good choice - he's interesting to read about and he certainly was/is a colorful character. Many probably believe that Previte is a "rat," or the ultimate turncoat on his Mafia "friends." Part of me agrees - he disobeyed a trust, even if it was based on criminal activities. That trust was also based on friendship, BUT the main point is that Previte was only loyal to himself, not those around him. After reading the book, it's also true that Previte did Philadelphia and society a favor by playing an integral role in putting 21 mobsters behind bars.As someone who has read a great deal about the five Mafia families in New York, I was mostly unfamiliar with the Philadelphia branch of La Cosa Nostra. Anastasia brings dead and alive Philly mobsters to life in a well-written, fast-reading book. The author clearly knows this subject well and it shows in his writing. This book is a must for people who enjoy Mafia tomes. I also highly recommend "Underboss," written by Peter Maas with Sammy Gravano.