Booknote: The Quiet Don

Matt Birbeck, The Quiet Don: the Untold Story of Mafia Kingpin Russell Bufalino. New York: Berkeley Books, 2013.  ISBN: 978-0-425-26685-4.

Genre: nonfiction
Subgenre: biography, true crime, Mafia, mobsters
Format: paperback
Source: Berea branch of the Madison County (KY) Public Library

This book is about reclusive Pennsylvania mob boss Russell Bufalino. On the one hand, the book has some interesting points. On the other hand, the writing is often a convoluted mess as Birbeck follows a non-linear narrative storytelling style that makes events and people confusing to the reader. The story already involves a large cast and a lot of events, and Birbeck's not so organized narrative complicates the reading.

Bufalino's base of power was in Northeastern Pennsylvania. If you are not from Pennsylvania, it may be you had no idea there was a Pennsylvania Mafia. There was, seems like there still is, and Bufalino led it. But he also had reach into New York and even Washington, D.C. Bufalino was part of a massive culture of corruption in Pennsylvania that went from city officials to the governor of Pennsylvania. Along the way, he flexed his power in places like New York, influenced U.S. Congressmen, and even had assets in Cuba before Castro rose to power.

If you need a visual on Cuba, think of that scene in the film The Godfather, Part II where the mobsters carve up a cake depicting the island of Cuba:



In addition, Bufalino was a mobster who seemed to have a  hand almost anywhere. Did he get Jimmy Hoffa killed? Possibly. Did he help the CIA in attempts to topple Castro? Maybe. The book tells an interesting story, and it raises questions. A catch is that there is no bibliography nor additional sources listed. So one may wonder how much is true and what may be, well, a bit embellished.

A big issue with the book is the narrative style. Birbeck often jumps from one event to another, often with little to no transition. Somewhere along the way, a bit halfway through the book, he mentions Bufalino's passing. Then the author skips back in time, forward again, and you end up wondering if such and such event was before or after Bufalino died. The last part of the book dealing with De Naples happens long after Bufalino is dead. On the one hand, it shows the legacy of corruption Bufalino left  behind. On the other hand, at that point you might forget this book is ostensibly about Bufalino since at that point we are well past Bufalino's time. Overall, the subject matter of the book is interesting, but the narrative is so disjointed to really get into the book. I finished the book, but it was often not an easy read.

I ended up liking the book, mainly for the interesting parts. The portrayal of Jimmy Hoffa makes me want to find a good book or two on him. The CIA and the Mob connection seems a bit of a stretch,but again, something I can check out later. For me, if a book encourages me to read more, that is always a good thing. However, as I said, the disorganized style takes away a lot from the book.

3 out of 5 stars.

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Some brief additional reading notes:

On how Bufalino rose to power:

"He was smart, organized, and maintained the lowest of profiles" (108). 

And he lived simply:

"He lived in a modest ranch-style home he purchased for $22,000. He dressed plainly, drove an older car. . . " (109). 

Plus,

". . . Bufalino cultivated politicians and took care of local police departments, either through cash handouts or favors" (109). 

Further,

"Alliances with law enforcement and local, state, and federal politicians were simply considered good business, and it didn't hurt if you could count among your friends a U.S. congressman or senator" (167).