The Butcher: Anatomy of a Mafia Psychopath

Pitera was never a "Captain" in the Bonanno organization and Roy Demeo was not a captain in the Gambino organization. They were both made men that had crews made up of associates. Only a Captain can have other made men reporting to him. I have lost count of how many websites and books have these two listed as Captains. Captains by a rule keep their hands clean and do not get involved in the day to day operations of murder and drug dealing. It’s too risky for the Boss of the crime family. He can’t have a direct report engage in murder because it will lead a trail right to the boss. Pitera lived by the Samurai ethos. Discipline, control, and also a total lack of mercy when confronting and killing your enemy, the only time he lost control was when his beloved common law wife died of a drug overdose from drugs supplied by her friend, whom Pitera had asked, pleaded with and warn to stay away from. Unlike Roy Demeo Pitera had a clean record up until the day he was arrested in June of 1990, He completed high school, spent all of his free time studying martial arts and won a martial arts competition which paid for him to study Karate in Japan under Japanese masters for 2 years. He is an enigma of a man; he was a law abiding, respectful student and son who upon his return from Japan made the decision to become a Mobster. The Phillip Carlo book pulp fiction biography of Pitera does not do his story justice and is filled with inconsistencies. Carlo uses the previously unheard of term “War Captain” throughout the book. What exactly is a “War Captain”? Your guess is a good as mine as I have never read or heard the expression before. He repeats the fallacy that Pitera was a “Captain” in the Bonanno crime family throughout the book. The actual captain of the Pitera crew was a man named Frank Lino how a “Captain can report to another Captain is never explained because it would never happen. Yes the book holds your attention the same way a good comic book would with lots of flash but no substance. Carlo also loves to use the expression “The Mean Streets of Brooklyn” he uses it so many times it becomes humorous and then very annoying

Tommy was very normal although somewhat reserved, played high school football was liked and respected by all teamates. What he lacked in natural ability, he made up in tenacity and determination. He was always working out, and trying to improve. Never missed a practice and was very disciplined. Always respectful of coaches, girls and adults. Very sad to read of the choices he made, but growing up in Bensonhurst it was very easy to go down the wrong road. Many victims in Tommy's life, but he too was a victim- of Gravesend Brooklyn.

The story was interesting however with its constant repetition of telling situations over and over, I felt the book could have been extremely condensed. The amount of side character detail was also incredibly redundant and boring. 50+ chapters was completely unecessary