Breaking the Mob: The Gripping True Story of a Dedicated Cop Who Led the Successful Fight That Put an Entire Mafia Family Out of Busines

A former Philadelphia police captain who rose through the ranks and headed his city's Organized Crime Task Force, Friel played a major role in the breakup of the Nicky Scarfo Mafia family. The Scarfo mob, originally based in the City of Brotherly Love, expanded its focus to include Atlantic City when legalized gambling was approved for the seaside resort. Scarfo, a violent and unpredictable man, had taken over after his two predecessors were murdered within a year; his ascendance set off a wave of killings. Collaborating with Guinther ( Brotherhood of Murder ), Friel tells how police work brought the don and dozens of his underlings to justice in 1989. The book also details Friel's own successful effort to free a wrongly convicted man from death row. But what makes the book especially noteworthy are the authors' insights into the psychology of mobsters and their recommendations for increased efficiency in fighting the drug war, especially interagency cooperation. (July)