Mafia Hit Man Carmine DiBiase: The Wiseguy Who Really Killed Joey Gallo

DiMatteo and Benson (Carmine the Snake and His Murderous Family) add to a collection of books, articles, and films about the killing of mobster Joey Gallo; here, they use Gallo’s murder as a jumping-off point to explore the lives of dozens of New York–based mobsters. DiMatteo, who was born into a mob family, takes issue with many popular culture accounts of the Gallo hit, in particular Frank Sheeran’s claim to have killed Gallo. The authors give a detailed account of the suspected assassins, focusing on Carmine DiBiase, a rival mobster who was back on the streets, having managed to get a capital murder conviction overturned on appeal. DiMatteo and Benson don’t shy away from discussing Gallo’s flaws—his abuse of his wife, the murders he committed—instead attempting to offer a nuanced image of the man; this effort largely falls short. The authors’ writing style mimics a midcentury gangster voice, which frequently veers into clichés (“broads”; “dig?”); at one point, DiMatteo and Benson respond to claims about the accuracy of a congressional record with a simple “LOL.” Still, they offer detailed accounts of neighborhoods, restaurants, and characters in this unsavory world.