Publisher's Weekly Review
When do the crimes of a Mafia informant outweigh the benefits of his cooperation with law enforcement? Lance's thrilling account of the murderous career of Greg Scarpa Sr. engages with that complex question and makes a convincing case that the cost of utilizing the "Grim Reaper" was far too high. Among the numerous revelations that Lance's dogged research turns up is that Scarpa actually provided the FBI with its first insider look at the Cosa Nostra, years before Joe Valachi did the same. The mobster's relationship with the Bureau began in 1960, during the reign of J. Edgar Hoover, and his contributions ranged from outing notorious wiseguys to strategically providing misinformation and helping solve a civil rights murder case that required dubious investigative tactics. But his handlers had to intervene time and again to spare Scarpa from the consequences of his crimes-despite evidence of his role in at least 25 murders, he spent only 30 days in prison. Lance, a five-time Emmy Award-winning ABC News correspondent, also examines the equally dramatic case of one of Scarpa's FBI handlers, Lin DeVecchio, who was accused of aiding his informant in multiple murders. This scrupulously investigated tale (Lance pored over more than 1,150 pages of previously secret FBI files) will have true crime fans on the edge of their seats. Photos & appendices. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
ABC news correspondent Lance (Triple Cross: How bin Laden's Master Spy Penetrated the CIA, the Green Berets, and the FBI, 2009) delivers an exhaustive examination into the life and crimes of Mafia capo Gregory Scarpa Sr. and his questionable decadeslong relationship with the FBI. The author reveals that Scarpa, a notoriously violent killer, received tens of thousands of dollars from the FBI for feeding them information that would help indict several of his rival gangsters. Yet despite his claims that he had killed more than 50 people, Scarpa never spent more than 30 days in jail. In addition, writes Lance, Scarpa was known to J. Edgar Hoover and was recruited to assist the Feds when their methods failed--most notably, in the "interrogation" of a Mississippi Ku Klux Klan member who was involved in the murder of three civil rights workers in 1964. But Lance is most interested in the relationship that developed between Scarpa and his handler, Agent Lindley DeVecchio. He asserts that over many years, DeVecchio supplied classified information to Scarpa, which in turn led to the deaths of several of Scarpa's adversaries. DeVecchio was eventually indicted on multiple counts of murder, although the case was dropped before the trial concluded. Lance delves into the details of the trial through newly released court records to prove DeVecchio's involvement in Scarpa's nefarious activities. The book is extensively researched, using personal interviews, letters, court documents and declassified FBI files. At more than 600 pages, it could use some editing, however, especially toward the end, when Lance attempts to connect the story of Scarpa and DeVecchio to larger issues of international terrorism. It's often difficult--if not downright overwhelming--to keep track of the many players in this story, but aficionados of Mafia history and those concerned with FBI corruption will find this thorough investigation satisfying.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
The use of criminals as paid informants is always a dicey proposition, and it becomes especially risky and morally ambiguous as law-enforcement officials move up the criminal food chain to try to nail organized-crime figures. Lance, a former correspondent for ABC News, illustrates this point in a meticulously researched and frightening account of the long-term relationship between the FBI and vicious Mafia thug Gregory Scarpa Sr., who liked to be called the Killing Machine. Helped by the often unwitting cover provided by his FBI handlers, Scarpa continued his criminal activities, including drug dealing, robbery, and multiple Mob hits. He was also a master manipulator of his Mafia colleagues, managing to avoid detection and helping to instigate factional violence among them. In return, Scarpa provided a steady stream of information to the FBI, including outlining the command structure of Mafia families. After these stunning revelations, readers must ask if the information was worth the carnage that Scarpa continued to inflict.--Freeman, Jay Copyright 2010 Booklist
