I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I usually don't enjoy crime books but found this one very interesting.

They Called Him a Gangster is the story of Meyer Lansky written by his longtime friend and lover. Zali de Toledo has written a sensitive memior showing a different side of this man.

Meyer Lansky was considered to be one of the world's most dangerous men. He was rumored to be a financier and bagman for the mafia, with an estimated $300 million stashed safely offshore.

Zali de Toledo met Meyer Lansky at the King David Hotel. Despite the enormous age difference, they were friends and lovers for twelve years, until his death. Based on memories and letters, this book shows a very different side of this ruthless man.

I would highly recommend this title to true crime lovers and anyone interested in the American Mafia.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free digital copy of this title to review from Net Galley.

#TheyCalledHimaGangster#NetGalley

this was a really unique memoir, I really enjoyed reading the stories in this. It was what I was looking for in this type of book.

Okay, so, Meyer Lansky, not the first person who comes to mind when you think kind, compassionate lover. But, it turns out, as there is to every story, there are multiple sides. I really enjoyed this book, It gives readers an insight into the behind the scenes world of Lansky, not the Mafia connections so much as the person himself. And surprise, just like us, he had wants and desires, emotional longings, and the drive to be a sort of humanitarian even when it conflicted with his other associations.

The first half of this book is a memoir about being the amour of Lansky, and the second half features many of his private letters, now made public. I thought both parts were interesting, but certainly seeing the documents with one's own eyes and realising that Lansky was more than just an overinflated personality was fascinating.

If you enjoy looking into the history of famous personalities and being able to see things from a different point of view than the media offers, this would be an excellent book for you. I found myself beginning to like this man by the end of the book. Something I didn't think was possible before.

Recommended.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I found the first part of this book, which detailed the author's early life, to be very informative. I only wish it could have been more detailed and contained more about her daily life in Istanbul and Israel. I have no doubt that she believes what has been written. However, every story has three sides; hers, his, and the truth. I feel that he had no reason to admit to any wrong doing or misdeeds. That his word was stronger than a written agreement I have no doubt. A written agreement can be produced in a court of law and will stand on its own. A verbal agreement is generally considered to be hear say and open to interpretation by all concerned parties. I would have liked to have seen both sides (hers and his) of the written letters which was not produced and unlikely to be produced. In summary I feel this was an attempt at revisionist history writing by the author without providing supporting details.

I would rate this book a maximum of three stars based on the portion concerning the author's early life.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review and the thoughts expressed are mine and based upon my reading of the book.

A very different and really not a gangster book at all in the sense of gangster books. The opens the book with the first few chapters describing her life growing up getting married and then divorcing the man leaving her daughter which she explains and then going to Israel. Once there she speaks of various jobs she had and then it is at one of these that she meets Mr. Lansky who is taken with her and then he gets her a different job and then from there she speaks of the time they spent together at her apartment. She also speaks of the different government officials in America going after him but not being able to make any case stick. She also speaks of the unrest and bombings that happen in Israel and other political happenings at that time and how she got a job working at the Philharmonic. I just found it to be more about her life and what was going around her than really anything else, she did love him though despite the age difference. Just not really what I was expecting with the title.

What a life lived! Such an Amazing life to have lived and be able to share it with the world. This is a MUST READ! Jam packed with things that the average person has never seen, heard of will encounter in their entire lifetime.

This isn’t your typical gangster memoir, I found. It has a whole different angle and flavor to it. Be prepared for something different from your usual mob book. This is more intellectual and political, dealing with current affairs of the time, and affairs of the heart too, you could say. I enjoyed reading this book because it was different from your usual shoot-em-up gangster title, and more of a love story, with the very-married Lansky trying to return to Jerusalem to spend some time with his mistress. His detractors have been keeping him away based on his former bootlegging reputation, while his health declines. Advanced electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, the author Zali de Toledo, and publisher BooksGoSocial, for my unbiased review.

This book sounded interesting and different. I'm always interested in reading about another side of someone and this seemed to fit the bill. I was excited to hear about it and receive an ARC from Net Galley. Well, I tried to read this on 3 separate occasions, and each time I had to put it down. I found myself skimming most of the text and it was only the first few pages. Nothing grabbed me so it was a DNF.

I have read a lot of books about the mafia / white collar crime so I had high hopes for this book, however, it just didn't hit it for me. I am sorry. It is a DNF for me.

I'm sure that it's a wonderful book, but I tried a few chapters and it just didn't hold my interest..