Definitely a book that you will enjoy if you like to deep dive into certain time periods, or seeing how corruption often is born out of people trying to fix a problem. I enjoyed this book, but it is a little on the drier side, and there are a lot of people we are following in this story. I would recommend for anyone who is interested in early 1900's New York City, or in the American underworld.

In The Incorruptibles, Dan Slater does an amazing job of making the Jewish gangland underworld come to life. The intricacies of the gang leaders and of all of their grift and crime is exciting to learn about. So too is it interesting to learn about the key players who were tenacious and dedicated enough to try to bring the corruption to an end. They were truly the precursors to Eliot Ness and The Untouchables. Fantastic read!

This book is both fascinating and disturbing. These are tales that were never shared at my family’s dinner table and yet, I can recognized some bits and pieces. Not so much that leads me to believe my grandparents and great grandparents were involved in an deep way but enough to recognize that no matter how good and just a life they led, they could not have remained immune or separated. Marginalization, unsubstantiated hatred and fear and loathing leave few options open. Even as a child of the post Holocaust world where I thought, foolishly perhaps, that blatant anti-Semitic vitriol might, for once, be a thing of the past, what I read here and what I read and see now almost as pervasively as it once was, it makes me weep.

It matters not what contributions of a the individual or the group, it will never be enough. It makes mew hear the same words and sentiments spoken of others by people who should but do not know any better. But the poster child will always be, as has always been, the Jew. The ultimate outsider who will never in the sight of many be good enough.

The book highlights a place in time when those who wished to sanitize the system and those who decided to play the system truly came into head on collisions. Thanks to the poison of people like Henry Ford, the good intentions of the Incorruptibles would infect the next generation and one wicked man in particular, Hitler. So in a way, the book speaks to how the world could allow the unthinkable to happen. I wish I believed that in the last century the collective human brain had gained some wisdom. Alas, I do not come away from this book feeling very heartened.

Which does not mean it is not an important book that deserves to be read. It is and does. It is said that if we do not understand history, we are doomed to repeat it. Perhaps we are just doomed to repeat it regardless. Five very sad purrs.

Dan Slater has written a really informative interesting look at a cast of characters and the rise of what we know as the mob.He portrays these people as the corrupt group of underworld dangerous characters. Iwas drawn in from the first pages really enjoyed the book.#netgalley #littlebrown.

Sigh.

If you go into this expecting [and who wouldn't with that title] "The Untouchables" [IYKYK], I am sorry to say, you'll be [like me] disappointed.

I was expecting a pretty even mix of the kingpins/baddies and the men that wanted to take them down [sounds like a great book right?]; alas, this is not what I got. This was very kingpin/baddie heavy and VERY light on the very men that worked to eradicate their evilness from the city they loved [as an aside, the title is very misleading IMO], with those men not showing up to the story until about halfway and then you get a scant 2-4 chapters before they seemingly disappear for forever and you are just left with all the baddies and their escapades [and how they keep evading prosecution] and wondering what happened.

I do, at this point, need to say this; Mr. Slater knows how to research [the research here is meticulous - he must have REAMS of paper or terabytes of information], and he CAN write [the book is often engaging even if it wasn't what I was expecting], and so I have to admit to being interested and intrigued by what I was reading. Unfortunately, it was often a mishmash of characters that are not fully fleshed out, side characters that are so engaging you wish you had a whole book about them [and then *POOF* they are gone] and so many others that I finally stopped trying to keep track [I was so lost through much of this character-wise], and after awhile, it just got frustrating and disappointing

Overall, even though I am disappointed, some of what I read [in the midst of some of the jumble] was really interesting and with the caveat that the title of the book is a touch misleading, I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in the underworld of New York City and all the baddies that tried to make it their town.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dan Slater, and Little, Brown, and Company for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wrote about this on goodreads and the storygraph and shared links on various social media sites

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6701703034

This was a fascinating and edifying chronicle of the development of organized crime in the Jewish community on the Lower East Side of New York City at the turn of the 20th century. There are interesting characters and lots of action. You know how they say that truth is stranger than fiction? This is an excellent example.

There is so much going on here, from murder and prostitution to union organizing and "grafting," or paying off cops, and lots in between. It's all tied into the reign of Tammany Hall and how that kept reformers from making progress.

The plot more or less follows the trajectory of one Abe Shoenfeld, or "prettyfield" in the anglicized version, as he tries to rid the community of its vices while improving the lot of the poor workers.

There are many disturbing elements as you might imagine. Some graphic parts of the prostitution and plenty of people being killed. Some of it seems contrived until you remember it's not a novel but real life!

It has a satisfying epilogue where we see the author's personal connection to the story as well as what happened to Abe later on.

I took some points off because as interesting as this was, I think the reach was a bit too broad. That made it hard to follow at certain points, with so many characters and pathways. While sometimes I was itching to get back to it, other parts I skimmed. I also would have loved to hear more about the end stories of some of the characters, specifically Tony and Lily, young friends whose lives veered in different directions.

Thank you to NetGalley, Little, Brown, and Dan Slater for an advanced copy for review.

A story of the rise of underworld figures in turn of the century New York (19th to 20th turn).

I was really interested in this subject but the way it was organized was confusing. It skipped around between characters early on with a lot of people and little explanation.

he Incorruptibles: A True Story of Kingpins, Crime Busters, and the Birth of the American Underworld by Dan Slater

Why I Chose It: I am fascinated with mobs and gangs especially in NYC. Also, that cover!

Meticulously researched, it was evident the author was passionate about this subject. He brought to life NYC in the early 1900s in all its unsavoriness.

I think with all nonfiction books that look at a time period, it’s easy to get bogged down by the details. This book could’ve cut many side characters and history rabbit holes. I understand to get the full picture details need to be added, but I felt like too many things were added that I lost the actual focus many times. Overall, I did feel like I learned new things, so that’s a nonfiction win in my book.

Fans of well-researched nonfiction, the history of New York City, and interesting people trying to make it will enjoy this one.

I read this book during my vacation and found it to be a little cumbersome, to be honest. The premise of the book is interesting, especially as I enjoy reading true crime books (along with other genres). The execution of it was difficult to get through.

The book is about a time in NYC history when the city was basically lawless and there were levels of crime being committed by different factions. Among these were the Jewish mob. This book follows the story of one mobster's rise and eventual demise - Harry Rosenthal.

One thing I do have to make note of is that it is obvious that Dan Slater is passionate about this subject - Slater puts down so many details and seems to want to ensure that every little bit of this story is covered. However, his attention to detail makes the book lag in many places and difficult to get through. I kept plugging along because every so often the action would pick up, but I think it could have worked without all of the backstories and just telling Rosenthal's tale without getting into all of the background characters' details.

Overall, I am glad that I read the book as I learned a little more about the history of the city I grew up in and would recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about NYC's history.

Thank you to Netgalley for the electronic ARC and to the publisher, Little, Brown, and Company for making it available.

I'm not going to lie. When I requested The Incorruptibles by Dan Slater from Netgalley, I immediately had visions of Kevin Costner from The Untouchables in my head. For those of us old enough to remember, I need say no more. For the young people, it was a crime movie and I have no idea if it holds up, but I do remember Sean Connery was at his very best. What does this all have to do with the book? Regrettably, not much.

Slater tells the tale of crime in the Jewish section of New York City in the early 1900s. I cannot knock his passion or research skills. Unfortunately, Slater did not know when to kill his darlings. There are two main characters, but each of them will completely disappear for long stretches. Additionally, Slater never met a side character he could cut from the narrative. This book is littered with diversions and sometimes random and extended history lessons which bog the book down to the point where a character shows up and you say, "Wait, who is this again?" And it absolutely kills me because there are multiple characters who I want an entire book on. Tony the Tough is just such a person who has a fascinating backstory. She pops in and out and every time she returns I kept hoping she would get the spotlight for the rest of the book. Unfortunately, she is like almost all the characters who seem to disappear from the narrative as swiftly as they arrived.

There is a fantastic book in here somewhere and I think Slater could write it, but there is too much meandering in this story right now for it to be a must read.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company.)

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Little, Brown and Company for an advance copy of this history of crime, corruption in early 1900's New York City and the brave men and women who did their best to stop it, and how it changed the history of organized crime.

New York City is the greatest city in the world. New York City is also to quote The Pogues "No place for the old." Or the poor, or the disenfranchised. Especially at the early part of the 1900's. So many people fleeing the Old World to make it in the New World. Rich people wanting to keep their power, poor people trying to make their fortunes. And a police force, with a few exceptions, for rent to the highest bidder. Gambling halls filled the streets, men stole women's futures, forcing them to work in bawdy houses, extortionists preyed on any business they could. People made and lost fortunes, made their reputations, or lost their lives. Much of this done by members of their own community in the lower East Side of New York. Until a crime happened that brought a little too much sunlight into the area, allowing a group of reformers to hit back at these gangs. And changed organized crime in America. The Incorruptibles: A True Story of Kingpins, Crime Busters, and the Birth of the American Underworld by Dan Slater is a look at a part of American history that will be unfamiliar to many, the crime syndicates that rose in political and financial power, led to anti-immigrant feelings, and destroyed countless lives.

The Lower East Side of New York City was full of people, in fact more people than anywhere in the world. These people brought their religion, traditions and ways of life from their home countries to the New World. This included ideas on crime and how groups would come together to make money, and protect themselves from those who would try and take it away. Be it other criminals, police, or even worse reformers. Gambling was big, as was prostitution. Young women would be lured away, placed in horrible situations, and knowing they could never go home, because of the shame of what has happened, be thrust into a life, without a future. The death of a major gambler, brought attention to this world, attention that was too much for a group of affluent business types. They feared that this could lead to problems, for the people living in the country, and those who wanted to come here. These men used their money to hire a group of reformers, who went from making reports, to breaking down doors with the police, changing the power structures of these gangs. Stopping a few, but allowing more subtle ones to gain in power, and money.

A look at a part of New York history that will be a revelation to many. I have read a lot of books about the rise of organized crime in the city, and always came across the mention of Jewish gangs, but never realized how much of a power they were. And a force to be reckoned with. Slater is a very good writer who has done a ton of research and interviews with the descendents of many of the people involved. Slater talks about the crime, the reformers, even the history of the clothing business in the city, as this was all tied in. Slater's stories about the women though are quite well done. I have to admit one of my favorite characters was a woman called Tony the Tough, who was forced into the world of prostitution, and yet fought as hard as she could to get out with her mind, her brawn and her hatpin. Slater also discusses the early police techniques, dictaphones to record conversations, tapping phone lines, and my favorite a weighted umbrella to bring to fights. A very good story about crime, society, and what people allow to assimilate.

Recommended for true crime fans, people who love to read histories of New York, and those who love interesting stories about people trying to get by, or in some cases make life better for others, even when everything is against them.