Eric Dezenhall has written a well-researched case study on how wiseguys and the mafia may or may not have infiltrated and influenced politics. From local elections to White House legislation, we are presented with facts to help us decide whether or not wiseguys influenced policy. This fascinating read puts into perspective what actually took place and what effect it may have had. Wisefuys and the White House is a must-read for every consumer of history, politics, and the mafia.

Thank you, Harper, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I just finished Wiseguys and the White House: Gangsters, Presidents, and the Deals They Made, by Eric Denzenhall.

This book is a fascinating look at presidents and their connections to the Mafia.

The highlights of this book are FDR’s use of the Mafia to go after Germans inside the US during World War, Truman’s career-long connections to the Mafia, the Johnson’s administration’s use of Mafia members as informants to infiltrate white supremacist groups and assist in prosecutions in civil rights cases, Nixon’s involvements with the Mafia (including a story in which a bank was robbed of about $9 million by burglars going after an alleged Nixon slush-fund) and Trump’s career-long involvement with the Mafia.

I give this book an A. Goodreads and NetGalley require grades on a 1-5 star system. In my personal conversion system, an A equates to 5 stars. (A or A+: 5 stars, B+: 4 stars, B: 3 stars, C: 2 stars, D or F: 1 star).

This review has been posted at NetGalley, Goodreads and my blog, Mr. Book’s Book Reviews

I originally finished reading this on July 26, 2024.

This was a fascinating and detailed behind-the-scenes look at some of our former Presidents and their connections to various crime families. It seemed to be well researched and had quite a few photos in there. A good choice for someone who loves politics and true crime!