Carlo Gambino, Frank DiMatteo
Carlo Gambino, Frank DiMatteo
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Carlo Gambino
Boss of Bosses

Author: Frank DiMatteo, Michael Benson

Narrator: Steve Marvel

Unabridged: 8 hr 56 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 02/24/2026


Synopsis

He was one of the four Mafia leaders who inspired Mario Puzo's The Godfather—and perhaps, next to Lucky Luciano, the most powerful Mob boss of them all. Born into a mafioso family in Sicily, Carlo Gambino came to America illegally as a stowaway in 1921. Jumping ship in Virginia, he joined his cousins in Brooklyn, and the Sicilian gangs that ruled the streets. By 1931, he was a soldier in Joe "The Boss" Masseria's war with the Castellammarese clan, a bloody rivalry between Old World crime families that ended with the creation of the Five Families system by Luciano. Over the next three decades, Gambino rose higher in the ranks after a series of brutal Mob hits and executions. In 1957, following the murder of Albert "Lord High Executioner" Anastasia, Gambino took over—becoming the biggest crime boss in America.

This is the life and times of an underworld legend. Packed with shocking details and firsthand insights, Carlo Gambino: Boss of Bosses is the definitive account of this real-life Godfather, written by someone who grew up in that world and met Gambino personally. Author Frank DiMatteo's chilling recollections of his encounters with Gambino add a rare human dimension to one of the greatest crime sagas ever told. For better or worse, Gambino's story is the story of America, filled with ambition, fueled by greed, and riddled with bullets.

About Frank DiMatteo

Frank DiMatteo is a lifelong Brooklynite, Mafia "survivor," and publisher of Mob Candy magazine. He is the author of the acclaimed memoir, The President Street Boys: Growing Up Mafia, as well as Mob Candy's Brooklyn Gangsters and Manhattan Gangsters.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Mark on February 24, 2026

Carlo Gambino – Boss of Bosses This is a fascinating account of one the best known “Godfathers” in Mafia/US history. We follow Gambino’s life from his Sicilian origins in 1902, to his illegal immigration to the US, and his progression up the ladder of the Gambino Family, then his rise among the big......more

Goodreads review by Kelly on November 13, 2025

Boy, let me tell you, this ebook about Carlo Gambino had me sitting there reading like I was watching some wild movie! But it’s all real, or at least they say it is. This fellow came from Sicily, hiding on a boat just to sneak over here, and next thing you know, he’s running the Mafia like it’s his......more

Goodreads review by Janine on January 21, 2026

This true crime biography has a co-author (Frank DiMatteo) who knew the Mafia kingpin - which adds a lot of credibility I think to this book. In addition Gambino is one of four mafia leaders who inspired The Godfather. The oddest thing you learn is Gambino was small, talked in a quiet “whispery” voi......more

Goodreads review by Paul on March 04, 2026

Well researched and informative biography about Carlo Gambino.......more