Do you know who Sidney Korshak was? This may come as a surprise to you, but in my view, he was one of the significant influencers in America during the latter half of the 20th century.

He was the type of person who preferred to remain in the background and observe. He despised having his name splashed across the newspapers.

I became aware of Sidney Korshak on two occasions before I discovered the availability of this book. The first instance was when I was delving into the history of musical distribution. I came across the topic of jukeboxes. Unbeknownst to me, the Outfit was a major force in this industry, and Stanley Korshak was crucial in drafting their highly intricate contracts.

The second time I encountered Sidney Korshak was when I was studying about Palm Springs. My friend was visiting for a month, and I wanted to learn some of its history. Being a big admirer of Frank Sinatra's music, I knew he had lived there. I learned that his neighbor down the block was none other than Sidney Korshak.

Gus Russo's portrayal of Stanley Korshak's personal narrative is intricate and captivating. It encompasses politics at every level, from the national to the familial. He led a long life, and consequently, the book is also quite lengthy.

Most of the material I've come across regarding the Mob (also known as 'The Outfit') has been intertwined with the CIA and its shady dealings with the underworld. As a result, I had some reservations about purchasing this rather hefty book in Evanston. Nevertheless, it claimed to center on Chicago and the Korshaks. One of them, Marshall, was a prominent politician in Illinois for a significant portion of my life. Additionally, the index disclosed a wealth of information about Allen Dorfman, the Mob attorney who was assassinated in the parking lot of the Rosemont Hyatt, 'the Purple Hotel', right behind the Honeywell offices where my father worked for decades. So, I made the purchase.

This book, structured around the biography of Sidney Korshak, commences with the assassination of Czar Alexander II and the pogroms that compelled numerous Russian Jews to flee to the United States, specifically to Chicago. Tracing the history of their Maxwell Street and then Lawndale communities, author Russo introduces the Korshak and other families who later became involved in the black economies of sweetheart contracts, casino skimming, offshore accounts, tax evasion, influence peddling, prostitution, and the like.

Previously, Russo had published a book titled The Outfit, which focused on the Chicago Mob. This current book is largely about how their illegal earnings were invested, concealed, and laundered by individuals like attorney Korshak and their political associates, most notably Ronald Reagan. It's a disconcerting narrative, with many of my 'favored' public figures being exposed as criminals.

The heroes in these dark tales of theft, deceit, extortion, and murder are mostly journalists such as Seymour Hersh and others who had the courage to expose the powerful, as well as some law enforcement officers in the FBI and other agencies who attempted - and mostly failed - to oppose criminally compromised bosses like J. Edgar Hoover and Edwin Meese. Celebrities are abundant in this book's accounts of the corruption in Hollywood, with most of them going along with the dark current and few standing against it. (I was proud to see one Chicago actor, namely Steve Allen, courageously oppose the Mob.)

Supermob is dense, almost overly so, and well-documented. However, the astute reader should, unlike me, read the prior study, The Outfit, first. Perhaps then the deluge of information would be a bit less overwhelming.

If you are from Chicago or Los Angeles, or if you have a keen interest in the origins of Las Vegas, then you are sure to enjoy this book. Although it can be a bit over-detailed at times, it offers a fascinating look into the world of Sidney Korshak, the original lawyer-without-an-office who predates Mickey Haller. Korshak's all-American rise to power is truly stunning, and the book does an excellent job of chronicling his journey.

One of the most interesting aspects of the book is its portrayal of Ronald Reagan. Here, he is prominently featured as a union president who is willing to sell his soul and sell out his union in order to revive his career. This is just one of the many shockers that the book contains, and it makes for a truly engaging read.

Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone who is interested in the history of organized crime, politics, and the entertainment industry. It offers a unique perspective on these topics and is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.

I found this to be extremely fascinating.

Especially considering that I'm actually related to Sidney, and quite closely at that, LOL.

It's also quite interesting to note that they're making a movie about this.

This article provides a very detailed examination of how the mob truly controlled almost everything in America.

Moreover, it gives me a really cool perspective on my family history in the first several chapters.

It's like opening a door to a whole new world of knowledge and discovery.

I can't wait to see how the movie turns out and how it will further bring this story to life.

Overall, this has been a truly captivating read and I'm looking forward to learning more about this topic.

I had a strong desire to read this book. The reason was that I had a vague acquaintance with some of the people involved. Additionally, I held a great deal of interest in the relationship between the Mob and the Entertainment business. Korshak was truly an icon in the entertainment business when I initially started my exploration in this field. However, I didn't really understand the exact reason behind his iconic status. And to be honest, I still don't.

Unfortunately, this book has become the first one in many years that I haven't been able to finish. Despite this, my interest in the subject matter remains intact. The problem with this book is that it is a highly disorganized and barely readable collection of paragraphs. It seems as if it is in a desperate search of a competent editor who could bring some order and coherence to it.

Overall, it's a pity that a topic that holds so much potential has been presented in such a haphazard and unappealing manner. I hope that in the future, someone will be able to do justice to this fascinating subject and produce a book that is both engaging and informative.

I found myself having a much more positive attitude towards Russo's book "The Outfit".

However, I must admit that there was a slight drawback for my personal taste.

There was a little too much innuendo in the story.

It made me feel a bit uncomfortable at times.

Nevertheless, I still recognized the overall quality and value of the book.

The plot was engaging and the characters were well-developed.

Despite the presence of the innuendo, I was able to enjoy the story and become invested in what was happening.

I would recommend "The Outfit" to others, but I would also caution them about the content that might not be to everyone's liking.

Overall, it was a good read that had its pros and cons.

This is a story that could have been a 5-star gem, but unfortunately, this book can only be rated as 3 stars at best.

It is blatantly obvious that this book was in desperate need of a competent editor. There is simply no evidence to suggest that an editor read through this book prior to its publication.

The writing style of this book resembles that of a tabloid newspaper gossip column or a 1920s movie newsreel. While this style may have its charm in certain contexts, it fails to serve the purpose of presenting a well-researched and accurate account.

Moreover, the book is rife with factual errors. For instance, the names of Chicago buildings and neighborhoods are misspelled or inaccurately described. These errors not only detract from the credibility of the author but also make it difficult for the reader to fully engage with the content.

This could have been a truly fascinating book, delving into the details and secrets of a particular subject. However, due to the lack of proper editing and the presence of numerous factual errors, I found myself struggling to reach the end. It is a great pity that such a potentially interesting book has been let down by these avoidable flaws.

I had to read "Supermob: How Sidney Korshak and His Criminal Associates Became America's Hidden Power Brokers" as it was the basis of a class in a Life Long Learning program. I'm an avid reader of non-fiction and history. However, "Supermob" was perhaps one of the worst books I've ever come across. I noticed several inaccuracies in basic facts. For example, it was wrongly stated that Nancy Reagan had been married before she wed Ronald Reagan. This kind of misinformation was just randomly presented to the reader. As soon as I discovered two errors in a non-fiction work, I usually stop reading. Sadly, since it was a textbook for a class, I couldn't simply discard it, although I really wanted to.

There is a distinct difference between writing dull and dry history and a chaotic, unstructured history. Gus Russo seems to be more of a storyteller or raconteur rather than a meticulous journalist or author. He assembles interesting anecdotes but appears to fabricate his own context to craft a more engaging story. This approach undermines the credibility of the book and makes it a less reliable source of information.

I am of two minds about this book.

On the one hand, it clearly requires an editor. Russo has a tendency to go on and on about minor details that have no influence or connection to other parts of the chapter. He introduces characters and then refers to them again at such a rapid pace that I needed some sort of key to keep track of who everyone was. It is a meandering collection of seemingly unrelated anecdotes intended to capture as many moments in a man's life as possible. It's challenging to determine precisely which of these stories are embellished, complete fabrications, or the honest truth, even with Russo's extensive use of notes and references. I could only read about 15-20 pages of this lengthy book at a time because there was so much to absorb.

And yet, this exhaustive style of biography and capturing of minutiae serves the book's purpose of being a memento of an era when mobsters transitioned from bootleggers to assisting multinational corporations, a time that many of today's influential people would rather you quickly forget. While Russo takes his time in reaching his conclusion, by the time he does, even the half-remembered, vague details that you'll retain from this book should give you a different perspective on what it means to be in polite society. Particularly jarring are the references to figures like Donald Trump or Harvey Weinstein, who, while clearly very public figures, had not yet assumed the roles they have now in 2006. It serves as a stark reminder that, as much as this book has uncovered the unpleasant side of those at the top, there is still mostly shadow. As an aggregation of primary sources or for someone starting research on the mob, this must be a great place to begin. But do set aside some time for this book because it is difficult to get through.

Supermob: How Sidney Korshak and His Criminal Associates Became America’s Hidden Power Brokers is an engaging and thought-provoking book. It presents a unique blend of familiar and surprising information, much like a well-crafted cocktail. The author, Gus Russo, delves into various aspects of American history, including the criminal underworld, Hollywood, Las Vegas, and powerful political personalities.

The book's exploration of the Pritzker and Crown families, as well as their ties to alleged "shenanigans," is particularly interesting. It challenges our perception of these prominent businesspeople and philanthropists. Additionally, the revelations about Ronald Wilson Reagan's actions and associations are eye-opening. The book also touches on Nixon's numerous dirty deeds, further highlighting the complex web of corruption and power.

However, the book's true focus is Sidney Korshak, who is described as a neural net or a spider for organized crime. Korshak's ability to connect unlikely individuals and manipulate events is astonishing. The stories of how he allegedly influenced Estes Kefauver's hearings, Howard Hughes' sale of RKO Pictures, and Frank Sinatra's career are both fascinating and disturbing.

Overall, Supermob offers a detailed and multi-layered look at an era of corruption and covert manipulation. While some of the evidence may seem circular at times, the book as a whole provides valuable insights into the hidden power brokers who shaped American history. It is a must-read for anyone interested in true crime, history, or politics.

Supermob is a captivating and informative book that will leave readers with a new perspective on America's past.