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The Life We Chose: William "Big Billy" d'Elia and the Last Secrets of America's
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ApproximatelyC $19.75
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- Buy It NowThe Life We Chose: William "Big Billy" d'Elia and the Last Secrets of America's
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Located in: Sparks, Nevada, United States
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eBay item number:285933508744
Item specifics
- Condition
- Publication Date
- 2024-07-09
- Pages
- 272
- ISBN
- 9780063234680
About this product
Product Identifiers
Publisher
HarperCollins
ISBN-10
0063234688
ISBN-13
9780063234680
eBay Product ID (ePID)
8063298527
Product Key Features
Book Title
Life We Chose : William Big Billy d'Elia and the Last Secrets of America's Most Powerful Mafia Family
Number of Pages
272 Pages
Language
English
Topic
Murder / General, United States / 20th Century, United States / State & Local / Middle Atlantic (DC, De, Md, NJ, NY, Pa), Organized Crime, Criminals & Outlaws
Publication Year
2024
Genre
True Crime, Biography & Autobiography, History
Format
Trade Paperback
Dimensions
Item Height
0.8 in
Item Weight
7.5 Oz
Item Length
8 in
Item Width
5.3 in
Additional Product Features
Intended Audience
Trade
TitleLeading
The
Reviews
"The Life We Chose--an unforgettable story. A really great read." -- Nicholas Pileggi, author of Wiseguy and Casino, and screenwriter of Goodfellas "Mentored by one of the best in the business, Billy D'Elia did it all. Mafia diplomat, underworld entrepreneur. The Life We Chose is a riveting, extraordinary account of one of the last twentieth-century goodfellas." -- George Anastasia, author of The Last Gangster and Blood and Honor "It's impossible to make up a mafia story like The Life We Chose. All the power play from The Godfather and The Sopranos with one key difference: it's true. The Life We Chose is an unbelievable, truly great book." -- Jan Stocklassa, bestselling author of The Man Who Played with Fire "The Life We Chose is a rip-roaring tear through the Mob's heyday in America. Peppered with larger-than-life names like Jimmy Hoffa and Marlon Brando, Michael Jackson and Suge Knight, Crazy Joe Gallo and John Gotti, The Life We Chose is spellbinding. True-crime writing at its very best." -- Douglas Century, New York Times bestselling author of Takedown: The Fall of the Last Mafia Empire "A fresh tale of 'mafia royalty.' . . . An eye-opening look at the ordinary--and nasty and lethal--business of organized crime." -- Kirkus Reviews "These historical figures [Muhammad Ali and Johnny Unitas] have something in common--both did favors for a man once considered one of the country's most powerful mob bosses . . . The book is a revelation about the power and influence Bufalino and D'Elia quietly wielded from their small Pennsylvania town on American society--from the streets to the stage to the stadiums." -- Washington Times "[D'Elia] is baring all, offering a candid, unfiltered, and fascinating account of what it was really like to be a part of one of history's most powerful mobs." -- Town & Country, The 41 Must-Read Books of Summer 2023 (#9) "The Life We Chose provides an unprecedented insider's account of the history of the American Mafia since the 1950s, breaking new ground all along the way. It's a chilling and yet astonishingly intimate look at the lives of powerful crime boss Russell Bufalino and his successor, Billy D'Elia." -- Paul Moses, author of The Italian Squad: The True Story of the Immigrant Cops Who Fought the Rise of the Mafia "D'Elia has now put it all on the record in an intriguing and entertaining new book . . . The Life We Chose is a one-of-kind historical document." -- JerseyMan Magazine
Synopsis
"The Life We Chose--an unforgettable story. A really great read." --Nicholas Pileggi, author of Wiseguy and Casino and screenwriter of Goodfellas From Matt Birkbeck--investigative journalist and executive producer of Netflix's #1 movie Girl in the Picture--a revelatory father/surrogate son story that takes readers deep inside the inner workings of the mob through the eyes of William "Big Billy" D'Elia, the right-hand man to legendary mafia kingpin Russell Bufalino, who ran organized crime in the US for more than fifty years. William "Big Billy" D'Elia is Mafia royalty. The "adopted" son of legendary organized crime boss Russell Bufalino, for decades D'Elia had unequaled access to the man the FBI and US Justice Department considered one of the leading organized crime figures in the United States. But the government had no real idea as to the breadth of Bufalino's power and influence--or that it was Bufalino, from his bucolic home base in Pittston, Pennsylvania, who reigned over the five families in New York and other organized crime families throughout the country. For nearly thirty years, D'Elia was at Bufalino's side, and "Russ's son" was a witness and participant to major historical events that have stymied law enforcement, perplexed journalists, and produced false and wild narratives in books and movies--not the least of which being the infamous disappearance of union boss Jimmy Hoffa. In addition, their reach was illustrated by their relationships with Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, Michael Jackson, Suge Knight, and many other celebrities and personalities. D'Elia became the de facto leader of the Bufalino family upon Russell Bufalino's imprisonment in 1979, and he officially took control upon Bufalino's death in 1994 until his arrest in 2006, when he was charged with money laundering and the attempted murder of a witness. He pled guilty to money laundering and witness tampering and was released from federal prison in 2012. Candid and unapologetic, D'Elia is finally ready to reveal the real story behind the myths and in so doing paints a complicated, compelling, and stunning portrait of crime, power, money, and finally, family., From a bucolic home base in Pittston, Pennsylvania, top don Russell Bufalino-with his so-called adopted son William "Big Billy" D'Elia at his side-held great sway over the five families in New York and others throughout the country during the lucrative, power-hungry, and often bloody heyday of the Mafia's reign over America. This was an era when organized crime's reach knew no limits, and Billy saw a hidden world firsthand, filled with the familiar faces of politicians, celebrities, and business tycoons. Billy would became a witness to major historical events that have stymied law enforcement and produced false and wild narratives-the infamous disappearance of union boss Jimmy Hoffa, Russell instructing Marlon Brando on how to act like a boss on the set of The Godfather, and Billy spoiling a deal for future president Donald Trump to lure Micahel Jackson to perform at one of his casinos, to name a few. Billy succeeded Russell as boss of the Rufalino crime family until law enforcement eventually caught up with him. He served time in federal prison, but remained conspicuously silent about his connections to Russell and organized crime. Until now … In The Life We Chose, investigative journalist Matt Birkbeck unveils-for the first time, in Billy's own words-a riveting, revelatory, intimate, and unapologetic tale of crime, power, money, and family, told by a man who survived to tell the tale.
Item description from the seller
Seller feedback (509,499)
- m***m (2275)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseI’m thrilled with my recent purchase . The website was user-friendly, and the product descriptions were accurate. Customer service was prompt and helpful, answering all my questions. My order arrived quickly, well-packaged, and the product exceeded my expectations in quality. I’m impressed with the attention to detail and the overall experience. I’ll definitely shop here again and highly recommend from this seller to others. Thank you for a fantastic experience!
- a***n (42)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseMistakenly ordered a paperback that I thought was a hardcover, not sellers fault; it was described properly on the listing. Seller still processed a refund the day I went to return the item and let me keep the item anyway. A+++ service. Book arrived quickly in great condition and for a great price. Thank you so much! Amazing seller!
- n***c (92)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseseller was communicative about my shipment, media mail took a while and tracking wasn't updated frequently, but seller communicated to me very quickly on status. the item came new and wrapped as described, though the packaging in it was packed wasn't sturdy and falling apart when it got to me.
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Seller feedback (509,499)
- m***m (2275)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseI’m thrilled with my recent purchase . The website was user-friendly, and the product descriptions were accurate. Customer service was prompt and helpful, answering all my questions. My order arrived quickly, well-packaged, and the product exceeded my expectations in quality. I’m impressed with the attention to detail and the overall experience. I’ll definitely shop here again and highly recommend from this seller to others. Thank you for a fantastic experience!
- a***n (42)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseMistakenly ordered a paperback that I thought was a hardcover, not sellers fault; it was described properly on the listing. Seller still processed a refund the day I went to return the item and let me keep the item anyway. A+++ service. Book arrived quickly in great condition and for a great price. Thank you so much! Amazing seller!
- n***c (92)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseseller was communicative about my shipment, media mail took a while and tracking wasn't updated frequently, but seller communicated to me very quickly on status. the item came new and wrapped as described, though the packaging in it was packed wasn't sturdy and falling apart when it got to me.