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Great Story, Terrible Writing Nov 21, 2009
While I couldn't put this book down because of the great stories of mob life and Falcone's infiltration, the writing was amateurish. I winced every time I saw yet another exclamation point; sometimes ten on a page. The mark of a amateur writer. Then there were the grammatical mistakes, run-on sentences, etc.
I give the book four stars because I believe Jack Garcia is a true American hero, the writer, however, should have been "whacked."
Linguini-stained account of deep undercover work Nov 10, 2009
Making Jack Falcone is the story of Joaquin "Jack" Garcia, a long-time FBI agent who infiltrated the Gambino crime family in the early-mid 2000s. He was only the second agent to deeply penetrate La Cosa Nostra, the first being Joe Pistone, aka Donnie Brasco. (If he takes a cue from Pistone, who penned numerous Brasco novels and two follow-up non-fiction books, I'd say he'll be plenty busy in publishing for years to come.)
From 2003 to 2005, Garcia played the role of Jack Falcone, a 'knockaround guy' from Florida who became connected to the Gambino crew of Greg DePalma, a veteran wiseguy well-known for appearing in that infamous picture with Frank Sinatra, Carlo Gambino, and other top wiseguys in the 70s. Ingratiating himself to the point where he became a constant presence in the old-school capo's life and dealings, Falcone eventually was proposed for membership in the family, like Brasco. Then, for reasons that are still difficult to understand (in Garcia's mind, too), the plug was pulled on the case and Garcia went public with the tell-all.
Don't expect great prose here (even for a true crime book, it's pretty straightforward and conversational), but there are some interesting nuggets and reminders here, especially if you regularly read and enjoy true crime/mob books. For one, remember that most of what anyone knows on organized crime is coming through the filter of the FBI, with all of their own biases, distortions, etc. A potent reminder is that just because the FBI has a 'chart' does not mean that's the full story or picture---far from it. These organizations do not always cleanly fit onto nice charts, and often it's only long-term undercover work, which Garcia reminds us is NOT the forte of the FBI, that reveals what's happening on the ground. (Otherwise, the FBI relies heavily on informants and wiretaps in order to build convincing court cases---or not.) For instance, take the information Garcia receives about 'twenty six capos' in the Gambino family...while the FBI only charts twenty one.
There's contradictory stuff here, too. For instance, you always read that the mob in New York is 'dying', or 'on its knees' or 'a shell of its former self', etc, etc. Garcia states very early that it's alive and well and 'as powerful as ever', which is pretty shocking to hear from a FBI agent. Of course, he could be boasting in order to hype up the danger he was in. The story seems to change, depending on what the FBI is doing (either they've 'broken the mob' or 'the mob is having a resurgence). Again, one must consider the source of information. On the other hand, the book offers insights into how the methods and techniques used by the FBI to bust the mob have evolved over the decades. While the Donnie Brasco investigation broke new ground, for Falcone the FBI set up a 'mob school' to teach the agent what he needed to know on the street (the walk, the talk, the endless eating, the mannerisms, the pinky rings, etc).
While the mob 'ain't what is used to be', and new members are often 'brokesters' or 'garbage cans', there is still plenty of familiar territory, reminding us that the scenery may change, but the scheming mindset does not. The day-to-day with the DePalma crew involves a lot of eating (even the 300+ pound Garcia put on extra weight on this case), sitting around scheming, eating, scheming, occasional violence to back up the scheming, more eating, and more scheming. DePalma is not painted in flattering tones, but Garcia does acknowledge several times that the capo is an out-and-out gangster to the end, literally the last man standing to uphold 'mob values' instead of taking a plea.
The book is not as strong as the original Donnie Brasco. It seemed to fly by, the chronology was not clear, and I would have preferred more wiretap transcripts, mob speak and gritty details. Pistone had a much better ghost writer/collaborator, and that book had a lot more depth to the personal side, showing how the operation taxed the agent over a long period. There is some good insight into the politics and in-fighting of the FBI, which is always a significant part of these cases. And it's never entirely clear why the FBI pulled the plug on such a successful operation. Who knows, the FBI may go all the way one day and have an agent become a made guy...or maybe not, since presumably the mob is reading this book and figuring out ways to better sniff them out. But since it's all about the money, as long as someone can deliver the cash, the mob is vulnerable to infiltration.
Note there are four 'interludes' spread around the book, covering some of the other investigations that Garcia was involved in at the time. These have very little overlap with the main story, and instead they serve to pad the book's length. This is surprising and a bit disappointing, given the nature of Garcia's work with DePalma. I can only assume another book is in the works with more details. Recommended for Sopranos fans and true crime addicts. It's not among the best books on the subject, but the scope and significant of the case warrants a review of Garcia's impressive work.
 excellent book Sep 03, 2009
i must say i could not put this book down, the fact that it was all a true story about how joaquin garcia risked his life in all these dangerous situations it keeps you hooked! i read this book in 7 days i have a career and a busy life but i was intrigued by this book. in my opinion the FBI and law enforcement should have given this man a medal he put his life on the line with gangsters and for the rest of his life have to watch over his shoulder! i suggest reading this for real life law and order csi, or any of the shows that are on tv now!
3 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 Is This for Real or What? Jun 21, 2009
First and foremost, let me emphasize that in my opinion FBI Agent "Jack" Garcia is a hero. Any individual in law enforcement who can gain acceptance as a wiseguy among his mob peers is pulling off a tremendous coup, a feat of which few are capable. Having made this clear, I must admit that "Making Jack Falcone" was a bit of a letdown, a pale imitation of "Donnie Brasco." It's a miracle that the Mob is still functioning at all. When a seasoned Mafioso like Gregory DePalma can be hoodwinked by a man posing as "Big Jack," whose main appeal is that he can provide bootlegged cigarettes at a substantial discount, that for me signals the death knell of La Cosa Nostra. I find it hard to imagine any savvy, low-level, street-corner drug dealer so easily duped. DePalma was over seventy years old and recently released from prison, having spent most of his life in the Mob, when he first met Agent Garcia. Over a relatively short period of time he became convinced that "Falcone" was not only trustworthy, but deserving of full-fledged Mafia membership as well. In any event, this book lacks any of the depth or intensity of the memoirs of fellow agent Joe Pistone, who spent years infiltrating the Colombo and Bonanno families. In essence, if you're a mob buff and have nothing else to read, maybe, just maybe, you'll enjoy this book. But my feeling is you won't.
Wonderful! True Story Of An Undercover FBI Agent May 13, 2009
This was a fantastic book. Joaquin Garcia was a Cuban immigrant who became an undercover FBI agent, playing a variety of unique roles during his thirty-year career. 'Making Jack Falcone' is as much a story about the American dream as it is about the making of an undercover FBI agent.
Garcia writes honestly about the problems with the FBI bureaucracy, and the way that good cases were destroyed by meddling from supervisors who had never spent a single day of their lives working on the streets.
I highly recommend this book.
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