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The Good Rat

By: Jimmy Breslin
Narrated by: Richard Davidson
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Publisher's summary

Jimmy Breslin can sniff out a story like he can sniff out a rat. Here, he tells a lifetime of anecdotes in his inimitable New York voice, giving us a view through the keyhole of the people and places that define the Mafia: characters like Sammy the Bull, the original snitch; Gaspipe Casso, named for his weapon of choice; and hangouts like Pep McGuire's, the legendary watering hole where reporters and gangsters (all hailing from the same working-class neighborhoods) rubbed elbows and traded stories.

But best of all, Breslin captures the moments in which the Mafia was made and broken. Breslin was there the night John Gotti celebrated his acquittal, for example, having bribed his way to innocence.

In The Good Rat, Breslin brings together the most recent, most memorable, and the long forgotten stories to create a sharp-eyed portrait of the mob as it lived and breathed, as it sounded and survived.

©2008 Jimmy Breslin (P)2008 BBC Audiobooks America
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Critic reviews

"[Breslin is] the city's steadiest and most accurate chronicler." (The Village Voice)

What listeners say about The Good Rat

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great story

The actual mob guy tells a better story than the narrator. still a good book even for a snitch.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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not bad!

a good listen, i never even heard of burt kaplan til this book, but it was a good story. alot of mob stuff and alot of gaspipe stuff. worth a listen.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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story meanders

If the author had left out his strong opinions about actors and mafia men and just stuck to the story it would have been an awesome book. He jumps timelines so often that it became very confusing. I did however love how it was performed.

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Great Selection

Excellent narration! Good storyline. I wasn’t bored and trying to make it to the end like I am with some books.

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EXCELLENT audiobook!

EXCELLENT audiobook by my ALL TIME FAVORITE author Jimmy Breslin!
Narrator was excellent as well
Highly re8!

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Descent Story

Always a fan of stories about the mafia, the best being the Godfather. This book is okay but there are bunch more better ones. But still take a listen for yourself and then decide. The narration by Richard Davidson was okay.

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Jewish gangster Burton Kaplan

I really enjoyed this one, really enjoyed the narration and especially the story of The Last Jewish gangster.

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interesting mafia stories.

this book has a lot of true stories about NY mob figures as told by people who were there. a very interesting book

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Crazy how I use to see these guys grownup

Crazy how I use to see these guys grownup and to hear there story's truly makes me understand New York was a special place. There's something's you learn in New York that are priceless grownup.

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A really great story

This was a great book the story was awesome generation was great it really felt like you were hanging out with mobsters or sitting in a quart room overall I truly enjoyed it I devoured this book I listen to it in three Sitting

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