Victoria Gotti

The Butcher: Anatomy of a Mafia Psychopath
$25.99
This is the story of Tommy "Karate" Pitera, almost certainly the most deadly criminal ever to succeed in the Mafia, and very possibly an outright serial killer as well. These phenomena must fascinate people, given how many books there are about the Maf' and about serial killers.

I've read a lot of books in these genres. Reading "just one more" like this really made me wonder why I find it so fascinating. This book highlighted one aspect of that fascination: what "Tommy Karate" became was so reprehensible that it was hard to look away.

Carlo does a good job, within the scope of a popular book, of showing some of the roots of Pitera's psychopathy. He follows his subject's life and career in detail, intercut with views of the manhunt that brought him down and some background on the principal investigators (primarily the two lead DEA agents).

He goes completely overboard in making his good guys great, to the point of occasionally sounding like an FBI propaganda film from the Thirties.

Carlo is very fond of certain turns of phrase that trigger my English usage yuck-o-meter, such as "towed the line" (should be "toed"); "mechanized" in place of "mobilized" and in other slightly wrong contexts; and "an intricate part of," about which reasonable people could argue except that he used it every twenty pages (out of almost 300) so that it would be falling flat even to someone who thinks it is good grammar.

However, those flaws do not overwhelm this well-researched and nicely-paced story, which tells an important if disgusting story and tells it well.

Superstar
$25.00
The night film legend Lana Turmaine gave birth to a baby girl, a pediatric nurse was paid handsomely to switch the sickly child's ankle bracelet with another baby's, altering the destinies of the two girls born that day. The baby Lana and Roger Turmaine brought home was raised a princess in a Beverly Hills mansion and lived a fairy tale life until she was 10, when her mother was brutally murdered and her father went to prison for the crime. Cassidy grew up feeling responsible for sending her father to prison with her testimony from that night, and when he is later exonerated, he deepens those feelings by refusing any contact with her. She changes her last name to English and moves to New York, where she does very well as a television producer until, one day, she receives a summons from her father.

Meanwhile, Lana Turmaine's real baby was raised in squalor by a single mother. Chelsea Hutton had a number of both medical and psychological issues, which only served to make her mother more bitter. When she goes in for life-saving surgery, the doctor discovers that she is not Maria Hutton's biological child, and they find out that her real father is Roger Turmaine, a famous Hollywood producer. Roger, however, coldly will not acknowledge her, so after her mother's death, Chelsea gathers the evidence her mother had hidden away and sets out on a plan of vengeance. She's off her meds, and the voices are calling.

As luck would have it, Chelsea was an actress, sleeping her way into bit parts, when finally her chance to right the wrongs arrives. Roger Turmaine summons his son Jonathan and daughter Cassidy after he has a heart attack. With his failing health, he can no longer produce his movie, Dangerous Intentions, destined to be a blockbuster if they can get it filmed. Jonathan is dismayed when Roger chooses Cassidy to take over his production company, refusing to see how his alcohol and drug abuse contributed to his father's decision. Despite their history, Cass finds she cannot say no to her father, and she soon finds herself at the helm of a movie that's about to start shooting.

Chelsea uses her influence with the head and owner of Colossal Studios, Jack Cavalli, and gets herself the lead role in Dangerous Intentions by promising to spy on the production. She gets insanely jealous when Jack loses interest in her because he appears to be falling for Cassidy. Cass isn't sure what to make of Jack Cavalli. There is definitely chemistry between them, but since a bad experience in her youth, she has let no man too close. Besides, she has been warned away from him by his most bitter enemy, her father.

Meanwhile, the specter of Lana Turmaine's murderer is still out there somewhere, and someone is playing nasty tricks on Cass, going as far as sabotaging production of the movie. Is it her grudge-holding elder brother who has always resented her? Is it Chelsea Hutton, who seems to have an unhealthy fixation on Cass' dead mother? Is it Jack Cavalli, whose attempts at romance might only be part of a bigger, devious plan? Even Roger looks suspicious, as well as Cass' sometime lover Rudolpho, whom she hired to direct the film. While they all somehow take part in the filming of Dangerous Intentions, Chelsea gets ready to reveal her secret at just the right moment to destroy her usurper, and someone else plans the demise of Lana Turmaine's daughter.

Though she's not Jackie Collins, Victoria Gotti still writes a good glam thriller, and these days, they're pretty thin on the ground. There were a few sloppy detail mix-ups and inconsistencies a good editor should have caught, and the plot could have been a little tighter, but those things did not detract from a compelling read. Cass was a trifle too perfect, but she was still a likeable character, devoid of ego. Chelsea is an off-the-charts lunatic, a slut, and a horrible mother, but because of the way she was wronged and her mental condition, she does earn a drop of sympathy, but no more. I can't say I cared too much for the men. Roger Turmaine and Jack Cavalli are both too hard and cold, objectifying women and tossing them aside. They were the alpha males. The others were weak. Even so, it was easy to get caught up in the drama of these characters' lives, and of course, try to figure out who killed Lana Turmaine. Victoria Gotti definitely has more going for her than a notorious name and a reality show. She can write, too.

The Time of My Life
$26.00
I have always loved Patrick Swayze from the first time I laid eyes on him. You think you know this person. No, You really don't! You know them as an actor! If you read this book you will know what a mans man Patrick is! But you will also know that he is a gentle man! With a kind heart! Who loved his wife Lisa with all of his heart! You will learn that they are and were soul mates! Something most people never find in life! If you love Patrick like I do, it will break your heart, make you cry, make you smile and you will love him more than you ever did! God Bless you Patrick! I can see you in my mind sitting on an Arabian stallion in Heaven.

This Family of Mine: What It Was Like Growing Up Gotti
$27.00
I like mob-esq stories. and even though the show "growing up gotti" annoyed me to a point ( ok the boys hair do, did..but im guessing they are back to normal now) this book had me wanting more. more history, more story, more on how the media twisted everything around and made america dislike John Gotti even though he was a very warm and loving father.

I enjoyed this book tremendously. I could not put my kindle down. it was that interesting!
I hope Ms. Gotti pens up another book.

One of the negative reviews mentioned her " hair extensions etc etc"...I don't care nor do i see her in that way.
This book was written from the heart.
that's more than i could say for alot of the wanna be writers out there.

I'm sad that this family , regardless of the choices made by John Sr, continues to be scrutinized by the media and by people that just don't get it.