But the twist in this story that adds a layer of intrigue is how one FBI agent could be talented enough to infiltrate not one but several crime rings and make a difference for his country by taking down criminals too numerous to list here. Talk about talent and using one's abilities to make the world a safer, better place! This is an autobiography, and a fascinating one at that. Joaquin "Jack" Garcia is a Cuban born American with a talent for acting, bluffing, and out smarting that allows him to get on the inside of the Gambino crime family in New York and work the case as a friend and confidante to Greg DePalma who was so high up in the family he once cared for the famous criminal John Gotti when Gotti was in prison. Talk about pulling the wool over people's eyes, this is a well told story that makes the mob look flat out dumb.
You're thinking, "this has the mixings of a movie, not a book." Well, you'd be right and wrong at the same time. It will be a movie soon under the direction of Steven Soderbergh (who I really like) and if it's done right it will hold its weight with other famous mob movies like The Godfather, Wiseguys, Goodfellas, The Untouchables and Donnie Brasco. But a lot of people have seen those films and walked away from the theatre wanting to be in the mafia. The feeling I took away from this book was that I wanted to be in law enforcement stopping these crooks. See the difference? Why be a mobster when you can police these punks right to prison? If you want to stay on the good side of the law, but still be associated with the mafia Agent Garcia shows the way.
And he doesn't pull any punches revealing how incompetent the FBI and other agencies can be. He's willing to call out by name people in the bureaucracy that didn't do their jobs very well or who made bad decisions with cases in order to promote themselves up the ladder. Being an undercover agent is hard work. The consequences are death of you screw up, and by working multiple cases undercover Garcia risked his life every moment of the day and night. You read about it in this book. So don't wait for the movie. If you're interested in what really happens in these families or if you're just looking for something exciting to read before bed, I recommend Garcia's story. The making and unmaking of Jack Falcone is captivating. And it's non-fiction. I spent a little time every several chapters looking up names of the gangsters on-line to see if they were still in prison, if they were still alive, what they are doing now, etc. You can tell I was taken by the story. And there is a lot of good information on the Internet that's fun to read.
Here's a cut from my favorite chapter (8 "A Cry for Help From the Bronx") in which he describes the mafia. Listen to how he can go from describing the seriously scary aspects of their nature to the funny and ordinary:
"The reality is that these people [the mobsters] aren't wonderful and they aren't generous. Greg DePalma told me over and over again that for a made man, his crime family comes ahead of his blood family. He told me often that if your kid was on the operating table, and your boss called you in, you had to immediately leave the hospital and report to him. You could send flowers later to your kid's funeral...They also kissed each other on the cheek a lot. Why can't wiseguys just shake hands? I could have lived without all that kissing...For guys who care little for how much they weigh, they certainly put a great deal of emphasis on personal grooming...The first time I went out with the fellas for a manicure, I had to get over the initial shock of doing something that is perceived as not masculine...I also had to get a regular haircut and shave...Mob guys are well versed in the finer things of life...They're also into fine tailoring...They had to have the right shoes too...wiseguys were extremely conscious of the status that various aspects of fine clothing and jewelry bestow...Mob guys, incidentally, never buy retail [120-123]."
What I liked about this book: the psychology of being a mobster and the psychology of being an undercover agent; I like the author himself - he seemed real, down-to-earth, honest, and he served as an inspiration to me to lose weight; and I liked that Garcia was an immigrant to the States who took advantage of his education and natural abilities to do good and to defend innocent people in New York, Miami, and elsewhere. He should have gotten a lot more credit for all his hard work.
What I did not like about this book: the language can be rough (par for the course in the criminal world and necessary for a book like this, but still); I wish he had spent a little more time developing the unmaking of Falcone; and the book seemed a bit rushed at the end. That could be more the editor's fault than the author's.