Connected: Mob Stories From My Past – Review

This is not a sentimental world. Crime occurs daily, or rather, from second to second. Some of these crimes are committed by people without conscience or ability to understand (or care) the consequences of their actions. Others, however (and some of the most hideous), are carried out by loving fathers, family men, church members, and minor league coaches. In Dr. Joe Ferry’s novel titled Connected: Mob stories from my past We are shown a strange, and at the same time surprisingly comical, subculture of American society: it is the world of ‘the mafia’, a secret network of bosses, hitmen and godfathers with one foot in the old world and one hand in hand. .. well, almost every aspect of American life.

The narrator begins his story by telling us a little about his hero: his hardworking father who taught him to be a man in the world. Then juxtaposed with some thoughtful thoughts about his early family life, we are told that his father was a Mafia Don who would kill anyone who came across him. For a normal child, the apparent contradiction between a criminal life and a comfortable middle-class existence might be enough to baffle the mind; or hinder the moral and spiritual growth of a young person. Fortunately, our storyteller was never ‘a normal kid’, but rather a highly intelligent individual with the ability to integrate his experiences as Don’s son of a mob into his life as a student, athlete, musician, record producer, college professor, and a loving husband.

In Ferry’s portrait of an artist as a young mobster, we are given a glimpse of the intertwining of an organization “connected” to New York’s largest mob. Most significantly, we embark on a journey into the psychologically complex personality of the narrator himself. Our ability to accept the underworld in which he grew up is based on understanding the internal dialogue, and the demons, that make up our narrator’s consciousness.

“My mom always said that I was Trouble, almost since I was born. The nickname took. That’s what you can call me. As long as I can remember, the two things I liked to do the most were walk and steal.” This simple statement by which our narrator introduces himself to the reader is very helpful in summarizing his personality. On the one hand, Trouble was a product of his environment; the son of one of New York’s most ruthless mobsters (and a man with a bad streak). Yet at the same time, from an early age, Trouble exhibited a sensitive and contemplative side. And as a young “gangster-in-training,” learning the ins and outs of mob life from the best in the business, he also developed an interest and a real talent for music. So when you saw Trouble Ventura walking the streets of New York City, it was hard to tell if he was taking a walk to ‘clear his mind’, or heading to his next ‘musical concert’ or on his way to ‘shake off a boy. under.

One day, Trouble’s father gave his son this sage advice: “We adapt to our callings, boy. Make no excuses. We are complex creatures. We are shadows of light. Good and bad.” These words put an end to the apparent contradiction between “the world of organized crime” and a life committed to art, family and community. Because, as the narrator’s father rightly points out, this world – and human nature – is too complex and varied to reduce (experiences or people) to simplistic categories: like “good” and “bad.”

Seemingly a novel chronicling Trouble’s formative years as a young mobster, the narrative is peppered with pearls of wisdom and humorous anecdotes drawn from everyday life. For example, in a chapter titled “Girls Who Threw Up on Me,” the narrator confesses that a surprising number of his relationships and most romantic moments have been ruined by spontaneous bouts of vomiting: how lovely women dumped their “lunch” everywhere. him (and his hopes of “getting lucky”). In another chapter we meet an eccentric old woman named Minnie Chestnut; who presents the author with authentic photographs and historical artifacts that prove she met Abraham Lincoln, dined with President John F. Kennedy, and spent intimate moments with Amelia Earhart and jazz legend Charlie Parker. Then, in another chapter, we are introduced to a history teacher who owns, ‘believe it or not’, the first LP in the history of the human race: a vintage clay pot (which has a recording embedded in its decorative grooves ) of the 18th century. century; on which our narrator and several music teachers listen to the voice and piano of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The brilliance and beauty of these vignettes reveal the true strength of the novel – given that the stories Ferry tells are sometimes so outrageous and yet they are written with the precision (or attention to detail) of a skilled biographer , the reader just doesn’t know. I don’t know which part of the novel is fantasy and which part is historical fact. In addition to learning a lot about his father’s business, the time he spent associating with colorful storytellers – i.e. Gangsters – also taught our author how to weave a ‘good story’. From the prologue to the final chapter, Connected: Mob stories from my past entertains and educates; simultaneously evoking horror and laughter in the reader. I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates (and perhaps can bear) the antics of an accomplished musician and mobster.