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Narrows Gate (2000)

by Jim Fusilli(Favorite Author)

3.33 of 5 Votes: 1

languge

English

genre

Fiction

publisher

Audible Inc

review 1: With Narrows Gate the author of a handful of NYC "private-eye" tales provides us with a Mafia drama. From what I've read this novel was pieced together/expanded from a handful of short stories and the result is a mixed bag. If you are familiar with the military novels of WEB Griffin, this reads much like a mafia version of those books with a straightforward, not too deep plot and a set of "stock" characters.Set across the river from Manhattan in New Jersey, with a time-line from the late 1920's through the late 1950's, Narrows Gate chronicles an Italian crime family very loosely based on Lucky Luciano's syndicate - complete with characters resembling Meyer Lansky, Vito Genovese, Frank Costello and Bugsy Siegel - including a fictional version of both the NY Castellammarese ... moreWar and the Kefauver Hearings.There's a Frank Sinatra-esque crooner with ties back to the "family" - and who has a dominating, over-bearing mother. And at the center of the story are two childhood buddies - Leo and Benno - who find their lives intertwined with the mob as they make their way in the world. This story of these two best friends, as they wrestle with their roots, particularly Benno, while staying loyal to each other, is what holds this novel together.Narrows Gate is an entertaining story, but not too deep. And even at almost 600 pages is a very quick read. Plot twists are predictable; the characters stereotypical and following a script we are all very familiar with - particularly the "crooner" - and the conclusion all tied up in a very neat bow. Without being overly critical and at the risk of sounding condescending, this is Godfather/Mario Puzo lite - perfect airport reading.
review 2: Narrows Gate is the kind of immigrant neighborhood in New York that everyone is familiar with from books and movies. Lots of poverty, but close-knit families. Not many chances for economic success leading to enterprising men making their way however they can. Started as an Italian immigrant neighborhood, by WWII it was divided between the Italians and the Irish.This is the world Leo Bell, his friend Sal Benno, and Bebe Marsela grow up in. Each chooses a different path for his life. Leo is smart and joins the military during the war where his intelligence is recognized and he is recruited to work for the government. Benno has to hustle to make a living, and finds ways to make himself useful to the Mafia figures that control the city. Bebe recreates himself as Bill Marsela, a crooner that makes the women swoon and all the men jealous of his luck. Jim Fusilli has written an intriguing novel that follows the life of these three characters as they navigate life in the city in the 1940's. Full of well-researched details, the reader learns how criminal organizations grow and take over any enterprise in their vicinity that has the potential to make money. This was the heyday of the Mafia and their plans to control the entertainment industry. It was the time that Las Vegas was built, created by Mafia figures as a money-making enterprise. The tension between the main characters, the government and the Mafia is carefully crafted and ratcheted up leading to a satisfying resolution. This book is highly recommended for readers interested in a compelling read with fascinating characters and an intricate plot. less

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