The Life We Chose - William Big Billy D Elia and the Last Secrets of America s Most

From Matt Birkbeck--investigative journalist and executive producer of Neflix''s #1 movie Girl in the Picture --a revelatory father/surrogate son story that takes readers deep inside the inner workings of the mob through one-on-one interviews with William "Big Billy" D''Elia, the right-hand man to legendary mafia kingpin Russell Bufalino, who ran organized crime in the US from his home in Pittston, PA, for more than fifty years. William "Big Billy" D''Elia is Mafia royalty. The "adopted" son of legendary organized crime boss Russell Bufalino, for decades D''Elia had unequaled access to the man the FBI and US Justice Department considered one of the leading organized crime figures in the United States. But the government had no real idea as to the breadth of Bufalino''s power and influence--or that it was Bufalino, from his bucolic home base in Pittston, Pennsylvania, who reigned over the five families in New York and other organized crime families throughout the country. For nearly thirty years, D''Elia was at Bufalino''s side, and "Russ''s son" was a witness and participant to major historical events that have stymied law enforcement, perplexed journalists, and produced false and wild narratives in books and movies--not the least of which being the infamous disappearance of union boss Jimmy Hoffa. In addition, their reach was illustrated by their relationships with Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, Michael Jackson, Suge Knight, and many other celebrities and personalities. D''Elia became the de facto leader of the Bufalino family upon Russell Bufalino''s imprisonment in 1979, and he officially took control upon Bufalino''s death in 1994 until his arrest in 2006, when he was charged with money laundering and the attempted murder of a witness. He pled guilty to money laundering and witness tampering and was released from federal prison in 2012.

Product details

• Authors: Matt Birkbeck
• Publisher: William Morrow
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 04.07.2023
• EAN: 9780063234673
• ISBN: 978-0-06-323467-3
• No. of pages: 272
• Subjects: Fiction > Narrative literature > Letters, diaries; Humanities, art, music > History > Regional and national histories; Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; True Crime, Biography: general, Memoirs, 20th century, c 1900 to c 1999, Local History, Organized crime, United States of America, USA, Biography: business and industry, True crime: serial killers and murderers, US Northeast: Mid-Atlantic States, Criminal law: procedure and offences, HISTORY: United States / 20th Century, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY: Business, TRUE CRIME: Murder / General, TRUE CRIME: Organized Crime, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY: Criminals & Outlaws, TRUE CRIME: Historical, LAW: Criminal Law / General, TRUE CRIME: Abductions, Kidnappings & Missing Persons, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY: Memoirs