Albert DeMeo
Albert DeMeo writes about an almost idyllic suburban childhood in a comfortable middle class household headed by a loving father. There was only one catch: that loving father was mobster Roy DeMeo, a “made” Mafia man. As Roy climbs the ranks the pressures that come with new job responsibilities affect his home life and ultimately lead to his death.
Even before he was a teenager, Albert was his father’s confidant and slowly grew to realize the nature of his dad’s job. He doesn’t admit to any crimes of his own, but he writes with an insider’s knowledge of Mafia culture.
This is a unique book, fascinating both for it’s portrayal of the mob and for Albert’s personal story. It’s the memoir of a young man caught between love for his father and horror over what his father was.
Comparisons with “The Sopranos” are inevitable, but this is a much more chilling story, not least because it’s true.