True Murder: The Most Shocking Killers

This is the remarkable story of Frank Matthews, a charismatic drug kingpin from the late 1960s and 1970s, who organized a huge criminal enterprise before jumping bail in 1973 with $15-20 million and a beautiful woman. Nicknamed Black Caesar, Matthews has never been seen again in what has become one of organized crime’s most intriguing mysteries. Lewis Rice spent twenty six years as a Special Agent with DEA: 1974- 2001. During that time he conducted hundreds of major international narcotic investigations and was assigned to New York, Kingston Jamaica, Miami, Washington DC,  Philadelphia and Detroit. He retired as the Special Agent in Charge New York Division; the largest operational office in the DEA. BLACK CAESAR: The Rise and Disappearance of Frank Matthews, Kingpin-Ron Chepsiuk and Lewis Rice

No crime is as horrific, as mesmerizingly perplexing, as a child's murder at the hands of a parent. In most cases, the perpetrator is the father. A veteran journalist explores five examples of "family annihilators" in this troubling snapshot of American crime twisted by the dark trajectory of machismo in economically stressful times. Her research includes some fifty in-depth interviews of victims' friends and family, an examination of police files, and detailed profiles of the researchers who track these "killer dads." She also presents experts' theories on the causes that drive men to commit these heinous acts-ranging from economic pressures, the stress of perceived failure, and distorted egos, to the disturbing statistics on abuse of adopted children by step-fathers and the connection between murder and pregnancy. Finally, she discusses factors in contemporary society that may foster such crimes, and measures we can and should be taking to prevent them. Well-researched and often-shocking, Killer Dads provides disturbing insights into the dark forces that can turn family dynamics into the worst imaginable nightmare. KILLER DADS-The Twisted Drive That Compels Fathers To Murder Their Own Kids-Mary Papenfuss    

No crime is as horrific, as mesmerizingly perplexing, as a child's murder at the hands of a parent. In most cases, the perpetrator is the father. A veteran journalist explores five examples of "family annihilators" in this troubling snapshot of American crime twisted by the dark trajectory of machismo in economically stressful times. Her research includes some fifty in-depth interviews of victims' friends and family, an examination of police files, and detailed profiles of the researchers who track these "killer dads." She also presents experts' theories on the causes that drive men to commit these heinous acts-ranging from economic pressures, the stress of perceived failure, and distorted egos, to the disturbing statistics on abuse of adopted children by step-fathers and the connection between murder and pregnancy. Finally, she discusses factors in contemporary society that may foster such crimes, and measures we can and should be taking to prevent them. Well-researched and often-shocking, Killer Dads provides disturbing insights into the dark forces that can turn family dynamics into the worst imaginable nightmare. KILLER DADS-The Twisted Drive That Compels Fathers To Murder Their Own Kids-Mary Papenfuss    

A vain man of good looks, small means, and no family links to the mob, Vincent “Vinny Gorgeous” Basciano steadily worked his way up to acting boss of the Bonanno crime family, becoming its leader when official boss Joseph Massino went to the clink in 2003. But at a time when the Mob was crawling with secret operatives and informants caving to government pressure to flip, Basciano obeyed the code of La Cosa Nostra. “I got faith in one guy,” he told a group of mobsters during a secretly taped meeting. That man was Joseph Massino, head of the Bonanno borgata. But for all his loyalty, Basciano was still a hot-headed, cold-blooded killer, which led to his arrest. Then, in a remarkable betrayal that shook the Five Families to their foundation, Massino secretly cooperated with the FBI—the first official boss ever to roll over. As a result, Basciano faced the death penalty, but a federal jury, disturbed by the prosecution's use of criminal informants, reached a surprising verdict. Veteran crime author Anthony M. DeStefano tells the riveting story of the last true believer in the Mob’s cult of brotherhood and how he was betrayed by the only man he ever trusted. VINNY GORGEOUS-The Ugly Rise and Fall of a New York Mobster-Tony DeStefano

A vain man of good looks, small means, and no family links to the mob, Vincent “Vinny Gorgeous” Basciano steadily worked his way up to acting boss of the Bonanno crime family, becoming its leader when official boss Joseph Massino went to the clink in 2003. But at a time when the Mob was crawling with secret operatives and informants caving to government pressure to flip, Basciano obeyed the code of La Cosa Nostra. “I got faith in one guy,” he told a group of mobsters during a secretly taped meeting. That man was Joseph Massino, head of the Bonanno borgata. But for all his loyalty, Basciano was still a hot-headed, cold-blooded killer, which led to his arrest. Then, in a remarkable betrayal that shook the Five Families to their foundation, Massino secretly cooperated with the FBI—the first official boss ever to roll over. As a result, Basciano faced the death penalty, but a federal jury, disturbed by the prosecution's use of criminal informants, reached a surprising verdict. Veteran crime author Anthony M. DeStefano tells the riveting story of the last true believer in the Mob’s cult of brotherhood and how he was betrayed by the only man he ever trusted. VINNY GORGEOUS-The Ugly Rise and Fall of a New York Mobster-Tony DeStefano

The crimes of Charles Manson, Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy and other high-profile killers are so breathtakingly awful that most people would label them "evil." Renowned psychiatrist Michael H. Stone—host of Discovery Channel’s former series Most Evil—uses this as his starting point to explore the concept and reality of evil from a new perspective. Basing his analysis on the detailed biographies of more than 600 violent criminals, Stone has created a 22-level hierarchy of evil behavior, loosely reflecting the structure of Dante’s Inferno. He traces two salient personality traits that run the gamut from those who commit crimes of passion to perpetrators of the worst crimes—sadistic torture and murder. One trait is narcissism, as exhibited in people who are so self-centered that they have little or no ability to care about their victims. The other is aggression, the use of power over another person to inflict humiliation, suffering, and death.What do psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience tell us about the minds of those described as evil? And what will that mean for the rest of us? THE ANATOMY OF EVIL-Dr. Michael H. Stone

The crimes of Charles Manson, Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy and other high-profile killers are so breathtakingly awful that most people would label them "evil." Renowned psychiatrist Michael H. Stone—host of Discovery Channel’s former series Most Evil—uses this as his starting point to explore the concept and reality of evil from a new perspective.  Basing his analysis on the detailed biographies of more than 600 violent criminals, Stone has created a 22-level hierarchy of evil behavior, loosely reflecting the structure of Dante’s Inferno. He traces two salient personality traits that run the gamut from those who commit crimes of passion to perpetrators of the worst crimes—sadistic torture and murder.  One trait is narcissism, as exhibited in people who are so self-centered that they have little or no ability to care about their victims. The other is aggression, the use of power over another person to inflict humiliation, suffering, and death. What do psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience tell us about the minds of those described as evil? And what will that mean for the rest of us? THE ANATOMY OF EVIL-Dr. Michael H. Stone

This book is the first comprehensive account of three centuries of thug life in the city where America began. In chilling new detail, veteran Boston journalist George Hassett reveals the legendary crime stories of Boston - from Prohibition to the Mafia, the Irish Gang War to Whitey Bulger. The forgotten chapters of Boston gang history are also covered - from the role of street gangs in the American Revolution to Chinatowns infamous Tong Wars to the murder of number king Daddy Black - it is all here. Every neighborhood, every era, every gangster. GANGSTERS OF BOSTON-George Hassett

This book is the first comprehensive account of three centuries of thug life in the city where America began. In chilling new detail, veteran Boston journalist George Hassett reveals the legendary crime stories of Boston - from Prohibition to the Mafia, the Irish Gang War to Whitey Bulger. The forgotten chapters of Boston gang history are also covered - from the role of street gangs in the American Revolution to Chinatowns infamous Tong Wars to the murder of number king Daddy Black - it is all here. Every neighborhood, every era, every gangster. GANGSTERS OF BOSTON-George Hassett

On January 28, 2011, the Tampa Police Department received a phone call from a woman who was worried about her daughter, Julie Schenecker. A devoted Army wife and mother of two, Julie had sent her mother an email that could be described as “suicidal.” When authorities arrived at the Schenecker home, they encountered a horrific scene… Sixteen-year-old Calyx and thirteen-year-old Beau Schenecker were found dead—both of them shot, then covered with blankets. Upon questioning, Julie admitted that she was “tired of the kids talking back” and just “wanted it to be over.” Had her manic depression driven her to the point of insanity? Or was hers a case of cold, calculated violence and manipulation? This is the shocking true story of motherhood, mental illness, and two charges of murder in the first degree. SLEEP MY DARLINGS-The True Story Of A Mother Who Killed Her Children In Cold Blood-Diane Fanning  

On January 28, 2011, the Tampa Police Department received a phone call from a woman who was worried about her daughter, Julie Schenecker. A devoted Army wife and mother of two, Julie had sent her mother an email that could be described as “suicidal.” When authorities arrived at the Schenecker home, they encountered a horrific scene…  Sixteen-year-old Calyx and thirteen-year-old Beau Schenecker were found dead—both of them shot, then covered with blankets. Upon questioning, Julie admitted that she was “tired of the kids talking back” and just “wanted it to be over.” Had her manic depression driven her to the point of insanity? Or was hers a case of cold, calculated violence and manipulation? This is the shocking true story of motherhood, mental illness, and two charges of murder in the first degree. SLEEP MY DARLINGS-The True Story Of A Mother Who Killed Her Children In Cold Blood-Diane Fanning  

The case that captivated the Coachella Valley and San Francisco Bay area for years! Author Sherrie Lueder and her Literary Team, Dawn Taarud-Martinez and Kim Hansen, along with Tyson Wrensch, a former friend, now victim of the con men unravel the threads of a decade long crime spree filled with twists, turns and shocking revelations. Filled with a cast of characters drawn from San Francisco's Castro District, the "Dark Prince" and "the Boiz" take you from one con to the next until a single brazen act leads to murder. However, the story doesn't end there. There are the dramatic courtroom trials that no one predicted and the shocking ending that no one expected-not even the judge. UNTIL SOMEONE GETS HURT-Tyson Wrensch

The case that captivated the Coachella Valley and San Francisco Bay area for years!  Author Sherrie Lueder and her Literary Team, Dawn Taarud-Martinez and Kim Hansen, along with Tyson Wrensch, a former friend, now victim of the con men unravel the threads of a decade long crime spree filled with twists, turns and shocking revelations. Filled with a cast of characters drawn from San Francisco's Castro District, the "Dark Prince" and "the Boiz" take you from one con to the next until a single brazen act leads to murder. However, the story doesn't end there. There are the dramatic courtroom trials that no one predicted and the shocking ending that no one expected-not even the judge. UNTIL SOMEONE GETS HURT-Tyson Wrensch

Beau Webster is a Tallahassee, Florida based private investigator who is a former officer with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. Like Travis McGee, the famous fictional private investigator created by John D. McDonald, Webster prowls the southern tier of the U.S., working for those in need of justice. Like Kendrick Johnson, A Valdosta, GA teenager, Johnson, an African American, was found dead in the gym of the high school he attended rolled up in a gym mat. Investigating, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation claimed Johnson died accidentally when he crawled into the mat and smothered. What they didn't explain was why his face was bludgeoned and bloody and why he had a stab wound on his arm. Working for the Johnson family attorney, Webster has uncovered a conspiracy by mostly white high school athletes that led to Johnson's death and the refusal of the local authorities to indict them, making this a civil rights case. THE MURDER OF KENDRICK JOHNSON? Fred Rosen and Beau Webster

Beau Webster is a Tallahassee, Florida based private investigator who is a former officer with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. Like Travis McGee, the famous fictional private investigator created by John D. McDonald, Webster prowls the southern tier of the U.S., working for those in need of justice. Like Kendrick Johnson, A Valdosta, GA teenager, Johnson, an African American, was found dead in the gym of the high school he attended rolled up in a gym mat. Investigating, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation claimed Johnson died accidentally when he crawled into the mat and smothered. What they didn't explain was why his face was bludgeoned and bloody and why he had a stab wound on his arm. Working for the Johnson family attorney, Webster has uncovered a conspiracy by mostly white high school athletes that led to Johnson's death and the refusal of the local authorities to indict them, making this a civil rights case. THE MURDER OF KENDRICK JOHNSON? Fred Rosen and Beau Webster