Hitmen: The Mafia, Drugs, and the East Harlem Purple Gang

In the mid-1970s, a series of gangland murders were committed by unknown killers, often wielding .22-caliber revolvers. The FBI compiled a list of 25 gangland figures killed, and the main suspects were members of the East Harlem Purple Gang. The Gang was an obsession with the media and was accused of being behind all the major mob hits through the early 1980s. Scott Deitche's account brings the gritty City of the late 1970s and early 1980s back to life.

Format: Hardback
Length: 198 pages
Publication date: 15 June 2022
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

In the mid-1970s, a series of gangland murders occurred, perpetrated by unknown killers, often wielding .22-caliber revolvers. Initially, these murders appeared unconnected, but law enforcement began to detect links to organized crime. By 1978, federal authorities had become involved in the investigations. The FBI compiled a list of 25 gangland figures killed between 1975 and 1978, sourced from potential witnesses and low-level associates, to made men. All of these individuals were shot with a .22 from the same batch of guns purchased in Florida, some even using the same weapon.

The primary suspects in these murders were members of the East Harlem Purple Gang. Initially operating on the fringes, the gang quickly evolved into a violent offshoot syndicate of the Mafia, with some members even rising to high-ranking positions within the Genovese, Bonanno, and Lucchese families. The Purple Gang specialized in various criminal activities, including freelance hitmen, kidnappings, and drug trafficking. Their exploits quickly gained notoriety and became the subject of widespread media coverage. Accounts of the Gang's activities appeared in newspapers nationwide in the late 1970s, earning them the nickname "the shadow army of the underworld" and becoming the favorite suspect of law enforcement agencies.

The Purple Gang was accused of being behind numerous major mob hits throughout the early 1980s, solidifying their status as the ultimate boogeyman in the era of mob upheaval and the struggling New York City plagued by crime and financial woes. In his comprehensive account, Scott Deitche delves into the mystery and mythos surrounding the Purple Gang, shedding light on the real members, their operations, and the current whereabouts of some of the major players involved.

Weight: 440g
Dimension: 159 x 235 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781538153567