A Jewish Tony Soprano? Meet Louis Ferrante. In his memoir, Unlocked, Ferrante gives a voyeuristic account of his days immersed in New York City’s world of organized crime. Written with terrific candor effortlessly incorporating street talk into his masterful storytelling, Ferrante recalls his life as one of the most lucrative criminals John Gotti ever had on his payroll. Ferrante’s vignettes of heists and thievery, sprinkled with capers involving gambling and women, make for great reading. The fun ends when Federal agents apprehend Ferrante after an extended investigation. This part of the story reads like a Scorsese movie, a cat and mouse game in which you know the mouse is doomed to capture.
After Ferrante is imprisoned, the tone of the book changes. Ferrante’s time in prison is a trying, but thoughtful period. Even through the rigors and trials of this dark experience, Ferrante maintains his ability to captivate his reader with his storytelling. Though not Jewish during his days as a leading Mafioso, in prison Ferrante “decided to live by the Torah; it works for me.” Ferrante’s engrossing memoir is one that works, period.
