Wiseguys, Rabbis, and the FBI: How one man became the biggest loanshark in New York City, went to prison, and escaped.

Was it the Mafia behind New York's biggest loanshark or two Long Island Rabbis?"I want to really recommend that you read this book. It’ll give you some kind of understanding on how the FBI, and the Department of Justice, and the US Attorney’s office, how they can come after people, how they can make mistakes, how the mafia and the Jews and businesses worked together, you’ll get it all in here." —Michael Franzese.Mel Cooper was a businessman with an edge, making risky loans to New York business people, until he found himself running the biggest loansharking operation in New York. In 1984, he was arrested by then-US Attorney, Rudolph Giuliani, and tried along with seven top Mafia capos from four New York crime families. It was one of Giuliani’s first attempts to target the Mafia, and he filled the courtroom with notorious informants, low-lifes, and hustlers. In one of the most unusual trials in mob history, Giuliani charged sought-after crime figures including "top earners" like Jimmy Rotondo and Michael Franzese, along with Mel Cooper and his partner — a Jewish dentist from Long Island. Cooper was found guilty and sentenced to 30 years in prison from which he promptly escaped. But was it the Mafia behind Mel Cooper's loans, or was it a group of Long Island Rabbis?Wiseguys, Rabbis, and the FBI is a true story that captures the freewheeling chaos that was 1970s and '80s New York. It shows what can go wrong when ambition and flexible ethos meet. Based on interviews, trial transcripts, and firsthand recollections, Wiseguys, Rabbis, and the FBI is a rare insider’s look at the business side of New York’s underworld during one of its most turbulent and exciting eras. For readers of mob history, courtroom drama, and true crime memoirs, this little-known story is a gem of crime-writing.“Wiseguys, Rabbis and the FBI is a gripping period piece of NYC in the 1970s and '80s. The story is so captivating and expertly told, it feels like I’m watching a move. This is a must-read.” Read more