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Covert: My Years Infiltrating the Mob [NOOK Book]
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In a riveting page-turner, NBA referee Bob Delaney reveals the clandestine life he led before becoming one of professional basketball’s most respected referees.
In 1975, Delaney had spent only a year and a half as a New Jersey State Trooper when his superiors approached him with a tantalizing yet dangerous undercover assignment: to infiltrate the Mob. Delaney accepted, and became Bobby Covert, the president of Alamo Trucking, a fully-operational business used by law enforcement as flypaper for snagging crooks.
At the height of The Godfather era, Delaney wore a wire and lived among wiseguys who modeled themselves on their on-screen counterparts, quoting lines from “The Movie” and boasting of how often they’d seen it. Delaney even crossed paths with Joe Pistone, the real-life Donnie Brasco (though neither knew the other was undercover), knowing all the while that a single slip could get him killed.
Ultimately gathering enough evidence to convict 30 members of the Bruno and Genovese crime families, Project Alpha was a success, but Delaney struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder and traces of Stockholm syndrome after getting too close to those he investigated. Therapy helped him come to terms with all he’d endured during his three tense years undercover, and, once a college basketball star, Delaney began officiating high school and intramural games as a way to rebuild his life—eventually working his way up to the NBA, where he has been a referee for more than two decades.
NBA referee Delaney's fascinating account of his prior life as a New Jersey state trooper who infiltrated organized crime will be a must-read for those drawn to Joe Pistone's similar account in Donnie Brasco(or the movie adaptation starring Johnny Depp). In 1975, Delaney was a relative novice in law enforcement when he was tapped by a superior to help build cases against major Mafia families by creating and running a fake business, Alamo Trucking. With the aid of St. Petersburg (Fla.) Timessportswriter Scheiber, Delaney captures perfectly the daily routine and perils of undercover work, and describes the psychological challenges he faced during the three years of Project Alpha: "The granite foundation of my self-image... had given way to shifting sands of doubt and worry." While less heralded than Pistone's work, Delaney's achievements-which yielded multiple convictions of members of the Bruno and Genovese families-were significant precursors to the Feds' massive 1980s assault on La Cosa Nostra. Becoming a basketball referee after these proceedings was a return to an early passion of the high school all-state forward and captain of his college team-but the fear, he says, still comes back sometimes. 8 pages of b&w photos. (Feb. 5)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information“Delaney’s heroic performance during his perilous assignment represents the finest traditions of the New Jersey State Police. My father, the first superintendent of the New Jersey State Police Department, would have been proud of him.”—General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, U.S. Army (ret.)
“A slam dunk, a bull’s eye and any other glowing mafia or basketball metaphor you can think of.”—Kirkus
"Gripping...Fans of such undercover-themed books as Donnie Brasco, or organized-crime exposés like The Valachi Papers, will devour this one.”—Booklist
Bob Delaney was a highly decorated New Jersey state trooper and is currently an NBA referee and speaker who talks about coping with post-traumatic stress, leadership, and teamwork. He lives in Tampa, Florida. Dave Scheiber is a journalist and TV correspondent. He lives in St. Petersburg, Florida. They are the coauthors of Covert: My Years Infiltrating the Mob.
Anonymous
Posted October 6, 2008
Great book!!!!
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 16, 2008
True crime at its best. Delaney captures every moment of his undercover assignment for the NJ State and Feds. His story is a tribute to crime fighting. He has been on CNN to tell the scope of the operation. Project Alpha is A+
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 16, 2008
Loved this story about an undercover cop now turned basketball official who gathered evidence against the Genovese, Bruno and other crime families - and somehow survived to tell his story.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 6, 2008
A friend recommended Covert, and I was fascinated by the real life mafia story behind this charismatic author/NBA basketball official.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 13, 2010
I enjoyed the book (I am originally from Jersey City) because of the local nature of the undercover work that Delaney was involved in that later became our local news. I have seen Delaney referee at many NBA games in Florida over the years, but did not know his background. He certainly has led a less than boring life!
If you liked the Sopranos, or the Godfather stories, then you will enjoy this one more because it is true.
Good read.
Very simply. BUY THE BOOK. Someday soon, you'll be going to the movie. It's THAT good.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 16, 2008
I thought the book was completely fascinating and could not put it down. It is so interesting how someone can go from such a hidden life to now refereeing NBA basketball games. Highly recommend.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 13, 2008
I couldn't get through the book, it was terrible. It seems he is a donnie brasco wanna-be with-out the story.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 21, 2008
Covert has the perfect combination of gritty crime drama and human emotion. This book is an excellent first-hand account of the undercover experience.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 3, 2008
I know the author 'Bob Delaney' because he officiates in the NBA and was only slightly aware of his background as a New Jersey State Trooper. This true story goes into detail of his life infiltrating organized crime in one of America¿s largest undercover operations. Even more interesting was the transition from this assignment into his next vocation of officiating LeBron James and Kobe Bryant in the NBA. This story captivated me from the very first page and kept going until the final chapter. An excellent read for anyone.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 12, 2008
A young New Jersey State Trooper, author Bob Delaney, goes deep undercover in order to infiltrate organized crime at it's highest and lowest level. A true and gritty story that will keep the reader captivated throughout the entire book. Not only does Delaney give a true and closeup look at the mob, but relates how it affected him after working three years undercover. You don't have to be crime drama buff to enjoy this book. It's for everyone. A fantastic read.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 13, 2008
I heard the author speak at a Barnes & Noble in Walpole, Mass. He is a fascinating speaker and has written a good description of the very unglamorous personalities involved in organized crime. This is not a TV movie portrayal of the 'Don' as played by Danny Aiello.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 2, 2008
picked up my copy of covert last night at nine......finished it at 5 am........wow , fascinating book from page one I could't put it down....forget the sopranos this is the real deal!!!this whole story is 100% true-I know because I lived in west caldwell nj back then and was best friends with pat kelly's family so i saw this thing play out from a different angle. I was inside alamo trucking on communipaw,I have eaten at the bella vita...what bob and pat did takes more guts than you can ever imagine.Its one thing to watch it on tv ...... another thing to sit 2 feet from tino fiumara wearing a tape recorder! All sopranos fans will love this book- this all went down in the same area where the sopranos take place. Thanks bob for all you guys did ,my only regret is losing my good friends the kellys when they were relocated.....
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Posted February 8, 2008
February 8, 2008 The book 'Covert' by Robert Delaney and Dave Scheiber, is an extraordinary story of a 'deep-undercover' New Jersey State Trooper entering the psychic world of 'organized-crime'. This is a well written book driven by anecdotal events describing the personal and emotional encounters witnessed by a dedicated New Jersey State Trooper. It is an honest representation of someone¿s fears and apprehensions as seen by Bob Delaney for taking on an assignment to infiltrate and live with organized crime family members. The authors¿ script an excellent 'self-analysis' of the meetings and incidents with organized-crime members and others throughout the book that allows one to visualize the characters in ¿virtual-reality¿ and beyond knowing their names. It is a book that is recommended for anyone intrigued about what it takes for a police officer to live the life of a 'deep-undercover' agent in a criminal lifestyle, while learning the personal and psychic sacrifices that go with this most dangerous assignment. ¿ Joseph M. Paulillo
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Posted January 18, 2008
I'm neither a big sports fan, nor a mob cult type, but I really liked Covert. Delaney's story is honest and thoughtful and a really swift read. Highly recommend it.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 18, 2008
Much more than a MOB story - it's a life story. As stated in the foreward, it was one heck of a ride!!!
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Posted November 3, 2007
I enjoyed every word, every chapter. This is a book that most readers will read in one night.
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Posted August 18, 2009
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Posted August 1, 2011
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Posted December 15, 2011
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Overview
Featured on NPR and CNNIn a riveting page-turner, NBA referee Bob Delaney reveals the clandestine life he led before becoming one of professional basketball’s most respected referees.
In 1975, Delaney had spent only a year and a half as a New Jersey State Trooper when his superiors approached him with a tantalizing yet dangerous undercover assignment: to infiltrate the Mob. Delaney accepted, and became Bobby Covert, the president of Alamo Trucking, a fully-operational business used by law enforcement as flypaper for snagging crooks.
At the height of The Godfather era, Delaney wore ...