The Butcher: Anatomy of a Mafia Psychopath

by Philip Carlo

Overview

The New York Times bestselling author of Gaspipe and The Ice Man, Phillip Carlo returns with a hair-raising portrait of arguably the most depraved psychopath in the history of the Mafia, mob enforcer Tommy “Karate” Pitera. The Butcher tells the riveting true story of a hit man who loved his work too much—a maniac believed responsible for more than sixty remarkably brutal murders—whom even organized crime’s most cold-blooded assassins feared. Another riveting journey into the darkest corners of the underworld, Carlo’s The Butcher is destined to be a true crime classic alongside Wiseguys by Nicholas Pileggi and Underboss by Peter Maas.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061744662
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	10/19/2010
Pages:	298
Sales rank:	189,910
Product dimensions:	7.12(w) x 11.80(h) x 0.88(d)

About the Author

Philip Carlo was born and raised on the mean streets of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn—the same streets Tommy Pitera hailed from. There, Carlo earned a Ph.D. in street smarts, and he escaped a life of crime by writing about it with unusual insight. He is the author of the bestsellers The Night Stalker, about notorious serial killer Richard Ramirez, and The Ice Man, about infamous Mafia contract killer Richard Kuklinski. Carlo lives with his wife, Laura, in New York City.

Table of Contents

Author's Note xii

Acknowledgments xiii

Cast of Characters xv

Map of Gravesend and Bensonhurst xviii

Prologue 1

Part I Seeds

1 Sanctuary 7

2 Dark Secrets 12

3 It's Good to Know Karate 16

4 The Making of a Dragon Slayer 24

5 The Apple Doesn't Fall Far from the Tree 32

6 Cherry Blossoms and Samurai 39

7 The Bonannos 44

Part II Killers Fear Him

8 The Green Hornet and the Bonannos 53

9 The Bonanno Vampire 57

10 The Perfect Storm 59

11 Armed, Dangerous, and Aggressive 61

12 Gravesend: The Cemetery 76

13 Buy and Bust 79

14 Pizza Two 87

15 Street Monkey 96

16 The Vampire of Avenue S 101

17 Surveillance 105

18 Phyllis 109

19 Three-Time Loser 113

20 Group 33 117

21 The Guvenaros 119

22 The Gravedigger 123

23 The Art of Walk-and-Talks 126

24 Happenstance 138

25 Party Girl 143

26 Speedballs 146

27 Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda 151

28 No Remorse, No Conscience, No Scruples 158

29 Fire-Breathing Dragon 159

30 The Loss of a Tentacle 163

31 The Body in the Alley 165

32 The Cleaner 172

33 "You're Not My Boss" 175

34 Dynamic Duo 182

35 Stick Shift 186

36 Willie Boy 192

37 The Garage 196

38 B & E 198

39 Rats 204

Part III The Beat Goes On

40 The Cop Killer 211

41 Spider's Web 226

42 1-900-Fuck-Me 232

43 He's a Real Bad Dude 235

44 Day Trip 239

45 The Rock of Gibraltar 241

46 The Meatwagon 246

47 Lion's Share 248

48 DUI 255

49 Revelations 260

Part IV Traumas and Trials

50 The William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge 277

51 Cheap Suitcases 280

52 The Execution of Tommy Karate Pitera 284

53 Tight-Lipped Pitera 287

54 The United States of America Versus Pitera 288

55 Yea or Nay 293

Epilogue 297

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"A fine listen for any true crime fan." —-Publishers Weekly Audio Review

Editorial Reviews

As a young man, Tommy "Karate" Pitera landed the perfect job for a psychopathic killer: He became a hit man and drug trafficker for the Bonanno crime family. From the start of his new career, this sadistic murderer approached his job with extreme zeal, not only fulfilling all his homicidal assignments but also adding hits on his own. By the time DEA crime fighter Jim Hunt got the case in the '80s, Pitera's résumé consisted of scores of bloody executions. In The Butcher, prolific crime author Philip Carlo (The Night Stalker; The Ice Man; Confessions of a Mafia Boss) describes the demonic exploits of a hyperactive mob killer.

Carlo once again delves into the world of the Mafia to bring to light a disturbing portrait of one of the most ruthless killers in criminal history and the series of events that eventually lead to his arrest. Tommy “Karate” Pitera rose from humble beginnings to become the Mafia's top hit man. For over a decade, he settled professional and personal scores, savagely murdering and dismembering some 60 victims. Hill does a fine job in his reading, imbuing long passages of statistics and exposition with just enough emotion to keep the listener interested. His Mafioso accents fit perfectly with the characters, especially his rendition of Pitera's well-noted high-pitched speaking voice, which brings an additional chill to the character and his crimes. A fine listen for any true crime fan. A Morrow hardcover (Reviews, Sept. 28). (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

"A fine listen for any true crime fan." ---Publishers Weekly Audio Review

From the Publisher