The Butcher: Anatomy of a Mafia Psychopath
Tommy "Karate" Pitera was not like other mafiosi. A capo in the notorious Bonanno family-a deadly martial artist highly skilled with knives and other lethal weapons-Pitera murdered his way to becoming one of the premier assassins in the New York mafia during the 1980s. He didn't just whack people; he diabolically made them disappear forever. In hushed whispers people spoke of Pitera's secret burial grounds and the grotesque things he did to his victim's bodies. If the Mafia had a Jeffrey...
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Written by the bestselling author of The Ice Man, The Butcher is a gripping and disturbing fly-on-the-wall account of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's four-year hunt to bring down Tommy "Karate" Pitera, a drug-dealing, murderous capo in the Bonanno crime family. Publishers Weekly 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.)
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
\ From Barnes & NobleAs 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.\ \ \ \ \ Publishers WeeklyCarlo 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.)\ \ \ From the Publisher"A fine listen for any true crime fan." —-Publishers Weekly Audio Review\ \
