Ronald Fino, one of the FBI's foremost undercover operatives, does not scare easily.That is why he's not afraid to name names in this undercover expos . For years, Fino wanted to write about his experiences, but each time the FBI managed to stop him. Even requests from major authors like Tom Clancy were placed on old. Today, Ronald Fino is retired from his service to the FBI and is ready to tell his story. Because of his unique position as the son of a Mafia boss, Fino got to know the ins and outs of organized crime from the ground up. He learned how they control members of Congress and local officials as well as their ties to presidents, politicians, and law enforcement officials.But working to bring mob members to justice and exposing political corruption wasn't enough for Fino. He also managed to infiltrate the Russian Mafia, made underground contact with Muslim terrorists, and exposed illegal arms smugglers, child porn organizers, narcotics dealers, and international money launderers. It's all here. It's all true. And as Ronald Fino says, It's not going away anytime soon.

Take a tour of Buffalo, NY's mobster and mafia history. Local mob expert reveals gangsters' stories, hangouts and more.

Buffalo has housed its fair share of thugs and mobsters. Besides common criminals and bank robbers, a powerful crim

Are we allowed to scrutinize public art, even if the public doesn't pay for it? It only took the city of Buffalo 15 minutes to shut it off and five days for Mayor Jimmy Griffin to tear down Billie Lawless' sculpture Green Lightning in 1984.

It may have had something to do with dancing neon figures that resembled Mr. Peanut. But, to this day it's unclear if the artist tricked the city or the city acted hastily.

The story of Green Lightning is a cautionary tale about the importance of public art education. If the public is not aware of the different meanings and interpretations of art, they are more likely to react to it in a negative way. It is important for people to understand that art is subjective, and that what one person finds offensive, another person may find beautiful.

Through exhaustive recreation, the story of Green Lightning and artist Billie Lawless is carefully assembled. It is up to the reader to decide who bamboozled who.

Buffalo's appreciation for a frosty pint stretches back more than a century before anyone enjoyed a cold one with a basket of wings. By the middle of the 1800s, the industrial hub counted malt and beer among its most vital and satisfying products. Operations like Simon Pure Beer, Iroquois Beverage and the Magnus Beck Brewing Company brought Buffalo's world-class ales to the rest of the country. Prohibition saw a thriving business in black market hooch, though it all but killed the city's historic breweries. A few survivors struggled to recover. Today, a new batch of breweries like Community Beer Works and Big Ditch Brewing Company are crafting a beer revolution in the Queen City. Historian Michael Rizzo and brewer Ethan Cox explore the sudsy story of Buffalo beer.

Buffalo was once a proud, strong, important city. Burned by the British during the War of 1812, it rebuilt and eventually became the Erie Canal's western terminus. From its earliest days through the Industrial Age, Buffalo welcomed the 20th Century with open arms, reaching a zenith of sorts when it hosted the Pan-American Exposition in 1901. It was a time when every aspect of a building mattered. Offices and factories were designed to reflect in outward appearance the strength of the company itself. Buffalo was known for much more than merely Chicken Wings. This book is Buffalo in photographs and history. It is a glimpse into the past through the architecture of factories, banks and more. You may have passed many of these buildings on the way to work. Perhaps you grew up in proximity to one and never thought to notice it. Maybe you wondered what the company that occupied the building actually did. Companies that once were proud to be part of Buffalo's landscape, Queen-O pop, Curtiss-Wright, Wonder Bread, form the basis for the book. Although there are many beautiful public, religious and residential structures, only commercial buildings were chose for this work. Many are abandoned today, a handful not. Some will never be occupied again, bringing us back to that time when buildings mattered, and companies cared about their appearance as much as their bottom line. These weren't disposable buildings like the ones being built today. Sadly, Buffalo will never be the same, but we can remember these companies and buildings and hope for a better future. Each photo is accompanied by a history of the business. It is a different look at Buffalo, and a remembrance of its once powerful past.

Buffalo boasts many attractions, from sports teams to unique culinary offerings. The city also once was a shopper's paradise, and those fond memories live on today for generations of locals. Buffalo native Seymour Knox helped his cousin Frank Woolworth open his famous chain of stores nationwide, and Cresbury Clothes remained a multigenerational family business for most of the twentieth century. Well-recognized national chains, like the A&P, and local department stores like AM&A's and Sattler's were among the great retailers that dotted the main streets of the Queen City. Others, like Tops Markets, were bought out by larger corporations. In this new, updated edition, join Buffalo native Michael Rizzo as he revisits the days when Buffalo's streets were lined with stores and its sidewalks crowded with shoppers.

Buffalo's appreciation for a frosty pint stretches back more than a century before anyone enjoyed a cold one with a basket of wings. By the middle of the 1800s, the industrial hub counted malt and beer among its most vital and satisfying products. Operations like Simon Pure Beer, Iroquois Beverage and the Magnus Beck Brewing Company brought Buffalo's world-class ales to the rest of the country. Prohibition saw a thriving business in black market hooch, though it all but killed the city's historic breweries. A few survivors struggled to recover. Today, a new batch of breweries like Community Beer Works and Big Ditch Brewing Company are crafting a beer revolution in the Queen City. Historian Michael Rizzo and brewer Ethan Cox explore the sudsy story of Buffalo beer.

Brewing history touches every corner of Washington. When it was a territory, homesteader operations like Colville Brewery helped establish towns. In 1865, Joseph Meeker planted the state's first hops in Steilacoom. Within a few years, that modest crop became a five-hundred-acre empire, and Washington led the nation in hops production by the turn of the century. Enterprising pioneers like Emil Sick and City Brewery's Catherine Stahl galvanized early Pacific Northwest brewing. In 1982, Bert Grant's Yakima Brewing and Malting Company opened the first brewpub in the country since Prohibition. Soon, Seattle's Independent Ale Brewing Company led a statewide craft tap takeover, and today, nearly three hundred breweries and brewpubs call the Evergreen State home. Author Michael F. Rizzo unveils the epic story of brewing in Washington.

Brewing history touches every corner of Washington. When it was a territory, homesteader operations like Colville Brewery helped establish towns. In 1865, Joseph Meeker planted the state s first hops in Steilacoom. Within a few years, that modest crop became a five-hundred-acre empire, and Washington led the nation in hops production by the turn of the century. Enterprising pioneers like Emil Sick and City Brewery s Catherine Stahl galvanized early Pacific Northwest brewing. In 1982, Bert Grant s Yakima Brewing and Malting Company opened the first brewpub in the country since Prohibition. Soon, Seattle s Independent Ale Brewing Company led a statewide craft tap takeover, and today, nearly three hundred breweries and brewpubs call the Evergreen State home. Author Michael F. Rizzo unveils the epic story of brewing in Washington.

Buffalo boasts many attractions, from sports teams to unique culinary offerings. The city also once was a shopper's paradise, and those fond memories live on today for generations of locals. Buffalo native Seymour Knox helped his cousin Frank Woolworth open his famous chain of stores nationwide, and Cresbury Clothes remained a multigenerational family business for most of the twentieth century. Well-recognized national chains, like the A&P, and local department stores like AM&A's and Sattler's were among the great retailers that dotted the main streets of the Queen City. Others, like Tops Markets, were bought out by larger corporations. In this new, updated edition, join Buffalo native Michael Rizzo as he revisits the days when Buffalo's streets were lined with stores and its sidewalks crowded with shoppers.

Set in Buffalo, New York during Prohibition, this true story revolves around an East Side group of Polish gangsters. Korney Kwiatkowski leads the gang that robs and kills it's way to the front pages of Buffalo newspapers and an ending none expected.

Bike messenger Rex Carlton discovers he has cancer and must decide if he wants to continue his career. He takes his frustration out on those he loves. He visits his cousin in the Pacific Northwest after discovering a letter hidden behind a painting for over 100 years. The letter leads them on a wild chase for the truth and into the sights of a serial killer. Rex and his best friend Neumann travel to the small town of Devils Corner in western Washington where his cousin Kelly Martin lives. With Kelly's help, they try to unravel the meaning behind a mysterious letter Rex found behind an old painting Kelly had sent him. While digging through old newspaper articles and family trees Rex examines his own life before deciding if he wants to return to his girlfriend and job. The trio finds themselves the target of a killer and exposing the truth could destroy them as well as the the small town.