Updated Edition, October 2007

A gripping story. . . . Griffin richly documents the Black Mafia's organization, outreach and over-the-top badness.--Philadelphia Inquirer

Griffin's reporting on the Black Mafia and its interaction with law enforcement, the Nation of Islam and the Italian mob is fascinating.--Philadelphia Weekly

A confident chronicle of Philly's Black Mafia, the decades-long collaboration among drug dealers, Muslim clerics and local politicians.--Philadelphia Magazine

A richly detailed narrative of the murderous history of the city's first African-American crime syndicate.--Philadelphia Daily News

A great, sprawling epic.--Duane Swierczynski, editor-in-chief, Philadelphia City Paper

If you're a crime buff, a history lover, or if you just want something fascinating to read, it's a book you can't refuse.--Terri Schlichenmeyer, syndicated reviewer and host of www.BookWormSez.com

I couldn't put this book down.--Keith Murphy, award-winning broadcaster and host of The Urban Journal on XM Radio's The Power

Sean Patrick Griffin has given us a really extensive look into the Black Mafia . . . and has produced one of best pieces of research on the underworld . . . that I have ever seen.--Elmer Smith, The Exchange, 1340AM WHAT

The book is incredible . . . amazing stuff.--Dom Giordano, radio host, 1210AM WPHT

Sean Patrick Griffin, in surreal detail, lays out the twist and turns, the political and religious associations . . . a guaranteed chilling read.--The Melting Pot

Searing, unrelenting and ruthlessly precise, a nose-in-the-bloodstains account of the violence that splattered black Philadelphia in the late 60s and early 70s.--Henry Schipper, producer of Philly Black Mafia in the American Gangster TV series

The Black Mafia is one of the bloodiest crime syndicates in modern US history. From its roots in Philadelphia's ghettos in the 1960's, it grew from a rabble of street toughs to a disciplined, ruthless organization based on fear and intimidation. Known in its legitimate guise as Black Brothers Inc, it held regular meetings, appointed investigators, treasurers and enforcers, and controlled drug dealing, loan-sharking, numbers rackets, armed robbery and extortion.

Its ferocious crew of gunmen was led by Sam Christian, the most feared man on Philly's streets. They developed close ties with the influential Nation of Islam and soon were executing rivals, extorting bookies connected to the city's powerful Cosa Nostra crew, and cowing local gangs. Police say the Black Mafia was responsible for over forty killings, the most chilling being the massacre of two adults and five children in a feud between rival religious factions. Despite the arrests that followed, they continued their rampage, exploiting their ties to prominent lawyers and civil rights leaders. Convictions and sentences eventually shattered their strength--only for the crack-dealing Junior Black Mafia to emerge in their wake.

Author Sean Griffin, a former Philadelphia police officer turned university professor, conducted scores of interviews and gained access to informant logs, witness statements, wiretaps and secret FBI files to make Black Brothers Inc. the most detailed account ever of an African American organized crime mob, and a landmark investigation into the modern urban underworld.

For 20 years, the Cali drug cartel, a vast criminal conspiracy, pumped thousands of tons of cocaine into the United States, laundered billions of dollars in profits and was responsible for endemic political corruption and an untold number of murders and assassinations. It ultimately controlled 70 percent of the world's cocaine market, flooding towns and cities with the addictive white powder dubbed the champagne of drugs.

Through organized violence, terrorist strategies, intimidation and bribery, the cartel became a major threat to Colombia's fragile stability. It also brought an unprecedented degree of strategy and planning to the drugs trade. It would take more than two decades and a global effort to bring it down.

In this first-ever account of the cartel's rise and fall, author Ron Chepesiuk provides a compelling insight into the history of international drug trafficking, organized crime and US drug policy. He draws vivid pictures of the gang's founders--Jose the Chess Player Londono and brothers Miguel and Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela--and reveals how they built their empire, carving up the massive US market with their rival Medellin Cartel: New York going to Cali, Miami to Medellin.

Unlike Medellin, headed by the vicious Pablo Escobar, the men from Cali kept their complex operation in the shadows. It grew quickly and came to operate like a multinational corporation. In time, they became too big to share their spoils and fought an indescribably bloody war with the Medellin mob, a war they ultimately won.

Written with the pace and vividness of a thriller, Drug Lords also illustrates the similarities between global traffickers and international terrorists and compares the current war on terror with the war on drugs.

In the hardest-hitting expose of boxing ever written, campaigning journalist Jim Brady lays bare the corrupt history of the 'Noble Art'. From its murky beginnings to the multi-billions business of today. Delving into extensive FBI files and police documents, he reveals how the mafia took over the sport in the US and how for decades world titles were effectively controlled by one man: Frank Carbo, the sinister 'Mister Gray'.

Here is the story of the monopolistic International Boxing Club, known as 'the Octopus', and how it was succeeded by the worldwide governing bodies labelledthe Alphbet Boys, who many contend have ruined the fight game. Here also are revelations of fixed fights, bent ratings, rip-offs and kick-backs, a full accountof the undercover investigation into the corrupt International Boxing Federation, the machinations of Don King, Bob Arum and Jose Sulaiman, and the incredible saga of Harold Smith, the man who tried to buy the sport. 'Boxing Confidential' is the book no true fight fan should be without.

In the late 1970s, racism was on the march. The bootboys and skinheads of the National Front and the British Movement paraded their extremist views and targeted etnic minorities and political opponents-until a group of working-class, left-wing activists decided to fight back. They vowed to drive the nazis off the streets not with placards and speeches but by any means necessary. The Squads: were born-and so began the secret conflict between the anti-nazis and the far right. Shopping centers, meeting halls, concert venues and pubs became the settings for a series of pitched battles that raged from London to Glasgow, Leeds to Machester. And slowly the far right were beaten from the streets. In 1985 Anti-Fascist Action was formed to carry on the fight and to oppose fascism both physically and ideologically. AFA's Stewards' Group superceded the Squads and led the assault on the emergent British National Party and its violent henchmen.

Victorian Liverpool was a city of abundant wealth and abysmal poverty. By day the broad streets bustled with wealthy merchants making fortunes from the booming dock trade. By nightfall they were taken over by fearsome gangs from the foul courtyards and overcrowded tenements. Shrieks and screams cut the air, while brawls and brutal muggings were commonplace.

The Gangs of Liverpool is a fascinating tour through a long-forgotten netherworld where armed ruffians fought for territory or pride and no man was safe after dark. From warring Catholic and Protestant mobs of the 1850s with names like the Hibernians and the Dead Rabbits emerged the Cornermen, whose wicked exploits made them feared throughout the city.

Previously hidden in the shadows of their inner-city slums, the gangs now took center stage. Most notorious of all were the High Rip, who announced themselves with the infamous Blackstone Street Murder and launched a vicious war against their sworn enemies, the Logwood Gang.

Author Dr. Michael Macilwee has conducted exhaustive research to portray the Victorian underworld in one of its most colorful periods, replete with Dickensian cutthroats, iron-hard detectives, pitched battles, and draconian punishments.

From religious riots to bare-knuckle brawls, The Gangs of Liverpool is a riveting journey into the dark but compelling criminal history of England's toughest city.

Dr. Michael Macilwee has worked as a librarian in the Liverpool John Moores University library for eighteen years and has contributed to numerous academic journals. The Gangs of Liverpool is his first book.

Steel made Teeside and Teeside made steel. For decades its blast furnaces forged both metal and men and earned the area the nickname the infant hercules. Many of those tough steel men were united on Saturday afternoons on the terrances of Middlesbrough Football Club. And some of the hardest of all became the forerunners of one of football's most notorious holligan gangs: The Frontline. The Frontline came together in the late sixties, when its founders went to matches wearing pit boots, mining helmets and donkey jackets and fought equally tough dockers from places like Millwall and Everton. Soon young men were bolstering their numbers in Doc Marten boots, skinhead haircuts and Crombie coats. Terrace culture had arrived and football would never be the same again. The Frontline went on to become one of the most active soccer mobs, their reputation built not on weapons or numbers but on their courage and grit in toe-to-toe battles. Their loyalty was unsurpassed and they would travel through the night to take on the London and south coast firms, thought their bitterest rivals remained the 'Mackems' of Sunderland and the Geordies of Newcastle. From the club's dog days of the 1980s, spectacular reinvestment has brought dramatic on-field success and a huge expansion of support-but The Frontline have never gone away.

Donald MacNeil was teaching sailing in the north of England when he was hired to skipper a yacht across the Mediterranean. The pay was good and the work was easy--or so he thought. But the truth was soon revealed: He had to sail the Atlantic to South America to collect one of the biggest hauls of cocaine ever bound for the United Kingdom.

Realizing he knew too much about the gangsters who had hired him, he saw that refusal wasn't an option. There followed a harrowing journey to Venezuela, where almost 50 million of coke was waiting. But before they could escape, MacNeil and his fellow crewman were arrested. They were found guilty of drug smuggling and sentenced to six years in the notorious island prison of San Antonio.

MacNeil soon discovered why Venezuela's prisons are the most violent in the world, with hundreds killed every year in riots, vendettas, and petty disputes. Thrown into a filthy, overcrowded dormitory and surrounded by armed gangs and crack addicts, he faced a daily fight to survive. Ferocious guards beat prisoners indiscriminately, and many cut themselves in blood strikes to protest against the scarce food, undrinkable water, and lack of medical care. Finally, a war broke out between the two prison compounds, involving guns, machetes, and even grenades.

Through it all, MacNeil clung to the belief that one day he would be home. Journey To Hell is a harrowing but compelling account of one man's extraordinary will to survive in a world gone mad.

Donald MacNeil has worked as a sailing instructor and in mountain rescue. He is currently rebuilding his life in Scotland.

In 1934, Jim Braddock was down and out. His boxing career blighted by broken hands, the New York Irishman had won five of his previous 21 bouts and had been forced to quit. The Great Depression was at its height. When work dried up on the Hudson River docks, Braddock was forced to claim welfare relief to feed his young family.

Then came a visit from his old manager, asking if he wanted one more fight. Desperate for money, Braddock had no choice but to say yes. Four wins later, he was the heavyweight champion of the world in the greatest upset in the sport's history.

Braddock's rags-to-riches success led Damon Runyon to call him the Cinderella Man. His story captivated the nation in much the way the racehorse Seabiscuit's would a few years later. Braddock came to represent the struggle for survival facing many families in mid-1930s America.

James J. Braddock was born in New York City in 1906, one of seven children. He developed an early taste for fighting and quit school to work a series of menial jobs before resolving to pursue his boxing dream. Over the next decade he became a contender, before injury ruined his prospects. Redemption came on the night of June 13, 1935, with his famous victory over the outrageous champion Max Baer. Braddock would later lose his title to the great Joe Louis, but his place as the people's champion was cemented forever.

Author Michael DeLisa is historical consultant on a major motion picture entitled The Cinderella Man, starring Russell Crowe and Ren e Zellweger, to be released in the summer of 2005.

Thomas Hearns is one of the greatest fighters of all time. From his explosion onto the pro boxing scene with seventeen straight knockouts, he struck fear into opponents and awe into spectators. He featured in some of the most thrilling bouts ever and became the first champion to win six titles at different weights. He will forever be known by his chilling nickname: Hit Man.

Growing up in the urban wasteland of inner-city Detroit, Hearns learned to defend himself at the notorious Kronk gym. There he came under the tutelage of master trainer Emanuel Steward, who turned him into the deadliest puncher in the game. From his destruction of Pipino Cuevas to his now-legendary fights with fellow greats Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran, Hearns carved out a reputation for skill, courage, and stunning power. His epic 1985 challenge against middleweight champion Marvin Hagler, billed as The War, has gone down as the most exciting three rounds in boxing history.

Defeats only seemed to make Hearns stronger, and he achieved the extraordinary feat of winning titles in every weight category, from welterweight to cruiserweight. Lately he has devoted his energies to his promotions company, Hearns Entertainment, yet he still toys with the idea of winning one more belt. Hit Man delves inside this complex, charismatic character to present a compelling portrait of a modern sports legend.

Brian Hughes is a boxing trainer and the author of numerous boxing biographies. His son, Damian Hughes, is a leadership consultant. Both live in Manchester, England.

A riveting read from the first page to the last.--The Ring

An extraordinary tale.--The Times (London)

A compelling book; at times it's a profoundly detailed reconstruction of Duran's world.--Gerald Early, Belles-Lettres

Now the subject of a major motion picture, Roberto Duran is a sporting legend. Often called the greatest boxer of all time, he held world titles at four different weights and is the only man in history to have fought in five different decades. His bouts with fellow greats like Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hit Man Hearns, and Marvin Hagler have gone down in fistic folklore. When he finally retired, in January of 2002 at the age of fifty-two, his a professional record stood at a remarkable 104 wins (69 by KO) in 120 fights. They called him Manos de Piedra: Hands of Stone.

Journalist Christian Giudice's definitive, critically-acclaimed biography tells the no-holds-barred of Duran's incredible life, both in and out of the ring. Giudice interviewed the fighter, his family, his closest friends and scores of his opponents to separate truth from myth and fact from fable.

Duran was born in utter poverty in Panama and grew up in the streets, fighting to survive. His talent with his fists soon emerged, and he had his first professional fight in 1967. He grew into a fighter's fighter, renowned for his speed, stamina, toughness and skill, but above all for his unquenchable thirst for battle. His hunger to destroy opponents and his willingness to take on anyone, anywhere, made him a huge fan favorite, while his flamboyant lifestyle outside the ring made worldwide headline news.

Duran was one of the first Latino fighters to become a mainstream sports star in the United States, and his natural talent, unprecedented achievements, and longevity have left an indelible mark on the world of sport. His life is now the subject a major film starring Edgar Ramirez as the boxer, Robert De Niro as his famed trainer, Ray Arcel, and Usher as Ray Leonard.

Christian Giudice is a freelance journalist based in New Jersey. He is also the author of The Rise and Fall of Alexis Arguello and A Fire Burns Within: The Miraculous Journey of Wilfredo Gomez.

Bartley Gorman was a legend in the brutal world of illegal prize-fighting, and this long-awaited auto-biography, with many unique photographs, lifts the lid on a secret sub-culture.

The Cardiff Soul Crew are recognised by police as the most violent football hooligan gang currently active in Britain. Two men closely involved with the gang tell its history from its origins through to the present day.

Neil Back is one of Rugby's greatest ever flankers. He has captained his country, scoredmore tries than any other England forward, and enjoyed immense success with hisclub, Leicester Tigers. Respected by team-mates, feared by opponents and loved by fans, he is acknowledged as one of the fittest, most versatile and most dynamic playersin the game.

In this, his autobiography, he describes his inspirational battle to disprove those who believed he was too small for international rugby. Laced with razor-edged insights and black humor, 'Size Doesn't Matter' is anindispensable chronicle of life at the front line of the toughest team game in sport.

People often ask me who's the best I have played with or against. They expect me to name an All Black, a Wallaby or a Sprinbok. The answer is much closer to home: Neil Back. - Lawrence Dallaglio

For 20 years, Steve Cowens kept a diary of the violent exploits of one of the country's most active hooligan gangs. In this book he reveals the links between the different hooligan groups around the country, how they communicate and how they organise.