Review by Echo Haapala -- Executive Hoodlum
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Echo Haapala
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Review by Echo Haapala -- Executive Hoodlum
[Following is a volunteer review of "Executive Hoodlum" by John Costello.]
4 out of 4 stars
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What do you think happens when you mix two very different worlds? For example, combining the mob and high executives? Do you think it is possible? If you read Executive Hoodlum, you will be shocked to learn that it in fact is. This memoir is about John Costello and his life. He had a rough upbringing in Chicago but managed to become extremely successful. This story will take you on a crazy ride filled with laughter, shock, despair, and motivation. Along the way, you will meet extraordinary people. You might even learn a lesson or two.
Executive Hoodlum by John Costello and Larry Elder is fascinating. I cannot state this enough. Side note, I am not just saying this because I fear John Costello’s ties with the Chicago Mob, hehe. This memoir grasped me at the first page and never let go. It continued its hold until the absolute end. Even at that point, I am not quite convinced it released me. After I finished reading the book, I continuously thought about it and am currently still talking about this story. There wasn’t one part of this memoir that was slow or boring and each chapter was more exciting than the previous. There truly was never a dull moment within these pages.
What fascinated me the most about this memoir was the mixing of the worlds. In one chapter, John would be in his corporate California world, rocking suits and shaking hands with politicians. In the next, he would be back in Chicago describing a brutal fight that he had provoked at a biker bar. Somewhere in there, he had time to meet and befriend multiple famous people, including Scott Baio, the godfather of one of his kids!
I absolutely enjoyed being introduced to all of the people that were mentioned throughout the story. They all kind of grew on me, even the ones that I wasn’t extremely fond of. I think John Costello and Larry Elder did a great job at thoroughly describing the people and what they truly meant to John, whether good or bad. At the end of the memoir, an Epilogue lists each person that John had mentioned along with a paragraph about where they are now. I thought this was an excellent touch even though some of the outcomes weren’t all that heartwarming. I also thought that including some of John’s photos was an incredible idea. It helped to remind me that Executive Hoodlum is a factual memoir and not some sort of fantasy tale. I say this because John Costello’s story is so incredible and shocking that it almost seems like make-believe at times.
I wasn’t sure what to expect before I began reading Executive Hoodlum, but I definitely didn’t expect to learn anything. I was certainly mistaken. I learned multiple things. First, there are chapters dedicated to John’s rowing years and his boxing career. These chapters were bursting with an incredible amount of detail and passion. So much so that I feel like I can join a rowing crew or enter the ring. I won’t, of course. I also picked up a few mob terms, can’t hurt, right? The biggest takeaway from this memoir was the lesson that you have choices in life. John let the world in on his story and showed it doesn’t matter what sort of upbringing you have. It can be loving and nurturing or poor and abusive, yet you still have the choice to be whatever kind of person you want to be. He is very honest and open about the good and bad choices that he has made in his life, which was very refreshing and made me enjoy this story that much more. He also didn’t drill this point down your throat or preach at the reader. This lesson was just there naturally throughout the pages. I also really appreciated that this story was straight-forward and rough, meaning, there wasn’t any sugarcoating or glamour added.
Without a doubt, I rate this book a 4 out of 4. Executive Hoodlum has it all. Grit, wit, humor, sex, crude language, violence, and the most important thing – it is inspirational. I would recommend this book to a more mature audience because there is a lot of violence, sex, foul language, and drugs. I would not recommend this book to readers that are sensitive to the above-mentioned things. Also, I only noted one error while reading, so I believe that this book was professionally edited.
******
Executive Hoodlum
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
What do you think happens when you mix two very different worlds? For example, combining the mob and high executives? Do you think it is possible? If you read Executive Hoodlum, you will be shocked to learn that it in fact is. This memoir is about John Costello and his life. He had a rough upbringing in Chicago but managed to become extremely successful. This story will take you on a crazy ride filled with laughter, shock, despair, and motivation. Along the way, you will meet extraordinary people. You might even learn a lesson or two.
Executive Hoodlum by John Costello and Larry Elder is fascinating. I cannot state this enough. Side note, I am not just saying this because I fear John Costello’s ties with the Chicago Mob, hehe. This memoir grasped me at the first page and never let go. It continued its hold until the absolute end. Even at that point, I am not quite convinced it released me. After I finished reading the book, I continuously thought about it and am currently still talking about this story. There wasn’t one part of this memoir that was slow or boring and each chapter was more exciting than the previous. There truly was never a dull moment within these pages.
What fascinated me the most about this memoir was the mixing of the worlds. In one chapter, John would be in his corporate California world, rocking suits and shaking hands with politicians. In the next, he would be back in Chicago describing a brutal fight that he had provoked at a biker bar. Somewhere in there, he had time to meet and befriend multiple famous people, including Scott Baio, the godfather of one of his kids!
I absolutely enjoyed being introduced to all of the people that were mentioned throughout the story. They all kind of grew on me, even the ones that I wasn’t extremely fond of. I think John Costello and Larry Elder did a great job at thoroughly describing the people and what they truly meant to John, whether good or bad. At the end of the memoir, an Epilogue lists each person that John had mentioned along with a paragraph about where they are now. I thought this was an excellent touch even though some of the outcomes weren’t all that heartwarming. I also thought that including some of John’s photos was an incredible idea. It helped to remind me that Executive Hoodlum is a factual memoir and not some sort of fantasy tale. I say this because John Costello’s story is so incredible and shocking that it almost seems like make-believe at times.
I wasn’t sure what to expect before I began reading Executive Hoodlum, but I definitely didn’t expect to learn anything. I was certainly mistaken. I learned multiple things. First, there are chapters dedicated to John’s rowing years and his boxing career. These chapters were bursting with an incredible amount of detail and passion. So much so that I feel like I can join a rowing crew or enter the ring. I won’t, of course. I also picked up a few mob terms, can’t hurt, right? The biggest takeaway from this memoir was the lesson that you have choices in life. John let the world in on his story and showed it doesn’t matter what sort of upbringing you have. It can be loving and nurturing or poor and abusive, yet you still have the choice to be whatever kind of person you want to be. He is very honest and open about the good and bad choices that he has made in his life, which was very refreshing and made me enjoy this story that much more. He also didn’t drill this point down your throat or preach at the reader. This lesson was just there naturally throughout the pages. I also really appreciated that this story was straight-forward and rough, meaning, there wasn’t any sugarcoating or glamour added.
Without a doubt, I rate this book a 4 out of 4. Executive Hoodlum has it all. Grit, wit, humor, sex, crude language, violence, and the most important thing – it is inspirational. I would recommend this book to a more mature audience because there is a lot of violence, sex, foul language, and drugs. I would not recommend this book to readers that are sensitive to the above-mentioned things. Also, I only noted one error while reading, so I believe that this book was professionally edited.
******
Executive Hoodlum
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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Latest Review: Poseidon's Eye by Trisha O'Keefe
