Review by Prisallen -- Executive Hoodlum by John Costello

[Prisallen]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Executive Hoodlum" by John Costello.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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John Costello lived in Chicago during the time when the city was run by the mafia, the cops were corrupt, and almost every neighborhood had its own gang. His father was a singer, a roofer, and a restaurant owner, but these jobs only helped with his major occupation, being a con man. He was a member of the Chicago Outfit and conned them out of $250,000, putting his life and that of his family in danger. His father was mentally and physically abusive. He wanted his son to be “street-wise” and didn’t see the sense of getting an education or playing sports in school. John Costello's mother was a strict Catholic girl and the daughter of a policeman. After a severe beating by his father, she was hospitalized, given a tainted transfusion of blood, and developed hepatitis. She became depressed from her illness and became an alcoholic. This is the story of how he managed to overcome his background. Using the wisdom learned from it, he became a successful businessman and now works for Microsemi Corporation.

Executive hoodlum: Negotiating on the Corner of Main and Mean, by John Costello with Larry Elder, is an entertaining memoir with colorful people and descriptive scenes. The conversational tone in the writing is easy to understand and very interesting. John Costello pulls you into his world, and you empathize with him. We feel anger towards his father when he beats members of the family and when he cons people, not caring who gets hurt in the process. We feel sadness for his mother and sadness for John when she passed away, especially knowing that the last words he said to her were that he hated her. His stepmother is hated for her selfishness and uncaring attitude towards John and his siblings. Mr. Costello’s successes are cheered for. My favorite part is how the authors help us visualize his childhood and how that childhood influenced him as an adult.

There is a section of photos, which lets the reader actually see what the people he talked about looked like, and this helps us to envision them later. This is a nice touch.

The authors are able to inject humor frequently into the book, and this helps to lighten the mood. Mr. Costello describes his paternal grandmother as having the same “crazy-gene” as his father, and they both had the same “twisted logic”. He had this to say when she passed away, “…my cousin Mike and I waited an extra half hour at the cemetery not to mourn privately but to make certain that she was really and truly dead. We believed this she-devil was immortal, and as we stared at the newly dug grave we were certain a hand would emerge from the loose dirt and she would pull herself up and make her way to the reception and whip up a family fight about the funeral arrangements they’d made for her.” This is just an example of his humor and self-deprecating style. This was sprinkled throughout the book, and it had me chuckling from time to time.

When his sports in college were discussed, I felt the story dragged a bit. He went into too much detail, in my opinion. It didn’t take away much from the story, but it was my least favorite aspect.

The novel must have been professionally edited as I found very few errors.

I’m happy to give 4 out of 4 stars for this well-written book as it was entertaining and descriptive. Because there was some vulgar language in it, I don’t think it is suitable for children. Anyone who enjoys reading interesting memoirs would probably love this book. Readers going through hard times likely would be inspired in seeing what he was able to accomplish by his dedication to study and hard work.

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Executive Hoodlum
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Like Prisallen's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Sushan Ekanayake]

I usually do not read memoirs, but your review shows that this one is worth trying. Thanks for the nice review

[Prisallen]

I usually do not read memoirs, but your review shows that this one is worth trying. Thanks for the nice review

I'm with you on that--I usually don't read them either, but I'm glad I made an exception for this one. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

[Aniza Butt]

Am not a memoir reader but this one seems really interesting. I love the touch of humour in all kinds of book and i think i can give this book a try.
Thanks for the review

[Carla911]

This sounds like an interesting book. I especially like a little comic relief with all the drama in this book!

[Alice Heritage]

It sounds as if the author had a lot to overcome, but those memoirs where people do overcome their origins are always inspiring. I enjoyed your review.

[Bluebird03]

This was one of my favorite memoirs also. Like you, I loved and admired his sense of humor (And I'm sure that helped him get through so much in his life). What an inspiring story and an awesome review!

[Prisallen]

Am not a memoir reader but this one seems really interesting. I love the touch of humour in all kinds of book and i think i can give this book a try.
Thanks for the review

I agree with you about loving humor. I do think you would enjoy this book. Thank you for reading my review and commenting!

[Prisallen]

It sounds as if the author had a lot to overcome, but those memoirs where people do overcome their origins are always inspiring. I enjoyed your review.

It lets people who are down on their luck know it is possible to overcome. Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting!

[Prisallen]

This was one of my favorite memoirs also. Like you, I loved and admired his sense of humor (And I'm sure that helped him get through so much in his life). What an inspiring story and an awesome review!

Thank you so much for your kind words and for stopping by!

[Gabriel Merêncio]

It seems like the author has a very interesting story to tell, and he does so with the sort of irreverent dark humor I usually enjoy quite a bit. These jokes come from a place of darkness, but also from a place of strength, since being able to laugh about things means you don't let them control you. I'm glad the author has found this strength following a tough childhood. Thanks for the review!

[Kister Bless]

This sounds like a great memoir. I would love to read it. Nice review.

[juliusotieno02]

Beggining from a humble background with destructions from a thug father and a sick mother, then boom! A millionaire! The book sounds great, thanks for the review.

[Prisallen]

It seems like the author has a very interesting story to tell, and he does so with the sort of irreverent dark humor I usually enjoy quite a bit. These jokes come from a place of darkness, but also from a place of strength, since being able to laugh about things means you don't let them control you. I'm glad the author has found this strength following a tough childhood. Thanks for the review!

I agree with you. I like books with a little humor in them. Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting!

[Prisallen]

This sounds like a great memoir. I would love to read it. Nice review.

Thank you so much for your kind words. I think you will enjoy the book.