Review by Lyman -- Executive Hoodlum by John Costello
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Lyman
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Review by Lyman -- Executive Hoodlum by John Costello
[Following is a volunteer review of "Executive Hoodlum" by John Costello.]
4 out of 4 stars
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Executive Hoodlum is the biography of John Costello. John was born in Chicago in the early 1960s. This book is how he went from being the neglected and abused son of a mob-connected conman to the respected, successful VP of a large company. As you might expect, the transition was not always smooth.
The book opens with John going to a sit-down at a restaurant with some Chicago Outfit (mob) guys. They want to talk to him about his father scamming around $250,000 from various members of the Outfit. His father had pretended to be making a movie to get people to invest. When a news report came out alleging financial chicanery he fled, leaving John holding the bag. John survives his meeting, and the rest of the book is the story of his life.
I rate this book 4 out of 4. Executive Hoodlum is a great read. I genuinely loved it. It's not long (211 pages) and is never less than fascinating. Mr. Costello's style is both witty and earthy by turns. He goes to some dark places, but manages not to get bogged down in the bad times. From the first pages, he writes an engaging look at growing up in the 1960s in Chicago and California. The writing is exceptionally clean. He manages to convey the juxtaposition between the mob lifestyle in Chicago with the more gentle Californian lifestyle very well. I found only one minor mistake in spelling and grammar.
The thing I disliked most was more a matter of preference than a legitimate complaint. His dad spent years physically and emotionally abusing everyone around him. Especially his son. Mr. Costello never really resolved that relationship for me. It's his own relationship with his father, so I can't legitimately criticize the way he handled it in real life. I suppose I felt more vindictive about some of the things his dad pulled than he did. It speaks well of Mr. Costello's character that he could move on as well as he did.
The thing I liked most was how well the author injected surprisingly dry humor into the story. The book feels like you're hanging out with him while he reminisces about major points in his life. The mixture of Chicago tough guy and successful executive is one that could easily be off-putting or jarring. Instead, I found it an enjoyable look into how the two worlds interacted.
Bottom line, this is a very well done book. The author takes us through his life in an entertaining way. There is some intemperate language, and some of the physical damage done in the many fights is rough to read. If you're bothered by these, give the book a pass. If you can grit your teeth through these parts, the book is absolutely worthwhile. It's a quick read and an inspirational story of a guy with a nightmare father and crazy relatives who manages to overcome his past and rise to great heights in life.
If you enjoy true crime, autobiographies and inspirational stories about people rising above their circumstances to succeed, Executive Hoodlum is absolutely the book for you.
******
Executive Hoodlum
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Executive Hoodlum is the biography of John Costello. John was born in Chicago in the early 1960s. This book is how he went from being the neglected and abused son of a mob-connected conman to the respected, successful VP of a large company. As you might expect, the transition was not always smooth.
The book opens with John going to a sit-down at a restaurant with some Chicago Outfit (mob) guys. They want to talk to him about his father scamming around $250,000 from various members of the Outfit. His father had pretended to be making a movie to get people to invest. When a news report came out alleging financial chicanery he fled, leaving John holding the bag. John survives his meeting, and the rest of the book is the story of his life.
I rate this book 4 out of 4. Executive Hoodlum is a great read. I genuinely loved it. It's not long (211 pages) and is never less than fascinating. Mr. Costello's style is both witty and earthy by turns. He goes to some dark places, but manages not to get bogged down in the bad times. From the first pages, he writes an engaging look at growing up in the 1960s in Chicago and California. The writing is exceptionally clean. He manages to convey the juxtaposition between the mob lifestyle in Chicago with the more gentle Californian lifestyle very well. I found only one minor mistake in spelling and grammar.
The thing I disliked most was more a matter of preference than a legitimate complaint. His dad spent years physically and emotionally abusing everyone around him. Especially his son. Mr. Costello never really resolved that relationship for me. It's his own relationship with his father, so I can't legitimately criticize the way he handled it in real life. I suppose I felt more vindictive about some of the things his dad pulled than he did. It speaks well of Mr. Costello's character that he could move on as well as he did.
The thing I liked most was how well the author injected surprisingly dry humor into the story. The book feels like you're hanging out with him while he reminisces about major points in his life. The mixture of Chicago tough guy and successful executive is one that could easily be off-putting or jarring. Instead, I found it an enjoyable look into how the two worlds interacted.
Bottom line, this is a very well done book. The author takes us through his life in an entertaining way. There is some intemperate language, and some of the physical damage done in the many fights is rough to read. If you're bothered by these, give the book a pass. If you can grit your teeth through these parts, the book is absolutely worthwhile. It's a quick read and an inspirational story of a guy with a nightmare father and crazy relatives who manages to overcome his past and rise to great heights in life.
If you enjoy true crime, autobiographies and inspirational stories about people rising above their circumstances to succeed, Executive Hoodlum is absolutely the book for you.
******
Executive Hoodlum
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: B-Side by Janis Jones
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Franturner
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- Joined: 05 Jul 2019, 12:18
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The review was great made me want to read the book. Looks like it might be pretty scary being involved with the mob that closely.
