Double Cross by Sam Giancana

Double Cross

The Explosive Inside Story of the Mobster Who Controlled America

Sam Giancana, Chuck Giancana, Bettina Giancana

Skyhorse · Print & ebook · November 1, 2016

New York Times Bestseller! “Sam Giancana tells all . . .

Buy on Amazon

We earn from qualifying purchases.

Who it’s for
A lurid, high-voltage blend of underworld power and national-scale intrigue.
Genres
Organized Crime, Criminals & Outlaws, Intelligence & Spycraft
Published
Skyhorse, November 1, 2016

Nearest books

Matched by what the books are about, then ordered by what their readers also loved. Most of these share its genre: Organized Crime.

  1. The Life We ChoseMatt Birkbeck63% matchAlso shares Criminals & Outlaws
  2. Havana NocturneT. J. English62% match
  3. The ButcherPhilip Carlo56% matchAlso shares Criminals & Outlaws
  4. JFK and the UnspeakableJames W. Douglass58% match
  5. The Brilliant DisasterJim Rasenberger56% matchAlso shares Intelligence & Spycraft
  6. Killing the MobBill O'Reilly, Martin Dugard59% matchAlso shares Criminals & Outlaws
  7. Operation GladioPaul L. Williams54% matchAlso shares Intelligence & Spycraft
  8. KiloToby Muse51% match

For younger readers: Master of Deceit

Start with three books, and this one can be the first.

Members get a new edition every morning: a route out from their books to essays, research and talks, with the reason for each.

Start with this book

About this book

New York Times Bestseller! “Sam Giancana tells all . . . Controversial . . . ties seven United States presidents to the mob.”—Larry King, CNN One of the most feared Chicago mobsters Sam Giancana clawed his way to the top of the Mafia hierarchy by starting as a hit man for Al Capone. He was known as one of the best vehicle escape artists, a tenacious business man, and a ruthless killer.

Continue reading

He partied with major stars such as Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe and did business with agents ranging from the CIA to the Vatican to the shah of Iran. When politician Joe Kennedy gave Giancana the chance to use mob muscle to get his son John elected, Giancana jumped at the task. But the Kennedy brothers double-crossed him, waging full-out war on organized crime throughout the United States. And Giancana went after them. Written with suspense and conviction, we learn about how the CIA asked Giancana to assassinate Fidel Castro The book includes Giancana's testimony about the truth of his involvement in the deaths of Monroe and others, among others. Chuck Giancana, Sam's brother, contributes a unique perspective of the mob’s relationship with the Bay of Pigs and many other pivotal events of the 60's and beyond. Double Cross is an eye-opening account of the interworking of the government and the mob and how this relationship has impacted American history. “Mobster chief Sam Giancana was at the heart of one of America’s most notorious criminal conspiracies and this book gives us fresh information on that. His web of crimes and associations involve some of the most glamorous figures of his age, including the Kennedy family, Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe. Written with the crisp cadence of a thriller, it is a fascinating expose of dark deals and adds more layers to that most famous mystery—who really killed President John Kennedy?”—Tim Newark from his Foreword

Shadow Play

A lurid, high-voltage blend of underworld power and national-scale intrigue.

Come here for

  • mobster-power intrigue
  • espionage-adjacent Americana

Expect

  • fast-moving, shadowy narrative
  • a heavier tabloid-true-crime sheen

Where it sits

Organized Crime73%
Criminals & Outlaws68%
Intelligence & Spycraft37%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Criminals & Outlaws
  • Personal Memoirs
  • 20th-Century America
  • Midwest History
Show all 8 publisher categories
  • Policing & Law Enforcement
  • Corruption & Misconduct
  • Criminology
  • Organized Crime
Authors
Sam Giancana, Chuck Giancana, Bettina Giancana
Publisher
Skyhorse
Published
November 1, 2016
Format
Print & ebook
Reading lane
Criminals & Outlaws