Rogue Town
Book Review: Rogue Town by Dennis N. Griffin & Vito Colucci Jr.Posted on April 25th, 2013 by Simon BarrettI know Denny Griffin quite well, and I have spoken to Vito Colucci on at least one occasion. I know that Denny likes to play with ex-mobsters, I have talked to several of them. I really didn t know much about Vito. He was an ex cop, and now a Private Investigator. Would you be interested in reading my new book? Denny asked....You can t turn down an offer like that, to add some fun, someone named Geno was involved in the deal. To me it was clear that Denny was playing with ex-mobsters again. Vito and Geno, what could possibly go wrong?Rogue Town was not what I had expected, it is a riveting read about life in Stamford, Connecticut in the 1970's. Stamford might just have been the most corrupt city in the US. The way to get ahead in any government organization was to be on the take. It didn't matter if it was Parks and Recreation, City Planning, and of course the Police.Vito Colucci was just a young guy on the beat. He joined the force, not to get fame and fortune, rather, he wanted to be part of a team that could provide a safe environment for residents in the city.What he found was a huge problem. Corruption was everywhere. It is great to have the idea of fixing all of the problems, but an army of one cannot deal with it. Or can he?Rogue Town is a wonderful read. We have all heard stories about undercover cops. It is not a pretty life, for the investigation to work the person must move into a new skin , friends and family are not aware, you are very much on your own. Vito takes being undercover to new levels. No new name, he will be operating in his own skin. He resigns (on face value) from the Police. Old friends become new enemies. Old enemies (the mob) become new friends. There is little doubt that the life of being underground is a huge stress. Wired by the FBI and also needing to keep the police chief in the loop, yup a tough life. Yet Vito did this for months. He found ways into the organized crime syndicates in town, the Gambino and Genovese being the prime targets.No sting can last for forever. Even though Vito Colucci was not hiding behind a legend (False Identity), he still had problems. Even though this is a factual book, I won t blow the story of how Vito became unmasked. but it is a story that even the most avid novel writer would never think of!Truth is stranger than fiction, and Vito tells a compelling story.For the sake of transparency I do need to point out that I read this book of my own free will, Denny did not send any of his enforcers to persuade me hahahahaSimon Barrett --BloggerNews.net