EBookClubs

Read Books & Download eBooks Full Online

EBookClubs

Read Books & Download eBooks Full Online

Book Famous Gangsters  1

    Book Details:
  • Author : Kari Therrian
  • Publisher :
  • Release : 2015-01-09
  • ISBN : 9781506153384
  • Pages : 38 pages

Download or read book Famous Gangsters 1 written by Kari Therrian and published by . This book was released on 2015-01-09 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: You can enjoy again - or for the first time - Famous Gangsters #1 with this public domain reprint from UP History and Hobby. Check out the full line - new titles every week! The comic reprints from Golden Age Reprints and UP History and Hobby are reproduced from actual classic comics, and sometimes reflect the imperfection of books that are decades old. These books are constantly updated with the best version available - if you are EVER unhappy with the experience or quality of a book, return the book to us to exchange for another title or the upgrade as new files become available. CR1296720143868

Book Famous Gangsters

    Book Details:
  • Author : Roger Harrington
  • Publisher : Independently Published
  • Release : 2018-05-21
  • ISBN : 9781982955885
  • Pages : 232 pages

Download or read book Famous Gangsters written by Roger Harrington and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2018-05-21 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: FAMOUS GANGSTERS: Al Capone and The Kray Twins - 2 Books in 1 Featuring... *Al Capone*The Kray Twins 2 Great Books in 1! Al Capone Although he ultimately became notorious as a crime boss engaged in bootlegging, gambling and various other illegal activities and was named by the Chicago Crime Commission as 'Public Enemy Number 1', Al Capone's beginnings were decidedly humble. Alphonse Gabriel Capone was born on 17th January 1899 in Brooklyn, New York City. Although many people turn to crime to escape their poor background, this wasn't really the case with Al Capone. His parents were respectable people who emigrated from Italy to Austria-Hungary (now Croatia) in 1893 and then by ship to the U.S. Father Gabriele was employed as a barber while mother Teresa worked for some time as a seamstress. When they arrived in America, they already had two sons and Teresa was pregnant with a third child. They lived initially in a squalid tenement building near the Navy Yard, a generally rough and noisy area although the family managed to remain normal and law-abiding. Al Capone was born the fourth of nine children, one of whom died at the age of one. This was the beginnings of America's most prolific gangster. The Kray Twins London, East End, 1945. The East End of London in the 1940s was a post-war landscape. Poverty and crime were rife. People struggled to make ends meet and opportunities to escape were few and far between. Houses were cramped due to increased immigration and from the bombing during the war. Food was still scarce as rationing didn't end until 1954 and cheese production was slow for many years after. In addition to this the Suez crisis leads to a period of petrol rationing from late 1956 until May 1957. All of this leads to a feeling of unease about people's futures. No-one knew where the next full meal was coming from. The black market was in full force, although this was not a new phenomenon. The East End of London was a notorious breeding ground for criminals from as far back as the 17th century, so it wasn't limited to just the aftermath of the war causing social issues. The high levels of poverty in the area made it an easy way to make a living when jobs were scarce. This was perhaps the perfect recipe for the creation of the infamous criminal spree of the Kray twins.

Book World Famous Gangsters

Download or read book World Famous Gangsters written by Ian Schott and published by Constable. This book was released on 2004 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the Mafia in New York, to the drug cartels of Columbia, the men who run crime's biggest corporations live outside the law in a world ruled by greed and force. This book provides a true account of the world's most notorious gangsters, from the Kray Twins in East London to the Sicilian dons who even helped the Allies defeat Germany.

Book Big Apple Gangsters

    Book Details:
  • Author : Jeffrey Sussman
  • Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
  • Release : 2020-11-30
  • ISBN : 1538134055
  • Pages : 237 pages

Download or read book Big Apple Gangsters written by Jeffrey Sussman and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2020-11-30 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The great founding figures of organized crime in the 20th century were born and bred in New York City, and the city was the basis of their operations. Beginning with Prohibition and going on through many illegal activities the mob became a major force and its tentacles reached into virtually every enterprise, whether legal or illegal: gambling, boxing, labor racketeering, stock fraud, illegal unions, prostitution, food service, garment manufacturing, construction, loan sharking, hijacking, extortion, trucking, drug dealing – you name it the mob controlled it. The men who organized crime in America were the sons of poor immigrants. They were hungry for success and would use whatever means available to achieve their goals. They were not interested in religious identity and ethnic identity. Their syndicate of criminals was made up, primarily of Italians and Jews, but also Irish and black gangsters who could further their ambitions. Their sole objective was always the same – money. It began with Arnold Rothstein, who not only helped to fix the 1919 World Series, but who also mentored and financed the individuals who would control organized crime for decades. Individuals such as Frank Costello, Lucky Luciano, Bugsy Siegel, Joe Adonis, and Meyer Lansky, who would then follow suit setting up other criminal organizations. They established rules of governance, making millions of dollars for themselves and their cohorts. All the organized crime bosses and their cohorts had the same modus operandi: they were far-seeing opportunists who took advantage of every illegal opportunity that came their way for making money. Big Apple Gangsters: The Rise and Decline of the Mob in New York reveals just how influential the mob in New York City was during the 20th century. Jeffrey Sussman entertainingly digs into the origins of organized crime in the 20th century by looking at the corporate activity that dominated this one city and how these entrepreneurial bosses supported successful criminal enterprises in other cities. He also profiles many of the colorful gangsters who followed in the footsteps of gangland’s original founders. Throughout the book Sussman provides fascinating portraits of a who’s who of gangland. His narrative moves excitingly and entertainingly through the pivotal events and history of organized crime, explaining the birth, growth, maturation, and decline of various illegal enterprises in New York. He also profiles those who prosecuted the mob and won significant verdicts that ended many careers, responsible for bringing many organized crime figures to their knees and then delivering a series of coups de grace – such as Burton Turkus, Thomas Dewey, Robert Kennedy, and Rudolph Giuliani.

Book The Gangs of New York

Download or read book The Gangs of New York written by Herbert Asbury and published by . This book was released on 1928 with total page 444 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book Gangsters of Harlem

Download or read book Gangsters of Harlem written by Ron Chepesiuk and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For the first time ever, author Rob Chepesiuk chronicles the little known history of organized crime in Harlem. African American organized crime has had as significant an impact on its constituent community as Italian, Jewish, and Irish organized crime has had on theirs. Gangsters are every bit as colorful, intriguing, and powerful as Al Capone and Lucky Luciano, and have a fascinating history in gambling, prostitution, and drug dealing. In this riveting, vivid documentation, Chepesiuk tells the little-known story of organized crime in Harlem through in-depth profiles of the major gangs and motley gangsters whose exploits have made them legends.

Book American Gangsters

    Book Details:
  • Author : Charles River Charles River Editors
  • Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
  • Release : 2017-01-11
  • ISBN : 9781542465342
  • Pages : 52 pages

Download or read book American Gangsters written by Charles River Charles River Editors and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-01-11 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Explains the legends and separates fact from fiction regarding Capone's most famous hits, including the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. *Includes pictures of Capone and important people, places, and events in his life. On February 14, 1929, members of Bugs Moran's North Side gang arrived at a warehouse on North Clark Street in Chicago, only to be approached by several police officers. The officers then marched them outside up against a wall, pulled out submachine guns and shotguns, and gunned them all down on the spot. A famous legend is that one of the shot men, Frank Gusenberg, dying from 14 gunshot wounds, told police that nobody shot him. Though Gusenberg's statement is probably apocryphal, nobody opened their mouths. Nobody was ever convicted for the "Saint Valentine's Day Massacre," the most famous gangland hit in American history, but it's an open secret that it was the work of America's most famous gangster, Al Capone. Indeed, "Scarface" has captured the nation's popular imagination since Prohibition, managing to be the most notorious gangster in America while living a very visible and high profile life in Chicago. Born a Brooklyn tough, Capone engaged in a life of crime even as a teenager and had come to Chicago as a young man to smuggle liquor during Prohibition. Allying himself with Johnny Torrio, Capone began to accumulate power almost as quickly as he accumulated a reputation for being merciless, and after an attempted hit severely injured Torrio, the gang's operations were turned over to Capone. Despite his organized crime spree during the '20s, Capone was a popular figure in Chicago, viewed by many as a Robin Hood because he took pains to make charitable donations to the city. At the same time, he bribed government officials and cops, ensuring they looked the other way despite his violent ways of doing business. Throughout the decade, Capone was often out in public, despite several attempts on his life, and the gang war between Al Capone and Bugs Moran was well known and even celebrated to an extent. In the end, it wasn't the bodies or the violence that landed Capone in the slammer; it was taxes. After being convicted, Capone managed to continue running his business rackets from behind bars, forcing authorities to move America's most notorious gangster to America's most notorious prison on Alcatraz Island. Capone and Alcatraz only added to each other's lore. Capone died in 1947, but his life and legacy continue to be the stuff of legends. Even to this day, Chicago's gangster past is viewed as part of the city's lore, and tours of the most famous spots in Chicago's gang history are available across the city. American Gansters: The Life and Legacy of Al Capone looks at the life and crime of Scarface, and the manner in which he has become and remain a staple of American pop culture. Along with pictures of Capone and important people, places, and events in his life, you will learn about America's most infamous gangster like you never have before, in no time at all.

Book American Gangsters

Download or read book American Gangsters written by Charles River Editors and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2013-10 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Explains the legends and separates fact from fiction regarding Capone's most famous hits, including the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. *Includes pictures of Capone and important people, places, and events in his life. On February 14, 1929, members of Bugs Moran's North Side gang arrived at a warehouse on North Clark Street in Chicago, only to be approached by several police officers. The officers then marched them outside up against a wall, pulled out submachine guns and shotguns, and gunned them all down on the spot. A famous legend is that one of the shot men, Frank Gusenberg, dying from 14 gunshot wounds, told police that nobody shot him. Though Gusenberg's statement is probably apocryphal, nobody opened their mouths. Nobody was ever convicted for the "Saint Valentine's Day Massacre," the most famous gangland hit in American history, but it's an open secret that it was the work of America's most famous gangster, Al Capone. Indeed, "Scarface" has captured the nation's popular imagination since Prohibition, managing to be the most notorious gangster in America while living a very visible and high profile life in Chicago. Born a Brooklyn tough, Capone engaged in a life of crime even as a teenager and had come to Chicago as a young man to smuggle liquor during Prohibition. Allying himself with Johnny Torrio, Capone began to accumulate power almost as quickly as he accumulated a reputation for being merciless, and after an attempted hit severely injured Torrio, the gang's operations were turned over to Capone. Despite his organized crime spree during the '20s, Capone was a popular figure in Chicago, viewed by many as a Robin Hood because he took pains to make charitable donations to the city. At the same time, he bribed government officials and cops, ensuring they looked the other way despite his violent ways of doing business. Throughout the decade, Capone was often out in public, despite several attempts on his life, and the gang war between Al Capone and Bugs Moran was well known and even celebrated to an extent. In the end, it wasn't the bodies or the violence that landed Capone in the slammer; it was taxes. After being convicted, Capone managed to continue running his business rackets from behind bars, forcing authorities to move America's most notorious gangster to America's most notorious prison on Alcatraz Island. Capone and Alcatraz only added to each other's lore. Capone died in 1947, but his life and legacy continue to be the stuff of legends. Even to this day, Chicago's gangster past is viewed as part of the city's lore, and tours of the most famous spots in Chicago's gang history are available across the city. American Gansters: The Life and Legacy of Al Capone looks at the life and crime of Scarface, and the manner in which he has become and remain a staple of American pop culture. Along with pictures of Capone and important people, places, and events in his life, you will learn about America's most infamous gangster like you never have before, in no time at all.

Book Hollywood Godfather

Download or read book Hollywood Godfather written by Gianni Russo and published by St. Martin's Press. This book was released on 2019-03-12 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hollywood Godfather is Gianni Russo's over-the-top memoir of a real-life mobster-turned-actor who helped make The Godfather a reality, and his story of life on the edge between danger and glamour. Gianni Russo was a handsome 25-year-old mobster with no acting experience when he walked onto the set of The Godfather and entered Hollywood history. He played Carlo Rizzi, the husband of Connie Corleone, who set her brother Sonny—played by James Caan—up for a hit. Russo didn't have to act—he knew the mob inside and out: from his childhood in Little Italy, where Mafia legend Frank Costello took him under his wing, to acting as a messenger for New Orleans mob boss Carlos Marcello during the Kennedy assassination, to having to go on the lam after shooting and killing a member of the Colombian drug cartel in his Vegas club. Along the way, Russo befriended Frank Sinatra, who became his son's godfather, and Marlon Brando, who mentored his career as an actor after trying to get Francis Ford Coppola to fire him from The Godfather. Russo had passionate affairs with Marilyn Monroe, Liza Minelli, and scores of other celebrities. He went on to become a producer and starred in The Godfather: Parts I and II, Seabiscuit, Any Given Sunday and Rush Hour 2, among many other films. Hollywood Godfather is a no-holds-barred account of a life filled with violence, glamour, sex—and fun.

Book Gangsters Up North

    Book Details:
  • Author : Robert Knapp
  • Publisher :
  • Release : 2020-03-15
  • ISBN : 9780991255726
  • Pages : pages

Download or read book Gangsters Up North written by Robert Knapp and published by . This book was released on 2020-03-15 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book The Accidental Gangster

Download or read book The Accidental Gangster written by Ori Spado and published by WildBlue Press. This book was released on 2019-11-12 with total page 359 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The true story of a Hollywood fixer who wound up in the sights of the FBI. In this memoir, Orlando (Ori) Spado honestly recounts his humble beginnings from the small town of Rome in upstate New York, and his journey to becoming known as “The Mob Boss of Hollywood.” It is a candid account documenting his fall from a well-known Hollywood fixer mixing with A-list celebrities to serving 62 months in Federal prison, and ultimately making a determined comeback. “For nearly forty years Orlando ‘Ori’ Spado was a friend and associate of John ‘Sonny’ Franzese, underboss of the Colombo organized crime family. His relationship with Sonny brought him to the attention of the FBI, and eventually led to his being indicted with Sonny on federal RICO charges, and imprisoned. In The Accidental Gangster Ori provides the details of his time in ‘the life’ and his long battle with the FBI—whose overwhelming resources made it a fight that was impossible to win.”—Nick Pileggi, author of Wiseguy “Orlando ‘Ori’ Spado had been a thorn in the side of the Los Angeles field office of the FBI for almost two decades before they finally took him down. Accidentally or not, Ori was a quintessential Mob character, complete with a pinkie ring and a slow, steady deliberate voice whether speaking with friends or foes. But like so many other ‘Good Fellas,’ he was set up by a friend’s son. You will have to read the book to find out who set him up. Enjoy!”—John Connolly, New York Times-bestselling author of Filthy Rich

Book Bugs Moran

    Book Details:
  • Author : Charles River Editors
  • Publisher : Independently Published
  • Release : 2019-02-05
  • ISBN : 9781796221237
  • Pages : 110 pages

Download or read book Bugs Moran written by Charles River Editors and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2019-02-05 with total page 110 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures Includes a bibliography for further reading "I hope, when my time comes, that I die decently in bed. I don't want to be murdered beside the garbage cans in some Chicago alley." - Bugs Moran Sprightly swing music spills across the dimly lit club. The grayish curtains of cigarette smoke part every once in a while to reveal a sparkling stage and tables upon tables of patrons, some incurably inebriated and others high on the fast-paced nightlife. Fabulous flappers in shimmery cocktail dresses and stylish feather headbands throw their hands up and stomp their feet to the addictive beat on the dance floor. Smartly dressed men, their hair neatly parted and slicked back, toss fistfuls of dice onto the plush green baize of the craps tables. Some hover over roulette wheels, staring intently at the spinning flashes of silver, while others finger their playing cards as they sip on tumblers of whiskey, eyeing both the river and the tower of tokens next to them. Frisky tunes, chic fashion, and American gambling are nostalgic, rose-tinted images most choose to project when visualizing the Roaring Twenties, but the other side of the coin brought an uninviting, much harsher reality that most would prefer to sweep under the rug. The first real estate bubble was on the brink of bursting, and progress was evident, but painfully slow, which gave way to yet another era of violent riots, lynchings, and other forms of oppression imposed on minorities. Then, of course, there were mobsters. Remove the silk three-piece suits, burnished Tommy guns, and obscene stacks of cash from the equation, and one would be left with limp, bullet-ridden bodies either slumped over their steering wheels or sprawled out like broken rag dolls on the floors of public establishments, the walls painted with blood spatters and shattered glass littered about. These, they say, are the lucky ones, for their corpses, though laid out as a public message, provide the deceased's loved ones with some form of closure. Over the decades, dozens involved in this deadly game disappeared altogether, never again to see the light of day. One of the most infamous of the gangsters during this era was George "Bugs" Moran, who bore all the qualities of a stereotypical 20th century mobster. They didn't call him "Bugs" for nothing, as the man was a vindictive, ticking time bomb who unleashed hell upon anyone who dared cross him. One of the most prolific career criminals of his time, he was convicted and incarcerated at least three times before his 21st birthday. George was a seasoned gunman (so much so that he was eventually crowned the "father of drive-by shootings"), an expert rum-runner, and the fearsome head of one of the most prominent gangs in all of Chicago. It was these activities and his gang's most prominent rivalry that have ensured Bugs Moran remains a household name today. On February 14, 1929, members of his North Side Gang arrived at a warehouse on North Clark Street in Chicago, only to be approached by several police officers. The officers then marched them outside up against a wall, pulled out submachine guns and shotguns, and gunned them all down on the spot. A famous legend is that one of the shot men, Frank Gusenberg, dying from 14 gunshot wounds, told police that nobody shot him. Though Gusenberg's statement is probably apocryphal, nobody opened their mouths. Nobody was ever convicted for the "Saint Valentine's Day Massacre," the most infamous gangland hit in American history, but it's an open secret that it was the work of America's most famous gangster, Al Capone. Indeed, "Scarface" has captured the nation's popular imagination since Prohibition, managing to be the most notorious gangster in America while living a very visible and high-profile life in Chicago. Bugs and Scarface had hated each other for over a decade, and, though he narrowly avoided it, Bugs was supposed to be the main target.

Book World s Most Notorious Gangsters and Drug Lords

Download or read book World s Most Notorious Gangsters and Drug Lords written by Walter Barnes and published by . This book was released on 2019-10-07 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Uncover the stories of the world's most notorious gangsters, drug lords, and criminals. From Columbia and Mexico to even America's own soil, criminals have always lurked behind the scenes - some more successful than others. Now, this biography delves into the lives and careers of some of history's drug lords, from Pablo Escobar's empire to the legend of Al Capone. Inside, you'll find some of history's most infamous crime lords, including: Al Capone, the crime boss during prohibition who earned the name "Scarface" El Chapo, a man once considered to be the most powerful drug trafficker in the world Jesse James, the notorious American outlaw and train robber Whitey Bulger, crime-boss turned FBI informant John Gotti, who became the boss of the Gambino crime family And Pablo Escobar, the Columbian drug lord and wealthiest criminal in the world Each of these men have a story rich with conspiracy, crime, and murder. From drug trafficking, racketeering, and even robbing trains, the world of the criminal underground continues to fascinate and unnerve those with a morbid curiosity. This bundle is a must-read for anyone interested in the incredible - and infamous - stories of the world's most notorious crime lords.

Book Get Capone

    Book Details:
  • Author : Jonathan Eig
  • Publisher : Simon and Schuster
  • Release : 2010-04-27
  • ISBN : 1439199892
  • Pages : 498 pages

Download or read book Get Capone written by Jonathan Eig and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2010-04-27 with total page 498 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The real story of how the federal government finally apprehended and convicted America’s most notorious criminal, Al Capone. Drawing on recently discovered government documents, wiretap transcripts, and Al Capone’s handwritten personal letters, New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Eig tells the dramatic story of the rise and fall of the nation’s most infamous criminal in rich new detail. From the moment he arrived in Chicago in 1920, Capone found himself in a world with limitless opportunity. Within a few years Capone controlled an illegal bootlegging business with annual revenue rivaling that of some of the nation’s largest corporations. Along the way he corrupted the Chicago police force and local courts while becoming one of the world’s first international celebrities. Legend credits Eliot Ness and his “Untouchables” with apprehending Capone, but Eig shows that this wasn’t so. In Get Capone, the man known as “Scarface” emerges as a complex man, doomed as much by his ego as by his vicious criminality. This is the real Al Capone.

Book Al Capone

Download or read book Al Capone written by Deirdre Bair and published by Anchor. This book was released on 2017-10-31 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the height of Prohibition, Al Capone loomed large as Public Enemy Number One: his multimillion-dollar Chicago Outfit dominated organized crime, and law enforcement was powerless to stop him. But then came the fall: a legal noose tightened by the FBI, a conviction on tax evasion, a stint in Alcatraz. After his release, he returned to his family in Miami a much diminished man, living quietly until the ravages of his neurosyphilis took their final toll. Our shared fascination with Capone endures in countless novels and movies, but the man behind the legend has remained a mystery. Now, through rigorous research and exclusive access to Capone’s family, National Book Award–winning biographer Deirdre Bair cuts through the mythology, uncovering a complex character who was flawed and cruel but also capable of nobility. At once intimate and iconoclastic, Al Capone gives us the definitive account of a quintessentially American figure.

Book Original Gangster

    Book Details:
  • Author : Frank Lucas
  • Publisher : St. Martin's Press
  • Release : 2010-06-08
  • ISBN : 1429923857
  • Pages : 333 pages

Download or read book Original Gangster written by Frank Lucas and published by St. Martin's Press. This book was released on 2010-06-08 with total page 333 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A suspenseful memoir from the real life American gangster, Frank Lucas In his own words, Frank Lucas recounts his life as the former heroin dealer and organized crime boss who ran Harlem during the late 1960s and early 1970s. From being taken under the wing of old time gangster Bumpy Johnson, through one of the most successful drug smuggling operations, to being sentenced to seventy years in prison, Original Gangster is a chilling look at the rise and fall of a modern legacy. Frank Lucas realized that in order to gain the kind of success he craved he would have to break the monopoly that the Italian mafia held in New York. So Frank cut out middlemen and began smuggling heroin into the United States directly from his source in the Golden Triangle by using coffins. Making a million dollars per day selling "Blue Magic"—what was known as the purest heroin on the street—Frank Lucas became one of the most powerful crime lords of his time, while rubbing shoulders with the elite in entertainment, politics, and crime. After his arrest, Federal Judge Sterling Johnson, the special narcotics prosecutor in New York at the time of Lucas' crimes, called Lucas and his operation "one of the most outrageous international dope-smuggling gangs ever, an innovator who got his own connections outside the U.S. and then sold the narcotics himself in the street." This powerful memoir reveals what really happened to the man whose career was dramatized in the 2007 feature film American Gangster, exposing a startling look at the world of organized crime.

Book Craig Monson

    Book Details:
  • Author : Adam Benshea
  • Publisher :
  • Release : 2021-06-30
  • ISBN :
  • Pages : 104 pages

Download or read book Craig Monson written by Adam Benshea and published by . This book was released on 2021-06-30 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every bodybuilding fan knows about the "Golden Age" of the sport. But, there is a forgotten legend from that fabled time. An OG of street and stage, Craig Monson outweighed Arnold by 40 pounds, dwarfed Lee Haney and had superior aesthetics. A mass-monster with Michelangelo-like symmetry, Monson was that rare mixture of form and functional strength. Now his story AND his workouts can be told, shared, and understood. Born in the Jim Crow South, Craig was taken by his mother on a Greyhound bus exodus to the land of sun-kissed beaches and Hollywood dreams. A world away from the Pacific Ocean, Craig came of age in Los Angeles' inner city. In this urban environment, Monson found street heroes and became one himself by founding the notorious gang "The Avenues" (a forerunner to the infamous Crip gang). Realities of life in South Central Los Angeles eventually landed Craig in some of the most feared penitentiaries. Inside of the system, Monson built his body into a mountain of muscle and, upon his release, set his sights on bodybuilding glory. Training across the Southland and putting on spectacles of strength at the renowned Muscle Beach, Craig became the biggest and strongest bodybuilder of the 1980s. Learn about his mythic journey from urban streets to the bodybuilding stage! Follow the exact training programs utilized by the legendary Craig Monson!