The Good Rat: A True Story

Jimmy Breslin

oct 2009 · Harper Collins

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A Pulitzer Prize winning journalist reveals a history of the American mob with “perfect diabolical detail. . . . A master at transforming crookery into opera” (New York Times Book Review).

In his inimitable New York voice, New York Times bestselling author Jimmy Breslin gives us a look through the keyhole at the people and places that define the Mafia—characters like John Gotti, Sammy “the Bull” Gravano, Anthony “Gaspipe” Casso (named for his weapon of choice), and Jimmy “the Clam” Eppolito—interwoven with the remarkable true-crime saga of the good rat himself, Burt Kaplan of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, the star witness in the trial of two NYPD detectives indicted for carrying out eight gangland executions. Through these unforgettable real-life and long-forgotten Mafia stories, Jimmy Breslin captures the moments in which the mob was made and broken.

“The ineffable Breslin, the mob’s Homer, may not have done much to ensure Kaplan’s longevity, but he has surely granted him immortality.” —Boston Globe

“Bad cops, good crook, great story.” —USA Today

“Breslin is a writer of the heart. It’s hard to name another author who demonstrates a better understanding of the passions of urban misrule.” —Playboy

“Completely sure of what he’s doing, the author knows how to hook a reader.” —New York Observer

“Brilliant . . . a colorfully nuanced depiction of Burt Kaplan.” —New York Daily News

“Jimmy Breslin at his best.” —New York Times

“The Good Rat tells us about the corkscrew workings of the criminal mind where Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment left off.” —Nicholas Pileggi, New York Times bestselling author of Wiseguy

“Smart and stinging . . . a winner.” —Kirkus Reviews

“[Breslin’s] writing, like the Mafia itself, breezily transitions from humorous to horrifying.” —Publishers Weekly

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Jimmy Breslin was born in Jamaica, Queens. He was awarded the 1986 Pulitzer Prize for distinguished commentary. His bestselling and critically acclaimed books include The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight; Can't Anybody Here Play This Game?; The Short Sweet Dream of Eduardo Gutiérrez; several anthologies; and the memoir, I Want to Thank My Brain for Remembering Me. He lives on Broadway, the Big Street, in New York City.