If You Listen to Fools the Israeli Mob Rules

Blood & Volume: Inside New York's Israeli Mafia by David Copeland
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you listen to fools the Israeli mob rules. They had by far one of the quickest run in the New York crime scene. The Italians and the Columbians have been around forever and the Russians have picked up from where the Israelis left off in the 90's and are still,going strong.

This true tale centers around Ron Gonen. Born Roman Gonen in he Ukraine and then moving to Israel at around 11, Ron found it easy to get into trouble. Starting out with stealing he soon would move up in the world of crime. As a troubled teen after his mom would send him to kibbutzim in order to straighten him out. It did not work instead he bounced around from Kibbutz to kibbutz. He had a fondness for Tobacco and hashish. Trying to enlist in the navy early only to get caught, Ron would eventually end up in the merchant marine .

Ron started off with jewelry heists and safe cracking. Later he would move to Europe where another Israeli expat named, Sammy Merckel, taught him the ropes. Getting caught at least twice he served time in European prisons. There he would meet Ran Ephraim and Johnny Attias. Ran would be a friend and partner in crime. Johnny he would never get close to but Johnny would prove potentially dangerous. In London Ron would be guilty of fraud. Ron would travel through South America committing crimes.

In the early 80's Ron, Ran and someone else eeked out a plan to deal cocaine. Then it was off to New York to set up his coke dealership. In New York he met his second wife Honey Tessman. She was married before and had a kind from another marriage. She was also a drug addict. She would help Ron with his business and also cost him lots of money.

In the end Johnny Attias would enter New York rather violently. Killing all who got in his way, he wanted to pressure Ron into working for him. That and cancer would start to take their toll. ron's adventure end with an arrest and testifying against his former comrades. Jonny Attias would die by assassination.

The Israeli mafia had a brief but violent run in New York before they were taken down. They are the most unorganized and least traditional of all the crime groups. Their coming opened a door for the Russian mafia to slip in.

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