Book Review:They Called Him a Gangster: My Secret Life with Meyer Lansky, the Financial Genius Behind the Mafia by Zali de Toledo

 The picture will not download so I guess just a book by the review and not the cover

Title: They Called Him a Gangster: My Secret Life with Meyer Lansky, the Financial Genius Behind the Mafia 

Author: Zali de Toledo

Stars: 3

Review: 3

I found the first part of this book, which detailed the author's early life, to be very informative. I only wish it could have been more detailed and contained more about her daily life in Istanbul and Israel. I have no doubt that she believes what has been written. However, every story has three sides; hers, his, and the truth. I feel that he had no reason to admit to any wrong doing or misdeeds. That his word was stronger than a written agreement I have no doubt. A written agreement can be produced in a court of law and will stand on its own. A verbal agreement is generally considered to be hear say and open to interpretation by all concerned parties. I would have liked to have seen both sides (hers and his) of the written letters which was not produced and unlikely to be produced. In summary I feel this was an attempt at revisionist history writing by the author without providing supporting details.

I would rate this book a maximum of three stars based on the portion concerning the author's early life.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review and the thoughts expressed are mine and based upon my reading of the book.

Synopsis:

Only few people are well acquainted with Meyer Lansky, known as the ‘Mob’s Accountant’ who, in his youth, managed the investments of the New York mafia and was considered one of the leading figures of the city’s underworld.

Most of the stories known to the public are related to his past illegal activities. But as we are all aware, there is more than one side to every story.

The Other Side of the Story is a captivating biography that sheds a positive new light on the character of the "Gangster".

Zali de Toledo was a teenager who arrived in Israel into a new culture, wishing simply to make a fresh start in her beloved country.

While working as a waitress in the "Dan" hotel lobby, the two met, as fate would have it. Soon, an intimate relationship developed between them and their secret love blossomed and flourished.

In this riveting unique memoir, de Toledo reveals the powerful love affair she had with Lansky, the hundreds of letters he wrote to her over the years, the other personality and sensitivity of the man who was, in the eyes of many, a criminal, the little things between him and her, and the tough decisions they had to make.

Kindle Edition, 250 pages

Published August 5th 2020

About The Author:

Zali de Toledo was born in Turkey and immigrated to Israel at the age of seventeen on her own, facing hardship and working in menial jobs due to her lack of formal studies.
As an autodidact, today she has mastered six languages, has held important positions such as Manager of the Talma Art Gallery, Public Relations Manager of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Cultural and Inter-religious Affairs Attaché in Turkey, Chairperson of the Association of Turkish Jews in Israel, and more recently, Turkish Media Researcher for the Middle East Media Research Institute, MEMRI.
Zali has a daughter, 3 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.