THE GANGSTER’S COUSIN is a wonderfully different take on the usual Mafia story.. From his humble beginnings in New York and across four continents, Sal’s memoir takes the reader on a sometimes exciting, sometimes poignant, and often humorous adventure as he finds himself in unbelievable situations and meeting an array of unique and funny characters along the way. Follow Sal’s unique perspective and find out why he strives so hard to stay ahead of a different type of criminal class–the the people who make the rules.

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In SAL, two of the most important real-life characters are Tom-Tom and Vinnie. Are you still friends and, if so, what are those reunions like?

No, I never saw Tom-Tom or Vinnie again.

You get into some real dangerous situations, like the one with Sonny Osso and Louie “Lump, Lump” Larone. That moment could have gone south if not for the fact Louie Larone happened to be there. Do you ever feel like fate was guiding you? Did you ever feel afraid for your life?

I never saw Sonny as a personal threat. His situation was in my hands, even though he didn’t know it at the time.

You ended up in prison. Because of this you blamed someone, Gary and decided to kill him but Jimmy talked you out of it. Thinking back, do you really think you were capable of taking such extreme action against the guy you wanted to kill?

Thinking back I felt totally capable of taking someone’s life, not just his. I have never felt that way in my life up until that time. But the change I went through after that decision was very deep and profound. I’m glad it didn’t come to that.

Much of SAL speaks to what it means to be a real man. Many of these made men, some killers, don’t seem like the type of people we’re taught to look up to and yet, in this tale, the reader gets a real sense of code, of honor, courage and commitment. How do you feel the men who guided you through your time with them shaped your life?

I felt my life was completely shaped by those men. Don’t forget my cousin Carl was my mentor and Charlie’s nephew. My father told me on many occasions, you have two banks in life, one you put your money in and the other you put your honor /word. You can run out of money but never lose your honor. I think following that one rule kept me safe.

What do you want the reader to take away from your story SAL? What effect do you hope this story has on its readers?

First, I would like readers to be entertained by the stories. I’d like them to see the human side of things and not the hyped bullshit of the media. I have made a clear distinction between a criminal and a out-law. I would hope they get that.