Experience the grit and charm of old New York in this vivid portrayal of a Sicilian immigrant's unintended entanglement with the Mafia.
In Making My Bones with The Mafia, Gino Leno’s life unfolds against the gritty backdrop of Brooklyn and Queens, painting a vivid picture of a boy growing up in the shadow of the Mafia. At the age of twelve, Gino arrives in America, brimming with the hopes of a bright future. Instead, he finds himself in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn, where the streets are rife with challenges from adapting to a new culture and language to confronting local bullies and the lurking presence of organized crime.
Defying his father’s strict warnings, Gino is irresistibly drawn to the edges of the Mafia, even as he pledges to avoid becoming part of their ranks. His daily life becomes a high-stakes balancing act between upholding his father's teachings and navigating the allure of power and protection offered by local mobsters.
As Gino’s family seeks a fresh start in Queens, they open a pizzeria, hoping to leave behind the perils of Brooklyn. However, the move introduces new complexities as the American Mafia’s influence seeps into their lives, threatening their peace. Here, Gino meets Maria, a young woman with deep familial connections to notorious gangsters Joe “Wagon” Massino and Sal Vitale. Gino’s relationship with Maria deepens, intertwining his fate with the Mafia more than ever.
The narrative weaves through the bustling streets of New York, capturing the era's spirit through the eyes of an immigrant family caught in the crossfire of their ambitions and harsh urban realities. Gino's story is one of courage and betrayal, love and loss, as he faces life-threatening challenges, including surviving gunshot wounds that nearly end his life on the eve of his son's birth.
This memoir is not only a tale of one man's struggle to maintain honor in a dishonorable world but also a deep exploration of the immigrant experience in America, characterized by the relentless pursuit of the American Dream amidst the trials of assimilation and the fierce clutches of crime.
Making My Bones with The Mafia is a compelling, raw narrative that offers readers a window into the complexities of family loyalty, the brutal necessity of tough choices, and the enduring quest for identity in a new world. Gino Leno's life story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the indelible mark of heritage and history on personal destiny.
Embark on this gripping journey through a vanished New York, where every corner holds a story, and every story holds the weight of a life.

Read his story. Let's get started.