First Published in 2006. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Fred L. Gardaphe directs the Italian-American Studies Program at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He is author of Italian Signs, American Streets:The Evolution of Italian American Narrative, LeavingLittle Italy: Essaying Italian American Culture, DagoesRead: Tradition and the Italian/American Writer, and Moustache Pete is Dead!: Italian/American Oral TraditionPreserved in Print.

IntroductionPart One Romancing the GangsterChapter 1 Origins of an ArchetypeChapter 2 The Gangster as Culture Hero: Mario Puzo and Francis CoppolaPart Two Realizing the GangsterChapter 3 The Truth about Gangsters: Gay Talese and Ben MorrealeChapter 4 Rough Boys: The Gangsters of Martin Scorsese and Michael CiminoPart Three Reinventing the GangsterChapter 5 The Gangster as Cultural Critic: Giose Rimanelli and Frank LentricchiaChapter 6 Female Masculinity and the Gangster: Louisa ErmelinoChapter 7 The Gangster as Public Intellectual: Anthony Valerio and Don DeLilloChapter 8 Two Versions of the Gangster as Contemporary Trickster: David Chase and Tony ArdizzoneChapter 9 Looking for a Few New Men: Chazz Palmenteri and Richard VetereChapter 10 From Macho to Zero: Redesigning Italian American MasculinitiesConclusion