The gangster, in the hands of the Italian American artist, becomes a telling figure in the tale of American race, gender, and ethnicity - a figure that reflects the autobiography of an immigrant group just as it reflects the fantasy of a native population. From Wiseguys to Wise Men studies the figure of the gangster and explores its social function in the construction and projection of masculinity in the United States. By looking at the cultural icon of the gangster through the lens of gender, this book presents new insights into material that has been part of American culture for close to 100 years.

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