The Life We Chose

Matt Birkbeck - The Life We Chose
Jan 24, 2024
“The Life We Chose—an unforgettable story. A really great read.”
—Nicholas Pileggi, author of Wiseguy and Casino and screenwriter of
GoodfellasFrom Matt Birkbeck—investigative journalist and executive
producer of Netflix’s #1 movie Girl in the Picture—a
 revelatory father/surrogate son story that takes
readers deep inside  the inner workings of the mob
through the eyes of William “Big Billy”  D’Elia, the
right-hand man to legendary mafia kingpin Russell Bufalino,
 who ran organized crime in the US for more than fifty
years.William “Big Billy” D’Elia is Mafia royalty.The
 “adopted” son of legendary organized crime boss Russell
Bufalino, for  decades D’Elia had unequaled access to the man
the FBI and US Justice  Department considered one of the
leading organized crime figures in the  United States. But the
government had no real idea as to the breadth of  Bufalino’s
power and influence—or that it was Bufalino, from his bucolic
 home base in Pittston, Pennsylvania, who reigned over the
five families  in New York and other organized crime families
throughout the country.For  nearly thirty years, D’Elia was at
Bufalino’s side, and “Russ’s son”  was a witness and
participant to major historical events that have  stymied law
enforcement, perplexed journalists, and produced false and
 wild narratives in books and movies—not the least of which
being the  infamous disappearance of union boss Jimmy Hoffa.
In addition, their  reach was illustrated by their
relationships with Frank Sinatra, Marlon  Brando, Michael
Jackson, Suge Knight, and many other celebrities and
 personalities.D’Elia became the de facto leader of  the
Bufalino family upon Russell Bufalino’s imprisonment in 1979, and
he  officially took control upon Bufalino’s death in 1994
until his arrest  in 2006, when he was charged with money
laundering and the attempted  murder of a witness. He pled
guilty to money laundering and witness  tampering and was
released from federal prison in 2012.Candid  and unapologetic,
D’Elia is finally ready to reveal the real story  behind the
myths and in so doing paints a complicated, compelling, and
 stunning portrait of crime, power, money, and finally,
family.BookWebsite






















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