James Burke Popular Books
James Burke Biography & Facts
James Burke (July 5, 1931 – April 13, 1996), also known as "Jimmy the Gent", was an American gangster and Lucchese crime family associate who is believed to have organized the 1978 Lufthansa heist, the largest cash robbery in American history at the time. He was believed to be responsible for the deaths of those involved in the months after the robbery. Following the testimony of Henry Hill, Burke was convicted in 1982, of conspiracy charges related to his involvement in the 1978–79 Boston College basketball point-shaving scandal, and sentenced to 12 years in prison. While in prison, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to another 20 years. He died of cancer at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York, eight years before he would have been eligible for parole. Burke inspired the character Jimmy "The Gent" Conway, one of the main characters of the 1990 film Goodfellas, played by Robert De Niro. Early life At the age of two, Burke was placed in a foster home and was exposed to violence and sexual abuse while in the care of dozens of foster parents. At the age of 13, an altercation with his foster parents while riding in a car resulted in a crash and the death of his foster father. In 1962, Burke married his girlfriend Mickey but discovered that she was being bothered by an ex-boyfriend. On their wedding day, police found the ex-boyfriend's remains, in over a dozen pieces, strewn around the inside of his car. He is the father of Lufthansa heist aide Frank James Burke (who was murdered in 1987), Jesse James Burke, and Catherine Burke (who married Bonanno crime family member Anthony Indelicato). Criminal activities As Burke was of Irish descent, he was ineligible to become a "made man" in the Italian-American mafia, so he was limited to associate, under capo Paul Vario. During the 1950s, Burke was involved with various illegal activities, such as distributing untaxed cigarettes and liquor. Burke became a mentor to Thomas DeSimone, Henry Hill, and Angelo Sepe, during the 1960s. Burke owned the South Ozone Park, Queens tavern Robert's Lounge. In November 1972, Burke and Hill were arrested for beating Gaspar Ciaccio in Tampa, Florida. Ciaccio allegedly owed a large gambling debt to their friend, union boss Casey Rosado. They were charged with extortion, convicted, and sentenced to 10 years in the United States Penitentiary in Lewisburg. Burke was paroled after six years and resumed his criminal career, as did Hill, who was released two years prior. Both Hill and Burke began trafficking illegal narcotics, despite a ban by the Lucchese family, who feared their associates becoming informants in exchange for a lesser sentence, which is exactly what Hill did in 1980. Murder of William "Billy Batts" Bentvena In the book Wiseguy, Henry Hill said that after William "Billy Batts" Bentvena was released from prison in 1970, they threw a "welcome home" party for Bentvena at Robert's Lounge, which was owned by Burke. Hill stated that Bentvena saw Tommy DeSimone and jokingly asked him if he still shined shoes and DeSimone perceived it as an insult. DeSimone leaned over to Hill and Burke and said "I'm gonna kill that fuck." Two weeks later, on June 11, 1970, Bentvena was at The Suite, a nightclub owned by Hill in [[111-16 queens blvd forest hills, queens , nyc )]. Late in the night, with the bar club nearly empty, DeSimone pistol-whipped Bentvena. Hill said that before DeSimone started to beat Bentvena, DeSimone yelled, "Shine these fucking shoes!" After Bentvena was beaten and presumed killed, DeSimone, Burke, and Hill placed his body in the trunk of Hill's car for transport. They stopped at DeSimone's mother's house to get a shovel and lime. They started to hear sounds from the trunk, and when they realized that Bentvena was still alive, DeSimone and Burke stopped the car and beat him to death with the shovel and a tire iron. Burke had a friend who owned a dog kennel in Upstate New York, and Bentvena was buried there. About three months after Bentvena's murder, Burke's friend sold the dog kennel to housing developers, and Burke ordered Hill and DeSimone to exhume Bentvena's corpse and dispose of it elsewhere. In Wiseguy, Hill said the body was eventually crushed in a mechanical compactor at a New Jersey junkyard, which was owned by Clyde Brooks. However, on the commentary for the film Goodfellas, he states that Bentvena's body was buried in the basement of Robert's Lounge, a bar and restaurant owned by Burke, and only later was put into the car crusher. Lufthansa heist The Lufthansa heist was planned by Burke and carried out by several associates. The plot began when bookmaker Martin Krugman told Burke's associate Henry Hill that Lufthansa flew in currency to its cargo terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport. The information had originally come from Louis Werner, a worker at the airport who owed Krugman $20,000 for gambling debts (equivalent to $101,000 in 2023) and from his co-worker Peter Gruenwald. Burke decided on Tommy DeSimone, Angelo Sepe, Louis Cafora, Joe Manri, Paolo LiCastri and Robert McMahon as the robbers. Burke's son Frank would drive one of the backup vehicles and Parnell "Stacks" Edwards's job was to dispose of the van afterwards. Depending on their role in the robbery, each participant was to receive $10,000 to $50,000. However, those amounts were based on the estimated haul, which was only $2 million compared to the actual take of $5.875 million. Werner was to receive a flat 10% of the take. On December 11, 1978, an estimated $5.875 million (equivalent to $27.4 million in 2023) was stolen, with $5 million in cash and $875,000 in jewelry, making it the largest cash robbery committed on American soil at the time. Burke is also alleged to have either committed or ordered the murders of many of the robbers to avoid being implicated in the heist. The first was Edwards, on December 18, after he failed to get rid of the robbery van. Burke was never implicated or charged in the robbery, and the stolen cash and jewelry were never recovered. Boston College point shaving scandal In 1980, Burke was arrested for a parole violation. In 1982, Burke was convicted of conspiracy and sentenced to 12 years in prison for his involvement with the 1978–79 Boston College basketball point-shaving scandal, based primarily on the testimony of former mob associate Henry Hill. Hill's testimony in federal court resulted in a total of fifty convictions in this and other cases, including those of Burke and their boss, capo Paul Vario. While Burke was serving that sentence, he was charged with the 1979 murder of drug dealer Richard Eaton. He was convicted at a trial in which Hill testified and was sentenced in 1985 to a further 20 years in prison. Burke's son Frank James Burke, a cocaine dealer and associate in the Gambino crime family, was shot dead at the age of 26 by another drug dealer, Tito Ortiz, after arguing with two men outside the Suncrest Tavern on Libe.... Discover the James Burke popular books. Find the top 100 most popular James Burke books.
Best Seller James Burke Books of 2024
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David Copperfield
Charles DickensNow a major film directed by Armando Iannucci, starring Dev Patel, Tilda Swinton, Hugh Laurie, Peter Capaldi and Ben Whishaw'The greatest achievement of the greatest of all novelis...
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Die Braut
Anita Terpstra»Vier Frauen werden vermisst. Mein Mann weiß, wo sie sind.«Als Mackenzie Walker und Matt Ayers heiraten, reagiert ihr Umfeld mit Unverständnis. Warum geht eine junge Frau die Ehe m...
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Instinct
Ben KayHidden in a remote corner of the South American jungle is a clandestine research facility known simply as MEROS. Here, working in laboratories buried a thousand feet underground, m...
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Lay Down My Sword and Shield
James Lee BurkeVintage James Lee Burke: The first novel introducing the memorable Texas sheriff Hackberry Holland, coming of age against the backdrop of the civil rights era in a sultry border to...
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A Stained White Radiance
James Lee BurkeDetective Dave Robicheaux travels to the mountains of Montana to help his best friend and unearths a larger plot that threatens them both.Oil speculator Weldon Sonnier is the patri...
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The Sixth Day
Catherine CoulterSpecial agents Nicholas Drummond and Michaela Caine take on a criminal mastermind in the next captivating thriller in the New York Times bestselling A Brit in the FBI series. “Coul...
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Australian Heist
James PhelpsAustralia's Number 1 True Crime Writer on Australia's Greatest Gold Robbery. On 15 June 1862, a gang of bushrangers held up a gold escort at Eugowra, just east of Forbes, NSW. They...
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Under Tower Peak
Bart PaulThis tautly written debut thriller was named one of the 10 Best Mysteries of 2013 by the Wall Street Journal.After two tours as a sniper in Iraq, Tommy Smith has returned to his fo...
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Robicheaux
James Lee BurkeJames Lee Burke’s most beloved character, Dave Robicheaux, returns in this New York Times bestselling mystery set in the towns and backwoods of Louisiana: an “enthralling yet grim ...
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The Better Sister
Alafair BurkeA Washington Post and Sun Sentinel Best Book of the Year“One hell of a riproaring read.” Seattle Review of Books“Cunning. . . . Get ready to be led down the garden path to a c...
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The Conservative Mind
Russell Kirk"It is inconceivable even to imagine, let alone hope for, a dominant conservative movement in America without Kirk's labor." WILLIAM F BUCKLEY "A profound critique of co...
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The Rule of Law
John LescroartAttorney Dismas Hardy is called to defend the least likely suspect of his career: his longtime, trusted assistant who is suddenly being charged as an accessory to murder in this in...
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The Last Second
Catherine CoulterThe New York Times bestselling Brit in the FBI series continues with this thrilling “popcorn movie in print form” (Associated Press) pitting special agents Nicholas Drummond and Mi...
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House of the Rising Sun
James Lee BurkeBestselling author James Lee Burke’s “stunning” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) masterpiece is the story of a father and son separated by war, circumstance, and a race for the ...
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Creole Belle
James Lee BurkeDave Robicheaux investigates the disappearance of a young Creole woman, while an oil well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico threatens to destroy the cherished beauty of the Louisiana b...
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Cheatgrass
Bart PaulThe followup to Under Tower Peak is another taut, fastmoving thriller that builds to an explosive, actionfilled conclusion.Under Tower Peak was acclaimed by the Wall Street Journal...
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Eagle Trap
Geoffrey ArcherRevenge is not a possibility, but a certainty.He was head of an international drugs ring, a kidnapper and a ruthless killer. One night British Sea Harriers reduced his Beirut headq...
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Day the Universe Changed
James BurkeThe Day the Universe Changed presents a sweeping view of the history of science, technology, and human civilization and examines the moments in history when a change in knowledge r...
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Jesus Out to Sea
James Lee BurkeINCLUDES THE STORY “WINTER LIGHT,” THE BASIS FOR THE FILM GOD’S COUNTRY STARRING THANDIWE NEWTONOne of the country’s mostacclaimed and popular novelists offers a selection of ten ...
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Light of the World
James Lee BurkeDave Robicheaux battles the most diabolical villain he has ever faced in this atmospheric thriller. Sadist and serial killer Asa Surrette narrowly escaped the death penalty for the...
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The Neon Rain
James Lee BurkeFrom New York Times bestselling author James Lee Burke comes his definitive, mustread first title in his famous Dectective David Robicheaux series.New Orleans Detective Dave Robich...
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Pegasus Descending
James Lee BurkeDave Robicheaux is back in a dangerous mystery that involves stolen money, gritty casinos, and a beautiful girl with connections to his past.When a nice young woman named Trish Kle...
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Purple Cane Road
James Lee BurkeDave Robicheaux has spent his life confronting the ageold adage that the sins of the father pass onto the son. But what has his mother’s legacy left him? Dead to him since youth, M...
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The New Iberia Blues
James Lee BurkeNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERNamed one of the best crime novels of 2019 by The New York Times Book Review.The shocking death of a young woman leads Detective Dave Robicheaux into the d...
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A Private Cathedral
James Lee BurkeAfter finding himself caught up in one of Louisiana’s oldest and bloodiest family rivalries, Detective Dave Robicheaux must battle the most terrifying adversary he has ever encount...
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Presidio
Randy Kennedy“Fluent, mordant, authentic, propulsive…wonderfully lit from within” (Lee Child, The New York Times Book Review), this critically acclaimed, stunningly mature literary debut is the...
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Last Car to Elysian Fields
James Lee BurkeSheriff Dave Robicheaux returns to New Orleans to investigate the beating of a controversial Catholic priest and murder of three teenage girls in this intense, atmospheric entry in...
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The Cinderella Murder
Mary Higgins Clark & Alafair BurkeIn this collaboration between “Queen of Suspense” Mary Higgins Clark and bestselling author Alafair Burke, “the snappy pace, layered characters, and many plot surprises will keep r...
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Confessions of an English Opium Eater
Thomas De Quincey & Barry Milligan"Thou has the keys of Paradise, oh just, subtle, and mighty opium!" Determined to counter the lies about opium that had been told by travellers to the Orient and the medical profes...
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Difficult Lives Hitching Rides
James SallisJames Sallis's (Drive) seminal biographical essays on crime fiction pioneers Jim Thompson, David Goodis, and Chester Himes restored to print and joined by a handpicked collection o...
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Insidious
Catherine CoulterIn this thrilling entry in #1 New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter’s FBI series, FBI agents Savich and Sherlock must discover who is trying to murder Venus Rasmussen...
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Guide to Looking After Your Property
Jeff HowellFor 10 years Jeff Howell has been answering readers' queries about property through his very popular 'Ask Jeff' column in the Sunday Telegraph. This book, in userfriendly Question ...
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Blood Game
David LyonsLouisiana Federal District Judge Jock Boucher returns in the second installment of this intriguing new thriller series by David Lyons.LOUISIANA FEDERAL DISTRICT JUDGE JOCK BOUCHER ...
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Trail of the Fallen
Bart PaulA suspensefilled western noir thriller set in California's Sierra mountainsfor readers of Craig Johnson and C. J. Box.Tommy Smith, former sniper and Army combat veteran, wants noth...
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Scrublands
Chris HammerIn this searing, “indisputable pageturner” (Associated Press), a town’s dark secrets come to light in the aftermath of a young priest’s unthinkable last actin the vein of The Dry a...
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James Lee Burke
Laurence W. MazzenoJames Lee Burke is an acclaimed writer of crime novels in which protagonists battle lowlife thugs who commit violent crimes and corporate executives who exploit the powerless. He i...
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A Secret Place
Patricia RainsfordGina Brennan is on the run from a lot of things ... Especially prison. She and two cellmates have escaped and it looks like they're nearly home free. That's until wealthy solicitor...
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See That My Grave Is Kept Clean
Bart Paul"Mr. Paul, a veteran rancher as well as an author, writes fine action scenes, and his descriptions of nature and animals can seem just as thrilling." Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal...
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The Doll Princess
Tom BennWinner of the Sunday Times Charlotte Aitken Young Writer of the Year AwardIt's Manchester, July 1996, the month after the IRA bomb, and the Evening News is carrying reports of two ...
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Sunset Limited
James Lee Burke“One of the best novels of the year from one of the very best writers at work today.”Rocky Mountain NewsThe townspeople of New Iberia, Louisiana, didn’t crucify Megan Flynn’s fathe...
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The Winter Guest
W. C. RyanSHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA GOLD DAGGER AWARD A haunting, atmospheric mystery set against a country divided, by the author of A House of Ghosts. January 1921. Though the Great War...
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A House of Ghosts
W. C. RyanFinalist for the Irish Book Award for Crime Fiction Book of the Year, a Classic Cozy BigHouse Mystery Haunted by the Specters of World War OneFor Readers of Agatha Christie and Sim...
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Judgment Calls
Alafair BurkeIn Judgment Calls, a seemingly simple assault case spirals into a complex web of violence and deception in this bold debut thriller from Alafair Burke.Deputy District Attorney Sama...
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Conversation avec James Lee Burke
Pauline Guéna & Guillaume BinetQuand Richard Ford ouvrit la porte, le vent du nord faisait tinter les grelots de glace dans les arbres du Maine et la mer rugissait dans la tempête.Sur les murs de son studio de S...