Short Synopsis
Based on scores of interviews, wiretaps and secret FBI files, Black Brothers, Inc., is the most detailed account ever of an African-American organized crime mob, and a landmark investigation into the modern urban underworld.

Full Synopsis
The Black Mafia is one of the bloodiest crime syndicates in modern US history. From its roots in Philadelphia's ghettos in the 1960's, it grew from a rabble of street toughs to a disciplined, ruthless organization based on fear and intimidation. Known in its "legitimate" guise as Black Brothers Inc, it held regular meetings, appointed investigators, treasurers and enforcers, and controlled drug dealing, loan-sharking, numbers rackets, armed robbery, and extortion.

Its ferocious crew of gunmen was led by Sam Christian, the most feared man on Philly's streets. They developed close ties with the influential Nation of Islam and soon were executing rivals, extorting bookies connected to the city's powerful Cosa Nostra crew, and cowing local gangs. Police say the Black Mafia was responsible for over forty killings, the most chilling being the massacre of two adults and five children in a feud between rival religious factions. Despite the arrests that followed, they continued their rampage, exploiting their ties to prominent lawyers and civil rights leaders. Convictions and sentences eventually shattered their strength—only for the crack-dealing Junior Black Mafia to emerge in their wake.

"Griffin did extensive research and backs up his claims carefully . . . If you're a crime buff, a history lover, or if you just want something fascinating to read, it's a book you can't refuse." -Terri Schlichenmeyer, syndicated reviewer and host of www.BookWormSez.com

"A gripping story . . . Griffin richly documents the Black Mafia's organization, outreach and over-the-top badness." -Joseph N. DiStefano, Philadelphia Inquirer

"A great, sprawling epic." -Duane Swierczynski, editor-in-chief, Philadelphia City Paper

"The level of research, really copious research, I haven't seen anything on organized crime - of any kind - that is as well-documented as this." -Elmer Smith, Philadelphia Daily News columnist

"Sean Patrick Griffin's book on the Philly Black Mafia is searing, unrelenting and ruthlessly precise." -Henry Schipper, producer and director for Black Entertainment Television's American Gangster series