About The Book

The new book by J.A. Schwartzman with Melvin Cooper is a gripping, untold story about 1980s New York, when Mafia money infused the city and entire industries were run by organized crime. This book tells the true story of Mel Cooper, who went from a young entrepreneur in Manhattan to a high profile loanshark earning a 30 year prison sentence. Together with his partner — a dentist from Long Island — he lent millions to New York businesses until Giuliani closed in. Order now or meet some of the characters, below. You can also check out a recent story in Jerry Capeci's "Gangland News" posted here at our site that recounts Cooper's prison "escape," as told in the book.

He was an entrepreneur. He was a loanshark. He was in big trouble. 

Mel Cooper didn't set out to become the biggest loanshark in New York or a fugitive on the run. But his easy relationship with New York's organized crime families helped him bend the rules and take risks that led to ever-increasing chaos. 

Cooper spent his early career in business, financing equipment for New York's then-Mafia-controlled carting industry. But when he partnered with a Long Island dentist who was "mobbed up to his ears," Cooper began making illegal loans to New York restaurants, clubs, and more, easing into a multi-million dollar loansharking operation.

It all fell apart when he financed a club called The Cowboy Palace. The club attracted informants, mobsters, hustlers, wannabe tough guys, and ultimately, the FBI. When the chaos become too much, the justice department moved in; Cooper and his partner were arrested along with Mafia captains Jimmy Rotondo, Michael Franzese, and others, indicted by then-US Attorney Rudy Giuliani. In one of his first high-profile RICO trials, Giuliani accused Cooper of being a front for the Mafia. Cooper said a group of Long Island rabbis was behind his loans.The trial ended in a 30 year prison sentence for Cooper and his partner. 

After only a year in jail, Cooper was accidentally released in a clerical error, and escaped his 30-year prison sentence. His escape and life as a fugitive are the highlights of his criminal misadventures.  Wiseguys, Rabbis, and the FBI is a driving tale that takes readers from New York City to an Indiana prison to Fort Lauderdale where Mel lived after his escape. It's an account of the schemes, mayhem, folly, and corruption that characterized the 1980s New York, and which echo to this day.  

 Below are some snapshots from Wiseguys, Rabbis, and the FBI. click on photos to see captions.