Everybody Pays: Two Men, One Murder and the Price of Truth

Rating:
Summary: Limited geographical appeal
Review: "Everybody Pays" is the tale of two families. One is that of Harry Aleman, a heavy hitter in the Chicago mob. Here in New York City, he'd be called a "capo". The other family is that of one Bob Lowe. The fates of the two families intersected one night in the Fall of 1972 when Bob was an eyewitness to a rubout in his neighborhood. Harry was the hitman. Against his family's judgement, Bob agreed to testify at trial The story that follows is a sad one: Prosecutors are not completely straight with Bob. His family's life in a witness protection program was a disaster. It was painful just reading about it. One can imagine the daily struggle of living through it. The trial of Aleman is a second disaster. He was acquitted in a juryless trial. The judge had been bribed! Therein lies the best part of EP. The sheer cynical nature of the Chicago "justice system" is laid bare with crooked cops, jaded State's Attorneys, judges bought and sold, with shadowy "operators" greasing palms. There was a second arrest of Aleman and yet a new trial. This reviewer will end at this point in the interest of not divulging the ending. The opinion here is that EP will be better received by Midwestern readers. Eastern folks have their own criminals. And while the authors have done first rate research in composing EP, this reviewer was left with a deflated feeling at the conclusion. Others may disagree. Midwest folks and especially those in Chicagoland can safely skip over this review, adding 2 stars to the rating above. They will best appreciate the local "flavor". The rest of the world of amazon is cautioned! An interesting closing note: EP has NO(!)centerfold photos. This reviewer usually advises skipping over them since they frequently divulge endings. It is just as well. Readers will quickly realize that Mr. Lowe will not want his picture displayed anywhere, much less in a popular true crime story.

Rating:
Summary: The Road to Hell
Review: In an ideal world, the witness to a crime would come forward to authorities, police would arrest the bad guy, and a judge would weigh the evidence thoughtfully before handing out the proper punishment to the defendant.
But no one ever mistook Chicago for an ideal world. Mob hit men execute people for transgressions large and small, crooked cops bury the evidence and when the evidence eventually surfaces, crooked judges ignore it and their duty to the law.
This book takes us through the hell that was Bob Lowe's life after he witnessed a mob execution on Chicago's west side. The price this man had to pay for his devotion to doing the right thing is heartwrenching and inexcusable. An incredible story. Possley deserves credit for persuading Lowe (and others) to tell it, and Possley and Kogan lay the story out in a straightforward fashion, without stooping to melodrama or false sentiment. Lowe's adherence to doing the right thing is heroic, but sadly, the stronger message that comes from this book is that doing the right thing is always the best thing, especially when you have to place your trust in an inefficient and corrupt judicial system.

Rating:
Summary: "...the Price of Truth"
Review: On the night of September 27, 1972, twenty-five year old Bob Lowe was just out walking his dog when he witnessed the brutal murder of his neighbor, Billy Logan. Lowe, an auto mechanic and family man living in a blue-collar neighborhood on Chicago's West Side, came literally face to face with the killer, Harry Aleman, before he jumped into an idling car and sped away. It was a vicious mob hit, plain and simple. Lowe easily identified Aleman, and with the assurance of witness protection, was willing to do his civic duty and testify. As he stubbornly told the police and his frightened family, "I saw what I saw." So began Bob Lowe's twenty-five year odyssey through two murder trials, political corruption and pay-offs, disillusionment with the system, depression, petty crime, alcoholism, and finally vindication, redemption and justice..... Fasten your seatbelts, Maurice Possley and Rick Kogan are about to take you on a very bumpy, suspenseful, and compelling ride through the mean streets of Chicago during the years organized crime had a stranglehold on police, judges, and politicians at the highest levels. This is a fascinating, intricate, and intriguing page-turner, made even more so because it's all true. The writing is crisp, intelligent, and engaging, the scenes vivid and riveting, and the characterizations, brilliant. But it's Possley's and Kogan's indepth, painstaking research and great attention to detail that makes this novel stand out. Everybody Pays: Two Men, One Murder And The Price Of Truth is a spectacular and absorbing story, rich in drama and history, and told with insight, wisdom, and humor. This is a novel that shouldn't be missed and should definitely find a place at the top of every mystery/thriller and true crime fan's MUST READ list.