This book is the only one i've ever read with a narrative from a gangster.It's chock full of vice,circa teens and roaring twenties details and slang that i regard as pretty much priceless.I love the Sergio Leone epic, and the graceful violence and nostalgia, but i've come to regard the book and the film as two seperate entities. The book is not really much of an epic. It's the plainly stated tale of Jewish gangsters ( a rarity these days. I should know. I'm Jewish).And it's accessible for two reasons: For one,it's straightforward, but also, i think people, assuming this book ever gets back in print, will be fascinated by the anectdotes and episodes of violence.