Respected Manhattan surgeon by day, Mafioso by night: how one man's life in the fast lane came crashing down . . .
'Il Dottore' is the gripping account of how a 'nerdy Jewish kid' from the Bronx became physician to New York godfathers like John Gotti, Carlos Gambino and Joe Bonanno. In Mafia circles he became known simply as Il Dottore. At the same time he was gaining a reputation as a top cardiac surgeon.
Author Ron Felber paints a vivid portrait of Il Dottore's unlikely life in the fast lane during the 1970s and '80s. When he wasn't making house calls on Dons, the doctor was asked to dispose of evidence such as bullets used in hits, medical records and other sensitive material, and acted as a courier for the Gambino family while attending international medical conferences. In return, he was welcomed into an exciting and glamorous underworld of disco, drugs, high-stakes gambling and beautiful women.
But ultimately the high life came crashing down for everyone with the Commission trial in the mid-1980s, led by then-Attorney General Rudy Giuliani. The pivotal moment in Il Dottore's life and career came when the federal government's star witness, Ralph Scopo, lay on his operating table after suffering a heart attack in court. On one side,
Mafia supremo Don John Gotti was warning the surgeon: 'Make sure only one of you comes out of the operating room breathing.' On the other, Giuliani was saying: 'We know you're under pressure - do the right thing.'
Torn between his loyalty to La Cosa Nostra and his devotion to the Hippocratic Oath, Il Dottore followed his heart. It was a decision that changed his life forever.
