Reading List

Mafia to Mormon

By Mario Fagione

February 20, 2012

First the story of why I chose this book. It belongs to my Bishop. Someone else who had borrowed it brought it back to the bishop and left it in the clerk's office. I picked it up and my mind went, "Hey, you have a trip coming – and this is a small book – and it might be fun to read. So I asked the bishop if I could borrow it – and I read it one the single flight from Denver to Calgary. By the way, that means that it was interesting enough to not put me to sleep on the plane.

It is just what the title says. A man in the mafia. Missionaries who follow the spirit. And a conversion. What makes it a worthwhile story is that the Mafia doesn't just let you quit. He had to figure out how to quit and still stay alive. And just so you know, the church does not have a witness protection program.

I liked it. It was easy reading, but it was sincere. There are no innuendos or bloody shoot outs. He manages to keep your interest through the reality of the story and the dilemma. I did end up wondering what prompted him to write the book, seeing as how he said things that could have made the Mafia mad – but I guess it was long enough ago that they just don't care anymore.

If you get a chance and have a little time, read it. I would say it is probably not a great choice for a ladies book club, but who knows.