cover image The Corporation: An Epic Story of the Cuban-American Underworld

The Corporation: An Epic Story of the Cuban-American Underworld

T.J. English, read by Tim Andrés Pabon. HarperAudio, , unabridged, digital download, 19 hrs., $36.99 ISBN 978-1-53849-7593

Voice actor Pabon’s fluid narration adds clarity to English’s multigenerational true crime saga about the criminal exploits of the Cuban mafia in America in the decades after the Bay of Pigs Invasion. The book follows the career of José Miguel Battle, aka El Gordo, who led the Cuban mob to the United States and launched a hugely profitable numbers racket known as the bolita while wreaking havoc on the streets of Union City, N.J., and Miami. Actor Pabon guides listeners through a confusing landscape of characters with sure-footedness and fluency in both English and Spanish. The book contains numerous accounts of vicious crimes committed by rival bolita outfits; Pabon’s steady, calm reading voice helps to dial down that violence and allow listeners to stay focused on the larger narrative. Pabon’s skillful narration and English’s rich story combine to make this a gripping audiobook. A Morrow hardcover. (Mar.)