Sean M. McWeeney has led an amazing life. Up by the Bootstraps outlines his life on the rough and tough West Side of Chicago, where he was unafraid of hard work or a good fight. He ran numbers, struggled, and triumphed through life’s twists and turns, to become the head of the FBI’s Organized Crime Section and later establish an international multi million-dollar corporation known for handling complex hostage and extortion negotiations for international corporations. This memoir reveals the inner workings of the FBI’s battle to bring down major mafia families’ organizations throughout the United States. And is an entertaining read of a life well lived by a colorful, gifted, and talented man who when given the choice at a young age between a life of crime or justice, chose justice.