It's more of a riff on kids imagining things and the consequences thereof (like Harriet the Spy or Ramona and Beezus).
So this may just be hyperventilation by those ready to take offense . . . which actually was the point of the book.
Review by School Library Journal:
“When Tommy and Nicky [the protagonist] agree to deliver bootlegged master copies of the computer chips for a hot new game, they are held hostage at gunpoint by some real gangsters. Nicky’s dad and uncle, who turns out to be an undercover detective, save the day. The authors capture the flavor of an Italian household and neighborhood, sparing no stereotype. Though Nicky’s foray into the world of petty crime has serious consequences, there is an underlying, boys will be boys attitude that could give impressionable readers the wrong idea.”
Sorry if I don’t find anything entertaining about the mob in any context.
You have to worry if the real badguys in the movie are evil Republicans trying force them out of their homes, prevent unionizing of workers, or the unspeakable act of cutting downs trees and drilling for oil.