5 comments about The First Vice Lord: Big Jim Colosimo and the Ladies of the Levee.

1. Arthur Bilek has truly pulled out all the stops in his coverage of Big Jim Colosimo and his reign as "the first vice lord" of the Chicago Levee. Author Bilek has used a very comprehensive bibliography of books and other types of periodicals to put this book together. Mr. Bilek states on page 65 that Marshall Field Jr. did, indeed, commit suicide in his home, and was not shot in a bordello and moved home as stated in Sex in the Second City by Karen Abbott. Some individuals incorrectly assumed that Colosimo was the head of the mafia in Chicago, but since Big Jim was not Sicilian he was, therefore, excluded. The book provides a vivid description of the goings on inside Colosimo's Cafe at the height of its popularity. Big Jim making the rounds of the tables and mingling with the customers and everything coming to a halt when Dale Winter would step beside the grand piano and begin to sing. Al Jolson, George M. Cohan, and other celebrities could often be found amongst the crowd. A stage occupied the front of the first floor with a dance floor which could be hydraulically raised or lowered. Colosimo brought about his own demise by divorcing his wife to marry Dale Winter. Jim remained oblivious to Torrio's warnings due to his head-over-heels affair with his new love. The book covers such characters as the Mutt and Jeff aldermen "Bathhouse" John Coughlin and Michael "Hinky Dink" Kenna, the Everleigh sisters, Ada and Minna, and crooked mayor Big Bill Thompson. The book goes into great detail regarding the First Ward where the notorious Levee with its brothels was located. Women led the movement against the sale of alcohol due to its negative influence on families. In addition religious leaders conducted prayer services on the streets of the levee. The advent of the automobile brought prostitution to the outskirts of the city in what became known as roadhouses. Author Bilek notes that in 1962 sheriff Richard Oglivie appointed an incorruptible chief of police named Arthur Bilek (yes, the author) who shut down Cook County. I did find one minor error in the book. Mr. Bilek states that Dean O'Banion's flower shop was located on Clark Street across from Holy Name Cathedral (page 270). The correct street, of course, is State Street. I like the "Glossary of Period Terms" in the Appendix which provide definitions of words appropriate to the time period. Also, the Epilogue gives the reader a "what happened" to the people and places in the book after Big Jim's demise. Special photos that were interesting to me were a map of the First Ward and the South Side Levee in addition to photos of the outside and inside of Colosimo's Cafe. Author Arthur Bilek has provided the reader with a first rate biography of Big Jim Colosimo, and if you enjoy reading about American social history, albeit infamous, this book should be in your library.



2. I've been gathering research on early 20th century organized crime in Chicago myself, and can say without fear of contradiction that this is the definitive work on James Colosimo. Art Bilek, with the assistance of researchers like Michael E. Schiltz and Prof. John Binder, has compiled everything there is to know about Big Jim in a factual way, clearing up some of the myths that have been spread about him. There are a few typos and some minor problems that could have been cleared up with better editing, but nothing that would prevent me from giving this book five stars.



3. I've been looking forward to this book since the day I learned that Art Bilek intended to do a biography of Big Jim Colosimo. Colosimo was Chicago's first Italian crime lord, a distinction that the less informed have bestowed upon Al Capone. Those with only a passing knowledge of Chicago's organized crime history are not aware that years before Capone's machine gunners decimated his challengers, Big Jim Colosimo headed a vice trust with nationwide connections, enjoyed political alliances that rendered him immune to anything but cursory arrests, and hobnobbed with socialites and entertainers at his famous cafe.
   
   Bilek has done a marvelous job of reconstructing Colosimo's life story, beginning with his humble birth in Colosimi, Italy, progressing through his days as a padrone, precinct captain for First Ward Aldermen Mike Kenna and John Coughlin, brothel operator and vice trust magnate, and ending with his assassination in the vestibule of his celebrated nightclub, Colosimo's Cafe. His profitable marriage to madam Victoria Moresco, his fatal alliance with lily-white singer Dale Winter, and his relationship with his protege from New York, Johnny Torrio, inject tones of betrayal and tragedy that make the book read in parts like a gripping novel.
   
   Bilek also traces the rise and fall of the Levee, Chicago's primary red light district, which brought wealth to Colosimo and the crooked cops and politicians who protected him in exchange for a piece of the pie. It was also an international embarrassment for the city, and routinely targeted by evangelists, reformers, and civic betterment committees. When a second deputy police superintendent was appointed to head a 'Morals Squad', a battle of wills began between the morals men and the establishment that favored segregated vice. There were shootouts in the streets, informers were murdered, and Chicago's reputation as a modern-day Gomorrah worsened. When the Levee was finally 'closed' in 1912, Colosimo and his advisor, Torrio, began opening roadhouse brothels outside the city, to cater to pleasure-loving motorists. They corrupted village governments in the process, and spread what had formerly been a contained evil.
   
   "The First Vice Lord" does not disappoint. Bilek successfully demonstrates that were it not for Big Jim, there would probably never have been a Big Al. Well done.



4. My tendency to either skim books or proofread them (from early magazine days) has finally encountered one from former Cook County police chief Art Bilek that I can't put down: The First Vice Lord (Big Jim Colosimo and the Ladies of the Levee), by Arthur J. Bilek (Cumberland House).
   
   This is a masterpiece of writing and excruciatingly accurate research that describes how Big Jim Colosimo rose from a lowly street-sweeper to the most prominent operator of whorehouses, gambling joints, and low-life restaurants in the days leading up to Prohibition, with the collusion of the police and politicians and the managerial skills of John Torrio and Al Capone. When his increasingly notorious Colosimo's Café combined with his growing desire for respectability, love for a young songbird, and failure to exploit the opportunities afforded by Prohibition, Torrio (we must presume) had him murdered in the vestibule of his elegant restaurant in 1920--and the band marched on.
   Nowhere has Chicago's graft and corruption been so carefully and entertainingly documented, with special attention to the backgrounds of Torrio and Capone, who worked hard to weld the new and competing bootlegging gangs into the greatest illicit booze empire the country has ever known--one that did not factionalize into Chicago's bloody Beer Wars that began with the killing of North Side mob-leader Dean O'Banion four years later. My own work has concentrated on the years following Prohibition, so I'm especially happy to report that Bilek's book explains what made the Roaring Twenties possible.



5. The First Vice Lord: Big Jim Colosimo and the Ladies of the Levee is the thoroughly researched biography of mobster Big Jim Colosimo, and how he ruled Chicago's notorious segregated red-light district. Jim Colosimo was an Italian immigrant who grew up in Chicago's tenements; he rose from sweeping streets to operating a brothel to earning the title of vice lord. The First Vice Lord is a true crime story not for the faint of heart, as it tells of the most brutal excesses of the prostitution trade - luring women from across the nation with false promises of good jobs or other perks and effectively enslaving them into years of sexual violence for profit. Corruption within Chicago was endemic; the efforts of reformers to end white slavery and close down the red-light brothels was only gradually successful. Big Jim Colosimo would see the virtual end of the Levee's days as a red-light district, and scale back his operations significantly, yet his ultimate downfall came not from the law, but from his rivals - he was gunned down in middle age, most likely through the machinations of a rival mobster. A fascinating account that lay readers and Chicago history scholars alike will surely appreciate.

2 comments about Gallery of Fools: The True Story of a Celebrated Manhattan Art Theft.

1. This book is a real paqe turner. It is all the more astounding since it is a true story that reads like an Elmore Leonard novel. It has all the elements of Get Shorty, Pulp Fiction, and The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight rolled into a single book. I finished it in two sittings. It is the kind of book you can't put down, and then you're sorry when you get to the end because it is so entertaining and enjoyable.
   
   Paul Marano



2. A true story of a crime gone awry, "Gallery of Fools: The True Story of a Celebrated Manhattan Art Theft" is author Jerome Tuccille's story of being dragged into the crime by his family as they lift paintings worth millions out of Manhattan art galleries, barely escaping intact. Trying to escape the misdeeds, he runs for Governor of New York, as life falls to shambles - the campaign fails, his family gets arrested for their actions and he begins to fall into financial ruin. He turns to redeem himself in any way he can. "Gallery of Fools: The True Story of a Celebrated Manhattan Art Theft" is highly recommended for community library true crime collections.

3 comments about Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History.

1. The book really is more about the context than the case itself, but Begg present solid research and writes very well. In terms of presenting the conditions of 1888 Whitechapel, it is probably the best book out there. For a history strictly of the JtR case, Sugden would be the way to go. However, Begg's new book, "Jack the Ripper: The Facts" (only available at amazon.co.uk now), which contains much of the research done in the past ten years, would be definitely worth getting from there. Still, this book is worth it for the Ripperologist.



2. I had to read this took for a Collage Class and have never enjoyed reading a "textbook" more.
   
   Paul Begg is a very entertaining author and gave alot of details concerning the Jack the Ripper Murders.
   
   At first he tells about the area of London called Whitechappel where it happened and then he talks about the Ripper Murders themselves.
   
   Not only does he give much detail about the Ripper Murders he talks about the Police investigation about it, as well as goes into detail about some of the people that historians and investigaters have claimed were Jack the Ripper.
   
   All in all a very comprehensive acount of the Jack the Ripper Murder case.



3. This book has helped me allot in regards to a project I am working on. When one recognizes the significance between Jack the Ripper and the media, and it's part in ascending him from serial killer to Victorian icon, it is impossible to ignore this book. I highly recommend it.

5 comments about Boss of Bosses: The FBI and Paul Castellano.

1. I would've liked more behind the scenes mob information. The book focused too much from an FBI perspective. Also, I got a little tired of the agents giving the mob boss, Paul Castellano, so much respect and sympathy! At times it was like they felt sorry for the guy because they have to do their job and arrest him. Hello! The guy is a leader of the mob! These people lie, cheat, steal and kill for a living!!!



2. This book purports to be the story behind the FBI's take down of big-time Gambino crime boss Paul Castellano. The authors, two ex-agents set themselves up as the heroes in this cops-and-robbers tale.
   
   It's too bad that the story ends up being an almost complete fabrication, because there's some truly entertaining "tales" told in this book. Forced to resign from the FBI, O'Brien and Kurins probably made more money from this sham of a book then they did in their crime fighting careers.
   
   Maybe they learned from the criminals they watched for so many years, eh?



3. This book covers the story of Paul Castellano, a weak boss of a very strong family. It shows a guy who shouldn't have been a boss, leading a group of killers who wanted to be boss. Also, it is a prime example of the cops abusing their eavesdropping privilages. I know the guy was a mob boss but they got all up in the man's business. I could have done without knowing so much about the live-in mistress. But this guy made a lot of bad moves toward the end of his reign.



4. From the start the 2 FBI agents,both of whom authored this book,seem to be apologetic towards Castellano about having to bug this criminal's house.When I read this I knew there was going to be some really gushy stuff and was I right (for once).The book has alot of info on Castellano's personal life.No body's in suitcases,nothing like that but more on the level of Hannah Arendt's "Banality of Evil".
   His life as the "top dog" of the Mafia pyramid,revolves around confusion over how to properly slice some loins of roast beef.As if this isn't crisis enough,then having to inflate himself while chasing a "golddigging" hispanic maid around his mansion,"Oh No Meester Paul".There is little in this book about Mafia goings on because Meester Paul is a few layers beyond where the bodies (and drug money) are flying.Castellano is enjoying his icing at the top with deep layers of deniability.If you're looking for a "Big Eddie sleeps with the fishes" you're in for a big dissappointment.More like a "Hey this damn#!&$# implant isn't working right".The FBI did a good job of making Castellano seem ridiculous,I can understand why they were so tongue in cheek apologetic.



5. This was written long before the Sopranos series made its HBO debut, but it could have been a blueprint for their series. The book, like the series, is filled with the appropriate mixture of sex, violence, and the more humdrum aspects of the lives of mafia boss Castellano and his associates.
   
   The writing is so-so, filled with opinions and dramatizations that wouldn't feel quite right in a more scholarly work. But the color keeps the book moving at a reasonable pace, and the recorded dialogue of the mob members is, by turns, horrifying and funny.
   
   Other reviewers have suggested that a little too much sympathy is extended towards the portrayal of Castellano, who is, after all, a cold-blooded murderer and therefore deserving of our scorn.
   
   I disagree, and I really thought that this was the book's greatest strength. The very men who have dedicated their lives to taking murderers like Castellano out of circulation have, through years of familiarity, developed an understanding of Castellano as a human being.
   
   This familiarity lends a terrific layer of moral grayness to the book that is missing from more sensationalistic writings, which either harshly condemn the crooks or laud them for their nasty achievements.
   
   Agents O'Brien and Kurins see Castellano as he is-- a murderer, someone who deserves to be punished, but also a human being who wraps his wrongdoing in justifications, some of which are actually valid points.
   
   We all have the capacity to do wrong, and Castellano is someone who was born into unfortunate circumstances and then proceeded to make a raft of very bad decisions. If he was a truly great man, he would have risen above his roots. If he was weak-willed and incompetent, he would have never gotten to his position of prominence. Instead, he was somewhere in the middle, and this gives him a level of humanity to which we can all relate.
   
   I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys true crime stories-- this book is at the top of that genre, even as it fails to completely transcend it.

3 comments about Deadly Dozen: Twelve Forgotten Gunfighters of the Old West.

1. Because of the movies and television shows, when it comes to gunslingers on either side of the law, we all know of the "headline stars" of the American frontier such as Wyatt Earp, Bill the Kid, and Doc Holliday. What western history expert Robert K. DeArment has done in Deadly Dozen: Twelve Forgotten Gunfighters Of The Old West is to present the lives and deeds of twelve gunman who were important in their day, but never had the enduring notoriety of their more famous colleagues, competitors, and contemporaries. Here are the stories of John Bull, Pat Desmond, Mart Duggan, Milt Yarberry, Dan Tucker, George Goodell, Bill Standifer, Charley Perry, Barney Riggs, Dan Bogan, Dave Kemp, and Jeff Kidder. DeArment's informed and informative text is enhanced with illustrations, and an "Afterword", along with notes, a bibliography, and an index. Deadly Dozen is a real treat for American frontier history buffs and a very highly recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library American Western History reference collections.



2. Deadly Dozen provides 12 mini-biographies of "forgotten gunfighters of the old west." While the writing style is rather bland and the prose a bit tedious, it provides the reader insight into 12 rather interesting characters and insight into gunfighters in the old west.
   
   Several themes emerge through these biographies. First is the borderline morality of all these men. Some were clearly evil criminals, a few of which would be considered serial killers in modern times. Others, even those working as marshals or in law enforcement, often straddled or even cross the line into criminality. There are plenty of gray areas in the lives these men lived. A second theme is the extreme violence of these men. They were often considered gunfighters because of their proclivity to resort to extreme violence to settle disputes, disputes for which most rational people may have used other means to resolve. Third is alcoholism. Many of the most violent episodes in these men's lives were often fueled by copious amounts of booze, which of course makes one lose their inhibitions and fear. Fourth, these men did not seem to fear death. Whether one wants to consider it bravery or stupidity, these men had the nerve to face ultimate violence, where others would shirk. Finally, it didn't take being a great shooter or being the quickest on the draw to be considered a deadly gunfighter. It was more the willingness to resort to gunplay and lack of fear more so than proficiency with a gun that made these men so deadly.
   
   Overall this book really is rather a tedious read in some ways, but the fascinating subject matter and insights it gives into what it might have been like to live in the untamed American West saves the rather tedious prose and leaves the reader with a lot of think about.



3. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am pleased to add it to my bookshelves, along with Dearment's books on Bat Masterson and George Scarborough. Dearment's writing is scholarly, fully footnoted, and draws upon a variety of sources, some of which must have been astonishingly difficult to unearth. The focus on gunfighters keeps the story lively, and the action is put in a historical context that provides a vivid picture of life in the Old West.
   
   I am taken aback that the first reviewer of the book describes it as "tedious," while otherwise praising it. I consider it a good read and appreciate Dearment's meticulous scholarship.

5 comments about Guns and Roses: The Untold Story of Dean O'Banion, Chicago's Big Shot before Al Capone.

1. This is the most comprehensive and thoroughly researched biography of Dean O'Banion and it has been justly recognized as definitive. Rose Keefe's greatest accomplishment is that her meticulous research has refuted dozens of journalistic half truths, embellishments and canards that have become commonly accepted as the truth simply because of constant repetition over eight decades. The actual Dean O'Banion is a far more complex and interesting character than his newspaper stereotype.
   
   Many sources have characterized the Prohibition battles between the Northside Gang and the Capone/Torrio mob as simply a territorial battle between the Irish and those damned Dagoes. Keefe correctly points out that the Northsiders were, in fact, an exceedingly diverse group comprised of Irish, Italian, German, Jewish and Polish hoodlums. The reality was more complicated than the widely accepted conventional wisdom.
   
   Although O'Banion could act in an utterly ruthless manner if circumstances warranted, more often than not he relied upon his quick wits. He possessed superior intelligence and had an engaging personality that inspired great loyalty from his comrades even long after his death.
   
   Despite his humble origins, O'Banion had the ability to put people from various walks of life at perfect ease and to form lasting friendships that allowed him to move easily in political and social circles despite his criminal background. O'Banion was a contradiction: he was a devoted son and husband. One could envision the industrious O'Banion succeeding in almost any field of endeavor that he tried. The loss of his beloved mother to tuberculosis and a childhood accident that left O'Banion partially crippled with a permanent limp were traumatic episodes, but rather than contenting himself to be sidelined by his handicap or to endure a life of economic hardship and privation, O'Banion chose not to be pushed around as he hit back hard with both fists in order to survive in the rough and tumble, dog eat dog environment that was Chicago in the early years of the past century.
   
   If you are living from hand to mouth, it always pays to be ambidextrous and O'Banion was, figuratively and literally: his custom tailored suits contained multiple pistol pockets which allowed O'Banion to draw concealed revolvers using either his right or left hand or both hands simultaneously. The same hands that O'Banion could and did use to fire pistols, crack safes, stuff ballot boxes or slug out rival newspaper hawkers would also cut flowers into lovely arrangements for weddings and funerals. As a bootlegger, O'Banion prided himself on selling quality products as opposed to the rot gut handled by his rivals.
   
   Keefe relates the many occasions on which O'Banion performed acts of charity. Some of these kindly acts were calculated, however, since O'Banion was also interested in reaping votes come election time. By performing good deeds, he could call in favors when ballots were being cast by his neighbors. Unlike Al Capone who coupled brutality and with openly lewd and lecherous behavior (Scarface allegedly gained his trademark after making crude remarks about a woman's shapely posterior in the presence of her protective and knife wielding older brother), O'Banion was noted for behaving in a courteous and oftentimes chivalrous manner.
   
   Keefe's writing is factual and entertaining. The O'Banion who she describes in such great depth proves to be such a charming and larger than life personality that it is entirely possible to imagine his immortal soul awaiting forgiveness and redemption in Purgatory. I was reminded of the Warner Brothers crime melodrama "Angels with Dirty Faces" in which a priest played by Pat O'Brien called upon a group of juvenile delinquents to "pray for a boy that who couldn't run as fast as I could" after his childhood friend who failed to escape the corrupting influence of the mean streets died at an early age as a result of embarking upon a criminal career. If this sounds like a mere Hollywood screenwriting cliche, consider the fact that a Roman Catholic priest was disciplined and transferred for leading graveside prayers for Dean O'Banion despite orders from the Cardinal to deny Christian burial rites to known gangsters.
   
   The only serious fault that I found with "Guns and Roses" is that the book lacks proper footnotes. There is a bibliography, but Keefe ought to have provided footnote attributions to the excerpted materials that were previously published elsewhere. There are also some minor geographical, historical and typographical errors that Chicagoans may catch in the text, usually on minor details, but the book is otherwise solid. Despite these shortcomings, this book is nevertheless a significant addition to the true crime history of Chicago during the Prohibition Era.



2. A great bio on the Chicago gangster gunned down in his flower shop during the "Roaring Twenties". The book focuses on the rivalry between the Northside Chicago mob and the Southside Torrio-Capone mob.Obanion and his cohorts are literally devoured by the inter-city "big time" mobs with connections to New York city.From reading this book I don't believe Obanion knew what he was up against,he was a small town boy who moved to the city of Chicago, yet he tried to run his crime empire like a small business. Cavorting around a flower shop by day,shaking hands,(without an enemy in the world?),with little to no protection,meanwhile engaging in criminal activity that would include murder.That's just asking for it,and Torrio's mob,later inherited by Capone,was only too happy to oblige. It seems Torrio's mob when they arrived in Chicago was already an experienced hard core criminal transplant from NYC and cites thereof.How could Obanion honestly think that when the control of rackets,gambling,bottlegging,and the millions of dollars at stake, there was a "moral" line that shouldn't be crossed?Especially when dealing with the mob and seeing as the mob eliminated its own so what could a rival gang expect.Capone listed his profession as furniture dealer but I doubt you would see him lifting furniture into trucks.His furniture business was a fort.The short baby faced Obanion never had a chance in dealing with the NYC mob. this book really brought this out as I read it.An excellent work on crime history but it sort of makes Obanion look like a "farmer".



3. This is about the people who nearly beat the Capone Mob for control of the Chicago boot-legging business. They were led by a florist and included a war hero, a cowboy, a bigamist and a practical joker who starred in an early stag film in the middle of a gang war. The wild Northside Gang is today best remembered for being the victims in the St Valentine's Massacre but in the twenties they were household names. This and Rose Keefe's book about Bugs Moran are both fascinating. A must read!



4. Chances are if you're reading the reviews for this book then you've read at least one Capone biography and walked away, like me, thinking, "Great story, wish I knew more about the Northsiders." Well Rose Keefe has heard our collective wail and has provided us with one of the best books on both Chicago gangland and one of its most interesting characters. There is much more to the O'Banion/Northside story than just being fodder for Capone's gunmen. If you're into Chicago's gangland past then this volume is a must.



5. This is a must have book for anyone interested in Chicago's beer wars. Mrs. Keefe has written a brilliantly told acurate story that helps us understand how Capone became the legend that he is, for without Dean O'Banion on the north Capone may not have been as big on the south.

5 comments about A Pirate of Exquisite Mind: Explorer, Naturalist, and Buccaneer: The Life of William Dampier.

1. Ol' Cap'n Bill plundered only knowledge - couldn't keep two pieces of eight together to save his life. In fact, when he crossed the Isthmus of Panama, he was a lot more worried about keeping his charts dry than about the gold. Trouble was, nobody in his earlier days ever thought about funding a mission for pure scientific research - at least 'til Edmund Halley's voyage in about 1702 or so. And the only British vessels heading into the Pacific had to subsidize their own voyages (at the expense of the Dons, of course). So what was an insatiably curious soul to do? He stuck out his thumb, sailed everywhere -- and I mean EVERYWHERE! and if he's no longer at sea, he's now in print -- everywhere! Don't believe me? Pick up ANY book on exploration, vanished species, oceanography, evolution, British history, British colonialism -- and, of course ... pirates ... and you'll find him there, glaring huffily at anyone who'd demean him as a pirate.



2. This book about 17th Century Explorer William Dampier really surprised me - it was so good! I received the book as a gift and it turned out to be one of those books that I might not have chosen on my own, but I really enjoyed.
   
   The book chronicles Dampier's 3 voyages around the world, is interesting, and super easy to read. Two thumbs up for sure.



3. One hundred years before Charles Darwin there was a pirate whose works Darwin called "a mine of information". Jonathan Swift and Daniel Defoe used his experiences in writing Gulliver's Travels and Robinson Crusoe. Capital James Cook depended on his observations when circumnavigating the globe and Nelson urged his officers to study his books. In the history of exploration, few have ventured farther or achieved more than William Dampier.
   
   Dampier circled the globe 3 times and sailed 200,000+ miles visiting people and places never seen by any other European. Beginning his journey in Virginia and the Caribbean, this pirate crosses the Pacific east to west, spending time in Southeast Asia. The publication of his observations influenced generations of scientists, explorers and writers. His observations and calculations surpassed Edmund Halley and sent Bligh and the Bounty in search of breadfruit. He reached Australia 80 years before Captain Cook and is responsible for over 1000 entries in the Oxford English Dictionary.
   
   Completely forgotten by historians William Dampier has handed down a profound impact throughout the ages. And yes, he was a most decided pirate!



4. Dampier was a fascinating person, a real live buccaneer and also one of our first naturalists. Since I like buccaneers and naturalists, he works well for me. The book is fun to read and well-researched. I dug it.
   
   If you're into books about explorers, you can check out my list - imaginatively titled "Books about explorers" - for a few more recommendations.



5. having been loaned a copy by a friend, I have now bought a number of copies for myself, friends and relatives.Anyone who has ever thought of themselves as a traveller[rather than a tourist] should buy themselves a copy-even Tony Wheeler of Lonely Planet fame would see himself as a mere tourist after reading this wonderfully researched and written history,that is more important to all of us than we would ever guess.Loved every line.

3 comments about The Ski Mask Way: Based on a True Story.

1. Although words can't be used to describe how truly HOT, this novel really is, I decided to pick a few of my favorite to give you an idea!
   
   SPLENDID, SUPERB, SUPERIOR, WONDERFUL...and the characters were...VICIOUS, WICKED, FIERCE FEROCIOUS!!!
   
   To say that I thorougly enjoyed this novel is an understatement. And the fact that it's based on a true story is CHILLING!
   
   From the very begginging Randy pulled me into the pages of this novel and I felt like I was right beside Ski through his entire journey. Although some disloyal people surrounded themselves around Ski, (disguised as friends) I smiled when I realized that in the end REAL friendship prevails.
   
   You are a fool if you call yourself a lover of "Street Fiction" and don't cop this book!
   
   It's a MUST READ!!!



2. Randy Thompson aka Ski had two options while growing up poor in Long Island New York, ball or be a baller. Randy had the skills neccessary to leave his hood behind and pursue his basketball dreams but sometimes even the most seemingly attainable goals can slip away. When's Randy's opportunity slipped away he still had to provide for his family and being a small time drug dealer just wasn't gonna cut it. Randy was gonna have to do things the Ski Mask Way and with his clique of childhood friends that wouldn't be hard at all.
   
   From Long Island to upstate NY nowhere was safe from the wrath of Ski and his crew. Jewelry Stores, Drug Dealers and Department Stores all got touched but would Ski's clique remained untouched? Or would Ski find out that becoming a baller by amassing ill gotten wealth would be even harder than going to school to pursue his NBA career. Especially when you have to overcome more than just the police but jealousy within his own clique. Read the Ski-Mask Way and find out what's harder balling or becoming a baller!



3. Randy Thompson aka "Ski" comes out hitting hard with this debut novel.. "SKI MASK WAY". In this story Isaiah "Ski" Thompson is a young man who is destined for great things. As he goes off to college to play basketball things take a turn and leaves him out of school and trying to make money, the ski mask way. The Go-Hard Crew, consisting of his childhood friends, rob anything, no business and no person is safe from this crew, because they definitely go hard for theirs.
   
   I have to be honest with you this book had me from the first page. My mouth literally dropped on some parts and I had to laugh at a few. Randy came out banging with this book, if you haven't copped this book I suggest that you do, because in my opinion this is THE BEST book that I have read in "2008". So he gets my vote for best new author and best book in "2008". Randy I will definitely support your future titles!

5 comments about The Sixteenth Round: From Number 1 Contender To #45472.

1. Obviously no one can write his story better than Rubin himself. This story is both and inspiring story of a man who has never stopped fighting and a terrifying reality check into the American judicial system. This book is filled with an anger that is only kept in check by the author's own love and compassion.

   The reader whould of course keep in mind this is an autobiography and therefore is skewed to the writer's point of view and emotional state.




2. I bought this book my sophomore year of high school and that was over 7 years ago. It has literally been my bible to life. Rubin and his book have changed my life more than anything else I have ever encountered. Too often than not we find false heroes in this world. People like Paris Hilton who some look up to as a hero or a role model, but the true heroes in this life are often over looked or never seen at all. Rubin Carter is a true hero, I have never even heard of such a troubled life an to come out on top both a champion of his sport and one in life. A wise man told me once that it is now how we live this life but what we do during it. If your looking for a uplifting book of a true hero an a book that will give you strength when all doubt you, this is the one.



3. If you have seen "The Hurricane" motion picture, starring Denzel Washington (an amazing peformance), surely you'd think that you know everything there is to know about Rubin Carter. Unfortunately, that's incorrect. Furthermore, it's not even close.
   Don't get me wrong - the motion picture is fantastic and it surely includes all the important details, but regardless to what kind of movie it is - you should know, and I can tell you that for sure because I read this book, that there are A LOT of details that aren't mentioned in the movie.
   If you want to know the whole story I must implore you to take a long look at that book. But I should also tell you that there's a downside: The book can make you read even five pages in a row without any important or interesting thing coming up; it can also make your patience burst if you're expecting something to happen but it takes long pages, sometimes not even discribed so interestingly.
   Bottom line: if Rubin Carter and his amazing story interests you - I would suggest you read this book. It will make you see the big picture about this man.



4. This a great story.please "game of fools" by charles wooten the story of glenn summerford who is still in prison doing a 99 year sentence ffrom a case like hurricanes that consisted of predujuice and lies.



5. LOOKED FOR THIS IN A HARDCOVER FOR YEARS. HAVEN'T READ THIS STORY IN YEARS.. VERY HAPPY TO HAVE FOUND THIS AGAIN.. GREAT SERVICE PRODUCT AS PROMISED..

5 comments about I'll Do My Own Damn Killin'.

1. I expected to be somewhat entertained and learn a small bit about the history of Dallas gambling. I didn't expect to be so thoroughly consumed with the stories, the history and the characters. Excellent!



2. This is a great book. I knew Benny Binion. My new novel, Texas Poker Wisdom, has several stories about Benny, including the day I met him in 1960. When Binion moved to Vegas, he took a giant step down being a casino owner considering the many things he controlled in Dallas and Ft. Worth and elsewhere. The gambling wars in Dallas and Ft. Worth are hard to believe. Mr. Sleeper has written a book any Texan, gambler, or curious reader will love. I loved this book.
   Johnny HughesTexas Poker Wisdom



3. If you have found yourself in Soprano-withdrawal, this book is for you. "I'll Do My Own Damn Killin'" is a raucous gangland tale of a long and bitter feud between two former partners for control of the Dallas gambling scene of the 1930s and 40s.
   
   Most people know Lester Ben Binion as the Las Vegas icon who
   owned some of the early casinos there, with the downtown Horseshoe Club being the most famous and longest-lived. But before his Las Vegas days he was known as the Dallas "boss gambler." He had most of Dallas law enforcement "fixed" so he could run his numbers, his policy wheels, and his poker games at the Southland Hotel without fear of arrest. He was temperamental, braggadocios, but also jovial in a sinister sort of way. The title of the book comes from a reply he gave when asked if he had ever hired a hit man.
   
   Herbert Noble ran crap games in downtown Dallas and soon came to resent the 25-percent protection money he had to pay to Binion. He had dreams of being the Dallas gambling kingpin himself, and formed a partnership with a like-minded underworld financier. Soon the gambling wars had begun, with one Noble partner after another turning up dead, and back and forth contracts put out on various hardcases from both sides. Noble himself had no less than thirteen assassination attempts made on him. As the author says, "By the early Fall of 1950, planning to kill Herbert Noble had practically become a cottage industry in Dallas and Fort Worth."
   
   Tragedy finally struck when Noble's 36-year-old wife made the fatal mistake of borrowing her husband's booby-trapped car. The explosion was heard eight miles away and the blast shattered windows for blocks. Her mangled body was laid to rest in a solid copper casket said to be the most expensive one ever sold in Dallas.
   
   After this incident, the hatred that consumed Noble escalated the war and led to a hellish confusion of such grisly murders and maiming that it's hard to believe that this actually happened in Texas and not in some 12-hour Francis Ford Coppola trilogy. Notorious people move in and out of the pages, people like Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker, Bugsy Siegal, Meyer Lansky, Estes Kefauver, and even one Jacob Rubenstein, aka Jack Ruby.
   
   Finally by the end of the book, the good guys have arrived on the scene, the Texas Rangers, who put a stop to the violence. Thus ended the bloodiest two decades in Dallas history. The appendix contains testimonies, transcripts of recorded conversations, and progress reports on some of the still-unsolved murders from this shocking, full-scale gangland war that happened in Texas.



4. THIS STORY IS SO WELL WRITTEN AND SO INTERESTING THAT NICK CASSAVETES, MOVIE PRODUCER AND POKER PLAYER, HAS PURCHASED THE RIGHTS TO MAKE IT INTO A MOVIE. WHILE KICKING THIS AROUND A POKER GAME THE OTHER DAY THE PLAYERS AND I AGREED JOSH BROLIN SHOULD PLAY THE YOUNG BENNY BINION.



5. I'll Do My Own Damn Killin'GREAT BOOK! MOST FUN I HAVE EVER HAD READING A BOOK.