Exploring the intersection of organized crime and the music industry, this book delves into the early days of rock and roll, revealing how criminal enterprises infiltrated and influenced the record business. Through compelling narratives, it uncovers the shady dealings and power struggles that shaped the music scene, highlighting the impact of these illicit activities on artists and the industry as a whole. The book offers a fascinating look at a hidden aspect of rock history, blending music lore with true crime elements.
The narrative explores the infiltration of organized crime into Hollywood, highlighting how mobsters exploited labor unions to gain control and extort substantial sums from film studios. This gripping account reveals the ruthless tactics employed by these criminals, drawing parallels between the allure of the film industry and the predatory nature of the mob. It delves into the complexities of power, corruption, and the dark side of the entertainment world during a tumultuous era.
Focusing on the intricate world of organized crime, this book offers vivid profiles of notorious crime bosses, gang members, and corrupt officials, highlighting their significant influence over businesses in New York and beyond. By exploring pivotal events in the history of the mob, it uncovers the extensive reach and power of these figures in shaping criminal enterprises and their impact on society.
This book shares the remarkable stories of boxers who had to fight for their lives while incarcerated in Nazi concentration camps. Alongside their stories are accounts of prisoners who resisted their captors and escaped the camps and those who sought revenge against the Nazis, creating a well-rounded portrait of those who fought against Nazi rule.
"Through profiles of the most colorful and powerful crime bosses, gang members, corrupt cops, and numerous mob associates as well as pivotal events in the history of organized crime, Big Apple Gangsters reveals just how influential the mob has been in controlling large numbers of business not just in New York, but also in other cities"--
Rocky Graziano, juvenile delinquent, middleweight boxing champion, and comedic
actor, was the last great fighter from the golden age of boxing, the era of
Joe Louis, Jake LaMotta, and Sugar Ray Robinson. In Rocky Graziano: Fists,
Fame, and Fortune, Jeffrey Sussman tells the rags-to-riches story of Tommy
Rocco Barbella, who came to be known as Rocky Graziano. Raised by an abusive
father, Graziano took to the streets and soon found himself in reformatories
and prison cells. Drafted into the U.S. Army, Graziano went AWOL but was
eventually caught, tried, and sent to prison for a year. After his release,
Rocky went on to have one successful boxing match after another and quickly
ascended up the pyramid of professional boxing. In one of the bloodiest
battles in the history of the middleweight division, Rocky beat Tony Zale and
became the middleweight champion of the world. Rocky retired from boxing after
he lost his crown to Sugar Ray Robinson and went on to have a successful
acting career in two acclaimed television series. Rich and famous, he was no
longer the angry young man he once was. In his post-boxing life, Rocky became
known for his good humor, witty remarks, and kindness and generosity to those
in need. Rocky Graziano's life is not only inspiring, it is also a story of
redemption, of how boxing became the vehicle for saving a young man from a
life of anger and crime and leading him into a life of happiness and honesty.
The first biography of Graziano in over 60 years, this book will bring his
story to a new generation of boxing fans and sports historians.
This book follows the lives and careers of two Jewish boxers, Max Baer and
Barney Ross. Fighting in the 1920s and 1930s when anti-Semitism was rampant,
American Jews found symbols of strength and courage in these two world
champions. This book provides a vivid picture of Baer and Ross as they fought
opponents in the ring and prejudice outside it.
