Mafia Summer: A Novel

Mafia Summer: A Novel

August 1950: A brutal mob takeover is about to set Hell's Kitchen on fire. Vinny Vesta and Sidney Butcher are an unlikely pair of friends. One is a tough Sicilian Hell's Kitchen gang leader, and the other is a sickly but brilliant Orthodox Jewish boy who lives next door. But after they meet on a fire escape during the blistering New York City summer of 1950, a friendship takes off. When Gee-gee Petrone, a ruthless and brilliant mobster, puts into motion a plan to knock out the other mob bosses and to make himself capo di tutti capos, Vinny finds himself caught in the crossfire. Now Vinny has to put to use everything he's recently learned to survive-and, with the help of his gang of up-and-coming young mobsters, the Icemen, to get his revenge on Petrone. Based on actual events, Mafia Summer brilliantly fictionalizes the pivotal moment in Mafia history when Vito Genovese attempted to undo Frank Costello and become the leader of the Luciano family. At the heart of this classic tale of the Mob, replete with plot twists, violence, and suspense, is the story of an unforgettable friendship and an indelible portrait of an era. Based loosely on events from his own life, veteran TV producer Vincent's novel is set in the summer of 1950, at the dawn of a new age of organized crime in the U.S. A Mob boss has hatched a plan to install himself as the new capo di tutti capi (boss of all bosses) of the New York crime families, and a deadly gang war results. The story is told from the perspective of two friends, Vinny Vesta, a young Sicilian mobster on the way up, and an Orthodox Jewish boy, the bookish Sidney Butcher. This unlikely duo lands in the middle of the gang struggle. The author, known for such melodramatic TV fare as Melrose Place, turns out to be a talented novelist. Vincent uses his memories and experiences to give us plenty of you-are-there atmosphere. By placing his two central characters on the periphery of the gang war, caught up in something much bigger than they are, he adroitly avoids direct comparisons to The Godfather. Still, fans of that classic will find much to enjoy here. David Pitt Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved E. Duke Vincent grew up in New York and New Jersey. A TV writer and producer, he joined Aaron Spelling in 1977 at Spelling Television, where he is currently executive producer and vice chairman. His credits include the series Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, Dynasty, Hotel, Vega$, Charmed, 7th Heaven, and Clubhouse. His TV movies include the Emmy Award-winning Day One and And the Band Played On.