Slated for June 2004 release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Publication Date: June 2004
Contact: Jennifer Itskevich


GANGSTER CITY
The History of the New York Underworld 1900-1935


GANGSTER CITY by Patrick Downey (Barricade Books, June 2004, $23.95) is
arguably the most comprehensive book ever written on organized crime in New
York City during the early decades of the 20th century. Its pages chronicle
virtually every widely known (and lesser known) Mafioso, bootlegger,
racketeer and thug who terrorized the city during those years.

Between 1900 and 1935, close to 700 gangsters were murdered in New York
City, casualties of gang warfare. Some were found in cars, others found
stuffed in barrels and burlap sacks. Some were gunned down on the street,
while others were strangled, beaten to death with brass knuckles and clubs,
or stabbed to death with knives and ice picks. Many were unknown until the
time of their deaths, while others, like Charlie ³Lucky² Luciano, Meyer
Lansky, and Jack ³Legs² Diamond, became internationally famous. GANGSTER
CITY is their story.

Beginning with the reign of Monk Eastman, the famous Jewish gangster
depicted in Martin Scorsese¹s 2002 film The Gangs of New York, this
veritable Who¹s Who of the New York underworld explores the origins of Mafia
initiation rites and uncovers the most significant gang wars, many of which
have received little or no attention in previous books on the subject. In
addition, GANGSTER CITY introduces readers to many little-known mobsters who
operated with and against now infamous New York gangster legends like Lucky
Luciano and Meyer Lansky, while debunking long-standing myths about gangland
and offering solutions to as yet unsolved mysteries.

For instance, GANGSTER CITY contains the first full account of the gang war
fought between Waxey Gordon and the Bug & Meyer mob. Also, for the first
time ever, an in-depth examination of Irish gangster Vincent ³Mad Dog²
Coll¹s career reveals his probable killer, while myths about the Irish White
Hand gang‹whose demise is frequently, yet inaccurately, attributed to a
carefully orchestrated hit by notorious gangster, Al Capone‹are finally
dispelled and the true cause revealed.

The book also examines:

- The early days of the Mafia and the rise and fall of the Morello/Terranova
family, which entrenched itself in Harlem and terrorized New York City for
35 years
- The first two Mafia snitches, who blew the whistle on the mob in 1918 and
1921
- How the discovery of Camillo Caizzo¹s body in the Shark River near Asbury
Park, NJ in 1921 led to the second Mafia squealer and the divulgence of a
secret Mafia initiation rite
- The succession of Jewish gang leaders on Manhattan¹s lower East side and
their 10-year war with their Italian counterparts
- The formation and decline of Murder Inc., as well as its greatest gangland
hits during this time period
- The Bloody Amberg Brothers, including Hyman¹s ill-fated attempt to break
out of the Tombs prison
- The Castellamarese War and its Brooklyn victims
- The Tong wars, which resulted in numerous gangster deaths along Pell and
Mott Streets
- The rise and fall of Jack ³Legs² Diamond and his numerous times ³on the
spot² before the fifth and final time
- The possible identification of the infamous ³Buster from Chicago² made
famous in the book The Valachi Papers
- The various techniques gangsters living in this time period used to kill
one another


Complete with a full listing of the over 250 New York/New Jersey addresses
of where over 1,000 Italian, Irish, and Jewish criminals lived and died, as
well as dozens of never-before-published photographs, GANGSTER CITY paints a
colorful portrait of gang activity in New York City, both animating and
expanding all previous knowledge of this infamous era in American history.


AUTHOR BIO:

PATRICK DOWNEY, the great-grandson of a bootlegger, grew up in and around
Detroit, Michigan before moving to New York City in 1990 to pursue a career
in stand-up comedy. He currently resides with his wife in Aberdeen, New
Jersey. When not performing, Patrick may be found in the New York Public
Library and the New York City Municipal Archives researching his passion‹New
York¹s gangster past‹or preparing articles on the subject for publication.
GANGSTER CITY: The History of the New York Underworld 1900-1935 is his first
book.


By: Patrick Downey
Category: True Crime
Price: $23.95
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 1-56980-267-X
Publication Date: June 2004