Smalltime : a story of my family and the mob / Russell Shorto.
"Family secrets emerge as a best-selling author dives into the history of the mob in small-town America. Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a city "in its brawny postwar prime," is where "Little Joe" Regino and Russ Shorto build a local gambling empire on the earnings of factory workers for whom placing a bet-on a horse or pool game, pinball or "tip seal"-is their best shot at the American dream. Decades later, Russell Shorto grew up knowing that his grandfather was a small-town mobster, but never thought to write about him, in keeping with an unspoken family vow of silence. Then a distant cousin prodded him: You gotta write about it. Smalltime, the story of Shorto's search for his namesake, delves into the world of the small-town mob, an intricate web that spanned midcentury America, stitching together cities from Yonkers to Fresno. A riveting immigrant story, Smalltime is also deeply personal, as the author's ailing father, Tony, becomes his partner in piecing together their patriarch's troubled past. Moving, wryly funny, and richly detailed, Smalltime is an irresistible memoir by a masterful writer of historical narrative"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780393245585
- ISBN: 0393245586
- Physical Description: 259 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York, NY : W.W. Norton & Company, ©2021.
Content descriptions
Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 253-258). |
Formatted Contents Note: | The setup -- The victim -- The comeback -- The immigrant -- The cheat -- The made man -- The organization -- The con -- The establishment -- The music -- The contradiction -- The haven -- The murder -- The fallout -- The salesman -- The winner. |
Search for related items by subject
Genre: | Biographies. Autobiographies. Personal narratives. |
Show Only Available Copies
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Meyersdale Public Library | 364.1092 SHORTO (Text) | 30512005381023 | MEYM Non-Fiction | Available | - |
Somerset County Bookmobile | 364.109 SHO (Text) | 35907001727374 | SOCB Non Fiction | In Transit | - |
Somerset County Library | 364.109 SHO (Text) | 35907001727507 | SOCM Non Fiction | Available | - |
Windber Public Library | 364.1092 Shorto (Text) | 34950000557229 | WINM Main | Available | - |
Summary:
"Family secrets emerge as a best-selling author dives into the history of the mob in small-town America. Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a city "in its brawny postwar prime," is where "Little Joe" Regino and Russ Shorto build a local gambling empire on the earnings of factory workers for whom placing a bet-on a horse or pool game, pinball or "tip seal"-is their best shot at the American dream. Decades later, Russell Shorto grew up knowing that his grandfather was a small-town mobster, but never thought to write about him, in keeping with an unspoken family vow of silence. Then a distant cousin prodded him: You gotta write about it. Smalltime, the story of Shorto's search for his namesake, delves into the world of the small-town mob, an intricate web that spanned midcentury America, stitching together cities from Yonkers to Fresno. A riveting immigrant story, Smalltime is also deeply personal, as the author's ailing father, Tony, becomes his partner in piecing together their patriarch's troubled past. Moving, wryly funny, and richly detailed, Smalltime is an irresistible memoir by a masterful writer of historical narrative"--