Unredeemable Sins

For decades it seemed that whenever a Mafia Capo died, people, directly or indirectly, associated with him start dying. The death of Don Carlo Gambino, the Capo di tutti Capi of the American Mafia, was no exception. UNREDEEEMABLE SINS begins on October 16, 1976 and traces the lives of select characters, some with prior involvement with the Mafia, from 1900 through the mid 1970's. It's a crime/thriller laced with intrigue, revenge, deceit, betrayal and murder, as well as some sex, suspense and surprises. The story takes place in many locations throughout the world, with New York's "Hell's Kitchen" and the South Bronx as the primary sites. It includes actions in several 20th Century wars, namely the Anglo-Irish War, the First World War, the Second World War and Vietnam. The main characters, three New Yorkers who grew up in different parts of the city under far different circumstances became almost inseparable after Vietnam. They are each embroiled in dangerous careers. A mobbed-up diamond smuggler, a fearless "for hire" thug and hit man and a New York City cop make up this odd trio who cared for and watched out for each other. Since I am a serious history buff, 60% of the novel is factual with people, places and events that are historically accurate. The remaining 40% is artfully merged into the story in a no-nonsense, believable way. My family came from Ireland, when I was five, and settled in the South Bronx just across the Willis Avenue Bridge from Harlem. This was a tough area in the 1950's and 60's. Many lessons were learned and stories shared on those streets. And I took notes. I attended Bronx schools and it was in high school that I was introduced to the Mafia lifestyle. At that time certain sections of the Bronx was a haven for mobsters, and I went to school with some of their children. And I kept taking notes. The novel is written in "street talk," the way New Yorkers really talk to and about each other.