The True Story Behind The Hit Film 'Casino' From An ‘Enforcer’ Who Lived It The Chicago organized crime family known as the “Outfit” dates back to the reign of the infamous Al Capone and prohibition. As the years passed and prohibition was repealed, Outfit bosses had to adapt and seek new ways to make money illegally. One of those was the expanding gambling and entertainment oasis in the desert: Las Vegas. A lot of cash passed through the Vegas … [Read more...]
Ron Franscell Takes Readers On A Rollicking Ride Through The Southwest’s Unruly Past In OUTLAW SOUTHWEST
"The ultimate guilty pleasure book!" - San Antonio Express News The line between history and mythology is razor thin—and the American Southwest often erases the line altogether. We might never disentangle crime-fact from fiction, but this book will transport you to Billy the Kid’s real-life stomping grounds, legendary Tombstone, the childhood home of one of the worst al Qaeda terrorists, and the scenes of dozens of crimes throughout Arizona and … [Read more...]
The Author & the Hitman: Dennis Griffin on the Collaboration That Brought THE RISE AND FALL OF A ‘CASINO’ MOBSTER
Ten years ago I met former mobster Frank Cullotta. We got together in Las Vegas to discuss the possibility of me writing Frank’s biography. It was an odd experience to say the least and the following year I wrote an article about it. As Frank and I await the publication of our third book together, I thought it would be appropriate to post that article again. I hope you find it informative and possibly amusing. In the spring of 2006, if anyone … [Read more...]
Ron Franscell Discusses the “Coolest Crime Sites” He Has Visited While Doing Research For His CRIME BUFF’S GUIDE™ Series
“What’s the coolest crime site you’ve ever visited?” It is crime buffs’ most common question. And after traversing thousands of miles from Pennsylvania to Southern California, and the northern Rockies to the Mexican border, I’ve visited historic crime-related spots most of us have only seen in books or movies. It’s every crime buff’s dream to stand precisely where Wyatt Earp, Bonnie & Clyde, Charles Manson, or Butch Cassidy once … [Read more...]
Meet Award Winning True Crime Author Dennis Griffin
Dennis Griffin is an award winning true crime author, focusing on organized crime in Las Vegas and the Tony Spilotro era in particular. His books have been the basis for multiple organized crime documentaries; and he has frequently been a featured speaker at the Las Vegas-Clark County Library’s Mob Month. * * * I retired in 1994, after a 20-year career in investigations and law enforcement in New York State. In 1996 I wrote my first novel, The … [Read more...]
True Crime Author Steve Jackson Discusses Death Penalty From Epilogue Of A CLOCKWORK MURDER
New York Times Bestselling Author Weighs Pros and Cons In Book About "The Night A Twisted Fantasy Became Demented Reality" An Excerpt From The Epilogue of A CLOCKWORK MURDER: I personally am not a fan of the death penalty in its present form. I have several reasons for that: --Prosecutors who file death penalty papers in order to coerce a defendant into accepting a lesser plea. As noted in my colleague John Ferak’s wonderful book, … [Read more...]
New York Times Bestselling Author Steve Jackson Explores An Unthinkable Crime In A CLOCKWORK MURDER
The Night A Twisted Fantasy Became Demented Reality They thought about their evil fantasy for months. Then, wound up like clockwork toys ... they acted. In April 1997, pretty, 22-year-old Jacine Gielinski stopped her car at a red light in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She had no idea that the two young men looking at her from the car next to hers would in that moment decide she would be their target for unspeakable horrors. George … [Read more...]
“The Cannibal Cop” Gil Valle On Receiving Internet Death Threats
Raw Deal was released last week, and it is off to a great start. The book touched the #1 spot in four best seller categories on Amazon.com. Thanks to everyone out there who has been interested enough in this important criminal case to buy the book to help me storm out of the gates. I am very grateful, and all of this is very exciting for me. A special thank you is owed to everyone who has taken the time to look me up on social media and offer … [Read more...]
NYPD’S “Cannibal Cop” And Co-Author Detail Dark Fantasy World And Wrongful Conviction In RAW DEAL
"When, if ever, does a thought cross the line and become a crime?" RAW DEAL: The Untold Story of the NYPD’s “Cannibal Cop” is the memoir of Gil Valle, written with co-author Brian Whitney. It is part the controversial saga of a man who was imprisoned for “thought crimes,” and a look into an online world of dark sexuality and violence that most people don’t know exists, except maybe in their nightmares. In 2012, Valle’s wife thought her … [Read more...]
SUMMARY EXECUTION: The Seattle Assassinations of Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes
An incredible true story that reads like an international crime thriller peopled with assassins, political activists, shady FBI informants, murdered witnesses, a tenacious attorney, and a murderous foreign dictator. On June 1, 1981, two young activists, Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes, were murdered in Seattle in what was made to appear like a gang slaying. But the victims' families and friends suspected they were considered a threat to the … [Read more...]