INTRODUCING: NEW THREAD ON MOB SPEAK

From day one this blog has been about book signings, interviews and other events involving Slick's and my book, THIEF! The Gutsy, True Story of an Ex-Con Artist. We've also featured true crime stories about the Chicago Outfit, Las Vegas mobsters and sometimes showcased authors and other mob authorities. None of that will change.

What WILL change is that I'm going to share more personal experinces from my life and background as a mob writer. I not only welcome feedback, I invite comments both positive and negative. I'll answer questions honestly. This is your chance to ask someone who writes true crime the questions maybe nobody else will or can answer. Obviously, I can't know everything, so I'll call upon my true crime experts--fellow authors and others--whose opinions I respect.

Why am I doing this? People ask me questions such as, "What's it like working with mobsters?" or "How did you end up writing Slick's story?" A while ago I addressed that last question in 2 parts which opened up a whole slew of other questions.

In my next entry, I'll talk about how I broke into casino dealing. There are a couple of really funny incidents seeing as how I'd hardly held a deck of cards in my hand before enrolling in A.C.E.S. Casino Dealer's School in Albuquerque, NM.

Stay tuned and please send me your comments and questions. I'll take your cues and see where this goes. Hopefully, you'll be entertained and maybe even educated a little.

Yours truly,

CR