Steerforth Press

A former rival and associate of Whitey Bulger tells all in this true crime memoir about the inner workings of life in the Irish mobPerfect for readers of Say Nothing, Black Mass, and Paddy Whacked“Even as he chases someone with a rifle through South Boston, he''s the sort of guy you want to root for. . .” — The Lawrence Eagle-Tribune** 20th Anniversary Edition ** A Boston Globe Bestseller **A Criminal and an Irishman is the story of Pat Nee’s life as an Irish immigrant and Southie son, a combat marine in Vietnam and convicted IRA gun smuggler, and a former rival-turned-associate of James “Whitey” Bulger. His narrative transports readers into the criminal underworld, taking them inside preparation for armored car heists, gang wars, and revenge killings.Nee details his evolution from tough street kid to armed robber to dangerous potential killer, disclosing how he used his underworld connections as a secret operative for the Irish Republican Army.For years, Pat smuggled weapons and money from the United States to Ireland — in the bottoms of coffins, behind false panels of vans — leading up to a transatlantic shipment of 7 ½ tons of munitions aboard the fishing trawler Valhalla. No other Southie underworld figure can match Pat’s reputation for resolve and authenticity.

Dedicated to first responders and every person who steps up to act when it matters... More than 40 years before a Black Hawk helicopter collided mid-air with American Airlines Flight 5342 over the Potomac River, a desperate race against time took place nearby in overwhelming conditions. Washington, DC, was in the grips of a historic snowstorm on January 13, 1982 that gridlocked the city when Air Florida 90 crashes into a bridge jammed with traffic and plunges into the iced-over Potomac River. 6 people survive the crash, clinging to wreckage in the icy river as a Park Police helicopter risks a daring rescue in nearly whiteout conditions. As the rescue is taking place, DC''s Metro system suffers its first fatal derailment nearby, with dozens injured. In this page-turning drama, journalist and former firefighter/EMT Bruce Goldfarb recreates the harrowing struggles for survival and acts of incredible courage. Told through the eyes of survivors, firefighters, police, and bystanders, many of whom have never before shared their stories, Goldfarb explores the day''s impact on these participants as well as on the resulting aviation and transit safety measures that have protected us over the decades.

For fans of powerful untold histories like The Boys in the Boat (Pan, 2014), Seabiscuit (Fourth Estate, 2002), Tunney (Ranodom House, 2007), and Triumph: The Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler''s Olympics (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2007). ''A brisk and entertaining history that looks at the state of the nation in the 1930s.'' Kirkus Reviews. By all measures, 5'' 8'' Tony Two Ton Galento stood no chance when he stepped into the ring against the Brown Bomber, Joe Louis, the finest heavyweight of his generation. Galento predicted, ''I''ll moida da bum,'' and lifted him from the canvas with a single left hook and entered the record books as one of the few men to put the great Louis down. A paloooka, a thug, a vibrant appetite of a man, Galento, the consummate underdog, scored some points for underestimated little guys everywhere. He had scrapped his way out of the streets and into the brightest light of American life, where he took his best shot. The powerful, disciplined, dignified Louis, who thrilled boxing fans with his prowess and inspired millions of Americans, but especially Black Americans during the Jim Crow era, would ultimately gather himself and take Galento apart. It was a rousing display of determination and courage for both men, who emerged from their combat with respect for the other.

Bad Blood meets Burn Book in this expose about tech icon Bob Lee - and what his life and 2023 murder tell us about San Francisco in the Internet Age. For fans of Going Infinite and Super Pumped: Sex and drugs, parties and violence, genius coders and VC tycoons - welcome to the rip-roaring world of the American tech industry. The full story of an industry, a city, and two men - one who got everything he ever wanted, one who never got what he thought he deserved - and what happened the night it all came apart. Like his many peers in the tech industry who had poured into San Francisco over the last two decades, Bob Lee was remaking the world, building the most familiar parts of our digital lives, a lead innovator at one start-up after another, such as Google, Android, Square, and CashApp. When Lee was found stabbed to death one night on the streets of San Francisco, the city''s many critics knew exactly what it meant. Just like they had been saying, the city was violent, dangerous, and out-of-control. San Francisco was so bent on creating a liberal utopia that it was failing at its most basic tasks - to keep its citizens safe. It''s a familiar story - familiar and wrong. Bob Lee was a man without limits, and he had a recklessness that led to his triumphs as well as his downfall.

Discover the incredible island of Sicily, one of the world''s most dynamic cultural crossroads, as you travel through time and explore the history of Italy. The history of human habitation of Sicily is so varied and fascinating that readers will be compelled to keep turning the pages of this accessible narrative to see what happens next. Greeks, Romans, Jews, and Muslims have all left indelible legacies. Vandals, Goths, Byzantines, Normans, Hohenstaufens, Spaniards, Bourbons, and the Savoy Kingdom of Italy have all ruled the island. The emigration of Sicilians to the US in the 19th and 20th centuries often overshadows the variety and importance of people who immigrated to the island through the centuries. The author called Sicily home for 7 years, and was inspired to research and write this book by the countless visitors who expressed a desire to be able to read a history of the island. The book''s narrative is supported with 17 maps, an appendix of historical statistics, a glossary with notes on Italian word endings, and a glossary of names.

A year into his marriage and having never driven an RV, Frank and his wife Laurel set out from New York City in a Winnebago to drive the nation''s first transcontinental route, the Lincoln Highway, which zigzags through small towns and big cities from Times Square to San Francisco. Using the spirit of Abraham Lincoln to guide them across the land, they hope to see more clearly what holds the country together - and how we can keep it together, even amidst political divisions have grown increasingly rancorous, bitter, and exhausting. Along the way, Frank and Laurel meet Americans whose personal experiences help humanize the nation''s divisions, and they encounter historical figures and events whose legacies are still shaping our sense of national identity and the struggles over it. This unforgettable journey is full of what makes any great road trip memorable and enjoyable: music, conversation, and laughter. By the end, readers will have a clearer picture of how we have arrived at a period that carries echoes of the Civil War era, and - using Lincoln as a guide - where the path forward lies.

This haunting and propulsive debut follows a journalist''s years-long investigation into his father''s old classmate: former high school valedictorian Paul Volkman, who once seemed destined for greatness after earning his MD and his PhD from the prestigious University of Chicago, but is now serving four consecutive life sentences at a federal prison in Arizona. Volkman was the central figure in a massive ''pill mill'' scheme in southern Ohio. His pain clinics accepted only cash, employed armed guards, and dispensed a torrent of opioid painkillers and other controlled substances. For nearly three years, Volkman remained in business despite raids by law enforcement and complaints from patients'' family members. Prosecutors would ultimately link him to the overdose deaths of 13 patients, though investigators explored his ties to at least 20 other deaths. This groundbreaking book is based on 12 years of correspondence and interviews with Volkman. Eil also traveled to 19 states, interviewed more than 150 people, and filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the Drug Enforcement Administration that led to the release of nearly 20,000 pages of trial evidence. The American opioid epidemic is, like this book, a true crime story. Through this one doctor''s story, an era of unfathomable tragedy is brought down to a tangible, and devastating, human scale.

This page-turning account of starting at the lowest rung on the production ladder among enormously famous & outrageously demanding people will be devoured for its insights, gossip, humour, & storytelling. Married and with a child, the author takes unpaid gigs to get a foot in the door, and eventually ends up working on all seasons of The Sopranos, often named the best TV show ever. The show''s setting and its creator''s insistence on accuracy placed the native New Jersey author in the right place at the right time to become part of television history, and to witness the effects of sudden fame and acclaim on the show''s principal players. Includes many stories about guest stars like Steve Buscemi, Peter Bogdanovich, and Lauren Bacall, as well as the beloved cast, including new tales of James Gandolfini, who Kamine first meets after David Chase casts him as the Dean of Admissions in the classic first season ''College'' episode. Later, after he''s been promoted, Kamine gets the calls from Gandolfini when he''s hungover, or still drunk, and might or might not make it to the shoot that day. One night, Kamine tries to prevent Gandolfini from taking a swim in the ocean after they''ve been drinking all night, telling him it could be dangerous but Jim doesn''t listen. Woven in is a personal story of home life and strife, achievement and frustration, anxiety and accomplishment. The book''s epilogue brings readers up to the moment as the author, after many more years as an anonymous everyman, eventually enjoys outsize professional success as executive producer of the HBO hit series created by Mike White, The White Lotus.

Americans hold marriage in such high esteem that we push people toward it, reward them for taking part in it, and fetishize its benefits to the point that we routinely ignore or excuse bad behaviour and societal ills in the name of protecting and promoting it. In eras of slavery and segregation, Blacks sometimes gained white legal status through marriage. Laws have been designed to encourage people to marry so that certain societal benefits could be achieved: the population would increase, women would have financial security, children would be cared for, and immigrants would have familial connections. As late as the Great Depression, poor young women were encouraged to marry aged Civil War veterans for lifetime pensions. The widely overlooked problem with this tradition is that individuals and society have relied on marriage to address or dismiss a range of injustices and inequities, from gender- and race-based discrimination, sexual violence, and predation to unequal financial treatment. One of the most persuasive arguments against women''s right to vote was that marrying and influencing their husband''s choices was just as meaningful, if not better. Through revealing storytelling, Zug builds a compelling case that when marriage is touted as ''the solution'' to such problems, it absolves the government, and society, of the responsibility for directly addressing them.