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by Cliff Bond (Author)
Ryan Conor King, an Irish immigrant, is determined to move his family out of the tenements of Hell's Kitchen, a section of Manhattan infamous for poverty and gang-related crime, to a more peaceful, enriched surrounding. As 1930 arrives, Ryan finds himself working for Mob Boss Arthur Flegenheimer, aka Dutch Schultz, and associating with the likes of Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll, Joe "The Boss" Masseria, and Lucky Luciano. Along with his boyhood friends, Ryan does what he has to do to survive on the streets of New York City and in order to put food on his family's table. With the troubled economy precipitated by the Great Depression, Ryan and his young friends must accomplish all duties given to them by their "Bosses", including murder, bootlegging, and other illegal actions undertaken by Organized Crime, despite ongoing threats from his nemesis, a corrupt New York detective with ties to the underworld. Whether Irish, Italian, or Jewish, the common goal was survival-no matter the cost. And to survive on the streets of New York City during these violent times, Ryan King is called upon to battle rival gangs and organize one of the largest and ultimately most successful alcohol smuggling operations in New York. At the same time, he must protect his family while balancing his love interests with the loyal Irish/Italian lass Nina and the rich and sexy East Side girl, Melanie. In Kings of the West Side, author Cliff Bond has created a dynamic thriller and a compelling look at the criminal subculture in Prohibition-era New York. Intriguing in its originality and historical detail, his genuinely gripping debut novel is entertaining, fast-paced, and suspenseful throughout.
