G.T. Harrell
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Seldom, if ever, has a writer been given access to a former major drug dealer in the Mafia underworld and three generations of family members that followed. After nearly two years of interviews and subsequent research, it has been discovered that a close relative of the family was one of the most powerful figures in the Mafia from the 1940s to the mid 1990s, yet his identity until now has never been revealed. He was the consigliere for all of the American Mafia. The book tells in detail the life and times of a family who escaped the threat of Fascism in Sicily at the turn of the century and the rise of one of the children to a major figure in the Mob. Another sibling returned from a tragic life in an orphanage only to become an adept criminal. He ultimately spent twenty years off and on in prison with the Who’s Who of the Mafia, men who became friends and had secret stories to tell. After prison, he became one of the pioneers of Off Off Broadway in NYC and later was responsible for the regeneration of Little Italy in the Lower East Side of NYC. The book details the influence and protection afforded later generations of the family to this day. It offers a unique insight into the real life of people during this 100 year period. Myths about the Mob are disclosed and inaccuracies in the history of the Mafia are corrected. It is a very compelling epic true story. It is a book you will not be able to put down. Look on www.mafiasecretjudge.com for further details.
Having attended Washington & Lee University, G.T. Harrell left and traveled throughout Europe for three years and ended up in London, England, planning to travel for one more month; he stayed eleven years. He got into the newspaper industry with a major British company where he advanced to manager of an evening newspaper in London and a newspaper group in Scotland. He took his British family to NJ to work as a manager at the Philadelphia Inquirer. Two years later he was recruited by The New York Daily News where he remained for ten more years. After leaving the newspaper business, he co-wrote a management training program for Bell Atlantic while running his own businesses. Later in Florida he pursued other business interests and started writing in earnest. After writing a successful movie script, he was commissioned to write a book about the Mafia while in the process of writing two other books. That project resulted in For Members Only. For further details, go to www.mafiasecretjudge.com.
For over one hundred years the American Mafia has touched almost every aspect of our daily lives. Interest in the Mafia has been all consuming for many with the success of The Godfather series of movies, Goodfellas, Donnie Brasco, A Bronx Tail and dozens of others. The enormously popular TV series, The Sopranos, perpetuated that interest. None of these productions provided a true insight into the real lives of gangsters and their family until the book, For Members Only, a true story as told by real family members.
It begins with the flight of an aristocratic family from their home in Sicily to the squalor of the Lower East Side of New York City at the turn of the century. They were evading the terror of the Fascist and the Black Hand. The patriarch becomes unwittingly involved with the burgeoning Mafia and becomes part of some of the most memorable events of those times, including getting to know some of the major figures in the rapid growth of the Mafia. He was tragically murdered while working on the docks. Five of his children were faced with being sent to a Catholic orphanage while two of their siblings remained behind. The oldest sister, Sadie, became the notorious “Mouth of Mott Street” while her brother started on his path to becoming a major, but secret, power in the Mafia. He killed his first victim while a young teenager. He later pulled off the largest narcotics heist in history, yet the story has remained virtually untold until now.
Ultimately, his youngest sibling returned to NYC only to be rejected by society and become a major drug dealer with a client list that included Billie Holliday. He was sent to prison for many crimes disclosed in detail and spent time with the Who’s Who of the underworld. They told him stories that correct many historical accounts. His brother became friends and a business associate with the likes of Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky, Ben Siegel, Vito Genovese, Carlo Gambino and many, many more top bosses. Many secret bosses are disclosed in the book. Many secret scams and intrigues are detailed. Many criminal activities and murders are recorded such as shylocking, gambling, the murders of JFK and RFK, as well as the disposal of Jimmy Hoffa.
Second and third generation family members speculate about the reasons for the murder of “Big Paul” Castellano and the involvement of John Gotti. They also describe in detail the life of family members not directly involved in crime but protected by Mob leaders.
For videos, interviews and further information go to www.mafiasecretjudge.com.
