I grew up in the same neighborhood as Carmine Imbriale, the subject of my latest book, "Carmine & the 13th Avenue Boys: Surviving the Bloody South Brooklyn Colombo Mob." So one of the things I enjoyed most while writing this book was revisiting that time and place, but with a deeper dive into the dark side of Brooklyn in the 1980s. While Carmine was hustling down on 13th Avenue, I was growing up on the corner of 77th Street and 16th Avenue … [Read more...]
South Brooklyn in the 1980s: The Importance of Setting in True Crime Book Development
Setting is a critical element to a writer when considering taking on a non-fiction book project. That's why, when I received a call from famous NYPD Detective Thomas Dades offering to introduce me to a former 13th Avenue Colombo gangster interested in a book project, I jumped at the opportunity. Of course, Carmine Imbriale was a complex, remarkable, even relatable character. Not only was Carmine once deeply involved in organized crime in … [Read more...]
