"Operation Family Secrets" by Frank Calabrese, Jr.

This book, which bills itself as a memoir, is more of a mystery than anything else. Frank Calabrese, Jr. was born into the family of Frank Calabrese Sr., a major player in the Chicago "juice loan" rackets of his time. He taught his son everything he knew. Actually, he probably taught him too well. I say that only because Frank, Sr. continues to serve out a life sentence for the crimes he committed with his son, while the younger Mr. Calabrese walks free.

Frank, Jr., agreed to "wear a wire" while serving time in the same prison with his father. Getting his father to open up and talk about past crimes, as well as the crimes he intended on committing when he was released, gave the FBI everything it needed to shut down the Calabrese crime family, which operated out of the suburbs of Chicago. It also gave them enough to imprison the elder Mr. Calabrese for the rest of his life, and sprung the doors for Frank, Jr.

The book is well written, and has all the elements you have come to expect from Mafia memoirs. There is enough cash, women, drugs, sex, murder and torture to satisfy the most die hard fan of films such as "Goodfellas" and "Casino." As a matter of fact, Mr. Calabrese, Jr. goes into great detail about the murders of the Spilotro brothers, Anthony and Michael. Anthony was played by Joe Pesci in Casino. The murders did not take place in the desert as depicted in the movie. Instead, the two brothers were summoned to Chicago and killed there.

When Frank, Jr. decides to go "legit" he steals, on the pretext of a loan, almost one million dollars which he and his father have stashed away in the walls of their garage. By carefully re-wrapping the money his deed goes undetected as he uses the money to open restaurants and do a little bit of cocaine dealing on the side. This is where the mystery begins for me.

Frank, Jr. and his dad are indicted for crimes they committed together, and sentenced to the same prison. Frank, Jr., wears a wire to turn over his father, whom Frank, Jr. claims is "out of control." This is his way of rationalizing his own actions. Remember, this is after he has been dealing with his father, aiding and abetting him all along the way, in everyting from collections to murder, then stealing almost a million dollars from him. It is also after Frank, Jr. has become a cocaine addict. The mystery, at least for me, is how he can possibly call his Dad "out of control."

The book is entertaining, filled with all the big names, and criminal expoits of, some of the most feared mobsters around. Frank Calabrese, Sr. was a stone cold killer in his day. That's a fact. He was also one of the largest of the "juice loan" racketeers in Chicago. He was a brutal man. But he never stole from his father.

"Atlantic City" with Burt Lancaster and Susan Sarandon

This is the 1981 masterpiece from Director Louis Malle. The flavor of the opening scenes, in which the old hotels are being demolished to make way for the new corporate ones, can be found in "Casino", the blockbuster hit film by Martin Scorsese which was made over a decade later.

This film is largely about people and their dreams. Burt Lancaster plays Lou, an aging man who has been a low level numbers runner in Atlantic City for decades. He has been everyone's errand boy, but never made that one big score for himself. He wants to be like his old boss, the man on top. That's his dream.

Then there is the dream of Grace, the long suffering ex gun moll, and widow of Lou's old boss. She still pays Lou to "protect" her. She first came to Atlantic City in the 1940's for a Betty Grable look-a-like contest and never went home. She dreams of a man like the one she had, one she does not have to pay to protect her, someone she can be proud to walk down the board walk with again, a Princess in her own mind.

Susan Sarandon is Sally, a divorced young woman who waits on patrons at an oyster bar in the casino, but is also going to school to learn how to be a dealer. Her dream is to go to France and work in the casinos of Monte Carlo. She just doesn't have the money.

When Sally's ex shows up with his pregnant girlfriend and a stash that doesn't belong to him, things change. And that's all I will tell you about this remarkable film, which was about 15 years ahead of it's time, both in it's direction by Mr. Malle and the subject matter itself. Set against the backdrop of Atlantic City during the late 1970's, when the town was turning from a family resort to a mob run gambling town, lends tension and a seedy quality to the film, which was largely shot on location.

As for the acting, all I can say is that Burt Lancaster and Susan Sarandon are both outstanding as people who get caught on the edge of life. Mr. Lancaster is especially great in this breakout role as a sensitive man with the desire to rise up and be more, both for himself, and those around him. This is a sharp, well made film.