The Rise of Organized Crime - an Editorial Review of "The Circus of Satan"

Book Blurb:

In 1878 a teenage Jew, the Hessex Kid, kills an Irish thug in a Five Point’s bar fight in front of hundreds of drugged and drunken killers, all members of the Whyo Gang, which controls all crime in Manhattan under the aegis of the corrupt Irish politicians at Tammany Hall. The Hessex Kid is then grabbed by the rabble and murdered.

By 1900, individual Irish mobs have gained control of the police departments, the gangs, and crime in every major American city, and from 1900 to 1910, a political operative named James Monaghan has risen to the pinnacle of power at Tammany, which is the icon of each of the Irish snakes, nationwide.

In 1910, An Irish gambler and ex-boxer from Chicago named Billy McGuinness, haunted by the legend of the Hessex Kid and the murder of a small-time East Side gambler and his family, arrives in New York. He is connected to mid-west political powers and gangsters Bathhouse John Coughlin, Hinky Dink Mike Kenna, Max and Moses Annenberg, Big Jim Colisimo, and Johnny Torrio, his sole objective: to destroy Monaghan and the Tammany political and criminal machine. Upon his arrival, McGuinness immediately begins a torturous maneuver through real historic events and within the confines of New York’s Bowery ghetto and its Tenderloin District, “a.k.a.” Satan’s Circus,  while manipulating the eras real New York politicians, reporters, and gangsters, led by Big Tim Sullivan, Tammany King of the Bowery, gambler, Arnold Rothstein, Pulitzer World crime reporter, Herbert Bayard Swope, and powerhouse publisher, William Randoph Hearst, men who marked the period, now long-forgotten.

In the end, McGuinness, inspired by dark forces, inadvertently becomes the moving engine behind prohibition booze smuggling and the Mafia until he ultimately embraces the hand of God.

Book Buy Link: Learn more at www.circusofsatan.com

Author Bio:

Jeffrey Konvitz is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Sentinel (Simon and Schuster- Random House/Ballantine Books).

He also wrote its bestselling sequel, The Guardian (1979, Bantam),and a third bestselling novel Monster: A Tale of Loch Ness (1982, Random House/Ballantine).

Konvitz is an entertainment attorney, screenwriter and producer. In the 1980s and 90s, he became one of the top independent production executives in Hollywood, where he still resides to this day.

Editorial Review:

The Bowery synagogue was old, its windows cracked and its paint peeling. The Torah inside its Ark was ancient, brought from the old country, a monument to past lives. Yet, as downtrodden as the place appeared, it was also filled with hope and a very devout congregation. It wasn’t the Eldridge Street synagogue, a giant of architectural splendor, the Bowery’s crown jewel, but it was theirs.

The wedding underway was an Ashkenazi wedding, the kind that occurred all over the Bowery because the Eastern European Ashkenazi Jews far outnumbered the Southern European Sephardim, and Herschel Aronberg, son of Samuel and Hannah, both deceased, was about to marry Sarah Zimkin, daughter of Mary Zimkin, also deceased, and Schmuel Zimkin, who stood near the bride. It was May 1900, the Jewish month of Sivan.

The Circus of Satan by Jeffrey Konvitz is an engrossing and relentless historical crime epic that transports readers to the chaotic underground of American organized crime in the early 20th century. With the notorious Five Points, Tammany Hall's corruption, and the emergence of the Irish-American political machine as backdrops, Konvitz skillfully combines historical fact and fiction to tell a story of ambition, cruelty, and redemption.

The visceral and eerie opening of The Circus of Satan captures our attention from the first page. The Hessex Kid's horrific murder establishes a world where treachery and violence are the norm, setting the tone for the entire book. Sharp and evocative, Konvitz's prose depicts a lawless world where outwitting the next predator is essential to survive.

The tale begins with a terrifying prologue set in 1878, when the Whyo Gang murders a Jewish adolescent named the Hessex Kid following a disastrous bar fight. His passing lingers throughout the book like a spectral presence, haunting the streets of New York as well as the conscience of the main character, Chicago gambler and former boxer Billy McGuinness.

Part 1 then begins the journey, timed from May 1900 to May 1910. The book being split into parts and chapters like this make it easier to read and to follow the historical timeline of events. The book deals with very heavy subject matters, but it does so with care and grace.

When McGuinness first arrives in New York in 1910, he becomes embroiled in a power struggle with James Monaghan, the vicious political operative at the center of Tammany Hall's criminal enterprise. Motivated by his own sense of justice - and possibly a higher power - McGuinness sets out to destroy the corrupt system, but in the process, he unintentionally creates the conditions for the emergence of an even more powerful force: the Mafia and organized crime during the Prohibition era.

The horror of street fighting and the deft manipulation of political and criminal relationships are captured as the story progresses with cinematic intensity, spanning decades and points of view. The novel gains weight and realism from Konvitz's skillful blending of historical individuals with his fictitious cast. People like Big Tim Sullivan, Arnold Rothstein, and William Randolph Hearst are not just historical cameos; they are active participants in this complex game of survival and power.

He’d watched the onshore protests for two days ... glad his Chicago friends had already left, but then after several patrons had complained, he took a barge ashore to confront the religious nuts, who were rallied under a Tennessee Methodist Reform flag and a Women’s Christian Temperance Union banner.

“Who’s the boss of this quack brigade?” he demanded, interrupting a prayer.

A woman, tall, five-foot-nine, slim, dressed in white, stepped forward. “And why are you inquiring, sir?” she asked, her voice drenched in heavy southern drawl.

“Because that’s my boat.” McGuinness said, pointing. “My business.”

She took off her bonnet. Light-brown hair fell down her back. He could now see her face; she was without doubt the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, eyes blue, her face narrow with skin like silk.

“Your boat?” She was angry. “It’s God’s boat and you have made it into a spore of Original Sin and a coven of gamblers, drinkers, and pitiable prostitutes.

Dialogue is very well done, accurate to the times, and gives us deeper insight into the characters and their unique personalities and motivations.

The book has a strong editing style that keeps it moving at a fast but captivating clip. The high-stakes intensity of the time is reflected in the chapters' structure, which frequently ends on cliffhangers that keep the reader interested.

A captivating protagonist, Billy McGuinness is flawed, motivated, and eventually changed by his experience. He initially comes across as just another seasoned tough guy enmeshed in the alluring mayhem of the underworld. But he has undergone a significant evolution. In addition to being physical, his conflict with Monaghan is ideological, making him face his own ethics in a society where justice is scarce.

The main adversary, James Monaghan, is just as well-developed. He is a clever and cunning power broker who knows the art of manipulation better than anybody else, not just a parody of corruption. He is a powerful and memorable antagonist because of his ability to combine politics, religion, and crime into an almost impenetrable web of control.

The Bible-toting prohibitionist who shapes McGuinness's journey and the seasoned crooks of the Bowery are examples of well-drawn supporting characters that enhance the novel's multi-layered plot.

Despite the novel's extensive history, Konvitz does a remarkable job of keeping everything consistent. We are never lost in the shuffle thanks to the deft handling of the transitions between various historical periods and character perspectives. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and the ascent of Chicago's political rulers are two examples of real events that are cited in the book yet are skillfully woven into the fictitious plot, adding to its authenticity.

The novel ends in a surprising and thought-provoking way. To avoid giving anything away, McGuinness's journey comes full circle in a way that is ironic and appropriate. In the end, his fight against corruption creates a brand-new type of crime organization that will influence America for many years to come. Readers are left thinking about the cyclical nature of corruption and power after the final chapters' intense emotional blow.

The vast breadth and intellectual foundations of The Circus of Satan distinguish it from other historical crime novels. It explores deeper issues of fate, justice, and the unexpected repercussions of power battles while still providing the anticipated action and intrigue. The title of the book, which alludes to the Tenderloin neighborhood of New York, foreshadows the hellish character of the world Konvitz portrays - a place where ambition and evil clash spectacularly.

It was now May. The Greek had already lost over four million dollars. Moss, years younger, had more gas in the tank, and after one crushing hand, the Greek stood and said: “Mr. Moss, I have to let you go.” Though these words would be repeated in poker circles forever, many poker historians would argue that the match was nothing more than urban legend. McGuinness knew different; he was there. He took a seat on the first day of action near the poker table, and he sat there every day, staring, thinking. He was now eighty-seven years old, and the years had weighed heavy on him, his hair white, skin wrinkled, color drawn, eyes weary.

There were always several dozen spectators watching. He was the only one who never left. He didn’t talk. He didn’t identify himself. He barely moved. And, after the players broke for the final time, a casino executive approached him.

“Sir,” the executive said, “Mr. Binion would like to buy you dinner.”

Lean but intricately detailed, Konvitz's prose is evocative of vintage noir with a historical bent. He captures the languages and attitudes of the era in his speech, which brims with authenticity. By avoiding over-explanation, he lets the characters and surroundings do the talking. The book moves at an unrelenting pace, dragging the reader into a maelstrom of political intrigue, moral quandaries, and betrayals.

The plot of the book is well-structured, with a definite increase in suspense culminating in a pivotal encounter between McGuinness and Monaghan. Despite not being a typical triumph, the resolution's thematic richness makes it incredibly fulfilling. The emotional center of the book is anchored by McGuinness's metamorphosis from a guy seeking retribution to one struggling with the unexpected effects of his actions.

Fans of gritty, character-driven narrative will enjoy The Circus of Satan, a masterfully written historical crime saga. Konvitz has combined historical fact with an engrossing fictional scenario to produce a book that is both thought-provoking and exciting. This unapologetic look at the shadowy side of American history will appeal to readers who appreciate the writings of Thomas Kelly and Kevin Baker.

The Circus of Satan is a striking examination of ambition, corruption, and the cost of power because of its incisive prose, vividly rendered characters, and relentless tension. It is a book that stays with readers long beyond the last page, asking them to think about what justice really is in a society where morality is frequently simply another commodity to be exchanged.

5 stars

Award:

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