The story of Authors' Rep is that the world's most successful horror writer (who is possessed of two attributes: boyish good looks and lovable charm, making him a P.R. delight; and an I.Q. that any self-respecting snail could top) believes that his literary agent secures "his" novels for him by buying quality manuscripts from their authors, which are then published under his name. In fact, the agent's reader, a Princeton-educated MFA, is also a professional killer, who, upon finding a wort...

In 1940, American Heartland Pictures, once a great studio producing hybrid talking/silent Shakespeare films, is now gushes forth the cheesiest, crappiest, lousiest low-budgetest serial adventures in the industry. And that's fine with Farley Rottenwood, the immigrant-turned-sort-of-mogul who bought the place and kept the owner's widow on as Girl Friday. But, while he produces his greatest—albeit most inept-- serial adventure (which you get to read!)—his wife is cheating on him, his staff ar...

Zoltan Szábo and his wife Hilka, the first couple of the Romanian theatre, are forced to flee the fascists in the mid-1930s and wind up in Hollywood. Big stars in Europe, Zoltan is relegated to playing a two-bit Poverty Row vampire again and again, while his incredibly beautiful wife, Hilka, gets a handful of small pointless roles. Zoltan resents the overwhelming success of Britisher, Ivan Chernov, former truck driver turned actor, whose deforming facial war wounds (not any notable talent)...

The ninth issue of Black Cat Mystery features a stellar lineup of new stories (and one classic reprint). Here are—LAST RITES, by Stacy WoodsonTHE JERICHO TRAIN, by John M. FloydCORAL COVE, by B.A. PaulTHE ALLEY, by Ann AptakerSONNY’S ENCORE, by Michael BrackenSWITCH AND BAIT, by Cynthia WardBECOMING ZERO, by James A. HearnTHE MURDER OF JONATHAN GREYSTONE, by Barry FultonYOU GOTTA BE IN IT!, by Elliott CaponTHE ...

Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the broadcast, an inside look at the historic televised reveal of Al Capone's vaults that would define Geraldo Rivera's career and change television forever.In 1986, more people watched The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults than either the Super Bowl or David Frost's interview with Richard Nixon. It was a high-wire, high-reward, high-disaster broadcast that was meant to be a comeback for journalist Geraldo Rivera, who ha...

Jack Woodford - Al Capone, 1924 - 1932Jack Woodford was, very early in his life, during his college years and throughout law school, the confidant, piano player, and speech and diction instructor for Al Capone.Like our Wild West of 1840-1890, the Chicago gangster era of 1920-29 occupies a special place in the hearts and minds of anyone who has ever given the United States of America any thought at all. It was a time of derring-do committed by very young men who competed viol...

Al Capone and the 1933 World’s Fair: The End of the Gangster Era in Chicago is a historical look at Chicago during the darkest days of the Great Depression. The story of Chicago fighting the hold that organized crime had on the city to be able to put on The 1933 World's Fair.William Hazelgrove provides the exciting and sprawling history behind the 1933 World's Fair, the last of the golden age. He reveals the story of the six millionaire businessmen, dubbed The Secret Six, who beat ...

Bloomsbury presents Capone's Vault by William Elliott Hazelgrove, read by John Moraitis.Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the broadcast, an inside look at the historic televised reveal of Al Capone’s vaults that would define Geraldo Rivera’s career and change television forever.In 1986, more people watched The Mystery of Al Capone’s Vaults than either the Super Bowl or David Frost’s interview with Richard Nixon. It was a high-wire, h...

Al Capone and the 1933 World's Fair is a historical look at Chicago during the darkest days of the Great Depression—the story of Chicago fighting the hold that organized crime had on the city to be able to put on the 1933 World's Fair.William Elliott Hazelgrove provides the exciting and sprawling history behind the 1933 World's Fair, the last of the golden age. He reveals the story of the six millionaire businessmen, dubbed The Secret Six, who beat Al Capone at his own gam...