Brad Lewis' new biography, "Hollywood's Celebrity Gangster, The Incredible Life and Times of Mickey Cohen," contains many elements that mirror today's Hollywood.
New York, NY (PRWEB) May 23, 2007 -- "Hollywood's Celebrity Gangster, The Incredible Life and Times of Mickey Cohen," ISBN: 1-929631-65-0, a new book by Brad Lewis, examines the extraordinary life of the Los Angeles-based mobster Mickey Cohen who reigned from the 1930s until his death in 1976.
Cohen knew everyone-from mafia chiefs to Hollywood stars, Marilyn Monroe to Frank Sinatra, and Richard Nixon to Reverend Billy Graham. He began eavesdropping on celebrities in the 1940s, with Big Jim Vaus, a paradigm allegedly repeated by Anthony Pellicano.
The United States District Court grand jury filed a 110-count sixty-page federal racketeering indictment against sleuth-to-the-stars Anthony Pellicano. The February 2006 indictment sounds like a carbon copy of Mickey Cohen's extortion and wiretapping operation of the 40s, 50s and 60s.
The suit alleges that Pellicano used confidential police and law enforcement records, including the National Crime Information Center, to access information on actors Sylvester Stallone, Garry Shandling, Kevin Nealon, and Keith Carradine; journalists Anita Busch and Bernard Weintraub; powerhouse agents Bryan Lourd and Kevin Huvane; and former professional tennis player Lisa Bonder Kerkorian, who was married to three-times-her-age billionaire entertainment mogul Kirk Kerkorian.
"I found Celebrity Gangster intense, dramatic, a real page turner" - Irwin Winkler, Producer of Goodfellas.
"A colorful biography of the Mick"
- Steve Harvey, Los Angeles Times.
"Never in my years of reading for pleasure, has such an infamous mobster as the late Mickey Cohen been written about with such insight, truthfulness and good humor as Brad Lewis has accomplished in this page-turning bio. For anyone into Jewish or even gentile folklore, this is a must read"
-Arthur Marx, author of Life With Groucho.
Some of the facts featured in Hollywood's Celebrity Gangster include:
- Marilyn Monroe's introduction to JFK via Mickey Cohen.
- Peter Lawford's distaste for Mickey and Sinatra's mob connections.
- How Harry Cohn asked Mickey to stop Sammy Davis from dating Kim Novak.
- Mickey Cohen's early visits to help secure the race wire in Las Vegas to set up the Flamingo Hotel.
- Mickey's fundraising for Israel with screenwriter Ben Hecht.
- Washington Post columnist Drew Pearson using Mickey's Richard Nixon information to help topple him.
Brad Lewis is a novelist, biographer, playwright and former actor. As an oral surgeon, he practiced in both New York and Beverly Hills. Lewis is co-author of My Father, Uncle Miltie, the bestselling biography of fabled comedian Milton Berle.
Hollywood's Celebrity Gangster is currently available for purchase at all online booksellers including Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Booksamillion.com and at local bookstores. For more information visit www.BradleyLewis.com.
Brad Lewis will be signing books and making scheduled appearances in New York June 1- June 7.
May 31st 11:30 AM Los Angeles KPCC 89.3 with Larry Mantle on "Air Talk."
June 2-3 Book Expo, Javits Center, Manhattan; June 3, Brad will be signing books from 11-12.
June 5th 1 PM Bryant Library, Roslyn, Long Island
http://12.20.26.34/bryant/lib/eventcalendar.asp
June 5th 6:30 PM New York Public Library Main Branch
http://www.nypl.org/events/branchevents.cfm?start=1
Hollywood's Celebrity Gangster: The Incredible Life and Times of Mickey Cohen
Contact: Franklin Dennis
By Brad Lewis
Jay Wynshaw 212-575-9100
425 pages, 30 half tones
Trade paper $22.00
UK Distribution by Greenhill Books
London
Publication date: May 28 2007
US and Canadian distribution
ISBN: 1-929631-65-0
by Consortium
Available For Interviews
Contact: (310) 275-9968
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