Little Mexico
Based on true events and real-life people, John's novel tells the story of a seedy pre-Vegas gambling town in the foothills of Newport, Kentucky, just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. The fictional Jules family owns the Oasis Club, a legitimate nightclub with an illegitimate casino in the back. Club owner Carl Jules sees himself as a respectable businessman, and he refuses to let the Cleveland Syndicate "buy him out," code for intimidating him into handing over the club, something that has already happened to another independent casino operator. When Carl is found shot after closing up one night, the suspects are plentiful: Could his beloved wife be after his cash? Could his hotheaded son be too eager to move up the ladder? Could it be the most obvious, the syndicate itself? Told from various perspectives, including that of the young Jules' best friend, an honest cop (a Newport anomaly), and a hooker,Little Mexicomight not generate the power of Pileggi'sCasino,but its combination of real-life gangsters and an engaging plot makes for entertaining reading.Mary Frances WilkensCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved