Sugar Pop Moon

Jersey Leo #1

by John Florio

Jersey Leo is the quintessential outsider—an albino of mixed race. Known as "Snowball" on the street, he makes a living as the bartender at a mob-run speakeasy in Prohibition-era Hell's Kitchen. Being neither black nor white, he has no group to call his own. His own mother abandoned him as a baby. And his father, a former boxing champ with his own secrets, disapproves of Jersey's work at a dive owned by one of New York's most notorious gangsters.

So when Jersey inadvertently purchases counterfeit moonshine ("sugar pop moon") with his boss's money—a potentially fatal mistake—he must go undercover to track down the bootlegger who took him in. The clues lead to Philadelphia, where he runs into a cleaver-swinging madman out for his femurs and a cold-blooded gangster holed up on a Christmas-tree farm. Now with a price on his head in two cities, Jersey seeks help from the only man he can trust, his father. As the two delve into the origins of the mysterious sugar pop moon, stunning secrets about Jersey's past come to light. To ensure his future, Jersey must face his past, even if it means that life will never return to normal.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Noir, Historical

215 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

John Florio was raised in Flushing, NY. He credits the streets of Queens as one of his earliest influences, along with black-and-white movies, old superhero comics, Sports Illustrated, Humphrey Bogart, and the Hardy Boys.

A fan of pop fiction and creative nonfiction, Florio is the author of the historical crime novels, Sugar Pop Moon and Blind Moon Alley. With Ouisie Shapiro, he has written the nonfiction books: Marked Man, Doomed, War in the Ring, One Nation Under Baseball, and One Punch from the Promised Land. Florio and Shapiro also contribute to The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Nation, and ESPN.

Florio holds an MFA from the University of Southern Maine, an MA from New York University, an MBA from St. John’s University, and he is pursing a DFA at the University of Glasgow. He currently serves on the faculty of the Stonecoast MFA creative writing program at the University of Southern Maine.

Visit John Florio at johnfloriowriter.com.

Reviews

[Victoria Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sugar Pop Moon is an excellent mystery that allows the reader to be completely involved in the life of the main character Jersey Leo. The writing flows beautifully and builds until the words fly off the pages with adventure, pain, hope and ultimately, closure. The book has a flavor of the 1930’s gangster stories which is how Jersey narrates the piece. Yet, there are so many unique aspects that bring up the disparities of our time such as inequality and the fear of individual differences. The novel also inspires one to root for Jersey Leo and it commands more stories about him. I love Sugar Pop Moon and Jersey Leo and I’m looking forward to reading the next adventure of this unusual but “everyday Joe” hero.

[Ouisie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Jersey is such a refreshing character- he seems real and human and decent. The story is strong, the characters interesting, and historical details accurate. I was hooked from page one and it held me all the way through. I'm ready for the next Jersey Leo novel already!

[Caroline · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure why I thought this sounded good, but it wasn't. Violent, tacky, random, oh-that's-convenient story. Yikes.

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rounded up to 3.5 :)

A well crafted story... loved the whole cast of characters, even the bad guys (though I was constantly cursing them out and mentally kicking them in the gonads.. marks of a good villain). It felt like a trip back through time, you really feel like your back in the early 1900s and the 1930s. Mr. Florio has done his research, everything felt authentic and fleshed out.

Jersey is just a regular guy eeking out a living, pouring moon at the Pour House. (He's an albino, which makes some people uncomfortable around him unfortunately) He makes a decision to buy some 'Sugar Pop Moon' off Gazzara and finds out he's been taking for a whole lot of his mobster boss's money (all this on the back cover). He goes to male things right and things spiral into chaos.

The twists in this story kept me on my toes, hoping Jersey and his dad would get things sorted out. Only a certain someone isn't who he says he is and crazy sh*t unfolds. Even then, there's more layers to the truth to unravel.

The real reason for Hector and the cleaver made me want to throw up... Florio doesn't go TOO deep with the gory details, but he leaves you enough to be unnerved by it all.


The second part of the narrative slides easily back and forth with the first... it deals with: Ernie Leo, the Albrights, and a promising reporter named Walter Wilkins (admired him for bravery and stubbornness to deliver the truth). I won't say more but it's revealed slowly how this part, ties in with the bigger picture and there's a few surprises in store.

Romance: Light on it, mentioned briefly but not dwelled on long (narrative in 1906 does have romance). There's a possibility of some hinted at the end.

The ending was perfect as one character got what he deserved haha, glad to see that bastard got what he deserved.

I have a feeling we may see another character again down the road though (see if I'm right)

This book is a perfect mix of ingredients, I very much enjoyed taking up a stool in Jersey's world and can't wait to see what's next for him :).

Would recommend!

[James Ziskin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly loved Sugar Pop Moon. The two eras described in the book come through very authentically; Jersey is a fully developed hero, smart and human, not just a "zebra-n****r-lackey-c**n", as some of the rougher mobsters call him; and both stories fold together poetically, as if destined to do so, after 24 years. Really nice. As I read, I had to fight the constant urge to put a shine on my lips with every turn of the page. I drink enough as it is.

I especially liked the intelligence John Florio gave to Jersey. He could have ended up a somewhat clichéd hero -- understandably so perhaps -- if he had been uneducated, spoke poorly, and lacked a conscience. But he is a unique character who will stick in my mind for a long time. And not just because he's a mixed-race albino named Snowball. He's well rounded, scarred, and principled.

Finally, the action scenes were tense and exciting. This is an unusual novel, gritty and bitter-sweet, very much worth the read.

I look forward to reading Blind Moon Alley, the next book in this series.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was told, after I put it on my reading challenge list, that this was a young adult book. It's a short book, so that makes sense I guess. I'm totally against banning of books, but I can imagine this one being challenged, particularly if it is in fact a young adult book. Not sure I'm a fan of the name of the genre. I never know if it should mean it's about young adult characters or if the writing is such that it is "geared down" for the younger set. If it's the second, I'm not a fan and that is a little bit like this felt to me.

I liked the story line, but it felt oddly less anxiety inducing than it should have been. I mean there is this kid, this outsider based on his looks alone, who accidentally crosses the mob boss he works for. There's prohibition era speakeasies. There's a crazed guy looking for the femur bones of albino's. We got star-crossed lovers that happen to be different races in a time when that wasn't allowed. I should have been stressed out of my mind and I wasn't at all.

The albino murder storyline wasn't fleshed (probably should've picked another word) out enough to feel any vested interest in. It wasn't almost comic in the way it was brought out (not counting the hostage scene). I feel like there must have been a lot of albinos in Philly to make that a news story. I don't know if it was accurate to the time. Maybe there was a reason for a higher concentration? If so, that might have been mentioned, i.e. there was a doctor who specialized in the treatment. Keeping with this story line, am I supposed to believe this gangster sending femur bones to Cuba believed in the magic? Because if he is a counterfeiter of everything else, why wouldn't he also be of albino femur bones?

Jersey's friend who died, I should have felt weepy over, but there wasn't enough about him to make me feel it very deeply. I felt more for his father.

This feels like a good starter story that needed more work. Yes, that would have made it longer than 214 pages, but if it was written well, it would have made it better.

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent crime novel. Florio can really write. In particular, his descriptions are accurate and precise, which I appreciate. He avoids cliches both in terms of language, and in terms of character and plot.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice easy read with an engaging setting, interesting characters and a nice twist on what seemed like a straightforward mobster/prohibition story. 3.5 stars rounded up--a little too coincidence-ladened to be truly great, but definitely worth reading.

[Danna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sugar pop moon is the tastiest shine Snowball has ever glazed his mouth with. It's the early 1900s and Prohibition is on. Jersey Leo, aka Snowball, is a bartender at the Pour House, a speakeasy owned by the notorious mob ringleader Jimmy McCullough. While Jimmy is taking a break from the heat, Snowball purchases 80 cases of sugar pop moon to keep the bar up and running. Turns out, Jersey's been had, and only 10 cases are authentic sugar pop moon. The remaining 70 aren't potable--meaning nearly $5 grand of Jimmy's money has gone to waste. (And remember we're talking about $5 grand in 1930.)

Snowball is an albino and a smartass. He decides he is not going to sit around waiting for Jimmy to return from sabbatical to slaughter him, but instead, hunt down the hood that cheated him and get what is owed him. Being an albino makes it hard for Snowball to travel unnoticed or do anything under the radar. He ends up on a dangerous chase, accompanied by his championship-boxer father, Ernie Leo, looking to settle the score before someone else settles one with him.

There is a second storyline woven through Sugar Pop Moon: the story of Snowball's parents, their meeting, and his birth. Both storylines delve into racism and the crime rings of the early 1900s. The stories moved well together, once I figured out how they were linked.

Sugar Pop Moon is easy reading and borders on being very funny. Some of the writing feels basic--almost amateurish, but it didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the book. I liked reading about a different era, and having an extraordinary protagonist to follow. Despite being filled with villains and mobsters, I liked the characters and was caught up in the story. I wasn't sure how the book would end, which is always a plus to me. If you're looking for a quick crime novel, pick up Sugar Pop Moon, take a long swig of shine, and settle into a 1930 speakeasy.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Prohibition Fiction, and books with charming "bad guys" doing good things. This story is very well-written, with a very unique main character. I like that the story is fast-paced, and the plot definitely has some unexpected twists.

Jersey "Snowball" Leo is a black albino working at a speakeasy called the Pour House in the 1930s. Jersey isn't a bootlegger, and he doesn't run moonshine, or the speakeasy. He works for Jimmy McCullough, one of the city's most notorious thugs, pouring moonshine behind the bar. Jersey is sort of a right-hand man for Jimmy at the Pour House, and is doing really well until he's entrusted with stocking the bar while Jimmy's out of town on business. Jersey gets taken by a gangster selling counterfeit moonshine - Sugar Pop Moon.

Jersey has less than two weeks to track down the man who conned him, to replace either the money or the booze before Jimmy finds out. Along the way, he will have to enlist the help of his friends and his father, calling in more than one favor along the way.

I will say that I typically expect books in this genre to have a main character that's either a little more gritty or a little more charming - that's usually what makes this type of fiction for me. I think one of the main points of the book was Jersey's insecurities with himself, as a black man, but more so as an albino - not really one thing or the other in the eyes of the world. Jersey constantly points out his own shortcomings and the problems that being albino cause for him. I understand that a main point of the book was to draw awareness to albinism, but at the same time, I think Jersey's attitude toward himself, and the fact that he even minimizes his own heroics because it seems he feels he has to make up for being who he is, detracts from the story just a little.

[Cindy III · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book through First Reads.

Based on the description Sugar Pop Moon appealed to me. It is set in 1930 New York. The main character Jersey Leo works at a speakeasy for mobster Jimmy McCullough. Also Jersey is of mixed ethnicity and albino. While his boss is away he gets swindled by a crook who sells him false sugar pop moon. He has some time to fix his mistake of doing business with this person. In the process of doing so he gets into bigger trouble. While dodging the people after him the reader is also shown glimpses of his family's past.

I have seen black and white films set during the prohibition era, so that was another reason I was interested in reading Sugar Pop Moon. However, it was going to be different because of Jersey Leo. His father Ernie Leo is African American. His friend Santi is Spanish. In the films from the 1930s and 40s one doesn't see much people of color in a major role. They are more background characters really. The point is Sugar Pop Moon does.

Jersey, who is also called Snowball at work, is a likable character. He does work at a speakeasy because work is hard to come by when everyone is unemployed. Even more so for mixed albino Jersey. Somehow people just know too. His line of work and choice gets him quite a problem. At heart he's a good person though. He has a wry sense of humor. I think what I liked best was his love for Pearl; the feelings evoked, shown. The gal who got his heart would be lucky. I am the kind of person who appreciates this bit. No worries there is not much romance.

This is still very much a crime novel with action.

[Brian Southworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a wonderful surprise this book turned out to be! This gritty prohibition- era tale was funny, unique and was an overall great read.
This story was very well written and did a fantastic job of putting you in the middle of the action.I felt like i was right there in Hell's Kitchen in 1930. A Albino bartender named snowball at a mob run speakeasy, gangsters, gunfights, moonshine...what's not to love?
I anxiously look forward to the next Jersey Leo novel. This story is memorable and Florio is on to something here.If you like historical details swirled with action & humor don't let Sugar Pop Moon pass you by.

[Ammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jersey "Snowball" Leo is an albino of mixed race and works in a speakeasy during Prohibition. He purchases moonshine known as "sugar pop moon" with his boss' money and then finds out it's counterfeit. In order to avoid the wrath of his employer, he tracks down the bootlegger who ripped him off. Throw in side stories of Jersey's parentage and santeria and you have an interesting plot.

The plot is fine although not riveting or enthralling but this book is so rich in characters that that's from where the enjoyment stems. It's also an interesting historical time with Prohibition, bootleggers and notorious gangsters.

[Eileen Charbonneau · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1930 Jersey decides to call on the might of his boxer champion father in this outing. The two fight to survive as the story of Jersey’s origins is explored in the 1906 sections. The two plot tracks dovetail nicely by journey’s satisfying end.

Crackling with Chandleresque crack-wise charm , a breakneck pace and wonderful characterizations, Sugar Pop Moon delivers the goods. Details of both periods bring them alive. Best of all, Jersey is a wonderful character, in league with great ultra outsiders like Beverle Graves Myer’s Tito Amato. Highly recommended!

[Larry T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, excellent story about a bootlegger that has an offbeat, interesting persona. Great characters, good pacing, has two stories that take place in different eras and seem independent at first, but the thread soon becomes clear and it adds a fascinating dimension to the story. I will definitely read a sequel if one is published, which is likely going to happen based on the way the ending leaves you hanging a bit.

[Jennifer Cusumano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Florio realistically recreates a time of tough talking thugs and speak easy joints where the good guys and bad guys are not so easily discernible. His use of language, or should I say, lingo of that era, effectively captures all the racism, sexism, and cultural divide between people and neighborhoods where differences defined your lot in life. A quick moving story with two parallel plot lines keeps you reading on. Hooray for the Champ!

[Tracy H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in the Goodreads Giveaway. :)

Overall a good story. Liked how he captured the Era. Wished he would have wrote a little more about some of the relationships. Giving the reader a better insight of how they got to the point they were at. Sometimes I don't like when a book jumps back in forth in time, like he did. But he did a great job of making it flow and coming all together in the end so it made sense. Quick & suspenseful read.

[David Healey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read John's book back in the fall and somehow forgot to review it, even though he came and spoke with our book discussion group. What I haven't forgotten is Jersey Leo, an albino speakeasy bartender and one of the most original characters I've come across in a mystery. And a shootout on a Christmas tree farm? Can't wait to read the sequel!

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to read this book all over again already! This book has everything you would want and a lot more, the story is gripping and the characters are so well written you really get a feel for who they are! If you are unsure about this book don't be it will be the best thing you have read this year!

[Brizreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great great great! Prohibition is my favorite era and this book is dead on! Jersey Leo is my guy and with Boardwalk Empire coming to a end, I hope Jersey keeps dishing out the Novels and maybe even a show in the future.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple read but fun. I'll watch for another Jersey Leo story.

[Jerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed it wery much and would like to see the character come back again!!!

[Cheryl Coneeny · Rating 4 out of 5]

held my interest especially if you like books set in that era

[Anne Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was probably a 2.5 star book but I couldn't quite get to 3 stars. The writing is erratic but I did like the way this short book ended.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this at the shore in Atlantic city very entertaining and good characters!

[Pam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like TV shows and books about the Prohibition era but this one not so much. It was something to read but not sure I'd be interested in a sequel.

[Kariss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prohibition, 1930 New York, Prize fighter and an albino - Sure is a different view of the Speakeasy
What adventure will come next?

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good first novel in what looks to be an interesting series set in Prohibition era NYC/Philly. Looking forward to next book coming out Aug 2014, Black Moon Alley.

[Dawn Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

my only complaint about this book is that it ended! loved every second of reading this book!

[Sean Cisneros · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was awesome !