Dandelion

by Ted DeRochi

Two Irish brothers, two very different ways of life and one secret that threatens to break them apart. It's 1921 and Irish immigrants Danny Ryan and his older brother Seamus board the steamer RMS Cedric out of Liverpool on their way to New York City and a new life working in their uncle's brewery. A chance encounter with the famous gangster Owney Madden a few years later brings Danny to the Stork Club where he begins working as a dishwasher. But washing dishes is only the start. Danny's gift of story telling is the stepping stone that propels him into the dining room as a waiter where he comes in contact with Walter Winchell, Sophie Tucker and many other celebrities who have turned the Stork Club into a refuge from the Second World War. Seamus begins working in the brewery with his brother but is unable to tolerate the smell and finds a job driving a cab. He trolls the streets looking for sports who want to visit the night clubs and bars in the famous Tenderloin district. When the taxi job doesn't work out, he is caught up in a Ponzi scheme selling shares in a Colombian emerald mine and is arrested. Jumping bail, he flees to Miami Beach where he learns how to mark cards and begins a career as a card sharp making plenty of money but ignoring the dangers to his family. Dandelion is an excellent book for those interested in New York City during the 1930's to the 1960s

272 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 26, 2018