Forbidden Fruit: Sin City's Underworld and the Supper Club Inferno

by Peter Bronson

The Beverly Hills Supper Club was Vegas before Vegas was cool. It was known as the "Showplace of the Nation" before it burned to the ground in 1977, killing at least 165 people—one of the worst fires in U.S. history. But few knew that the Beverly Hills had a violent past of deadly arson beginning in 1936, when it was taken over by the Cleveland mob that ran "Sin City" in Newport, Kentucky—an open city of prostitution, extortion, gambling and violence for decades, until new U.S. Attorney General Bobby Kennedy went to war on the mob in 1961. His first target was Newport. This is the story of a crime empire on the banks of the Ohio River, in the backyard of Ivory clean Cincinnati, and the war to clean it up that led to the assassination of Bobby's brother, President John F. Kennedy. It’s a story of mobsters, hookers, murder and dice; dirty cops, crooked politicians and the underworld bosses whose power reached into the FBI, Congress and the White House.Given the context of history, what happened in 1977 and the cover-up that followed were no surprise. Survivors have spent four decades digging to unearth disturbing evidence that the fire was arson—just like the first fire in 1936. Their case is presented here, with the aid of FBI files obtained through an FOIA request, first-hand witness accounts and extensive research that uncovers new evidence and tragic stories of the victims and survivors.Readers say, "The research is beyond impressive!" "Thank you for telling this story." "This fills in the blanks that the investigators didn't want the public to know." "Forbidden Fruit adds depth and history to the story that I never knew. I enjoyed every word."

Genres: Nonfiction

Kindle Edition

Published November 10, 2020

Reviews

[Mike Glaser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars if you live in southwest Ohio/ northern Kentucky, otherwise closer to 3 1/2. A very intriguing story but the lack of a good editor hurts the book as the author is trying to cover too much ground in too few pages. One of the big lessons of this book is the most successful criminals are the ones that you have never heard about. Another is the rot of organized crime eats away the soul of a community. I remember hearing a lot about Newport, Ky when I was growing up but after reading this book, I am glad that I stayed away from there until it was cleaned up. Highly recommended if you are interested in local history or organized crime.

[Bob Murdock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having lost friends in the club fire, this book caught my attention. Living in the area, where some of these places are mentioned, makes the history seem so real. Covington, Wilder, and especially Newport Kentucky were some crazy towns in the 30’s, 40’s , and 50’s. The author gives info into the mobs of the day and how corruption was rampant. He also shows evidence of error in investigations of modern times. Good read and hard to believe.

[Jim Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

It Was Arson! It Was Murder!

This tragedy is as fresh in my memory today as it was on May 28, 1977. I was working for Cincinnati Police and heard the radii dispatch for Cincinnati Police and Fire to respond to the Beverly Hills Supper Club. What unfolded in the next few hours changed so many lives forever. Peter Bronson does an excellent job of providing a 60 years Historical account of the Mob and the Corruption in Newport KY. This history lesson leads directly to the Beverly Hills Tragedy. The description of the days and hours leading to the tragedy are disturbing a d heartbreaking. Bronson introduces us to some of the victims and shares the story of their final minutes. The evidence of the crime is there. The power of the mob is without question. Politicians, Police, Judges and Lawyers were bought and paid for since prohibition. I. Recommend this book to anyone and everyone. An American Tragedy. I expect this action from the Mob, not the governor who, local politicians and law enforcement. How do they live with the knowledge of what they have done? Corrupt Politicians didn't just in 2020. Social Media magnifies the corruption Forbidden Fruit just gives us the roadmap to murder and corruption.

[Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hackery through and through. Bronson is covering a fascinating topic about a time in a place that’s criminally (no pun intended) under-covered. The problem is in the great liberties he takes with the facts, completely imagined conversations, and a bizarre skew that paints Cincy, of all places, as some bastion of “Ivory-clean” purity.

He presents his “facts” as non-fiction instead of the lazy mix it truly is. There’s a reason his brand of “fact finding” is no longer employed by a publication of record.

Is there a hack Hall Of Fame? No. But, if it served Bronson’s purposes, he’d claim he’d found it and that Al Capone himself had nominated the author for induction.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent book about gambling, prostitution, the mob, and political corruption in Campbell and Kenton Counties specifically. I think the book was well written due to presenting facts and opinions of what happened during the 50s, 60s, and 70s. It didn't add in unnecessary storylines which I appreciated in this book. This book finished with details regarding the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire and subsequence investigation.

[Marty Greenwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written epic of Newport, KY, many years before I moved to Cincinnati. Interesting how the mob competed and might have had a hand in the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire. Like the way the prose came out like a gangster. Also written in conversational style.

[KB · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three fourths of the book features Newport’s dominant mob figures and a few of their local, corrupt connections. While the author fictionalizes some interactions, the people in those scenes are very real. The last section of the book addresses the fire at the Beverly Hills Supper Club.

[Ava Kurzynski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well researched for the most part, the format was a little odd, got a little too bible-y at the end for my tastes. Author seemed to have a bit of a vendetta against leftists? It was interesting to see how deep mob connections go in a small town in Northern Kentucky.

[Debbie Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting local history...such a tragedy and a huge loss of lives.

[Vickie Mahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forbidden Fruit

This is a very interesting book. I grew up in the Cincinnati area and remember the morning after the Beverly Hills fire.

[Paul F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprised at how far reaching organized crime was at the time. It’s probably still out there today but maybe curtailed by laws that were put in.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at page 227. Poorly edited, and after the author refers to Antifa as a group, I can't trust anything else he says. I'm not giving him any more of my time.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of the mob stories were repetitive and drawn out on uninteresting details. It felt a little unfocused.

[Debbie Heibert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book on corrupt Newport and the Beverly Hills fire. I grew up in Northern Kentucky so loved the history.

[Grant Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn’t realize all the gangster history of NKY

[D Donnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very intriguing local history. It really makes you so distrustful of and feel so betrayed by our government.

[Daniel Corbett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fascinating history, but repetitive and didn’t flow.

[Kristen Hodges · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was a little slow at the beginning but I found it very interesting being from this area.