Stool Pigeon

by Louis Malley

STOOL PIGEONIt’s Christmas Eve in Little Italy, and Vince Milazzo is called in to investigate the murder of Tony Statella, shot in the head outside of Rocky Tosco’s restaurant. Milazzo has got a personal grudge against Tosco that goes back to their childhood. He knows that somehow Rocky is involved, and is determined this time to bring him down. Even though the murderer turns out to be a kid who was avenging the honor of his sister, Milazzo keeps pushing the Chief for more time. He knows that Rocky is guilty of something, if only he can find someone to rat on him. But every stool pigeon Milazzo talks to tells him the same thing—they don’t know from nothing. Now Milazzo has until midnight to find the connection … or this case might very well be his last.

180 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1953

Reviews

[Dave]

Christmas Eve Homicide Detective Vincent Malazzo is called to the scene after Tony Statella is shot in the head sitting in his car waiting to pick up the blonde hatcheck girl, Mary Hercheimer from Fort Wayne, as usual outside Rocky Tosco’s restaurant.

The thing is Malazzo knows Rocky is a bad guy and probably responsible, but he has a long personal history with Rocky going back to childhood and even just a few years ago when a case fell apart because everyone knew he had it in for Rocky, particularly because Rocky was sleeping with his girl, Gina Rossi. So in order to get Rocky, Malazzo has to have everything covered and accounted for and sewn up tight. This time Rocky isn’t going to get away with it.

The pace of this novel is frenetic based on two things. First, the precinct captain tells Malazzo he has 24 hours to solve the case. Second, the mob puts out word that Malazzo is going to get it by morning. Malazzo figures out who knocked off Statella, but feels like he’s trapped because it’s someone close to him. Meanwhile, Malazzo has unearthed a sex and blackmail scandal, but has trouble tying it together without a stool pigeon.

[Andrew]

Hidden Gem

I’d never heard of this book until it was reissued by Black Gat Books/Stark House Press which specializes in discovering and reissuing lost crime/noir novels of the fifties and sixties. Well this book is a cut above. As much a social history of NewYork in the fifties and the life of a detective as a crime story, it moves fast and rings real while retaining all the good pulp stuff. Highly Recommended, as are most of the other Stark House Press reissues.

[Allen Pasternak]

An interesting replica of how the New York mafia operates. My problem was disliking the cop who was the main character. The book was published in 1953, and maybe if I read it then, I’d have related to it better. The final section is pretty damned good.