The Deadliest Man Alive: Count Dante, the Mob, and the War for American Martial Arts

by Benji Feldheim

Before he became Count Dante, The Deadliest Man Alive . . .
Before he began training Blacks and women in mixed martial arts and incited the deadly Dojo War in Chicago . . .
Before he started wearing a cape, carrying a gold cane, and walking his pet lion around the Loop on a leash . . .
Before he was—or was not — entangled with the Mob . . .
Before he did—or did not—help organize Chicago’s record-setting Purolator Heist, from which $1.5 million was never recovered . . .
Before he got hooked on cocaine, became even more bizarre, and died mysteriously . . .
He was John Keehan, a doctor’s kid from a good family, with a weakness for the girl next door. A certified beautician who owned a hair salon and coiffed the hair of Playboy Bunnies, nobody from high school ever expected he’d end up inside the pages of millions of comic books, selling the infamous secrets to the Dim Mak , The Death Touch, bringing mixed martial arts to the masses.

About the Author
Benji Feldhei m is a Chicago-based writer and award-winning journalist. This is his first book.

118 pages, Paperback

Published February 23, 2022

Reviews

[Laura Lane-Garavaglia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure that Benji is a friend of mine who graciously allowed me to read this book prior to its official release. Non-fiction books normally take me some time to get into and get through, but this one took me all of 24 hours. It read as though it were a long form article in a magazine that catches you by surprise in how it hooks you in. And what a wild ride it was. I went into it with zero knowledge of who Count Dante was and the chaos that followed him on his escapades throughout Chicago. He was almost like a real life comic book character in how theatrical he was and the adventures, for lack of a better word, that he took part in. All that’s missing is the action figure doll. Truly, though, book was entertaining and easy to read. Concepts in martial arts that aren’t at all familiar to me were explained in ways that a novice could understand. I did sometimes wish the chapters were a little longer with more details on the specific moment being highlighted, and I felt like at times I was missing Dante’s voice, which is hard to rectify considering he has passed. But overall, I enjoyed this read and know a bit more about one of the more truly eccentric characters Chicago has ever seen.

[Raphael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joining Count Dante on His Adventures Through Chicago

An entertaining story that brings the reader along with it. Martial arts, Chicago mob, playboy bunnies, a lion - and much more.

Highly recommend. Such a fun read!

[Andrew Dolbeare · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s such a nice cinematic quality about the way Benji writes, and it gives this the kind of page-turning quality of thoroughly dressed historical novel.

[Tony Veteri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, what an interesting character! A bit of history on how MMA got its start and how the taste for dangerous things will usually end in a predictable way.

[O. E. Laguna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was an entertaining read, but I found it lacking in academic investigation. However, it did raise questions about the myth of Count Dante and who he really was.