Welcome to Miami

by Michael Largo

WELCOME TO MIAMI Planes, buses, the interstates packed, boats, rafts washing up, all kinds of ways to get to this run-off of the continent, everyone looking for freedom or escape from something weaseling in their heads... Miami has been called Americas tropical playground, Gateway to the Americas, and heralded as a glimpse into how the nations metropolitan areas will be in the future. Its a unique city promising a dynamic blend of cultures. It is also the preferred destination of exiles and refugees seeking the American Dream. WELCOME TO MIAMI is a story narrated by Max, a native Floridian born in the Everglades telling of his time with one headline grabbing Cuban infiltrator, Emilio Garcia Abierto, an exile who first arrived with 125,000 other refugees during the Mariel exodus. Although WELCOME TO MIAMI could not get the Miami Tourist Boards endorsement, it is an entertaining and insightful tale of Cubans, Miami, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in the sun.

250 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2001

About the author

Michael Largo is an expert on the anomalous ways of American dying. He is the author of The Portable Obituary (a Bram Stoker Award Finalist), Final Exits: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of How We Die (winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Nonfiction), and three novels. He was the former editor of New York Poetry and the researcher/archivist for the film company Allied Artists. The son of an NYPD narcotics detective, Largo was the owner and founder of the landmark NYC East Village, St Marks Bar & Grill during the early 80s, where he served an eclectic clientele, including Allen Ginsberg, Joni Mitchell, Larry Rivers, and Keith Richards, to name a few, allowing an insider’s look and unusual vantage to observe both genius and heroin--in all its deviations--and its impact on contemporary culture.

Michael Largo has been collecting statistics and information on the American way of dying for over a decade. He is a member of The Authors Guild, Mystery Writers of America amd Horror Writers of America, and The American Historical Association.