Midtown Huckster has given me the chance to find out a lot about 1930s New York gangsters and the unintended consequences of the simple decisions we make.
Joe Rosen was a trucker in the garment industry until Louis “Lepke” Buchalter muscled into his union and strong-armed his way into the business. At this point Joe gave up driving a truck and started his own candy store. Lepke thought he was spilling his guts to the recently-appointed special prosecutor, Thomas Dewey, so he calls for a hit on the confection king.
So far, so nothing, right? In the novel, we witness the syndicate discussing Rosen’s fate and watch what happens after the vote. What I love is that the final scene of this tangential event will only appear inside Casino Chiseler five years later.
