This is a protean, impossible, brilliant memoir by an exquisitely unique observer. The author's stories are fascinating, but it's his failures, his missed opportunities, and blown bets that truly transcend into magical, enthralling, and uplifting territory.
The author made his living working Mob clubs from the time he was a teenager in the 1960s. He later moved from music to the complex world of professional boxing, managing dozens of fighters, including former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks and former gang leader Mitch "Blood" Green, who famously went toe-to-toe with Mike Tyson―once in the ring and once in the street. A fight-fixer and gangster, the author ran afoul of New York mobsters in the 1990s and retreated to the mountains of Puerto Rico, coming home only after an infamous boxing legend brokered his safe return. Retired from the fight game, he returned to jazz and, among other collaborators, played frequently with his friend Ornette Coleman, the godfather of "Free Jazz" and one of the greatest musicians of the twentieth century.This is a protean, impossible, brilliant memoir by an exquisitely unique observer. The author's stories are fascinating, but it's his failures, his missed opportunities, and blown bets that truly transcend into magical, enthralling, and uplifting territory.
The author made his living working Mob clubs from the time he was a teenager in the 1960s. He later moved from music to the complex world of professional boxing, managing dozens of fighters, including former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks and former gang leader Mitch "Blood" Green, who famously went toe-to-toe with Mike Tyson―once in the ring and once in the street. A fight-fixer and gangster, the author ran afoul of New York mobsters in the 1990s and retreated to the mountains of Puerto Rico, coming home only after an infamous boxing legend brokered his safe return. Retired from the fight game, he returned to jazz and, among other collaborators, played frequently with his fr