About this item
A rich biography of the legendary figure at the center of the century's darkest secrets: an untold story of golden age Hollywood, modern Las Vegas, JFK-era scandal and international intrigue from Lee Server, the New York Times bestselling author of Ava Gardner: Love is Nothing ... A singular figure in the annals of the American underworld, Johnny Rosselli's career flourished for an extraordinary fifty years, from the bloody years of bootlegging in the Roaring Twenties--the last protg of Al Capone -- to the modern era of organized crime as a dominant corporate power. The Mob's "Man in Hollywood," Johnny Rosselli introduced big-time crime to the movie industry, corrupting unions and robbing moguls in the biggest extortion plot in history. A man of great allure and glamour, Rosselli befriended many of the biggest names in the movie capital -- including studio boss Harry Cohn, helping him to fund Columbia Pictures--and seduced some of its greatest female stars, including Jean Harlow and Marilyn Monroe. In a remarkable turn of events, Johnny himself would become a Hollywood filmmaker -- producing two of the best film noirs of the 1940s.Following years in federal prison, Rosselli began a new venture, overseeing the birth and heyday of Las Vegas. Working for new Chicago boss Sam Giancana, he became the gambling mecca's behind-the-scenes boss, running the town from his suites and poolside tables at the Tropicana and Desert Inn, enjoying the Rat Pack nightlife with pals Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. In the 1960s, in the most unexpected chapter in an extraordinary life, Rosselli became the central figure in a bizarre plot involving the Kennedy White House, the CIA, and an attempt to assassinate Fidel Castro. Based upon years of research, written with compelling style and vivid detail, Handsome Johnny is the great telling of an amazing tale.
About the Author
LEE SERVER is the author of the best-selling and critically acclaimed biographies Robert Mitchum: Baby, I Don't Care and Ava Gardner: Love is Nothing. Robert Mitchum was named a Best Book of the Year by the Los Angeles Times, "the film biography of the year" by the Sunday Times (U.K.) and one of the "60 Greatest Film Books" by Total Film Magazine. Ava Gardner is a New York Times Notable Book, and a NY Times, Los Angeles Times and USA Today Best-seller. "Diligently and widely researched," wrote Jonathan Cecil in the Times Literary Supplement, "Server's book is a gripping study of an elusive character, and a sizable contribution to the history of mid-twentieth century cinema." Server's other books include Sam Fuller: Film is a Battleground, Asian Pop Cinema: Bombay to Tokyo, and the pulp fiction histories, Danger is My Business and Over My Dead Body. His work has appeared in the Guardian, Interview Magazine, the New York Daily News, the Sunday Telegraph, Sight and Sound, and Film Comment among other publications.
