by Patricia Bellomo | May 8, 2015 | Mob Blog
Louie Morelli’s Mistress by Patricia Bellomo
“Louie Morelli’s Mistress”
“Louie Morelli’s Mistress … a daring and suspenseful thriller.”
[dcs_p]
Not everyone in New Orleans believes that the black magic Mercedes Glapion practices in her French Quarter voodoo shop is effective, but within days of meeting Mercedes and her eccentric little girl, Robert Fontenay’s life is turned upside down. Robert breaks his engagement to his longtime sweetheart, becomes an unwitting participant in the “accidental” death of a corrupt politician, and earns the enmity of crime boss, Louie Morelli.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
When federal agents show up on his doorstep, Robert find himself caught between the mob and FBI. He is expected to spy on his lover, but Louie is one step ahead of the feds, and he makes Robert an offer he can’t refuse.
In Louie Morelli’s Mistress a naive young realtor falls in love with the mobster’s exotic mistress.
[dcs_p]Patricia Bellomo lives in the Detroit area with her husband, Vince. She is a frequent visitor to New Orleans and South Florida, the settings for her novels. Patricia loves writing about powerful men and admits to having known a few Louie Morelli types.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
Louie Morelli’s Mistress is the first novel in Bellomo’s “Louie Morelli” series. Other books include: Stella di Mare, Louie Morelli’s Daughter, and The Prince of Mafia Princes. All books can be purchased online via Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com. Available in print and digital format.
Patricia is a member of the Florida Writers Association and the Independent Book Publishers Association. Contact Patricia via her website: www.patriciabellomo.com
by Patricia Bellomo | Aug 8, 2014 | Mob Blog
Mob Blog: Facebook Frenzy, August 8, 2014
Mob Blog: Facebook Frenzy
[dcs_p]I don’t get Facebook. I especially don’t get it that my youngest son, Michael, is addicted to Facebook. We’re on the Stella di Mare, cruising south on the Intracoastal, and he’s taking pictures and posting them for his Facebook pals.
Michael’s not exactly a kid. He’s in his mid-twenties, but like most of his generation, he’s connected. Since I’ve spent most of my life endeavoring to be un-connected, I’m clueless. I’m also trying to be nice, but seeing him on the sundeck, oblivious, his fingers tapping away, I’m getting pissed. I say to Victor, “What’s so interesting on Facebook?”
We’re heading south, to Miami. The outing is on account of the fact that Michael’s visiting for a few days. It’s a male bonding thing—me, my two sons, their cousin, and Victor. We’re all here, enjoying the day, but Michael’s on Facebook.
The Fort Lauderdale skyline looms ahead. Michael snaps a photo with his smart-phone, uploads it to Facebook. He’s already posted pictures of his brother and my crew. He focuses his phone on me, catches my expression, and then trains it on a passing cruiser. Victor says, “Michael, no pictures of me or your dad on Facebook, okay?”
Michael bobs his head. Communicating with one of his Facebook friends, he’s grinning ear-to-ear. I look at Victor. How fun can this be?[
Michael’s sitting on the edge of a sun bed, beneath the shade of an umbrella. He doesn’t look up until I’m standing beside him, my hand outstretched. “Let me see your phone,” I say.
He looks a little suspicious, but he doesn’t refuse. He hands over his precious Samsung. It’s burning hot, from overuse. I walk to the boat’s railing and calmly toss the smart-phone into the choppy waters of the Intracoastal. Michael bolts upright. “Dad, my phone—
“F—- Facebook,” I say.
Michael shuts up fast. The look on his face is priceless.
If you enjoyed Facebook Frenzy, you may consider reading one of Patricia Bellomo’s mob thrillers. Books include, Louie Morelli’s Mistress, Stella di Mare, and Louie Morelli’s Daughter.
Facebook Frenzy was written in the voice of Patricia’s main character, savvy mobster, Louie Morelli. All books available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and in all e-reader formats. Also available on AmazonUK and AmazonEU.
by Patricia Bellomo | Jun 30, 2014 | Mob Blog
Mob BLog: Toyko Blue, June 30, 2014
Mob Blog: Tokyo Blue, June 30, 2014
[dcs_p]In Louie’s words …[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
Seven o’clock on Wednesday. We’re in Lauderdale on a business matter, and Victor says, “Lou, let’s go get lobster at Tokyo Blue.”[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
Tokyo Blue is an Asian joint in the Ocean Manor Resort Hotel on Galt Ocean Drive. Hotel and restaurant are owned by a friend of Victor’s, a guy named Frank Talerico. Frank did a pretty swell job with Tokyo Blue’s décor. The bar is a solid slab of glass backlit by cobalt-blue lighting. It’s a pretty big bar, with some lounge-style seating. Frank’s barmaids aren’t bad to look at either.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
Tokyo Blue is called an ‘Asian Fusion lounge.’ I’m not a sushi guy, but you can’t beat the all-you-can-eat lobster priced at 49.99 on Wednesday evenings. Not that Victor or I are concerned with prices. It’s not as though Victor’s on a budget, and he eats all he can whenever he can, but the lobster at Tokyo Blue is Maine lobster and Frank’s people do a good job with it.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
Cocktails first, at the bar. We eye some of the girls heading into the dining room. This week, they’re all on vacation. Most are young, all are scantily dressed.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
We stay seated at Tokyo Blue’s bar, order our lobster. It’s delicious. I do two plates, and Victor goes for four or five. But, hey, he’s a big guy.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
Victor tells Frank the lobster is “outstanding.” He says to the barmaid, “Doll, bring us another round.”[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
No blended malt whisky tonight but a mild Sauvignon Blanc to complement the lobster, chase the sweetness from my throat. I eye the décor—ice blue with splashes of violet—a pair of studded and turquoise-finned headless mermaids, a large aquarium. I recall that Tokyo Blue got a lot of fanfare when they opened a few years ago, bringing in top name sushi chefs.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
I sip my wine and think of think about the days ahead of me. I have to meet a man tomorrow and then I’m skipping town, taking my family to the Gulf for the 4th of July weekend. It’s a safe bet I won’t be eating any lobster, but hey, you never know.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
If you enjoyed Tokyo Blue, you may consider reading one of Patricia Bellomo’s mob thrillers. Books include, Louie Morelli’s Mistress, Stella di Mare, and Louie Morelli’s Daughter. [/dcs_p][dcs_p]
Tokyo Blue was written in the voice of Patricia’s main character, savvy mobster, Louie Morelli. Tokyo Blue is real, Louie is Bellomo’s creation.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]Books available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and in all e-reader formats. Also available on AmazonUK and AmazonEU.
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by Patricia Bellomo | Apr 14, 2014 | Mob Blog
Cafe Atchafalaya
Mob Blog: Cafe Atchafalaya, April 14, 2014
[dcs_p]Brunch with my baby at Café Atchafalaya. I’m in New Orleans attending to business. It’s seventy-eight degrees and feels like rain, and the earth smells green and humid, and I’m eating a Louisiana Crab Omelette and drinking a Peach Old Fashioned.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
I haven’t been to the Café Atchafalaya since they redid the place a few years ago. Victor tells me its new owners—he keeps in touch better than I do. Anyway, it’s good to be back in my hometown. I love Florida, but I don’t get creamy grits or crab omelettes or Eggs Treme in Miami or Palm Beach. And even if I did, it wouldn’t taste the same. There is something to be said for atmosphere and you certainly get it at Café Atchafalaya, which is housed in a rustic old building, eschewing the antebellum elegance of nearby Uptown for the seedy bonhomie of the Irish Channel, where Victor’s early childhood was spent.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
The aforementioned “baby” is my little girl, Ceci. Reluctantly, I admit she’s not quite so little anymore, but she is stunningly beautiful and everybody looks at her. Last night, she told me on the phone that Café Atchafalaya is her favorite, and I’ve pulled her out of school and brought her to the café so she can have brunch with me and Victor.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
I don’t live with Ceci—in fact, I don’t even have custody—but she’s my baby and I get free rein at spoiling her. And Ceci’s excited to be at the Café Atchafalaya. She doesn’t say so, but I can see it in her eyes. She sits beside me in her parochial school uniform with its crisp white blouse and her dark-blue knee-highs, and even though she’s clearly an adolescent and in the company of two doting males, grown men can’t resist looking—their eyes sliding at her and then quickly moving away. Eating her Atchafalaya Burger, Ceci is oblivious.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
The Peach Old Fashioned is Victor’s idea. It sounds girly girl, but it is made with Maker’s Mark and peach syrup, and it seems to fit my mood. For awhile I’m anonymous and loving it, and then a couple of gents recognize me and stop by our table to say hello. By the time Café Atchafalaya’s German chocolate crepes arrive, I’m ready to go. I say to Ceci, “Baby, I have to go meet a man on the Westbank. Do you want to go with Victor and me, or return to school?”[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
If you enjoyed Café Atchafalaya, you may consider reading one of Patricia Bellomo’s mob thrillers. Books include, Louie Morelli’s Mistress, Stella di Mare, and Louie Morelli’s Daughter. [/dcs_p][dcs_p]
Café Atchafalaya was written in the voice of Patricia’s main character, savvy mobster, Louie Morelli. All books available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and in all e-reader formats. Also available on AmazonUK and AmazonEU.
by Patricia Bellomo | Jul 30, 2013 | Mob Blog
[dcs_p]Mob Blog: Mob Music, July 30, 2013[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
Mob Music is my favorite type of music. Somewhere in the early eighties, I abandoned pop-culture. Even though I was still relatively young, I somehow missed the top bands of the era. Now, I’m like, Justin … who? Oh, wait—the Biebs. Yes, I have heard of the Biebs.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
Seriously, once I was old enough to shake the stars out of my eyes—good-bye Jimmy Page—I realized that what I really liked was mob music. I didn’t know it was mob music. Nobody called it that then. But, oh, the old crooners. Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. Al Martino singing The Godfather songs. Paul Anka, Jerry Vale, and Louis Prima. Who can beat them?[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
As a writer, my work is mental. Noise distracts me. Loud music crowds my brain, prevents me from thinking. But give me an evening in Roma or a little summer wind, and I’m dreaming. I suppose it’s the romantic in me. And there’s a bit of nostalgia at play. After all, these were the songs I heard growing up. The songs that played at weddings and family parties—the backdrop of an era. The sounds of my life.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
My penchant for mob music might have something to do with me being Italian. But then again, maybe it’s an American thing, part and parcel of our culture. Just last week my husband and I were at the Rochester Chop House in Rochester, Michigan. At the next table there was a large group of Polish people. They explained to us that they were in town at the invitation of Chrysler, whose headquarters is in nearby Auburn Hills. They’re stay would be short—just a couple of weeks—but they were making the most of it. The Chop House employs a gifted pianist, and they kept requesting songs. Guess what song they requested?[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
No, it wasn’t the polka. My Polish acquaintances wanted to hear That’s Amore. I guess that’s American. Mob music the world over.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
Patricia Bellomo is the author of the crime and mob thrillers, Louie Morelli’s Mistress, Stella di Mare, and Louie Morelli’s Daughter. Patricia lives in the Detroit area with her husband, Vince, traveling frequently to South Florida and less frequently to New Orleans, the settings for her novels.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
Books available at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble. Also available in digital format for all e-readers. Amazon.UK & Amazon.EU
