by Patricia Bellomo | Dec 11, 2013 | Mob Blog
[dcs_p]Mob Blog: Breakfast With The Bookmaker, December 11, 2013[/dcs_p][dcs_p]_
In Louie’s words …[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
News Café, in South Beach. We’re sitting curbside with Victor’s bookmaker, a character if there ever was one. Victor’s bookmaker is pushing eighty. He’s an old time book, with a mane of shaggy gray hair and bright blue eyes. His skin’s a little weathered—this is South Florida, but other than the skin damage, Victor’s bookmaker doesn’t look his age.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
Victor’s into his book for thirty gee’s, slipping an envelope to him beneath the table. Victor’s the loser, so the tradition is the bookmaker buys, even if it is just bacon and eggs. And bread pudding with vanilla sauce, which is what Victor always gets when we come here.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
It’s a mild day, with a low bank of scudding clouds blowing in from the Atlantic. It’s December in Miami, and we’ve got the usual bimbo mix on the sidewalks clashing with suntanned coeds and middle-aged Germans. There’s a lot of eye candy, and we’re all looking, even the bookmaker.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
He tells us women have been his downfall. Being that he’s on his fifth wife, and she’s forty years younger than him, I’d have to agree. “At my age, I’m still paying child support,” the bookmaker says. “Imagine that. I’ll never be able to retire.”[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
“Well, you’re doing pretty good this year.” Victor says. “Another week like last week, and I’ll be able to retire you.”[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
The bookmaker laughs. “Believe it or not, I had more winners than losers last week. The lines Vegas puts out are garbage nowadays. I miss the old days.” He sighs, thinking back to a time when being a sports book was easy. “I used to write three million on a weekend back then, and nobody bothered you. Now you’ve got cowboy cops busting ten dollar bettors.”[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
If you enjoyed Breakfast with the Bookmaker, 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]
Breakfast with the Bookmaker was written in the voice of Patricia’s main character, savvy mobster, Louie Morelli.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
All books available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and in all e-reader formats. Also available on AmazonUK and AmazonEU.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
by Patricia Bellomo | Sep 5, 2013 | Mob Blog
[dcs_p]Mob Blog: Books and Booze, September 5, 2013[/dcs_p] [dcs_p]
Books and booze go together like … whoa, wait a minute. Books and booze don’t go together at all. Or do they?[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
Well … sometimes. Let me explain.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
You’ve had a rough day. You come home tired and pour yourself a Pinot Noir and arrange for a soak in the tub. You might even light a candle. Now you’re in the mood to read.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
Read? You might be in the mood for something else … sleep perhaps. Let’s start over. Books and booze go together when you’re reading one of my books. Not that I’m encouraging drunkenness, but a glass of wine or an extra-dry Stoli martini with olives beats Diet Coke any day.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
I’m not a lush. Two’s my limit. On the rare occasions when I have three, my husband’s driving and my next day’s aerobics class goes out the window. Honest. I’m a writer, after all, and I need my brain when I sit at the computer. But, as I’ve spent many evenings sitting on a barstool, I feel qualified enough to speak about books and booze.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
Now, I don’t like seedy barrooms or dingy saloons. No, I’m an uptown girl, and I like upscale eateries with cushioned stools and granite-topped counters. Piano lounges and Italian restaurants, a little calamari or frutti di mare before me with a basket of hard-crust bread, the kind true Italians eat. And yes, I like to eat more than I like to imbibe. I’m also inherently social—and I love to meet people. I always ask them, “Do you read?”[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
Yes, I meet my readers in bars. My fan base likes books and booze. I don’t suppose this would be true if I wrote cozy mysteries or bodice rippers or sci-fi. But I’m writing crime fiction: Thrillers, with a mob-related theme. It’s not The Soprano’s, and they’re not mob stories, per se. But my characters are mobsters. And while I’m baring it all, I’ll be completely honest and admit that I’ve met a few real live ones in my time. [/dcs_p][dcs_p]
But my mobsters are make-believe. Bad-boy Louie Morelli couldn’t be real. Nobody in real life could do what he does and get away with it. But Louie’s very charming, and my female readers love him. My male readers like Louie because he is just so cool.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
Just to be cautious I always tell my fellow imbibers that when they make Stella di Mare into a movie, it’ll be PG-13 or R rated. We’re dealing with infidelity and murder here. So go ahead and pour the bubbly … it’s time for a good book and a little booze.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
Patricia Bellomo is the author of the Louie Morelli character series. Her books include Louie Morelli’s Mistress, Stella di Mare, and Louie Morelli’s Daughter. Books available on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com. Available on all e-readers.
by Patricia Bellomo | Aug 6, 2013 | Mob Blog
[dcs_p]Local Restaurant Welcomes Crime Novelist, Patricia Bellomo[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
Sajo’s Restaurant in Clinton Township, “the place with great taste,” is hosting a booksigning for crime novelist, Patricia Bellomo. This event will take place on Wednesday, August 14, 2013. Time: 7:00 – 9:00 pm[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
Bellomo is promoting her latest thriller, Louie Morelli’s Mistress.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
Bellomo refers to her books as mob thrillers, and the novels do have a definite appeal for fans of mob books and movies. But Bellomo’s books are not classic “mobster” stories, although her characters are mobsters. One reviewer calls them “daring and suspenseful thrillers.” There’s also a good dose of intrigue and plenty of romantic suspense.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
Contrary to her previous novels, which were set in South Florida, Bellomo’s latest book provides readers with a glimpse of New Orleans’s gritty underword. In Louie Morelli’s Mistress, a naive young realtor falls for the mistress of crime boss, Louie Morelli. A hot love affair ensues. Soon the young man–Robert, finds himself caught between the mob and FBI. “There’s a moral dilema,” explains the crime novelist. “Good versus evil. My characters are flawed.” [/dcs_p][dcs_p]
“It’s a perfect beach read,” says Bellomo, emphasizing that her books are pure fiction. “They’re entertaining reads for those who like suspense and intrigue in exotic settings.” [/dcs_p][dcs_p]
Bellomo’s debut novel and Miami Beach thriller, Stella di Mare, was released in 2010, followed by Louie Morelli’s Daughter in 2011. Both of these books and Louie Morelli’s Mistress will be available for purchase at the booksigning.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
Sajo’s is located at 36470 Moravian, in Clinton Township. The restaurant offers traditional American fare as well as authentic Mediterranean cuisine, with specialty items like Athenian lamb chops, saganaki, and a variety of steaks and seafood. [/dcs_p][dcs_p]
Free admittance. Food and drinks offered by Sajo’s at retail prices.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]
Bellomo’s books are available on Amazon, major book retailers, and on all e-readers. Also on AmazonEU & AmazonUK.
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
by Patricia Bellomo | Jul 10, 2013 | Mob Blog
Politicians & Prostitutes, July 10, 2013
In Louie Morelli’s words …
My favorite politician has been in the news lately. He was caught having sex with a prostitute. I’m not the least bit surprised. In fact, I’ve fixed him up on several dates throughout the years. But the senator puts on the good-ole boy upstanding citizen act, and now he’s blubbering away on the news. Making a damned fool of himself.
What is it with politicians & prostitutes?
What is it with politicians and prostitutes? I’ve never known one who didn’t pay and play. And this guy paid and played so much it’s a wonder he didn’t get caught before.
They’ve been showing pictures of the prostitute—a low-grade escort with a fake rack. Not even a looker. My favorite politician gets on the phone to me. “I’m flying down this weekend,” he tells me. The senator has a place in Palm Beach. We sometimes do lunch or a game of golf, when the cameras aren’t spying, that is. “I’d like to talk to you.”
I tell him I’m busy. He senses my coolness and starts to explain about the scandal. He apologizes to me. I could give a damn what he does, but this politician is in Washington because of me, and he knows he’s messed up. And I really am angry. I’ve got a lot invested in him. And now he’s involved with this bimbo prostitute. He has the nerve to tell me that he cares for her.
“She might not feel the same way,” I tell him. “She’s talking to the media.”
The senator admits this could be a problem. “She wants to be famous,” he says.
“Too bad for you.”
“I might have to pay her off. Or something like that,” he says. “How much … er … uh … would something like that cost?”
For a minute I don’t say anything. I can’t believe he just said this. And on a cell phone! I’m thinking … didn’t he give a news conference last week condemning the NSA for spying on us? Now I know I’ve bet on the wrong horse. I hang up without saying a word.
Patricia Bellomo is the author of the crime and mob thriller books, Louie Morelli’s Mistress, Stella di Mare, and Louie Morelli’s Daughter. Politicians & Prostitutes was written in the voice of her main character, Louie Morelli.
Books available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Amazon.UK & Amazon.EU. Books are also available in digital formats.
![Mob Blog: Breakfast With The Bookmaker, December 11, 2013[/dcs_p][dcs_p]_](https://patriciabellomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/money.jpg){kind=link}
