Mob Blog: Louisiana Oil Man, March 29, 2016

by Patricia Bellomo | Mar 29, 2016 | Mob Blog

Mob Blog: Louisiana Oil Man, March 29, 2016

I’m sitting on my terrace with the Louisiana oil man, Jay Connolly. It’s near dusk, and the clouds, tinged with lavender and orange, are bunched up over the Atlantic, the sea calm and smooth as glass. We’re sitting facing the sea, watching tankers and cruise ships traverse the horizon. I’m relaxed as I can be, but Jay, for all his old-fashioned courtesy, is wound tight as a drum.

I’ve known Jay my whole life. He’s been like an uncle to me because it was my old man who bankrolled him, giving Jay his start when he was a wildcatter down on the gulf.

Jay’s a character. His wife died years ago, and every couple of months he has a new girl. They’re all strippers and showgirls and barmaids and so indistinguishable from one another that I don’t even try to remember their names.

Jay doesn’t have a girl with him today. He’s beleaguered and out of sorts. He doesn’t like Palm Beach, considers it a little too prissy and liberal, yet he had his pilot fly him in on his Gulfstream this morning. Jay called me from the air above Mobile, letting me know he was en-route, which is about the time I began to suspect he had a problem.

“It has to look like an accident.”

Now Jay is sitting beneath the overhang on my terrace with a glass of Booker’s Single Barrel Bourbon (he brought his own), telling me about his problem. It seems like the Louisiana oil man wants my help “eliminating an obstacle”. I know who he’s talking about. A hard-ass victim’s rights attorney doing a class action. It’s been on the news a lot, and Jay’s taking heat in the court of public opinion. And he’s really angry because he’s always tried to do the right thing, and the media is crucifying him.

“Lou, it’s a tricky situation,” he says. “It has to look like an accident.”

I give him a long look. I can see he’s worried. I don’t try and talk him out of it. After all, we’ve known each other a long time, and we’ve had these kinds of situations before.

A minute later, the sky going dark over the ocean, I say, “I’ll have my guy call you first thing tomorrow.”

The Prince of Mafia Princes

If you enjoyed Louisiana Oil Man, you may wish to purchase one of Bellomo’s books.

Books include The Prince of Mafia Princes, Louie Morelli’s Mistress, Stella di Mare, & Louie Morelli’s Daughter.

Available online at Amazon.com/Barnes and Noble.com

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Mob Blog: Breakfast with the Eagles Cheerleaders

by Patricia Bellomo | Mar 5, 2016 | Mob Blog

Mob Blog: The Eagles Cheerleaders, March 5, 2016

The Eagles Cheerleaders – Patricia Bellomo

I have a meeting with a big name investor this morning. It’s strictly legit—the guy’s a high financier who likes to gobble up South Florida real estate. We’re discussing a future project, and he wants to do breakfast so Victor and I meet him at the Marriott on the corner of Atlantic and A1A in Delray Beach. The investor’s a little square, and he gets a thrill out of doing business with someone who is “connected.”

That’s what he says to me anyhow. “Lou, I know you’re connected.”

His eyes shift to Victor, and I could see he’s wondering if he’s gone too far. But I merely smile, and Victor nods cordially, and we make pleasant over our fruit and coffee. By the time our eggs arrive we’re talking high finance. Then a couple of stunners walk by, and we momentarily suspend our conversation. A few minutes later at least a dozen more young ladies come in and join them. They’re sleek and tanned and some are blonde and some are brunettes and a few girls are black, and they are all so damned lovely our meeting grinds to a halt. They enter in groups of two and four and join their friends at long tables, and suddenly the Marriott’s looking like a sorority club.

“Suddenly, the room is filled with cheerleaders … Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders.“

One perky young thing next to us is even entertaining her grandmother, the two of them exchanging gift baskets. The room fills with chatter and high-pitched laughter, and I’m reminded of the parties Stella used to have. But these girls are all fit and toned and wearing tiny shorts and bikini tops and gauzy little outfits. There are a lot of implants and bleached teeth and bright smiles, and Victor, who hasn’t missed a meal since he did his two year stint in Angola twenty-five years ago, shoves aside his banana pancakes. “Jesus,” he says, “what is this, some kind of modeling thing?”

My guest says, “It’s quite a show, isn’t it?”

Two beauties plop down on Victor’s side of the table, and he gets the story. They’re cheerleaders for the Eagles, and they’re in Delray Beach to do their annual calendar shoot. Soon we’ve got five gorgeous young girls sipping orange juice at our table, and Victor’s cracking jokes. Then he mentions that we’re planning to take the Stella di Mare down to Lauderdale this afternoon, and the young ladies get all excited. They’d love to go for a boat ride. I ask my pal, the investor, if he’d like to come along, and he’s all for it. So I guess I’m playing hooky with the Eagles cheerleaders. Life is pretty damn good.

Stella di Mare

If you enjoyed “Breakfast with the Eagles Cheerleaders” you may wish to check out Patricia Bellomo’s mafia thrillers, The Prince of Mafia Princes, Louie Morelli’s Mistress, Stella di Mare, and Louie Morelli’s Daughter. All books available online at Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.

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Mardi Gras, January 28, 2016

by Patricia Bellomo | Jan 28, 2016 | Mob Blog

Mob Blog: Mardi Gras, January 28, 2016

Mardi Gras Mask/Patricia Bellomo

I looked at my calendar today and realized that Mardi Gras is just around the corner. This doesn’t mean much to most Yankees, but I’ve an ongoing love affair with the city of New Orleans. The Big Easy also happens to be Louie Morelli’s hometown, and is featured extensively in my novels. In fact, the final scene in Louie Morelli’s Mistress takes place on Mardi Gras.

Mardi Gras, also known as Shrove Tuesday, translates to Fat Tuesday in French. It’s a Catholic holiday, a celebration of excess because the day after Mardi Gras is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of lent and a time of fasting.

Mardi Gras is not unique to New Orleans, but no other city in America celebrates this pre Lenten festival with such flair as the Big Easy. The Carnival season begins on Twelfth Night, which is the conclusion of the twelve days of Christmas and the night before the Feast of Epiphany. Society balls commence with the Twelfth Night Revelers ball, held this year at the Ritz-Carlton on January 6. At this time King Cakes appear in bakeries and supermarkets.

Mardi Gras, also known as shrove Tuesday, translates to Fat Tuesday.

The King Cake is a circular ring cake made of Danish dough and decorated with festive frosting in gold, green and purple—the colors of Mardi Gras. Baked into one of the slices is a small plastic baby or, traditionally, a bean. The person who receives the slice with the baby is considered lucky and is generally chosen to host the next “King Cake” party.

Mardi Gras King Cake and baby/Patricia Bellomo

Although Carnival celebrations were present in some form or another in early New Orleans, it didn’t become organized until the 1850’s when a group of young men formed The Mystick Krewe of Comus and launched the first parade, with mule-drawn floats carrying masked riders.

In the 1870’s Rex arrived as a mock monarch and soon became known as the King of Carnival, with the Rex parade becoming the major parade on Mardi Gras. As with Comus, the Rex organization is comprised of Uptown bluebloods. But other “krewes” soon formed, and it is these private organizations and secret societies that fund the Carnival magic. The cost to the city is minimal, consisting mainly of added police protection.

No longer the exclusive domain of white male aristocrats, parading krewes represent the cultural diversity of New Orleans.

Nowadays, there are a number of krewes that parade and some that don’t, plus the suburban krewes and celebrations. No longer the exclusive domain of white male aristocrats, parading krewes represent the rich cultural diversity of New Orleans, with many African-American and gay krewes offering some of the best entertainment of the season.

Competing krewes start parading at least two weeks prior to Mardi Gras, with the big events slated for the last weekend before the big day. This is when tourists jam the city and the party really kicks in. To get a firm grasp of the enormity of it all, visitors should check out Blaine Kerns Mardi Gras World, where artisans work year round creating floats for forty parades. Celebrations continue throughout the day on Mardi Gras, ending abruptly at midnight, when Lent begins.

Patricia Bellomo is the author of the “Louie Morelli” series. Books include Louie Morelli’s Mistress, Stella di Mare, Louie Morelli’s Daughter, and the award winning The Prince of Mafia Princes. All books available via Amazon or the author’s website.

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Mafia Romance, the new genre.

by Patricia Bellomo | Dec 9, 2015 | Mob Blog

Mafia Romance, the new genre.

I first stumbled upon the term Mafia Romance on Goodreads, and it gave me pause. I had to stop and think: Can the Louie Morelli series be classified as Mafia Romance?

Stella di Mare

There are parallels and nuances. The “Louie Morelli” series differs from traditional mob books as they are not mob stories but stories about mobsters. And, as irresistible mobsters go, you can’t beat cool, savvy Louie Morelli. He’s the ultimate bad boy, and my female readers adore him despite the fact that he’s a serial philanderer and, at times, a killer. But Louie adheres to an old fashioned code of honor.

Overall, the tone of the series is a bit more serious than contemporary romance, and there is the family drama, which complicates matters. My books are certainly not bodice rippers, although Louie’s dalliances do add up, and there is sexual content, but sex is not the overriding theme in any of the four books.

Defined as thrillers, all four books do cross genres in that they can also be classified as general or mainstream fiction with some violent content. They also qualify as suspense and intrigue, and of course, popular fiction: thrillers. They’ve also been described as “page turners” and “daring and suspenseful thrillers.”

There is an element of romance in all four novels, although Stella di Mare has the most appeal for romance readers, with Louie Morelli’s Mistress a close second. The gorgeous settings—sunny South Florida in Stella di Mare and New Orleans’s French Quarter in Louie Morelli’s Mistress—are in themselves romantic. And make no mistake: I do place my readers in the scenes, providing a seductive quality.

Louie Morelli’s Mistress

The biggest love story in each book, and the one fraught with the most tension, is the relationship Louie has with his long suffering wife, Angie. Louie loves Angie, but he’s never been faithful to her, and this causes quite a bit of conflict.

So, yes, in a sense my books do qualify as Mafia Romance. Or just plain good reads. Entertainment.

Please let me know what you think.

All books can be purchased at Amazon.com or online at Barnes and Noble. Signed copies are available through Bellomo’s website.

Buy Patricia’s Books

Louie Morelli’s Mistress

Stella di Mare

Louie Morelli’s Daugter

The Prince of Mafia Princes

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Sip and Sample at Pasta e Pasta

by Patricia Bellomo | Nov 7, 2015 | Mob Blog

Pasta e Pasta: Sip & Sample

Mob Blog: Sip and Sample at Pasta e Pasta

Pasta e Pasta is hosting local author, Patricia Bellomo, at their Chesterfield store on Wednesday, November 18, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm.

The founder of Pasta e Pasta, Carlo DeAngelis, is a fan of Bellomo’s. “I’ve read every one of Patricia’s books,” says DeAngelis, who gets a kick out of the fact that he shares a surname with Bellomo’s character, Victor DeAngelis. Of course, Pasta e Pasta’s DeAngelis has little in common with Bellomo’s audacious Victor, who is definitely on the “muscle” side of the family.

What Bellomo’s character and Pasta e Pasta’s founder do have in common is a love of good food, and a talent for preparing it. According to Bellomo, “They’re both awesome cooks.”

“Pasta e Pasta translates to Pasta is just Pasta.”

Carlo and his daughter, Carla DeAngelis, work as a team. Carla also happens to be the owner of Pasta e Pasta. Menu items prepared on site and available for purchase are old family recipes. Pasta is king, whether it’s in the form of lasagna, cannelloni, stuffed shells, or ravioli. The DeAngelis’s also make a variety of homemade sauces and soups, distributing their products to local groceries and Italian markets. All of their products are made with fresh, natural ingredients.

Bellomo’s suspense thrillers feature Italian characters. “Mobsters who love to eat,” says the author. Inevitably, in every book there is a scene in which Victor is cooking. Frequently, pasta is on the menu, with sauce simmering on the stove.

“Because of Victor’s superb culinary skills, many of my readers assume I’m a cook,” says Bellomo. “But I’m too busy writing to cook. Books are my passion.”

Books are Bellomo’s passion, but pasta is definitely Pasta e Pasta’s passion, which is why the store is combining a “Meet the Author” event with a “Sip and Sample,” featuring some of their bestselling pastas served with a sip of vino.

Sip & Sample: Pasta e Pasta

There is no cost for the food or wine, although after a delicious sampling, you may wish to buy some prepackaged homemade pasta or sauce. Bellomo will also have copies of her books available for purchase, including her latest thriller, The Prince of Mafia Princes.

Bellomo’s books include Louie Morelli’s Mistress, Stella di Mare, Louie Morelli’s Daughter, and The Prince of Mafia Princes. Books can be purchased online from Amazon and are available in print and digital formats.

Pasta e Pasta is located at 48712 Gratiot, in Chesterfield Township, just south of 22 Mile in the Kingston Plaza.