In 1996 I self-published my first book, The Morgue. Over the next nine years five more fictions followed, all either self and/or POD published.

In 2002 I decided to try my hand at non-fiction by writing the history of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Policing Las Vegas was published through traditional publisher Huntington Press in 2005. Although Policing was primarily a local-interest  book, it marked a turning point in my writing career. Through it I began getting name recognition. And just as important, I developed a reputation with my sources for being dedicated to getting my facts straight and living up to my word. These turned out to be valuable assets down the road.

Sticking with Huntington Press and non-fiction, my next book told the true story of the Tony Spilotro era in Las Vegas. This was the sme time period dramatized in the 1995 movie Casino, in which actor Joe Pesci's character was based on Spilotro. Told primarily from the law enforcement perspective, The Battle for Las Vegas - The Law vs. the Mob, was released in July 2006.

During my research for Battle I was put in contact with Frank Cullotta, a former Spilotro lieutenant, who in 1982 flipped to become a government witness. His subsequent testimony resulted in a number of convictions and was instrumental in the demise of the Chicago Outfit's control of several Las Vegas casinos and major street crimes in Sin City.

While Battle was in production, Frank and I reached an agreement to co-author his biography. CULLOTTA - The Life of a Chicago Criminal, Las Vegas Mobster, and Government Witness, has a national release date of July 2007.

The timing for the new book couldn't be better. A number of reputed Outfit bosses and hit men are currently being tried in Chicago for myriad crimes, including several old homicides. Among them are the 1986 murders of Tony Spilotro and his brother Michael. The manuscript for the book has been subpoeaned by the prosecution and Frank has been called to testify as well. The trial will get a lot of coverage nationally, and in Chicago and Vegas particularly.

So, everything seems to be in my favor to have a book that sells quite well. Several people who have read the manuscript or Advance Reading Copies have opined that CULLOTTA  will be my defining moment as a writer.

The next several months will tell the tale.