Additional information
by J. North Conway (Author)
ANOTHER TRUE CRIME STORY
FROM J. NORTH CONWAY-NOW IN PAPERBACK!
The riveting story of one of America's most notorious crimes
and the mysterious man behind it
"Engrossing. . . . Conway skillfully paints a backdrop of fierce and flamboyant personalities who paraded across the Gilded Age. . . . [H]e capably recounts his story against a background of glitter and greed." -Publishers Weekly
"A page-turning account of one of the most brazen crimes of our time." -Reader's Digest
"Conway, a college prof and ex-newspaper man, covers this ancient tale in a way that makes it feel like a hot news story." -New York Post
King of Heistsis a spellbinding and unprecedented account of the greatest bank robbery in American history, which took place on October 27, 1878, when thieves broke into the Manhattan Savings Institution and stole nearly $3 million in cash and securities-around $50 million in today's terms. Bringing the notorious Gilded Age to life in a thrilling narrative, J. North Conway tells the story of those who plotted and carried out this infamous robbery, how they did it, and how they were tracked down and captured. The robbery was planned to the minutest detail by criminal mastermind George Leonidas Leslie-a society architect and ladies' man whose double life as the nation's most prolific bank robber led him to be dubbed the "King of the Bank Robbers."
An absorbing tale of greed, sex, crime, betrayal, and murder, King of Heistsblends all the richness of history with the thrills of the best fiction.
Front Jacket
King of Heists is a spellbinding account of the greatest bank robbery in American history, which took place on October 27, 1878, when thieves broke into the Manhattan Savings Institution and stole nearly $3 million in cash and securities--around $50 million in today's terms. One of the largest banks in the world, the Manhattan Savings Institution was a depository for the money, jewelry, securities, and other valuables of some of the most prominent, wealthy citizens of New York City. In an absorbing narrative set against the colorful backdrop of New York in the Gilded Age, J. North Conway tells the story of those who plotted and carried out this infamous robbery, how they did it, and how they were tracked down and captured. The robbery was planned to the minutest detail by the mysterious and notorious George L. Leslie--a society architect whose double life as the nation's most prolific bank robber led him to be dubbed the "King of the Bank Robbers." Despite his reputation, he was never caught and never spent a day in jail. King of Heists is intertwined with a host of memorable real-life Gilded Age characters, including Fredericka "Marm" Mandelbaum, the queen of New York City's criminals; John D. Rockefeller, president of Standard Oil; and John Roebling, who undertook a quest to build the greatest bridge in the world--the Brooklyn Bridge. It is also the story of the financial wizard "Jubilee" Jim Fisk, the man responsible for the "Black Friday" stock market crash in 1869; showgirl Josie Mansfield, Fisk's mistress; and Boss Tweed, corrupt head of New York City's political machine. It is about the dichotomy between the rich and the poor, the powerful and powerless, the haves and have-nots. But mostly, King of Heists is about the Manhattan Savings Institution robbery in 1878 and two other legendary heists--each a record-setting event and each carried out under the direction of George Leslie. A thrilling narrative, King of Heists blends all the richness of history with the thrills of the best fiction.
Author Biography
J. North Conway is the author of King of Heists: The Sensational Bank Robbery of 1878 That Shocked America and eight other nonfiction books. He has been a daily newspaper reporter and editor, and a columnist and feature writer for the Providence Journal and Bostonia, the alumni publication of Boston University. He has worked as an editor/writer for the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the second oldest international learned society in the country. He teaches at the University of Massachusetts in Dartmouth and Bristol Community College in Fall River, Massachusetts. He previously taught at Boston University, Northeastern University, and Fisher College. He lives in Assonet, Massachusetts.
