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		Sin City The continued exploits of the Kelly clan. By Magdalena Hernandez. The Irish Corsicans: Sequel to Loyalty by John A. Curry (1st Books Library; Bloomington, Indiana; 2002; 344 pages; $19.95) America has long had a love affair with gangsters. Way before Tony Soprano garroted a turncoat with wire or Don Vito Corleone made offers you couldn’t refuse, movie fans lined up to watch the misdeeds of antiheroes played by James Cagney or Edward G. Robinson. Gangster portraits most intrigue us when they reveal the ironclad code of ethics behind the sociopath, showing us a criminal who’s capable of murder, yet treasures family or cronies above jewels. A character able to shoot ’em up—but redeemed by moral complexity. Northeastern president emeritus John A. Curry, LA’56, MEd’60, H’96, has created just such a gaggle of gangsters—the Kelly family, first introduced in his 2000 novel, Loyalty. The protagonist of that novel is Jack Kelly, son of a working-class, Lynn, Massachusetts, family. Faced with the death of his saintly mother, a newly unemployed and alcoholic father, and the responsibility of rearing two younger brothers, Kelly pledges allegiance to Boston’s Irish mafia. Endowed with exceptional leadership qualities and street smarts, Kelly quickly ascends the gang’s ranks, finally landing in the top spot. Meanwhile, his brothers follow starkly different paths—thanks, in part, to the opportunities offered by mob money. Jerry attends Harvard and succeeds in legitimate business. Tommy pursues his dreams of becoming a professional boxer, and eventually joins Jack’s crew. The Irish Corsicans picks up exactly where Loyalty ends. It’s 1983; charismatic Jack has just died. Now the focus shifts to a new generation of Kellys—in particular, Jerry’s son Marty, Jack’s newly anointed successor. The action kicks off when rival mobster Terry Cavanaugh, just released from prison, attempts to start his own operation of extortion. After a Hispanic gangster’s burglary goes wrong and an Italian mob boss’s niece and her husband are murdered, Cavanaugh sees a chance to ingratiate himself with the Italian mob, which has been looking for ways to regain Marty Kelly’s territories. As if these threats to Kelly family power aren’t enough, the FBI has redoubled its efforts to bring down the clan via incriminating information. Fortunately, two Kelly cousins find a weapon in their bond, a connection foreshadowed by the book’s title. Alexandre Dumas’s novel The Corsican Brothers—which inspired a Douglas Fairbanks Jr. film—centers on a Corsican nobleman’s twin sons, separated after their family is slaughtered by a robber baron. When the twins meet twenty years later, they discover they have a telepathic bond and can feel each other’s emotions. Marty and his cousin Timmy—Jack’s son—are similarly “inseparable, fiercely loyal to one another,” as the author has Jack note in Loyalty. Yet the two men are distinctly drawn. Following in his uncle’s footsteps, Marty evolves into Jack’s true heir. He’s a natural leader who struggles to overcome his character flaws, just conflicted enough about his vocation to be sympathetic without seeming ineffectual. Timmy emerges as a family man, the one who copes with the domestic dramas after Jack’s death. He struggles to come to terms with his widowed mother’s new suitor and the sexuality of his older brother, Bobby. And Bobby—a budding actor, whose career is threatened by the consequences of his sexual practices (hint: remember the decade)—develops into an interesting foil to the criminal cousins. Of course, the Irish Corsicans’ brotherly bond raises the question of whether either is capable of committing to anyone outside the family. The consequences of the Kellys’ romantic interests—Marty takes up with Boston Globe reporter Judith Goodman, and Timmy is suitor to Maureen Cavanaugh, sister of the roving mobster Terry—add spice to the novel. The pressures of being “in the life” surround these relationships. Marty fails to treat Judith as an equal and won’t confide in her. Timmy’s responsibilities trouble Maureen, who has already experienced her share of grief in the wake of her wayward brother’s actions. Ultimately, Marty faces obstacles that allow him to demonstrate he’s a more than worthy successor to Jack Kelly. In fact, Marty’s courage and keen strategic ability prove as heroic as any behavior you’d hope for in a good guy. As in Loyalty, Boston-area tribalism complicates business as usual for the Kellys. Secondary characters range from the Irish thug in Southie, to Italian dons in Providence, to Hispanic gangsters on Mission Hill. To his credit, Curry sketches a supporting cast that rings gritty and true, without smacking of stereotype. The author’s familiarity with Boston neighborhoods helps him create believable backdrops for the warring factions. Lynn’s neighborhood spots and water views set a certain mood for the action, as do locations in places as far-flung as San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Ireland. Curry even injects humor to relieve the dramatic tension. Two mobsters in particular—crass Rocco Apostoli and relatively refined Gino Petrelli—steal several comic scenes. In one, over tea at the Ritz, Apostoli demands Kraft cheese and (Ritz) crackers. Such exchanges not only amuse, they help shade characters who might otherwise seem one-dimensional. Pop-culture references add to the novel’s playfulness. Mentions of Richard Simmons, Donald Trump, and Christie Brinkley—personalities that time nearly forgot—help transport the reader back (shudder) to the 1980s. These period details also serve as sly winks from the author. When someone wonders whether rumors of Karen Carpenter’s eating disorder are media hype, we know what the future holds; the characters don’t. Occasionally, contemporary references resonate more profoundly. The novel unfolds against the backdrop of Ronald Reagan’s America, a period of unbridled conspicuous consumption. When one mobster notes that many suburbanites who have become paper millionaires by playing the market “belong in jails more than he or any of his associates,” the reader can’t help but recall the waves of Wall Street scandals to come. Curry, who taught English composition in the Newton public schools and at Northeastern, again proves a fine storyteller. The novel’s quick pacing keeps the reader engaged. And the author’s writing style gracefully incorporates vocabulary or descriptions the characters themselves would use, resulting in greater insight into their thoughts and personalities. With enough action to rival the mass-market novels publishers unleash in advance of summer, The Irish Corsicans is an entertaining page-turner. Read it at the shore, before you swim with the fishes. Magdalena Hernandez, MBA’02, is a senior editor. Chipping: The New Stock Market Method for Surviving Turbulence and Hitting a Hole-in-One by Harlan Platt; Charles L. Webster Publishers; 2003 If you’re still smarting from the beating you took on that dot-com stock, finance professor Harlan Platt may have an antidote for you. Chipping teaches investors to use a risk-reducing system to buy stocks that have declined by 20 to 30 percent following bad (or not-so-bad) news from a firm. The chipping theory contends that since these firms retain little remaining risk for investors, their stocks present less risk than others. The heart of Platt’s strategy: Think like a golfer who makes several chip shots to sink a ball, and earn many small profits that move you toward your financial goal. With its accessible and informative tone, this book can help even a trading greenhorn make some greenbacks. What’s Keeping Your Customers Up at Night? by Steven Cody and Richard Harte; McGraw-Hill; 2003 As the sluggish economy forces businesses to tighten budgetary belts, salespeople must knock on more doors than ever to make that sales goal. Or maybe not. Steven Cody, LA’77, and Richard Harte have penned a guide on how to uncover customers’ “pain” and improve communications between sales executives and clients. By teaching public relations techniques, the authors help readers develop consultative methods to determine customers’ most pressing needs—and sell to those issues. Finally, a game plan that gives direction and motivates sellers. This book instills the skills to help salespeople thrive in bear or bull markets. And cut down on bruised knuckles.