12th & McGraw

by Forrest Haskell

Overview

This TRUE story tells of Forrest, Sr. was a James Cagney-style conman that used a gas station at 12th @ McGraw in Detroit as a front for his illegal operations in the 1940's. Having grown up in poverty he was driven to attain wealth, at any cost. His involvement in after hours gambling establishments, loan sharking,boot-legging, bookmaking and the numbers created a colorful backdrop for his son,illegitimate Forrest. Jr. Forrest sr. even hid a second family on a farm in rual Michigan. As a young man coming of age Forrest Jr. struggles to find his own identity while immersed in the rackets run by his father. Even with the Detroit police looking the other way and sometimes even participating in gambling at one of Haskell's "Blind Pigs" as they were called in Detroit those days young Haskell managed to find plenty of trouble. Downtown Detroit those days was mostly inhibited by poor black people and Haskell (who was a white man) alway gave them credit when needed and young Haskell's friends were all black men. There was never any race problems during those times and when the 68 riots hit Detroit, NONE of Haskell's six "Blind Pigs" were tourched. That's how well he was thought of by the neighborhoods. This is a gripping story of a young man growning up and is not your normal rise in the rackets and his life might have been much worse had he not found and fell in love with a green-eyed beauty that helped him shake off the criminal life style and go straight and eventuall make a fortune in the office suppy business.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940013426085
Publisher:	Bell Books
Publication date:	08/15/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	324
File size:	200 KB

About the Author

Forrest Haskell, was born illegitimately to a French immigrant in Detroit under the shadow of the Detroit Tigers baseball field on Trumball and Michigan Ave. The only life he knew was on the wrong side of the tracks. He got involved with his Dad in illegal businesses at a very young age. Drawingfrom his experiences growning up and the choices he made thereafter, Forrest decided to tell his story. He lives near Dallas with his wife and a dog named, Sparky. He has four children and eight grandkids.

Editorial Reviews

Fitzgerald would be proud of Forrest Haskell's 12th & McGraw. It is a ballsy story of a kid growing up in Detroit Michigan amoung men who would fit into the famous author's 1940 novels. haskell has an unusual way of fleshing out this strange dudes. This is not your normal up through the ranks of organized crime, it is more a slice of americana in the 1950's. A great read and one where you need plenty of time on your hands when you open it. It is that spell-binding.

Shrevesport Sentinel - Mark Bolding