A young man flunks out of school and becomes
a successful businessman and the leader of the Irish Mob in North Philadelphia.
He battles rival Italian gangs from South Philadelphia and Chicago. With the
help of his partner in crime and the Irish gangsters of North Philly, he
triumphs over adversity to become one of the most powerful criminal leaders in
1920s and 30s Philly. At the same time he helps build and eventually leads a
large construction concern that is responsible for building the iconic row
homes of North Philadelphia. This all takes place during prohibition and the
great depression a time in American history that spawned the largest criminal
networks in the world.
During the process of creating his criminal
and legitimate enterprises he meets and falls in love with a beautiful women
and starts the family that will one day succeed him.
Author Bio:
Hallman was born in 1944 and raised in the
Kensington section of North Philadelphia. His father was Harry Hallman Sr., a
champion billiards player who also owned a poolroom located at Allegany Ave.
and Lee Street, called Circle Billiards. In his youth, the younger Hallman
spent many hours after school at his father's pool hall. These youthful
experiences laid the groundwork for his novel Mercy Row, including the colorful
language used in the text.
He served four years in the US Air force
including two tours in South Vietnam as a photographer. He is married to Duoc
Hallman, who he met in Vietnam, and has two children, Bill and Nancy and one
grandchild Ava.
Hallman is a serial entrepreneur who has
created several marketing services companies and continues to work as a
marketing consultant.
"My favorite possession, from my
childhood, is a baby book my sister gave my mother (Florence) when I was born.
There's a passage in this book, written by my mother in 1991 when I was 47,
that seems to sum up what I have endeavored to be all my life. It reads:
- Bud
(my childhood name) grew up to be a great boy and man. Gruff, but a heart as
big as could be.-
This is what a man from the Kensington
section of Philadelphia is."
Hallman wrote this book, in 2012, when he was
68 years old. This is his first novel.
Important Links:
Web site www.mercyrow.comAmazon: Mercy Row
I found it an interesting book.
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