Author Description

Luca Torelli is both the protagonist and victim of his crimes. Through his eyes, we glimpse political corruption ("R.I.P. and Amen"), criminal control of retail businesses ("Trumpet Solo" and "Cold as Fish"), and police brutality and racism ("Those Were the Days"). We even catch sight of the Spanish Civil War ("The Tip-Off"). Though the police cause Luca no serious inconvenience, he frequently loses the fruits of his labors. In particular, he has lousy luck with dames, who don't go for his tough-guy style as much as he thinks they should. A hired gun, he's too stupid to capitalize on his misdeeds and remains in the underworld's nether regions, caught - like many gangsters both fictional and real - within a lethal machinery controlled by powers far more astute than himself. They profit from his viciousness, while his fate is to live fast, die young, and (hopefully) have a good-looking corpse. His toughness, in part, is simply his way of deluding himself that he has some control over his destiny. Deep down, he knows he's just another walking stiff.