Money Wanders

By Eric Dezenhall

Book Overview

Jonah Eastman, disgraced Presidential pollster, is summoned home to Atlantic City by his ailing grandfather Mickey Price--a legendary Atlantic City gangster and owner of the Golden Prospect casino. When Mickey dies, Jonah is "persuaded" by mob boss Mario Vanni to help improve his image by launching a misinformation campaign aimed at gaining public acceptance and ultimately a way "outta the life." So Jonah goes to war through a comical and audacious manipulation of the media which includes online rumoring, exploiting romantic myths of the mob, and orchestrating a union-backed pseudo-vigil after Vanni is arrested. To pull off these stunts, he enlists the help of his grandfather's Prohibition-era cronies, pimply-faced hackers, a disgruntled Secret Service agent, a cagey Washington lobbyist, a slick Philadelphia publicist, and a street-fighting rabbi. "Money Wanders" is a wild and uproarious tour of spin and media manipulation from the lobbied halls of Congress to the dilapidated boardwalk of Atlantic City.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312282753
• ISBN13: 9780312282752
• Release Date: February 2002
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
• Length: 338 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

LikeVegasDaze

Fifty years ago I was sent to Las Vegas to do a Public Relations campaign that would portray mobsters as kindly, benign, businessmen. Lo and behold, Money Wanders presents a campaign I wish I had access to those many years ago. This book is "right on the money." It doesn't matter if the story is about New Jersy, Chicago, or Las Vegas, the characters appear as part of an international brotherhood.This is a fun read with an honest plot, and moves toward a satisfying ending. I am on my third re-reading and continue to laugh at the characters who really believe they are "tough" guys. You don't have to be an authority on organized crime to enjoy this book, however you will learn to recognize the difference between Tony Soprano and authentic mobsters.

Money Wanders--an excellent read!

I truly enjoyed this book! I was slightly surprised, because I'm not usually interested in mob-related books or films. Thanks to this book's interesting characters, unusual story line, and sheer originality, however, I couldn't put it down. Somehow, Dezenhall has managed to come up with an intelligent, exciting story that is extremely funny, yet has a lot of depth. When I heard it was a "comic thriller" I expected something more slapstick--and was glad to find something far different. It is hard to put a brief descriptive label on this book--so if you enjoy a good, thoughtful story with a lot of laughs and interesting characters, buy Money Wanders!

MONEY WANDERS - AN AWESOME COMIC THRILLER

The publication of MONEY WANDERS marks the beginning of the rise of South Jersey as a literary landscape. From the "Pineys" of the Pine Barrens to the mobsters of the Boardwalk and South Philly, author Dezenhall captures the essence of the region in this comic thriller. For those of us who grew up in the area, Dezenhall makes our home a wonderland: Lucy the Margate Elephant becomes more than a roadside oddity, she becomes a mob hideout; the Boardwalk isn't just a bunch of wood hammered together, it's the "Ribbonoff Highway" to the rest of America; and ordinary people on the beach become wizards and goblins. Finally, Springsteen no longer has to sing New Jersey solo.

Sophisticated Read

This is a very sophisticated read that is chock full of the unexpected. Part of that dynamic is because of the clever premise -- a sharp Washington insider enters the world of the Jersey mob insiders. A Brooks Brothers tie at a Mafia clubhouse stands out like a clown at a funeral. White collar meets t-shirt and gold chains. That contrast also makes for some hysterical dialogue. The storyline is tight and well thought out. What¹s more, whenever the protagonist interacts with the wiseguys you don¹t know whether to brace for a punch or a big laugh ­ and that tension is terrific.The DC insider knows these wiseguys because he grew up with them. But he also brought back with him his morality and as he tries to reconcile his two worlds, some real truths about human nature reveal themselves. I found myself dog-earing pages so I could go back and read the best passages when I was finished as an after-effect.