OCTOBER 2018 - AudioFile
As usual, narrator Edoardo Ballerini’s narration is eminently listenable. He uses his many talents to make this audiobook, which takes place in the early twentieth century, lively and contemporary. With Ballerini’s smooth, commanding voice, the saga of Jewish brothers Morris, Sol, and Harold Rabinowitz sounds appropriately epic. The brothers find their way from adolescence to adulthood in tumultuous New York City, facing religious persecution, organized crime, and personal battles along the way. Ballerini’s believable accents result in distinguishable and memorable characters, some of whom are real historical figures. He captures the rich details of the era while engaging listeners with the story’s relatable family dynamics. A.T.N. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
07/30/2018
Bestseller Gross (The Saboteur) charts a gutsy kid’s struggle to succeed in the garment industry in early 20th-century New York City in this formulaic crime thriller. In 1915, 12-year-old Morris Raab lands a job sweeping floors and making deliveries for a clothing manufacturer on the Lower East Side. His ambition and drive lead him to put in extra hours and to closely study the work of veteran marker maker Mr. Beck. Despite his youth and inexperience, Morris takes over from Beck after the marker maker announces his retirement. By the time he turns 20, Morris is basically running the business. In later years, he runs afoul of an organized crime group, whose leaders include the vicious Lepke Buchalter; marries the daughter of a big-shot lawyer; and aids mob-busting prosecutor Thomas Dewey in his investigations. Gross strains credulity at several points and fails to bring the mean streets of the Big Apple to life. Still, this Horatio Alger story will resonate with his many fans. 100,000-copy announced first printing; author tour. Agent: Simon Lipskar, Writers House. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
“A highly satisfying story of family loyalty, persistence, courage, and crime.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Button Man is a compelling, fast paced historical thriller that paints a rich portrait of the rise of organized crime in 1930’s America. Fans of Boardwalk Empire and Dennis Lehane will love it.”
—Kristin Hannah
“A gut-wrenching, noirish portrait of Jewish organized crime and labor unionism in 1930s New York…These are characters you won’t forget… Alternately frightful and fascinating, the story viscerally describes the era, exposing the motives and fears that drive each character and play out on the streets.”
-- Booklist (starred review)
“Button Man is a riveting piece of historical fiction, mixed with family saga, exposing the Jewish mob of the 1930's who preyed on the garment industry and the brave few who stood up against them. This book is a heart-stopper. I loved, LOVED it!" -- Linda Fairstein
“The strength of this suspenseful novel lies in its dark humor and characterizations of the brothers…The sometimes gritty, sometimes swanky settings of Button Man bring a tumultuous time and place to brimming life.” – Historical Novel Society
“Andrew Gross is in top form with this beautifully haunting novel that mixes history seamlessly with fiction. Button Man is an epic journey of struggle, hope, death and life. Riveting to the very last page.” – NY Journal of Books
OCTOBER 2018 - AudioFile
As usual, narrator Edoardo Ballerini’s narration is eminently listenable. He uses his many talents to make this audiobook, which takes place in the early twentieth century, lively and contemporary. With Ballerini’s smooth, commanding voice, the saga of Jewish brothers Morris, Sol, and Harold Rabinowitz sounds appropriately epic. The brothers find their way from adolescence to adulthood in tumultuous New York City, facing religious persecution, organized crime, and personal battles along the way. Ballerini’s believable accents result in distinguishable and memorable characters, some of whom are real historical figures. He captures the rich details of the era while engaging listeners with the story’s relatable family dynamics. A.T.N. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2018-07-02
A businessman resists the mob in a novel that spans most of the 20th century.In 1915, Manhattan's Lower East Side is a tough place for 12-year-old Morris Rabishevsky and his siblings to grow up. He takes a job sweeping floors at the Majestic Garment Company, but his drive and ambition are obvious. The owner suggests he go by Morris Raab—because Rabishevsky is "a mouthful for some people here"—and he and his mother agree. But street punks try to shake him down on payday, and he has to fight tough guy Louis Buchalter to keep his money. Morris has "never backed down from anything" and is much tougher than his brothers, Sol and Harold. Every character's personal qualities factor strongly in this story. Morris' drive and intelligence lead to his running Majestic at age 20 when the owner retires. Later, he and Sol start their own garment manufacturer, Raab Brothers. Morris' brash approach wins business with a big chain store, and the company grows. Sol knows how to keep the books but doesn't know how to sell. Their other brother, Harold, is a likable screw-up who hangs out with the wrong crowd, even mobsters, and might well ruin what becomes the family business. Louis Buchalter grows up to be a cutthroat mobster, taking over garment unions and running Murder Incorporated. The mob has a way of breaking down resistance to the unions: They throw a man out an eighth-floor window, splash an owner with sulfuric acid, destroy his inventory. Of course, the Raab Brothers' success attracts Buchalter's attention, and the resulting conflict is one of life and death. New York Special Prosecutor Thomas E. Dewey seeks Morris' cooperation in destroying the mob, but Morris and his business might perish in the process. At a funeral, a rabbi asks, "What does it mean to be a good man?" If it means standing up to evil, then Morris Raab qualifies.A highly satisfying story of family loyalty, persistence, courage, and crime.
