Publisher's Synopsis
Set against the colourful backdrop of prohibition-era Chicago, this book tells the true life story of 'Machine Gun' Jack McGurn, the most flamboyant and prolific hit man, bodyguard and trusted confidant of the infamous 'Scarface' Al Capone. Full of romance, glamour, passion and murder, this complete account of one of gangland history's most fascinating characters lifts him from the realms of myth and legend, and reveals for the very first time, the truth behind the drama and decadence. Jack McGurn is a somewhat unremarkable boy, born into a Sicilian world of passion and retribution. His upbringing is steeped in the legends borne out of Sicily's turbulent past, whilst its ancient traditions and codes form the foundations of his very existence. So when, at the tender age of eighteen, he finds the body of his father, bullet ridden and disfigured by murderous Black Hand extortionists, the sleeping serpent of Sicilian vengeance awakes within him. Desperate for justice, he sets out on the road to vengeance, a journey which culminates in the brutal elimination of his father's killers. His actions bring him to the attention of Al Capone, who wastes little time in taking the fledgling hit man under his criminal wing. McGurn soon displays an innate flair for murder, disposing of Capone's enemies with imagination and calculated precision, invoking both admiration and respect from the infamous crime czar. When McGurn personally saves the life of Capone during a sustained and fiercely audacious assassination attempt, Capone views him as the key to his iniquitous success. It is a factor not lost on Capone's cohorts and enemies alike and so, like a gathering storm, conspiratorial clouds appear on the horizon, brought together by the common goal to rid themselves of the troublesome McGurn. This potentially lethal situation is soon brought to a swift and uncompromising conclusion, resulting in the most infamous mass murder in gangland history: The St. Valentine's Day Massacre. However, rather than calming the waters of gangland, the massacre merely serves to heighten tensions still further. Forced to enter into a deadly battle of wills with both rival gangsters and law enforcement alike, the only question which remains is: Who has the strength to survive?
