MOB CITY & juicy nuggets…

Yes, I wrote Mickey Cohen, the book on the Los Angeles underworld that reveals the REAL STORIES of  LA’s mob bosses, BUGSY SIEGEL and MICKEY COHEN. And, yes, I do plan to watch TNT’s  MOB CITY, on Dec. 4. I’m curious! It’s again about cops…again, chasing gangsters in LA. Why are always focusing on the POV of the LA cops…who in reality were notoriously corrupt! It was really FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, himself, who was at war with Benny Siegel in the year before the Bug’s execution in June 1947, not local law enforcement. That story is amazing — and you can only read it in my book.
After the poorly received Gangster Squad movie, in the summer of 2013 Mob City was granted a shooting schedule that essentially gave them a chance to rework whatever they had already shot the year before. Since I have no interest in cops, I will comment on the kid playing Mickey Cohen, who looks like decent casting. Ed Burns as Benny Siegel?  Burns may be good; we shall see. To be correct, the actor should be OUTRAGEOUSLY handsome — not just good looking. Dressed like a duke, Ben Siegel was extremely charismatic and could be devastatingly charming. He had huge crystal blue eyes and he flashed a giant grin. Burt Lancaster-ish, no? Tony Curtis worked for years trying to play him and would have been great. I reveal here for the first time that Siegel had affairs with both Golden Age screen goddesses, Ava Gardner, and Lana Turner, when each was very young. AND Mae West!!!
I don’t know what to expect, but I hope the Zombie guy, Frank Darabont, will  deliver something historically correct. Remember: Truth is stranger than fiction. Particularly in this case.

UPDATE: This show was not picked up. My favorite thing: Ed Burns. He was terrific as Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel.