Narrows Gate — Jim Fusilli

Jim Fusilli's new novel takes place in the years surrounding World War II in the dangerous immigrant neighborhood of Narrows Gate, overlooking the Hudson River, where anything can happen -- and it usually does. Sal Benno is a neighborhood kid who doesn't take to school but is able to provide the favors the Mafia needs, a skill that brings him into their inner circle and closer to ultimate danger. His lifelong friend Leo Bell sticks by Sal through thick and thin, but harbors a dangerous secret that could either keep Sal alive -- or bring his life to an abrupt end. In the middle of it is Billy “Bebe” Marsala, a hugely popular and handsome crooner who becomes a pawn in a mob war that could destroy them all. A novel that rekindles the spirit of such groundbreaking works as Mario Puzo's "The Godfather" and Budd Schulberg's "On the Waterfront", "Narrows Gate" is a powerful, epic saga that captures the heart of the immigrant experience -- and the soul of America.