Family Legacy

by Jack O'Halloran

Jack Pagano has always felt he is different. Smart and physically talented, the normal pursuits of youth―women and sports―have always come a little too easy to him and left him unfulfilled. At age seventeen, Jack is eager to leave high school and begin his college career.
But the schooling that lies ahead of him is of a far different variety than he could have ever imagined.
Albert Anastasia, the notorious leader of Murder, Inc., appears and claims Pagano as his son. But before Jack can make heads or tails of his new-found father, Anastasia is gunned down at the Park Sheraton Hotel. Under the tutelage of his late father's associates, Meyer Lansky and Frank Costello, Jack enters a world where crime and politics, money and murder, and the American way of life are all but a hand's breadth apart and inextricably linked. At the same time, another father is grooming his son to further his Joseph Kennedy, the patriarch of what will become American's ruling dynasty, has set his sights on the White House―and with the help of some old friends in Chicago, his son, also Jack, will rise to power.

Genres: Nonfiction

480 pages, Paperback

First published April 22, 2010

About the author

Jack O'Halloran is a famed heavyweight boxer and actor. In the ring, he notched seventeen knockouts over the span of a winning career. He later turned to acting, notably appearing in Superman, Superman II, King Kong, and the 1976 adaptation of Raymond Chandler's Farewell, My Lovely.

He currently lives in Los Angeles, where he remains active in the film industry and is hard at work on his second novel.

Reviews

[Jeff Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack O’Halloran called Family Legacy a ‘fictional memoir.’ Wow, for those of us who witnessed The Bay of Pigs, The Cuban Missile Crisis, CalNeva, the Rat Pack, Joe and Jack Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe, this was just too strikingly real. While the main characters are fictional, the supporting actors and events were headlines. O’Halloran laced the true events into the fictional memoir seamlessly. I wondered if he didn’t, in fact, witness some of these scenes himself, they were so realistic? I can’t imagine how many hours (days) of research went into this exceptional read. For those who like the crime, conspiracy thrillers surrounding the rich and famous first families of crime, this is a must read. O’Halloran spun his Family Legacy to spectacular finish at one of the decades most famous moments. Five stars, Jack, five stars. Jeff Bailey, author of the conspiracy thriller, Not On My Watch.

[Mark Pearce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast paced mafia conspiracy book that had me hooked from the start to the amazing finish. A must read for JFK assassination conspiracy fans.

It reads like an alternative history book of the CIA and organised crime in America from 1916 to 1962.

Thoroughly enjoyed it on my kindle. Its not out in paper until November 13th.

[Jonathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fun, but uneven

[Mark Schuliger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book, but not great as some have suggested. It's a fine debut novel, but the author has some polishing to do on his style, in my opinion. There is a lot of detail thrown into this story without being properly established. It helps the book be a faster read, but the reader is left wanting more background to connect the dots of the expansive plot.

Those that are writing "I can't wait for the movie" may be on the right track -- the structure of the novel is almost more like a screenplay than a traditional novel.

The story itself was enjoyable. The way the author wove together elements of history to form his own theories was clever, but some of the plot points relied heavily on coincidence.

A promising start for a new author.

[Jeremiah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author, actor Jack O'Halloran refers to this book as being "fractional" as in part fiction, part truth. One can only speculate where the balance truly lies. Either way, there is some interesting material, with its tangential link to the Godfather movies, and the main character's (in theory the author's) interaction with famous gangsters like Meyer Lansky and Frank Costello. The book reads like a thriller in some ways, and works on that level. It is when you try to consider which parts are true that there are more questions than answers.

[Wynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack O'Halloran is truly a man for all seasons. In this his first novel, Jack keenly orchestrates fact and fiction by intertwining the mafia, government, politics, business and American history, constantly following the money trail. The author's technique of character development through building strong interpersonal relationships produces believable characters that become as clear to you as your mother. Family Legacy is a great read, a great gift and a greatly anticipated movie!

[John Drew · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is sharp and to the point, but I find the main character to be a little unbelievable. He's a teen, who I know has been prepared for what is to happen, but I had a hard time believing some of his actions and dialogue. Worth a look though.

[Cory Pasqualetto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome epic story. This was a GREAT book and it was well written. besides being a great boxer and a wonderful actor Jack O' Halloran shines as an author. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good tale.

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Supposed to tell the true story of JFK's murder, that part's pretty anticlimactic. Nice to read a pulp book though despite some of the rough patches.

[Stacy Juhl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting story but it didn't always keep my attention. I can imagine that those in the mafia often talk in vague riddles but I prefer a straight-up conversation. Meh.

[Angie Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic story line. Real page turner

[Michael Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://mikesfilmtalk.com/2013/03/15/f...