Kirjahaku

Milwaukee has kept its murders and mishaps out of books. Until now. From Vito Guardalabene's arrival from Italy until the days of controlling the Teamsters union and paying off public officials, Milwaukee was a city of Bullets, Blood and Beer. The Milwaukee Mafia relies on previously unseen police reports, FBI investigative notes, coroner's records, newspaper articles, family lore and more to bring to light an era of Milwaukee's history that has been largely undocumented and shrouded in myth. This is not only a story of organized crime. It is also about immigration, the American Dream, urban planning, law enforcement, and politics, and how all these elements come together to form a solid narrative.

Hijacking. Arson. Buried treasure. Murder? The life and legend of "Roaring" Dan Seavey, pirate of Lake Michigan, have it all. Best known for its many natural wonders, Lake Michigan also claims the odd and dubious honor of home and stomping grounds of "Roaring" Dan Seavey, alleged to be the only pirate arrested on the Great Lakes. Aboard his ship, the Wanderer, Seavey's life at sea (or at lake) entangled him in all kinds of misadventures. The wanton sailor roamed to the wilds of Alaska, engaged in a brisk chase with the Coast Guard, and survived a raging inferno--and those are just the stories that can be confirmed. Legends of drunken brawls and grave robbing continue to follow Roaring Dan long after his death. Author Gavin Schmitt leads readers on a journey with one of Lake Michigan's most notorious sailors.

Some say it was the biggest theft in American history. Maybe it was.The multimillion-dollar burglary at eccentric gambler LaVere Redfield's Reno mansion was an endless comedy of errors. A target who hides from cameras and gets embarrassed for his dog. A failed songwriter "mastermind" who can't keep her mouth shut. A safecracker who can't pick a lock. And a convicted killer who allows his ill-gotten gains to be stolen while his pants are down. In almost every way, the 1952 Reno Heist is a study in how not to commit a crime, which is likely why the case lives on in infamy.Historian Gavin Schmitt unfolds the notorious misadventures of bumbling crooks, shady casino owners and femme fatales.

Karl Freund is the most important film pioneer you've never heard of. From the silent film era to the rise of the American sitcom, Freund was there at every turn. Countless camera techniques can be traced back to his "unchained camera." His lighting setup for filming I Love Lucy live remains standard to this day. He was the man behind the lens for many influential and award-winning films, from Metropolis to The Good Earth to Key Largo. This biography is the first book-length look at one of the world's greatest cameramen. It details the events of his early life, his entrance into the world of film, his work in both Germany and America, and his legacy, while also putting his life and films into the historical context of the 20th century. The author gives particular attention to Freund's role in the early horror films Der Golem, Dracula, Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Mummy, and Mad Love.

This book delves into four interconnected murders, each of them unsolved, in which the common denominator is the underground world of sex trafficking. Using police and FBI records never before made public, underworld links are made between numerous vice centers in the Midwest. What does a small mining town in upper Michigan have to do with organized crime in Peoria, Illinois? More than you might think! Within these pages, meet corrupt night club owners, dancers who moonlight as callgirls, interstate burglary rings, Milwaukee Mafia members, bank robbers and more. All part of one giant web, they come together in a story that has remained largely untold--until now.

In Wisconsin history, no single group has been on the land longer than the Menominee Indians. While other tribes were pushed west by the Europeans and Americans, the Menominee stayed firm and held on to their ancestral homeland. Though their territory has been greatly diminished, there is something to be said about raising a family in the same place as your parents and their parents, going back thousands of years. Their interaction with the white man dates back to the days of explorer Jean Nicolet in 1634. Since then, they have been both allies and foes of the Europeans. Tribal leaders distinguished themselves in trade and war, with cities named in their honor: Oshkosh, Keshena, and Tomah. Many other Wisconsin cities have names derived from the Menominee language. The 20th century brought new challenges, but after some setbacks, the tribe forged ahead. Today, it is one of the most prominent tribes in the state, if not the nation, thanks to leaders like Ada Deer and Sylvia Wilber.