Jeffrey Sussman Talks About His Book 'Tinseltown Gangsters'

East Hampton author Jeffrey Sussman will speak at multiple libraries in the coming weeks about his new book, “Tinseltown Gangsters: The Rise and Decline of the Mob in Hollywood” (published by Rowman & Littlefield).

The book is the fast-paced, gripping story about how the mob controlled movie studios, stars, directors and producers. Sussman names names and exposes those who attempted to keep their private lives private. Among those under the microscope are Joseph Kennedy, Sr., Joan Crawford, Bugsy Siegel, Mickey Cohen, Lana Turner, Frank Sinatra, Harry Cohn (president of Columbia Pictures), Jean Harlow and her gangster lover, Longy Zwillman, producer Robert Evans, Sidney Korshak (called the most powerful lawyer in America by the FBI), audacious Linda Lovelace and many more.

Sussman’s research and revelations will fascinate those who are enthralled by the world of gangsters and movies. In the book, he explains how mobsters extorted studio bosses by taking control of the unions whose members were essential to the quotidian workings of making movies. The mobsters controlled unions of projectionists, art directors, cinematographers, electricians, scene designers, stagehands and others. Control the unions, and you control the whole industry. The mobsters were like sharks tearing away enormous chunks of cash. They extorted producers, blackmailed stars, forced studios to hire those actors who were either connected to mobsters or indebted to them.

Sussman will speak about his book on the following dates:

East Hampton Library, 159 Main Street, East Hampton — Saturday, March 9, at 2 p.m.

John Jermain Memorial Library, 201 Main Street, Sag Harbor — Sunday, March 10, at 2 p.m.

Hampton Library, 2478 Main Street, Bridgehampton — Saturday, March 16, at 3 p.m.

Shelter Island Public Library, 37 North Ferry Road, Shelter Island — Friday, March 22, at 7 p.m.

Amagansett Free Library, 215 Main St, Amagansett — Saturday, March 30, at 3 p.m.

Hampton Bays Public Library, 52 Ponquogue Avenue, Hampton Bays — Saturday, April 6, at 1 p.m.

Westhampton Free Library, 7 Library Avenue, Westhampton Beach — Saturday, April 20, at 2 p.m.