an intriguing work detailing the internal workings of the Outfit, an organized crime family, which originated on the South Side of Chicago during prohibition and rose to power in the 1920s. The Outfit has been involved in a wide variety of criminal activities including gambling, loan-sharking, prostitution, drug trafficking, money laundering, extortion, labor racketeering, adult and child pornography, political corruption, and murder. The individuals and events in Inside are composites of real people and real events.

Inside begins in 1956 with Jimmy Williams, a 47-year-old man with two families-his wife and two children and the Outfit. He's a good man, a good husband, and a good father, while, at the same time, he is a physically powerful man who is well respected as a consigliere in the Outfit. He keeps his two lives separated, to the point his wife is unaware of what he does.

The story is written from the perspective of Jimmy's son Bobby who, from the age of 8 begins to accompany his father on Outfit business. Jimmy wants him to know what "the life" is like in order for Bobby to decide if this is the future he wants for himself. Take this remarkable journey with Bobby. Will he follow in his father's footsteps or choose another path?

About the Author

Scott M. Hoffman is a native of Chicago. He is a graduate of Long Island University-Brooklyn with a B.A. in Journalism. For thirty-five years he worked for the City of Chicago in the Departments of Purchasing and Finance. Inside is his first published book.