Sugar Pop Moon & Blind Moon Alley by John Florio
What's It About?
Sugar Pop Moon is the debut novel in a "riveting" Prohibition-era crime series following Jersey Leo, who knows what it means to be the underdog. He's the guy known on the streets as "Snowball," a biracial albino working the bar at Philadelphia's Ink Well, a Prohibition joint serving up moonshine to a mostly Black clientele. In its sequel, Blind Moon Alley, a death row inmate calls to ask for one last favor, and Jersey can't say no.John Florio’s stunning novel Sugar Pop Moon (Open Road Media) was a welcome addition to the noir canon of literature when it debuted in 2013. The following year, Blind Moon Alley, the second in what were called “The Jersey Leo mysteries” was published but didn’t receive quite the notice they deserved. They are both being re-issued in time for the holiday season and would make great gifts any time of year.
A Diverse Background Makes for a Great Writer
If W. R. Burnett and James M. Cain, two of the grand masters of this hard-bitten genre, were still alive they might raise a shot glass of cheer to this welcome newcomer. Brooklyn-born, Queens-raised native New Yorker Florio has earned an impressive array of degrees including an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Southern Maine.
He honed his writing skills in a career that has included crafting ad copy beginning as he states with “birdseed and pudding boxes”, television programs including a series called Kid Fitness, and as a musical composer for a decade’s production of 50 episodes of Dateline NBC, the music for a documentary Roger Maris, Reluctant Hero and other shows.
Florio credits his musical abilities to his policeman father who provided him with classical piano lessons starting at age four. He’s taught courses including writing, symbolism, advertising and film music at several universities.
His second book, One Punch from the Promised Land: Leon Spinks, Michael Spinks, and the Myth of the Heavyweight Title, co-written with his wife Ouisie Shapiro, a veteran television sports documentary screenwriter, was published in September, 2013. (I highly recommend it as the best book on boxing I’ve ever read.) Since then, they have added to their well-researched, finely written works of non-fiction.
A Judgment Call with Fatal Repercussions
The title Sugar Pop Moon refers to a particularly fine, rich and smooth sugar beet with just a hint of rhubarb, based distillation of moonshine manufactured by fictional Philadelphia bootlegger Denny Gazzara.
It’s good enough to warrant the Depression-era premium price of $60 per case that Hell’s Kitchen bartender Jersey Leo willingly paid for 80 cases of this lightning in a bottle. It was a judgment call with potentially fatal repercussions.
The stock was getting low and Jimmy McCullough, gangster owner of the Pour House Speakeasy, was out of town. $4800 or the present-day equivalent of $65,000 in hard cash went out the door and the cases were stashed in the ‘ratacombs’, the rodent-infested underground storage.
Everything was Jake until the majority of the bottles proved to be counterfeit moonshine; iodine-tinged water sold by a con artist who was the crooked cousin of the manufacturer. Jersey has less than a week to recover the cash before his vengeful, unforgiving boss returns.
The year is 1930, a decade into the benighted, legislated experiment of Prohibition. The manufacture, sale and transportation of alcohol were illegal, ironically spurring demand for the commodity thus spawning the growth of organized crime networks to supply it along with corruption fueled by its profits.
Gritty and Dark, Layered with Humor
John Florio introduces readers to “Jersey Leo”, one of the most interesting anti-heroes to inhabit a work of fiction in a long time. Twenty-three-year-old Jersey stands out in a crowd, an outsider marked by his singular appearance; a watery-eyed, yellow-haired biracial albino, abandoned shortly after birth by his white mother to be raised by his upstanding, one-time champion boxer black father, Ernie Leo.
Called “Snowball” by most, Jersey is a highly intelligent, well-read individual whose job options are severely limited by the economy in addition to his appearance. He is a singular character whose choice of vehicle is an ‘Auburn’ model, a stylish speedster touring car that aptly reflects his richly introspective imagination.
Sugar Pop Moon, while gritty and dark at turns, is richly, densely layered and lightened with humor. There are parallel stories with the vital background story of Ernie’s past and Jersey’s origins in 1906. The past alternates with the present to reveal life-altering secrets. It’s a riveting, relationship-driven tale with heart that keeps the reader engaged.
Sugar Pop Moon has the rapid-fire repartee characteristic of the era but is sure to offend some of the P.C. police with the frequent yet authentic use of racially charged epithets. It’s a refreshing change from formulaic thrillers and deserves a wide audience.
A Sequel that Warrants a Third Novel
Blind Moon Alley is an equally impressive sequel that leaves the reader craving more and this reviewer has renewed hope the re-issue heralds at least another sequel in this compelling series.
In Blind Moon Alley, Jersey Leo has moved to nearby Philadelphia where he tends bar in a cheerless speakeasy called the Ink Well. A newspaper article featuring his photo lauding his actions in saving a local child has been glued to the wall of the dingy bar.
Jersey gets pulled into danger when his grade school chum Aaron Garvey, a convicted cop killer, escapes death row on the eve of his execution. The action and plot twists don’t stop until the final page.
Riveting Noir Tale with Heart
Author John Florio has retained several sympathetic characters from Sugar Pop Moon and elevated the role of others such as Myra Banks, another fourth-grade classmate of Jersey’s.
A congenitally defective club foot made this otherwise striking girl a shy misfit and an ally in school. After successful foot surgery, Myra emerged from her chrysalis and became a sexy siren lounge singer.
Madame Curio, a questionable palmist, soothsayer and street-smart Johalis are among the crew who help Jersey learn the truth about his pal Garvey and stay alive in the confrontational battles between crooked cops and local gangsters.
Blind Moon Alley is another riveting noir tale with heart that keeps the reader engrossed and rooting for the protagonist. John Florio deserves a wide audience with his original and unique take on this refreshingly retro genre. Both books could easily translate to films or television and would make an interesting diversion for book club members.
About John Florio:
John is the author of the historical crime novels, Sugar Pop Moon and Blind Moon Alley. He holds an MFA from the University of Southern Maine, an MA from New York University, an MBA from St. John’s University, and he is currently pursuing a DFA at the University of Glasgow. John is on the faculty of the Stonecoast MFA creative writing program at the University of Southern Maine.
Book two, Blind Moon Alley is available for purchase on Amazon and at the retailers below.
