anthony celano

The entrepreneurial Richard Frantellini and his first wife, through shrewd maneuvering, transformed a family-owned mom and pop business into an empire. Their Frantellini Shoe Factory and real estate holdings came about thanks to their partnership with two immigrants from Milan. One of the minority partners is an inventor who developed a blockbuster product that came to be known as The Frantellini Sole. The success of this product fueled expansion and riches that exceeded expectations for Richard Frantellini and his first wife. Things began to unravel after the unanticipated death of Mrs. Frantellini. A despondent Richard falls prey to the romantic attention of a dishonorable woman many years younger. Their marriage results in a power struggle for control of the businesses between the second wife and Richard's two daughters by his first wife. The key to guaranteed future business success rests in Victor Spinello, the inventor/minority partner from Milan, who is in the process of developing a product he calls The Dynamic Shoe, a purported helpful answer to neuropathy. Seeing a fortune in the new product causes all interested parties, which include the shady Frantellini Family lawyer, to step up their efforts to seize control of and/or benefit from the businesses. The price for this goal comes with the willingness to commit several murders. Sergeant Al Markie and Detective Oliver Von Hess are called in to investigate the homicides at the request of Father Fiorello St. Denis, an NYPD chaplain who uses his influence with the Chief of Detectives. The investigation conducted by the detectives is an expansive one that includes ties to Italy and Ireland. The reader is invited to accompany Markie and Von Hess on their newest ride into the world of greed, treachery, deception and ultimately murder(s).