Mahogany Jim and the Nightcrawlers and Other Tales

From the dank cafeteria of PS 28 in the Bronx to the sun-drenched crest of St. Regis Mountain in the Adirondacks, Ralph Maltese's memoir captures the joys and struggles of growing up in the 1950s and 60s. Added to the typical experiences of a baby boomer immersed in the post-war years, then caught up in the turmoil of the Age of Aquarius, are the particular pleasures…and sometimes challenges…of Ralph's extended Italian-American family. Readers will meet Jim and Lee, Ralph's parents and the foundation of his universe, along with his pesky little brother Jimmy and his revered older brother Raymond. Then there is Uncle Louie, the opera singing uncle who always makes Ralph smile; fastidious Cousin Ralph, who invites his relatives out on his boat and gets more than he bargained for; Bob Jones, Jim's hunting and fishing buddy, who becomes both a mentor and a nemesis to Ralph…and many more unforgettable characters.