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Five-Finger Discount : A Crooked Family History by Helene Stapinski (2002, Trade Paperback)
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Five-Finger Discount : A Crooked Family History, Paperback by Stapinski, Helene, ISBN 0375758704, ISBN-13 9780375758706, Brand New, Free shipping in the US Chronicles the adventures of a Jersey City family of criminals, bookies, con artists, embezzlers, and mobsters and the author's experiences growing up with such a family.
- Buy It NowFive-Finger Discount : A Crooked Family History, Paperback by Stapinski, Hele...
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About this product
Product Identifiers
PublisherRandom House Publishing Group
ISBN-100375758704
ISBN-139780375758706
eBay Product ID (ePID)1951624
Product Key Features
Book TitleFive-Finger Discount : a Crooked Family History
Number of Pages272 Pages
LanguageEnglish
Publication Year2002
TopicWomen, Sociology / General, Personal Memoirs, General, Criminals & Outlaws, United States / Northeast / Middle Atlantic (NJ, NY, Pa)
GenreTravel, Social Science, Biography & Autobiography
AuthorHelene Stapinski
FormatTrade Paperback
Dimensions
Item Height0.6 in
Item Weight7.8 Oz
Item Length8 in
Item Width5.2 in
Additional Product Features
Intended AudienceTrade
Reviews"[Five-Finger Discount] will steal your heart." -People "By turns hilarious and alarming, uproarious and depressing, [stapinski's] book reads on the surface like something by Damon Runyon and Elmore Leonard, with a dark undertow of real-life pain and disillusion." -Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times "It's a brilliant book, a darling book. It is the blessedly modest chronicle of a magical consciousness that seems to have been born pulling diamonds out of the muck, hearing angels' voices in the fiercest thunder....I adored every word of this wondrous book. Get it. Read it." -Michael Pakenham, Baltimore Sun "In the tradition of...Rita Mae Brown and Amy Tan, Ms. Stapinski is an exciting writer, unabashedly candid, and at the same time unashamedly self-contained. Five-Finger Discount is a must-read." -Victoria Gotti, The New York Observer "What [Frank] McCourt did for Limerick, Ireland, Helene Stapinski does for Jersey City." -Newark Sunday Star-Ledger "Hugely entertaining." -London Sunday Times
Dewey Edition21
Dewey Decimal364.1/092 B
SynopsisNow a PBS documentary, this astonishing memoir of growing up in rough-and-tumble Jersey City "will steal your heart" ( People ) With deadpan humor and obvious affection, Five-Finger Discount recounts the story of an unforgettable New Jersey family of swindlers, bookies, embezzlers, and mobster-wannabes. In the memoir Mary Karr calls "a page-turner," Helene Stapinski ingeniously weaves the checkered history of her hometown of Jersey City--a place known for its political corruption and industrial blight--with the tales that have swirled around her relatives for decades. Navigating a childhood of toxic waste and tough love, Stapinski tells an extraordinary tale at once heartbreaking and hysterically funny. Praise for Five-Finger Discount "By turns hilarious and alarming, Helene Stapinski's] book reads on the surface like something by Damon Runyon and Elmore Leonard, with a dark undertow of real-life pain and disillusion." --Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times "It's a brilliant book, a darling book. It is the blessedly modest chronicle of a magical consciousness that seems to have been born pulling diamonds out of the muck, hearing angels' voices in the fiercest thunder. . . . I adored every word of this wondrous book. Get it. Read it." --Michael Pakenham, The Baltimore Sun "In the tradition of . . . Rita Mae Brown and Amy Tan, Ms. Stapinski is an exciting writer, unabashedly candid, and at the same time unashamedly self-contained. Five-Finger Discount is a must-read." --Victoria Gotti, The New York Observer "What Frank] McCourt did for Limerick, Ireland, Helene Stapinski does for Jersey City." -- The Star-Ledger "Hugely entertaining." -- The Sunday Times (London), Now a PBS documentary, this astonishing memoir of growing up in rough-and-tumble Jersey City "will steal your heart" ( People ) With deadpan humor and obvious affection, Five-Finger Discount recounts the story of an unforgettable New Jersey family of swindlers, bookies, embezzlers, and mobster-wannabes. In the memoir Mary Karr calls "a page-turner," Helene Stapinski ingeniously weaves the checkered history of her hometown of Jersey City--a place known for its political corruption and industrial blight--with the tales that have swirled around her relatives for decades. Navigating a childhood of toxic waste and tough love, Stapinski tells an extraordinary tale at once heartbreaking and hysterically funny. Praise for Five-Finger Discount "By turns hilarious and alarming, [Helene Stapinski's] book reads on the surface like something by Damon Runyon and Elmore Leonard, with a dark undertow of real-life pain and disillusion." --Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times "It's a brilliant book, a darling book. It is the blessedly modest chronicle of a magical consciousness that seems to have been born pulling diamonds out of the muck, hearing angels' voices in the fiercest thunder. . . . I adored every word of this wondrous book. Get it. Read it." --Michael Pakenham, The Baltimore Sun "In the tradition of . . . Rita Mae Brown and Amy Tan, Ms. Stapinski is an exciting writer, unabashedly candid, and at the same time unashamedly self-contained. Five-Finger Discount is a must-read." --Victoria Gotti, The New York Observer "What [Frank] McCourt did for Limerick, Ireland, Helene Stapinski does for Jersey City." -- The Star-Ledger "Hugely entertaining." -- The Sunday Times (London)
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Ratings and Reviews
Most relevant reviews
- Jun 04, 2023
Gift for A Friend
This was a gift for a friend who was born and raised in Jersey City. When last I spoke to him. he said he loved the book.Verified purchase: YesCondition: New
- Mar 15, 2017
Corruption in Jersey City NJ
Great story about corruption in city government in Jersey City NJ. 1st person memoir of her family.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Apr 13, 2017
I was born in Jersey City, fun read about the old neighborhood.
Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Nov 14, 2017
Good book
Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
