What was it like to be married to a mobster?
The Brutal Truth: Surviving in a Mobster’s World is the true story of Mary Rispoli, a woman who endured unimaginable hardship while married to San Francisco mobster Tony Lauretti during Prohibition.
Told in Mary’s voice and meticulously researched by her granddaughter, Sandy Cox, writing as L.A. Moglié, this compelling narrative blends family history, historical research, newspaper accounts, and documented events to reveal a hidden world of organized crime, bootlegging, racketeering, corruption, and violence.
But at its heart, this is not Tony’s story.
It is Mary’s.
A story of resilience, courage, determination, and survival against overwhelming odds. As Tony’s criminal empire grew, Mary found herself trapped in a dangerous world where silence was expected, fear was a way of life, and every day brought new challenges. Yet through it all, she fought to protect her children and preserve her humanity.
More than a true crime story, The Brutal Truth is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and a tribute to a woman whose story deserved to be told.
What happens when the truth refuses to stay buried?
After a successful career built on persuasion, reputation, and control, Allen believes he has mastered the art of shaping reality to his advantage. But when a mysterious presence begins appearing in his life, the certainty he once relied upon starts to unravel.
At first, the intrusions are subtle—unexplained impressions, unsettling encounters, and growing doubts that refuse to disappear. As the presence grows stronger, Allen finds himself confronting uncomfortable truths about his past, his choices, and the consequences those choices have left behind.
Is the presence a spirit? A manifestation of guilt? A conscience that can no longer be ignored?
As the boundaries between reality, memory, and self-deception begin to blur, Allen is forced into a battle not against an outside force, but against the truths he has spent a lifetime avoiding.
PRESENCE: The Haunting of Conscience is a psychological suspense novel that explores guilt, denial, accountability, identity, and the emotional residue our actions leave behind. It is a story about conscience, recognition, and the devastating cost of refusing to confront the truth.
COMING SOON