Eastside Westside - New York Stories [Mass Market Paperback]

Thomas Fitzsimmons (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 26, 2006

Whether set in the ghettos of New York City, or the exclusive social and intellectual milieus of the rich and famous, whether recounting a priest's struggle with his faith, a firefighter coming to terms with his own mortality, the comical affairs of the heart, serial killers, or bungling members of organized crime, Thomas Fitzsimmons' stories strike with profound ferocity and impact. Told with an uncensored, darkly humorous style, Fitzsimmons' vision of the human condition is both amusing and brutal. For each of his stories are infused with an ennobling grace of the spirit. To be great, short stories have to echo the reader's minds. In this book, Fitzsimmons has created a collection that is indeed truly memorable.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Thomas J. Fitzsimmons worked 10-years as a New York City Police Officer in the precinct dramatized in Paul Newman's Fort Apache-The Bronx. His is a Vietnam era Navy veteran, film/soap opera/TV commercial actor and the former co-host of the NBC-TV magazine-format talk show, Now A private investigator and recognized security expert, he has appeared on shows such as Good Morning America, Geraldo Rivera and Montel Williams.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 260 pages
• Publisher: Thomas J. Fitzsimmons Inc.; 1st edition (September 26, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0978976207
• ISBN-13: 978-0978976200
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,268,112 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Thomas Fitzsimmons didn't need to go to the public library, interview participants, or hire a team of high-priced researchers to write gritty stories. For Fitzsimmons, a former New York City police officer, NBC television personality, Ford Model, and soap-opera/TV commercial actor, business associate and friend to some of the country's most rich and famous, it was as simple as recalling his life.

Fitzsimmons grew up in an Irish, Bronx, New York, neighborhood in a family of career cops. After high school, he joined the Navy and pulled sea duty aboard a guided missile cruiser on its way to Vietnam. The wartime experiences kindled a civic spirit in Fitzsimmons, who, upon being honorably discharged, joined the New York City Police Department. During a career that spanned 10 years in the precinct dramatized in Paul Newman's "Fort Apache-The Bronx," Fitzsimmons notched numerous arrests collaring armed robbers, drug kingpins, and arsonists.

Fitzsimmons's heroics were brought to the attention of talent scout Joey Hunter, who was the president of the Men's Division for the Ford Modeling Agency. The Ford executive convinced Fitzsimmons that he had a future in the TV/modeling industries. The young cop soon filled his off-duty hours with modeling assignments, which eventually led to an audition with NBC-TV for a position as an on-camera personality and co-host for the magazine-format talk show, "Now."

Success in the entertainment industry forced Fitzsimmons to choose between law enforcement or a glamorous, new lifestyle. The decision was tough, but Fitzsimmons never looked back. The actor/writer won the coveted TV assignment with NBC, and, although the show was eventually canceled, he soon became a top TV commercial actor and print model. As a rising star with the Ford Agency and the J. Michael Bloom Television Agency, he appeared in such soap operas as "One Life to Live" and "Texas" and served as a principal in more than 150 television commercials.

Fitzsimmons also drew from his law enforcement experiences with the NYPD, as well as numerous federal and international police contacts, to become a top security consultant to affluent clients nationwide. A recognized security expert, he has appeared on shows such as "Good Morning America," "Geraldo Rivera" and "Montel Williams."

Fitzsimmons, who has written two novels, a memoir, a short story collection, and three screenplays has sold stories in Esquire Magazine, and New York Magazine. He has optioned film treatments to Doug Wick, Academy Award wining producer of "Gladiator," to the actor Ray Liotta and Larry "JR" Hagman's Majlar Productions.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Real Thing, April 12, 2010

By 

Thatcher Stevens "mrthatcher" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Eastside Westside - New York Stories (Mass Market Paperback)

Reading these stories reminded me of my favorite cinematic genre, Film Noir. In fact, I almost pictured them in black and white. They were filled with all the usual suspects: cynical detectives, life-worn cops, hardened criminals, violent thugs, and (of course) the ever-present femmes fatale. But these aren't stereotypical characters. Everyone is innocent and everyone is guilty, on some level. As each story progresses, you are left to figure out which part of them is more prevalent. But no matter how good or bad, how central or minor, Fitzsimmons manages to imbue his characters with humanity...no one is purely evil or purely good. They are just purely original, and the conclusion of each story is often surprising.

There is also a sense of reality that transcends the usual crime stories. The dialogue can be raw, and the descriptions of time and place quite accurate. Anyone who has ever lived in New York will recognize places and times, whether it be the decadent haunts of the uber-rich, or the lowest slums that you can only hope you never wander into. This may be assumptive, but the majority of the protagonists seem to be drawing on the writer's own experiences as a former NYC officer. These are characters the writer knows or knew (or could have known), which makes them come alive that much more.

And aside from the gritty realism and hard-boiled people that litter these stories, they share another common element with Noir...an ironic sense of humor. I found myself smiling at some of the "angelic" bad guys, and the "achilles heel" of most of the men: the beautiful, but dangerous ( and seemingly helpless) women. No matter the circumstances, and even knowing better, even the smartest men are suckers for a gorgeous dame...even when they know better.

If you like good crime stories, and you want to steer clear of cliches, I would definitely recommend this collection. I'm looking forward to reading more!