Hotel Dick: Harlots, Starlets, Thieves & Sleaze [Paperback]

Stephen Peacock (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2, 2003

As an undercover house officer of the Helmsley Palace, Steve Peacock had taken a unique five-year peek into the lives of the wealthy, the powerful and the "lower" classes that serviced their every desire. This experience was a rare chance to immerse him in the subculture of the privileged. But more importantly, it was an occasion to witness the underbelly of greed and gluttony existing side-by-side with despair.Peacock watched carefully and quietly as the pampered Palace guests spent vast sums of money on decadent pleasures. Likewise, he served as a buffer between the so-called elite and the hookers, thieves and street people who were drawn to this glass-and-steel luxury tower. Hotel Dick: Harlots, Starlets, Thieves & Sleaze reveals what went on behind the closed doors of New York City's former playground of the rich and famous. The story of the rise and fall of Harry and Leona Helmsley has already been told; however, Hotel Dick is the first book to provide a secret window into the lives of the other bizarre and lust-filled personalities who roamed this notorious Manhattan landmark.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Steve Peacock was a Washington, D.C.-based journalist from 1997?2003. He has produced exclusive and breaking stories on the United States Congress and federal agencies such as the FBI and the FCC. He lives in Ocean County, New Jersey, with his wife and two daughters. Peacock recently obtained dual certification as a high school English teacher and teacher of students with disabilities.

Product Details

• Paperback: 202 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (December 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595304648
• ISBN-13: 978-0595304646
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,762,698 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good C.O.P., May 20, 2008

By 

John Petrolino - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hotel Dick: Harlots, Starlets, Thieves & Sleaze (Paperback)

"Hotel Dick" by Steve Peacock is a rare glimpse at the behind the scenes workings of a prestigious hotel. Written in a witty journalistic, yet literary style, Peacock objectively relays some of his experiences working as a plain clothes security officer while interjecting with didactic quips showing his strong sense of morality and virtue. Steve Peacock takes his position as a hotel dick in a refreshing manner, doing his job properly, treating even the lowliest of people with respect, while toiling over the moral repercussions of the actions he takes, always battling his capitalist needs and sense of humanity. "Hotel Dick" is definitely an entertaining and edifying read, showing the absurd and desperate psyches he encounters as a silent and usually overlooked participant of society. At the end of "Hotel Dick" Steve Peacock leaves me wanting to read more....
~John J. Petrolino III: May 20, 2008
Author of Galleria: A collection of poetry and the short story "Three Lonesome Travelers"

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Harlots, Starlets, Thieves and Sleaze INDEED!, January 11, 2004

By 

Jennifer L. Peacock (Northeast, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hotel Dick: Harlots, Starlets, Thieves & Sleaze (Paperback)

Mr. Peacock's anecdotal memoir takes readers inside the Helmsley Palace, a world of contradictions where the wealthiest and poorest exist symbiotically ... most of the time. The author, rather than writing a self-serving vehicle, has instead showed with intelligence and humor the perversions of many who checked in and the desperation of those undesirables who were kicked out. He marries these amusing tidbits with somber vignettes to create an enjoyable, good read. I would absolutely recommend it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It is always crazy in New York., June 9, 2004

By 

jb (southeast US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hotel Dick: Harlots, Starlets, Thieves & Sleaze (Paperback)

Mr. Peacock brings us into a midtown temple of despair. It is for the most part a sad place with the workers being the well-adjusted individuals in the neighborhood.
It is easy to read and sometimes funny.