The Pied Piper Of South Shore [Paperback]

Caryn Amster (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 27, 2004

This true crime memoir of Chicago toy storeowner, Manny Lazar, known as the Pied Piper of South Shore, is set primarily in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood in the 50's and 60's. It is the story of the life and death of this beloved retailer told in the gritty detail by his elder daughter. The author takes readers from Russian persecution to American freedom, from Hula Hoops to hit men, from murder to trial. It's the story of two children of immigrants, their American dream, and their richly diverse neighborhood in which each fell prey to the brutality of of gangs. It is the story of loss and survival, even forgiveness.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Amster joins the ranks of true crime writers. The book stands out for the author's proximity to the crime. -- The Reporter, Women's American ORT, Fall 2004

Amster's ... in-depth style of writing covers an important time period in our history. -- Joliet Herald News, Dorothy Mavrich, September 16, 2004

Amster's book immortalizes her parents' legacy that even tragedy could not erase. -- Joliet Herald News, Denise M. Baran-Unland, 8/29/04

The store was a microcosm of change. The book recreates the 1950's boom years and the 1960's civil rights movement. -- Specialty Toys & Gifts Magazine, October 2004

The store's run came to an end in a hail of bullets in 1970. -- Daily Herald Newspaper, Joanmarie Wermes column, 10/8/2004

From the Publisher

There are nine pieces of original, whimsical line art by fine artist and cover artist Mitch Markovitz as well as photos from the 1940's through the 1960's throughout the book.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 283 pages
• Publisher: Cma Marketing Group (August 27, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0975892800
• ISBN-13: 978-0975892800
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,291,627 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More than just nostalgia, September 28, 2004

By 

Bob Levi (Highland Park, IL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Pied Piper Of South Shore (Paperback)

Having grown up in the Chicago South Shore neighborhood during the late 1940s and 1950s, I thought that book would be a great nostalgia trip. It was much more than that! The author wrote a true crime book in addition to a well-documented chapter on the changing urban landscape during 1960s. The book also covers small retail businesses and the wonderful toys available during that time period.

My South Shore High School class (Jan. '54) just had its 50th reunion and I've recommended the book to my classmates. But I feel that there is a wider audience in urban history buffs, true crime fans and anyone whose father had a local retail business.

Caryn Lazar Amster captures the joys of growing up in a urban environment and the sadness of losing a loved one to a senseless crime. I highly recommend the book.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What an experience!, December 31, 2004

By 

Judith Learned "avid reader" (Palatine, IL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Pied Piper Of South Shore (Paperback)

The whole is truly greater than its enormous parts. This very personal, heart wrenching, heart warming book filled with fascinating history ultimately underscores the importance of respect and forgiveness. Ms. Amster's thorough research into varied areas - from her family origins to gang origins, from the history of toys to the history of the South Shore - amazes me. Caryn Lazar Amster, thank you. Your writing grabbed me and would not let me go. Your parents touched countless lives in such a positive way, by virtue of this book the number grows.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Murder at the Toystore: The Never-Before-Told Story, October 5, 2004

By 

Carol Campbell "Author, Views from a Pier" (Long Grove, IL, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Pied Piper Of South Shore (Paperback)

This book is a must-read. Not only is it the never-before-told story of a murder that changed a community, it is also a chilling account of how the Nation of Islam was formed in Chicago. Beginning on the day of the murder, the author, the daughter of the victim, reveals for the first time the horror of that day. She introduces readers to the victim, Manny Lazar, a beloved toy store owner nicknamed "The Pied Piper of South Shore." Verbatim excerpts from the trial offer real-life courtroom drama. The author's extensive research offers compelling and provocative insight into a murder trial where justice is the ultimate winner. Juxtaposed with the intensity of the crime is the reader's journey back in time to look at Mr. Lazar's merchandising techniques, his creative and fun-filled events at the toystore and his innovative retail strategies. The author also gives readers two bonuses: a catalogue of toys with anecdotal references to delight Baby-boomers, their children, and their parents, and a nostalgic trip, all mapped out, to the diverse neighborhood of Chicago's South Shore. The book's foreward is a loving tribute by actor-singer Mandy Patinkin (Princess Bride, Yentl, Chicago Hope, Broadway) who admired the toystore owner and his wife when Mr. Patinkin was a child and customer. I predict this story will be a major motion picture one day. (I hope Mandy Patinkin stars as the toystore owner, an extraordinary man.)
Carol Owens Campbell