“Bootleggers were romanticized by people like F. Scott Fitzgerald, for example. Gatsby is a bootlegger. And they were not thought of as evil criminals in the newspapers, either. There was a certain amount of affection for them.”

American journalist, novelist, essayist and editor

Pete Hamill was an American journalist, novelist, essayist, and editor. He worked in New York City journalism and became known for writing about the city’s politics, sports, and crime. His life and career are closely tied to the press in New York. He was a columnist and editor for the New York Post and the New York Daily News. His writing was noted for trying to catch the particular character of New York, especially its public life and its darker edges.