SETTING AND INSPIRATION FOR THE SERIES
Maps & Virtual Tour
Where is Lido, New York located?
The blog InWoodOut did a fantastic "Travel Guide to the Galliano Club series" which is a must-read for fans of the books, armchair travelers or anyone heading to central New York state.
The Galliano Club building
The architecture of the fictional Galliano Club is based on the Italian neighborhoods of upstate New York.
The real Galliano Club in my hometown of Rome, NY was built in 1920.
My grandparents, who inspired the series
The Galliano Club series was inspired by the stories told by my grandfather, a deputy sheriff of Oneida County during Prohibition. My grandparents were married during that time, an event marred by a double murder the evening of their big reception in Rome, NY in 1928.
My grandparents circa 1928. Ann is pregnant with their first child, my mother.
My grandparents Ann and Joe, about the time he was City Marshal of Rome, NY.