Where Trouble is Always on Tap
GALLIANO CLUB SERIES
Based on the stories told by author Carmen Amato’s grandfather who was a deputy sheriff of Oneida County, New York, during the 1920’s, the Galliano Club historical fiction thrillers transport you to the blue-collar world of Lido, NY and the epic battle between a Chicago bootlegger and an Italian immigrant for control of the Galliano Club.
“With the élan of E. L. Doctorow, Carmen Amato seamlessly merges historical characters with fictional creations. The Galliano Club series promises to be as riveting as Amato’s previous novels set in Mexico. The Roaring Twenties in their uninhibited violence and excitement come alive . . . A sure hit with loyal fans and new readers alike.” – Michael Hogan, author of Women of the Irish Rising
“A gripping thriller series that will immerse you in the gritty, violent world of America in the 1920s. Clawing their way through the tale are a host of desperate characters . . . never allowing you to catch your breath until the jaw-dropping conclusion.” – Amanda Hughes, author of The Looking Glass Goddess and The Image Seeker
PREQUEL: 3 outsiders each find a road that leads to the Galliano Club.
BOOK 1: The club isn’t for sale. Just ask the body behind the bar. Winner, 2023 Silver Falchion for Best Historical.
BOOK 2: Blackmail is contagious when everyone connected to the club has a secret to hide.
BOOK 3: Her sister was killed in Lido but the man who could help get revenge is already in jail.
Author’s Note
My hometown of Rome, New York, inspired the fictional city of Lido, the setting for the Galliano Club series. At the crossroads of the Erie Canal and the Mohawk River, Rome occupies a prime spot in upstate New York south of the Adirondack Park where the wealthy flocked to deluxe lodge hotels in the 1920’s.
Once upon a time, Rome supplied 10% of all copper used to build American’s electrical grids, telephone network, ship hulls and bridges. Immigrants from Italy and Poland provided the workforce. The city’s 5 Catholic churches met the needs of its rapidly expanding population.
Colorized postcard from 1919 showing the main thoroughfare of West Dominick Street. All the buildings were razed in the 1970’s to build a replica of Fort Stanwix.
The imposing courthouse in Rome, the seat of Oneida County, and the statue to Col. Peter Gansevoort, defender of Fort Stanwix during the Revolutionary War. When the British demanded his surrender, his reply began: “I reject with disdain.”
Colorized postcard showing trolley tracks going up North James Street, a major street leading into downtown Rome.
In 1921, Rome was a bustling city. My grandparents had a collection of glass insulators from electrical poles.
Draped in bunting to greet Charles Lindbergh after his historic flight across the Atlantic in 1927, Rome was so patriotic that a major intersection was known as the “American Corner.”
Cars lined the streets when Charles Lindbergh stopped in Rome as part of his barnstorming tour in the summer of 1927.
Every night, lights over the bridge announced that 10% of all the copper used in the USA was manufactured in Rome, mostly thanks to the Revere Copper and Brass Rolling Mill.
5 churches served Rome’s heavily Catholic blue-collar population.
The original Galliano Club still stands today with its twin doors. I took tap dance lessons in the dance studio on the 2nd floor.
More about the Galliano Club thrillers
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.