The Los Angeles Sugar Ring: Inside the World of Old Money, Bootleggers & Gambling Barons

By J. Michael Niotta PhD and Warren R. Hull

Early movers and shakers of Los Angeles didn't always operate within the confines of the law, including opportunist and family man Big George Niotta, who supplied sugar to make illegal liquor. Niotta rose to prominence thanks to his magnetic charm and collaborations with infamous bootlegger Frank Borgia and influential gambling baron Jack Dragna. But the fall is hard for those soaring high. Bled dry by the IRS, Niotta fought to restore his wealth through ringer horses, a multimillion-dollar lottery and a notorious gambling parlor. Through the moves of a pawn dead set on wearing a crown, author J. Michael Niotta explores three decades of L.A. crime, including a rare insider's look at the history of the Eagle Brewing Company and other survivors of Prohibition.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The History Press
• Release date: Oct 23, 2017
• ISBN: 9781439663080

J. Michael Niotta PhD

Dr. J. Michael Niotta, PhD, specializes in Los Angeles. The great-grandson and biographer of Los Angeles godfather Jack Dragna, he has lectured at the Las Vegas Mob Museum, appeared on the Travel Channel and Nat Geo, and authored two nonfiction titles. The National Crime Syndicate features his column Early Days of Los Angeles. Present projects include a Dragna biography and an extensive history of California crime with Richard Warner.