Yes, I wrote Mickey Cohen, the book on the Los Angeles underworld that reveals the REAL STORIES of LA’s mob bosses, BUGSY SIEGEL and MICKEY COHEN. And, yes, I do plan to watch TNT’s MOB CITY, on Dec. 4. I’m curious! It’s again about cops…again, chasing gangsters in LA. Why always from the POV of the LA cops…who in reality were notoriously corrupt! FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, himself, was personally at war with Benny Siegel in the year before the Bug’s execution in June 1947 — not local law enforcement. That story is amazing — and you can only read it in my book.

After the poorly received Gangster Squad movie, in the summer of 2013 Mob City was granted a shooting schedule that essentially gave them a chance to rework whatever they had already shot the year before. I have no interest in a cop show, but I will comment on casting. The kid playing Mickey Cohen looks like decent casting. Ed Burns as Benny Siegel? Burns may be good. To be correct, the actor should be OUTRAGEOUSLY handsome. He had huge crystal blue eyes and flashed a giant grin. Dressed like a duke, Ben Siegel was extremely charismatic and could be devastatingly charming. Ladies’ man Siegel had affairs with Golden Age screen goddesses, Ava Gardner and Lana Turner. AND Mae West!!! (Burt Lancaster-ish? Tony Curtis worked for years trying to play him; he would have been great.)

I don’t know what to expect, but I hope the Zombie guy, Frank Darabont, will deliver something historically correct. Remember: Truth is stranger than fiction. Particularly in this case.

UPDATE: This show was not picked up. My favorite thing: Ed Burns. He was terrific as Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel.