Arnold Rothstein (1882-1928) was one of the most important but mysterious figures in the history of New York. A peer in the wood-panelled business sancta of the Rockerfellers and the Morgans, he was also the true godfather of organized crime in America, holding the political power of New York in one hand, the power of the criminal underworld in the other, and, in his custom-tailored vest pocket, the power of the city's biggest business dealings. For ten years Nick Tosches has been unravelling the mysteries of Rothstein's life - a story of glamour and darkness ending in the final mystery of Rothstein's murder.