Emilio Iasiello – författare

After losing his grandfather, the last male role model in his life, 12 year-old Mike finds himself the the lone male in a house full of women - an absent mother, a financially-strapped grandmother, and a doting great-grandmother. Without his hero around to guide him, Mike struggles to find his place in this first generation Italian-American family.That is, until he runs into his grandfather's former business partner and Connecticut's most prominent crime lord, Frank. Mike is immediately drawn to “Uncle Frank” and is thrilled when his grandmother arranges for them to spend more time together despite his mother's arguments. Frank takes Mike under his wing, teaching him how to win a fight and how to take care of his family while sharing stories he never knew about his grandfather.As tensions rise between the two crime families in Connecticut, Mike begins to question if Frank was telling him the truth about his relationship with his grandfather. When Mike learns that Frank and his grandmother share a secret that spans decades and even his mother doesn't know, Mike must decide whether or not to pursue a truth that threatens to not only tarnish his image of his grandfather, but also unravel everything about his family as he knows it.

For the first time in more than 20 years, Mike Ianelli returns to his childhood home, stirring memories of a turf war that altered his view on his neighborhood, his relationships, and, most importantly, his hometown. Back then, he was eleven and ready to start his summer vacation in the Glen, his twin cul-de-sac neighborhood. But two things were going to make this a summer like no other. One was that he had to find a way to share a difficult, potentially divisive decision with his best friend. The other was that a standoff with the troublesome kids up the hill over the neighborhood basketball hoop had quickly escalated to something far more sinister and dangerous. Juxtaposed against this tension is Mike's budding romance with one of the sisters of the “enemy.” As everything builds to a fever pitch, Mike must face resolutions that could have a profound effect on his future. It's a season of change for Mike Ianelli – all triggered by the cul-de-sac war.