Jimmy Breslin

Jimmy Breslin

Jimmy Breslin (James Earle Breslin) was born on October 17th, 1928. Jimmy passed away March 19th, 2017 at 88 years old. Jimmy Breslin was born in Jamaica, New York, USA. Breslin attended Long Island University.

Jimmy Breslin was a popular columnist and journalist who was loved for his impactful coverage of life in New York City that he earned a Pulitzer Prize. Throughout his career, he wrote numerous columns and novels in various papers in New York City until he retired in 2004.

Breslin was the son of an Irish Catholic family in Queens, New York, where he was brought up by a single mother who worked as a Welfare Department investigator. He did not have the best childhood as his father had abandoned them when he went to buy food and never returned.

Jimmy Breslin got his first job as a copyboy for the Long Island Press in the 1940s. He would then work for many publications such as the National Police Gazette, New York Herald Tribune, and The Daily Beast among others. His most famous column is when he wrote an article about the man who dug John F. Kennedy’s grave.

In 1969, he unsuccessfully ran alongside mayoral candidate Norman Mailer seeking to become New York City Council president. After his unsuccessful bid, he would go back to being an investigative journalist and make many connections with various criminal and Mafia elements in the city.

In his personal life, Breslin was twice married and had six children. He died in Manhattan in 2017, aged 88.

Jimmy Breslin published Table Money, his most popular work in 1986. The book tells the story of Owney Morrison, a Medal of Honor Winner and hero of the Vietnam War who finds himself unable to deal with an alcohol addiction habit back home. Desperate, Dolores his wife is faced with the difficult decision of whether to leave the man she believes is dragging her down or stay and help him.

In 2009, Breslin published The Good Rat, the story of a man who wore a wire and ratted on dozens of gangsters from the Gambino family. It is the story of one of the best rats since Valachi, the man who ran the mafia cops. He also tells of his life and times working as a reporter in New York City, including his childhood in Queens, his adventures in the courtrooms and barrooms, and even the mob tales.

Breslin published his memoir The World of Jimmy Breslin in 2012. He tells of his time working for the New York Herald Tribune during the 1960s and how he made a name for himself. While other journalists wrote about economy, culture, or politics, Breslin wrote about himself and the city, telling stories full of wit and grace which made his column a must-read.

Jimmy Breslin: Lists & Other Mentions

• The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight was a Publishers Weekly: Bestselling Novel in the United States in 1970.
• Can\'t Anybody Here Play This Game? was a Sports Illustrated: The Top 100 Sports Books of All Time Selection in 2002.

Related Authors

Fans of Jimmy Breslin also enjoy these authors:

1. David Baldacci, author of the Amos Decker Series.
2. Dean Koontz, author of the Odd Thomas Series.
3. James Patterson, author of the Alex Cross Series.
4. Lawrence Block, author of the Matthew Scudder Series.
5. Ken Follett, author of the Kingsbridge Series.

Jimmy Breslin: F.A.Q