Luck Was My Lady

"LUCK WAS MY LADY" is a novel based on the experiences of Frankie Mendez, an average guy who got caught up in the world of high-stakes gambling. He started helping to run a football pool, graduated into organizing "Las Vegas Nights" for the area churches, charitable organizations, fraternal orders and private clubs and eventually wound up running his own "Bookie" outfit. His life changed when he met his future wife Peggy. She came from a reserved family of conservative whites, he hailed from a boisterous clan of immigrants. Their love ran up against the prejudices of those who could not see why a blonde and a Hispanic could (or should) be happy together. But Peggy stood by Mendez. He made a lot of money but lost it and his freedom when he was arrested and sent to prison. "LUCK WAS MY LADY" describes the swirling ethnic mix of Mendez' hometown and gives readers an inside look at how gambling, particularly sports betting, became big business. It's also a love story, as the old vows of "for better or worse" are put to the test. But above all, it's a story of triumph, sin and redemption, as readers learn why men and women make the wrong choices and how they can be redeemed by love hard work and a belief in God.