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The Mob Built This City
By Judy Berman Did the mob once run Las Vegas? Some dispute that, but few would quibble about the explosive growth in Sin City as a result of the Mob’s presence. This reputation is one that The Mob...
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The Ultimate Irish Wake
By Judy Berman Going out on your own terms is exactly what Walter George Bruhl Jr. did. He wrote his own obituary, and it’s hilarious. “There will be no viewing, as his wife refuses to honor his...
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Grapes of Wrath
By Judy Berman My role model is a paroled prisoner, an unrepentant killer. After four years in prison on a manslaughter charge, his concerns were only for “today.” Time and life’s experiences shifted...
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Drug Raid – The Cupboards Were Bare
By Judy Berman Minutes after an undercover police officer made a drug buy from the back window of a house, I heard him over the police radio. “It’s a go. There are three people in there.” Then, six...
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Escape to Freedom
By Judy Berman Sometimes, life hems you into a holding pattern that’s hard to break away from. You might be reluctant to strike out on your own when you have the status symbol of the decade: a job....
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Your Wish Has Been Granted
By Judy Berman I wander thru the crowd, pleased to see a familiar face. If anyone can grant me a wish, it will be this dark, mysterious stranger. His piercing, blue eyes meet mine, probing to...
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A Black Heart and a Mobster
By Judy Berman The shadier side of life. It’s a look that few get to see, except in passing or on TV. As a cops and court reporter, some encounters were brief. But the impressions lasted a lifetime....
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An Unexpected Twist
By Judy Berman How could I not see that coming? That’s often my reaction when I am shocked by how a movie ended. What did I miss? I have that same reaction to a joke’s punch line that surprises me or...
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Jimmy Stewart and the Real Bedford Falls
By Judy Berman The actors packed up long ago. The cameras and props are no doubt in storage. But I believe the setting for “It’s a Wonderful Life” remains intact. Many believe that Seneca Falls, New...
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Bad Bosses and Wise Guys
By Judy Berman The smell of hazelnut coffee still makes me queasy. It is a reminder of an ice queen who once ruled where I worked years ago. Clueless, out-of-touch, manipulative, narcissistic,...
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Mirage
By Judy Berman What if everything you thought was true turned out to be a lie? You didn’t know who to turn to or who to trust. Some times, life feels like that. But we emerge from the shadows and are...
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Ponyboy – Stay Gold
By Judy Berman Living life on the fringes. Always feeling like you’re on the outside looking in. That’s the theme of the novel, “The Outsiders,” by S.E. Hinton. It’s one I can relate to, and I’ve been...
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Lessons Learned From The Godfather
By Judy Berman Sometimes, life hands us a lesson when we’re least expecting it. That often happens to me when I’m reading a book or watching a movie. Who knew that a mobster movie like “The Godfather”...
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Dodging a Bullet
By Judy Berman A huge red balloon floats ahead of you, just out of reach. It entices you to follow, and you do, until it loses oxygen and fades away. In a moment of clarity, that might be months or...
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