Ron Ross

Tales from the Sidewalks of New York Reviews

“A lithe, lyrical collection that packs more than a few punches.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“You’re a New Yorker if you fold your slice of pizza before eating it; if you don’t mind paying more for the “Sunday Times” than a ham sandwich; if you never owned a car and (gulp) don’t know how to drive. I'm a hopeless city rat. I know New Yorkers, and Ron Ross is a true New Yorker; read one page of his prose and there's no hiding the fact. Who better, then, to pen a collection of short stories, “Tales From The Sidewalks Of New York,” than Ron? Good stuff. Fun stuff. And honest stuff from a guy who’s been on those same sidewalks.”

—Steve Farhood, Showtime boxing analyst

“Having read Ron Ross' “Bummy Davis Vs. Murder, Inc.” no less than six times, I believe it’s the best book written about Brooklyn, boxing and the Jewish Mafia. Therefore, I couldn’t imagine any encore to match “Bummy’s” level of read-ability. Now, along comes Ross with ten “Tales From The Sidewalks of New York”— plus three bonus poems. Not only has Ron done it again—brilliantly—only this time with short stories that capture the Big Apple’s flavor as well as any native of Brooklyn or elsewhere in Gotham. It proves that the genius of “Bummy” was no accident! ”

—Stan Fischler, author, The Subway And The City, sports announcer, journalist

“Open the pages of “Tales from the Sidewalks of New York” and you will smell the goods of the pushcart peddlers, hear the elevated trains rumble by and understand what it was like to grow up in a special place during a special time. The neighborhood was tough, the people tough and beautiful. Ron Ross takes you to places in New York that no longer exist. It’s an incredible, 217-page journey. And the poems? The poems are a knockout.”

—Bobby Cassidy Jr., Newsday

“Ron Ross grew up on the sidewalks of New York, specifically the sidewalks of Brownsville, Brooklyn, in the 1930s and 1940s. Fortunately for the reader he is also a born story teller who knows how to weave a delightful tale that is at turns poignant, hilarious, and hopeful. In his latest book, Tales from the Sidewalks of New York, Ross has written an engrossing and highly entertaining collection of 13 short stories that make you feel as if you have entered a time machine into a New York City that is no more. Several stories revolve around a boxing theme, a subject the author knows very well, having been a boxer, manager and promoter. Ross not only captures the gritty feel of the streets but also the romantic yearnings, fears and dreams of his colorful cast of characters. He creates powerful images with his prose, especially when he delves into the minds and hearts of his characters, be they male or female, Child or adult, hero or bum. As in his previous work, Bummy Davis vs. Murder Inc.—The Rise and Fall of the Jewish Mafia and an ill-fated Prizefighter, Ross’s word pictures give you the feeling that you are watching a film noir classic.”

—Mike Silver, Author of The Arc of Boxing: The Rise and Decline of the Sweet Science

“ENCORES don't come easy after you've hit a grand slam.

Likewise, it's a heck of a challenge if you're an author expected to produce another gem after you've penned what I consider the best book ever written about boxing, Brooklyn and Jewish mobsters.

But that's precisely what Ron Ross has done with his latest literary gem, “Tales From The Sidewalks Of New York,” a collection of short stories about The Big Apple....”