HUGO N. GERSTL

THE WRECKING CREW-AMAZON COMMENTS

These are genuine reviews from Amazon.com. Names and email addresses have been deleted to protect the privacy rights of those who were kind enough to write in, but feel free to visit Amazon.com to see the originals of these reviews.  Thank you. – Hugh

***** Hugo Gerstl has done it again with this fascinating exploration. Hugo Gerstl has done it again with this Fascinating Exploration of 'Senior Citizens' whose History is the Dynamic which translates to "Getting the Job Done" – January 2017

***** Love this Author. Thank you, Hugo N. Gerstl. Love this Author! Thank you Hugo N Gerstl.  March 2017

*** Three stars. It was good, not great. – June 2017

***** When do we see the movie? The premise sounds goofy - and it is! A bunch of "retired" mafiosi dons and a group of society's lowest echelons given a "second chance" at life ...and all they have to do is what.no one else has been able to do - destroy ISIS. Welcome to The Wrecking Crew - one of the most entertaining novels of this or any other year. Violence, bizarre locales and mayhem, wacky characters galore, madcap humor, a phenomenal ending, and, underneath it all, a wonderfully wise and serious message to cement the whole thing together. I've read just about all of Gerstl's work and this one tops them all. Easily five stars! A fabulous read (and a serious candidate for a great movie!) from start to finish. – December 2016

***** You know, it COULD just work! The latest from historical fiction / suspense thriller / political veteran writer, shorter and faster than most of his works, explores a truly unique plot line which is right on-target in today's wacky, upside-down world. Mixing suspense, diabolical humor, and an original ending, it makes a perfect summer / beach / airplane read. – January 2017

***** Awesome read. I have to admit: While I chose this book for a "fun" read to satisfy a craving for a story with a lot of action, by the end I found myself pondering whether what I had thought was a far-fetched premise could actually be a workable course of action... bravo, Mr. Gerstl, bravo! – January 2017

***** Bin Laden meets The Godfather. Was given the book as a Christmas gift and couldn't put it down. 5 stars!! – December 2016

Hang on for a wild ride! The craziest “coalition” in history is out to destroy ISIS!

Forty years ago, Don Tommy Aiello was the most feared mafia leader in the United States. Each week, he counted the number of bodies he was responsible for sending to their Maker. Each week, he counted the number of women he had slept with. But that was forty years ago. Today, he counts the number of pills he takes and the pennies left over from his small Social Security check so he might buy a cheap set of dentures – not covered by Medicare. Life is pretty awful. Twenty miles away, Pedro Sanchez, twenty, has already done two of his three strikes in prison. He can’t find a job and his seventeen-year-old girlfriend has just told him she’s pregnant. Life is pretty awful.

Sister Maureen Richards is about to be dumped from her position as head of a prestigious private girls’ school. And FBI middle-manager Dennis O’Brien, 63, knows he’s on the way out the door. But he’s got an idea, which he shares with Ezra Caen, the hero of Gerstl’s Assassin. Five thousand miles away, a group of malcontents calling themselves the Islamic State (ISIS) is stirring up a worldwide bag of problems. Boots on the ground can’t stop them, aircraft in the air have no effect. The U.S. is spending $14 million a day and going nowhere.

What if 15 “retired” Mafia Dons under the leadership of Sister Maureen are tasked with destroying ISIS? In exchange, their criminal records will be erased, and each will get $75,000 tax-free a year for the rest of his life. Their “army” will consist of young Hispanics who aren’t going anywhere except to the bottom … they’ll be given a four-year free college education and guaranteed government employment.

Of course, the good, moral U.S. of A. can’t be seen to have a hand in this, so it will all be funded through La Società di Religione, the Institute for the Works of Religion – more familiarly known as the Vatican Bank. And if any of this “army” is ever caught, no one will claim they even knew of its existence.

Go get ‘em, tigers!

THE WRECKING CREW – THE MOST WRITING FUN I’VE EVER HAD!

I confess unashamedly I have never had as much sheer fun writing a book – any book!  This one was a hoot to write, from a somewhat “quasi-tragic” beginning, to its Mel Brooksian climax, to its unexpectedly serious message at the very end: Too often, we turn a blind eye to those who are old and no longer beautiful or even attractive, the poor, the underclass, those of darker skin, “lesser” beings than we are, someone who cannot help us reach our own goals.

Yet, a grin was never very far from my face during the four months it took to churn out this book. I was reminded of a story an old friend recently told me:

An old Doberman started chasing rabbits and before long, discovered that he was lost.

Wandering about, he noticed a lion heading rapidly in his direction with the intention of having lunch.

The old Doberman thought, "Oh, oh! I'm in deep shit now!”

Noticing some bones on the ground close by, he immediately settled down to chew on the bones with his back to the approaching cat.

Just as the lion was about to leap, the old Doberman exclaimed loudly, "Boy, that was one delicious lion! I wonder, if there are any more around here?”

Hearing this, the young lion halted his attack in mid-stride, a look of terror came over him, and he slinked away into the trees.

"Whew!," said the lion, "That was close! That old Doberman nearly had me!”

Meanwhile, a squirrel who had been watching the whole scene from a nearby tree, figured he could put this knowledge to good use and trade it for protection from the lion. So, off he went.

The squirrel soon caught up with the lion, spilled the beans and struck a deal for himself with the lion.

The young lion felt furious at being made a fool of and said, "Here, squirrel, hop on my back and see what's going to happen to that conniving canine!”

Now, the old Doberman saw the lion coming with the squirrel on his back and thought, "What am I going to do now?," but instead of running, the dog sas down with his back to his attackers, pretending he hadn't seen them yet, and just when they get close enough to hear, the old Doberman says…….. "Where's that squirrel? I sent him off an hour ago to bring me another lion!”

The Moral of this story… Don't mess with old dogs... Age and treachery will always overcome youth and vigor!  Bullshit and brilliance only come with age and experience!

If you don't send this to 2 “old' friends right away, there will be 2 fewer people laughing in the world. … Of course, I am in no way insinuating that you are old, just 'youthfully challenged.’