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Strawberries and Diamonds: An Ellis Island Mystery

by Stephen Sparacio, Sr.

98 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #07-3053; ISBN 1-4251-6596-6; US$22.89, C$22.89, EUR15.64, £11.82

Two Sicilian thieves, out of poverty and desperation, steal millions of dollars of gemstones from an upscale jewelry store in Rome in 1913.

They attempt to smuggle them to America via Ellis Island.

About the Book

Two poor and desperate Sicilians rob a famous and upscale jewelry store in Rome in 1913.

They attempt to smuggle the hundreds of gemstones, mostly diamonds, by emigrating to America via an immigrant ship and Ellis Island. On the journey, tragedy befalls the two, but not before the jewels, to avoid confiscation in Customs, are hidden in the main building on Ellis Island.

Ninety- five years later, a letter written on board the immigrant ship by one of the thieves to his brother in New York, who died a week after receiving it, survived transfer from one generation to another.

A female descendant, whose father inherited trunks of letters, photographs, and other memorabilia dating back to 1913, read the letter. She was so intrigued that she hired a private detective to search for the jewels.

In a life - or- death confrontation between the detective and a Chinese assassin, in the cold falling snow on the deserted and neglected Ellis Island, a fatal mistake determined the survivor.

About the Author

Stephen Sparacio Sr. has taught English, including Journalism and Creative Writing, part-time at five colleges.

At Baldwin Senior High School, Baldwin, N.Y, he taught English and Journalism and was advisor of the school newspaper, The Golden Wave, before becoming English Department Chairman and then Administrative Assistant to the Principal.

As an Army journalist, stationed in La Rochelle, France, he was Sports Editor of one of the three weekly military newspapers. A Public Information Specialist, he also wrote news and feature stories for the American Forces Radio Network, Army Times, N.Y. Herald Tribune (Paris Edition), Stars and Stripes, and hometown newspapers. For special occasions, he wrote speeches for the Commanding General.

A few poems and non-fiction articles have been published in various periodicals. For Cablevision, he wrote, narrated, and appeared in programs on the Scholastic Aptitude Test. He also edited the College Boards textbook of Amsco Publications. As an Adjunct Assistant Professor at St. John’s University, he was selected to be a consultant for the compact Norton Introduction to Literature, 8th edition. At Barnel-Loft Publications, he was a part-time proofreader and copy writer.

For two years, he served part-time as Assistant Dean at a local college. A graduate of Syracuse University with a B.A. degree in English, he also earned a Master’s degree and Doctorate from Columbia University.

He is married to the former Lucille Waaser and has two children, Stephen Paul Jr. and Suzanne Sparacio Soetje.

This is his first novel.