Book from Author Sammy Levitt Shows What Life in Philly Really Is
Novel tells of turf wars and life of crime in ’70s Philadelphia
In the summer of ’78, the neighborhood of Logan in North Philadelphia faced a reckoning. With a shift in population, the area underwent drastic changes. Turf wars, crime, political upheaval were everywhere and Torch finds himself at the center of it all. His story unfolds in the book from author Sammy Levitt entitled “Ben’s.”
A small-time numbers writer finds himself embroiled in a difficult and life-threatening situation when his boss, a loan shark and head of a lucrative gambling operation on Philly’s south side, had to change the location of his business. Deciding to go underground, he runs into a situation with the members of Ben’s, a group of young men who are engaged in petty crimes and hustles. Torch finds himself caught up since he is also a member of the group. Further complicating things is Washington, a cop, and a ‘gang’ expert who works with teens. Studying to become a criminal psychologist, he develops a test given to teens. He discovers that beyond the gang wars and crimes taking place in the area, a deeper issue is the root of this violence: institutional racism. Sammy Levitt’s Ben’s is an eye-opening fiction that does not detach from reality. Levitt offers a book about race, politics, and crime and unravels a powerful story for the world to read.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Sammy Levitt knows the area in and out. He graduated from Parkway High School and Temple University, with each phase in his life giving him ample experience to serve as inspiration. A former city employee, he has also dabbled in writing. His works have been published in Gambling Times, Win, and American Turf Monthly. His work reflects all things Philly and they are evident in the narrative and tone of his published pieces. He also serves as an officer of Roxborough Lodge Son’s of Italy, a position he has held for 25 years.
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