He was known as Umbrella Mike : a hard man among the beautiful people. He moved among the elite of New York society with little notice, his sharply cocked fedora, his broad Irish face and his ever-present cigar setting him apart from the celebrities and socialites.
Umbrella Mike is Michael Joseph Boyle, the corrupt leader of Chicago's most powerful union and himself a Chicago gangster on friendly terms with Al Capone. Passionate about high-class automobiles, Umbrella Mike was one of the few who could afford the luxury of racing during the hardship of the Depression. In 1937, dogged by adverse publicity and a barrage of disasters, the prestigious Vanderbilt Cup was held on Long Island.
Brock Yates noted editor, columnist and sports analyst and commentator remarkably chronicles the dramatic events that unfolded during this most controversial of races pitting against one another a Nazi poster child, a German-hating Swiss, and the brilliant American underdog who has a trick or two up his sleeve.
Umbrella Mike is Michael Joseph Boyle, the corrupt leader of Chicago's most powerful union and himself a Chicago gangster on friendly terms with Al Capone. Passionate about high-class automobiles, Umbrella Mike was one of the few who could afford the luxury of racing during the hardship of the Depression. In 1937, dogged by adverse publicity and a barrage of disasters, the prestigious Vanderbilt Cup was held on Long Island.
Brock Yates noted editor, columnist and sports analyst and commentator remarkably chronicles the dramatic events that unfolded during this most controversial of races pitting against one another a Nazi poster child, a German-hating Swiss, and the brilliant American underdog who has a trick or two up his sleeve.
