The Family Business

The Family Business is the story of Michael Ponzi's return to a Hoboken neighborhood to continue in his father's profession as a hit man. Michael's first solo assignment comes after his dad gets pinched by the FBI, and The Dwarf, the "big" Carzano crime boss, orders a hit involving Zenobia, the best-known pop star on the planet. After Zenobia foils Michael in finishing the task, he finds that she is in major trouble with The Management and that The Dwarf has double-crossed him. He and Zenobia barely escape with their lives, and while on the lam, Michael is accused of kidnapping the mega star. On a Mennonite farm in upstate New York, Michael and Zenobia devise a way to return to their lives and solve two problems: Zenobia wants freedom from The Management, while Michael wants to settle family business with the Carzanos. Amid all their problems, the two discover an odd attraction. In a Snowden-esque twist, Zenobia is hiding a stolen microchip containing sensitive information about "The Management" and the identity of "The Man." As it turns out, the FBI and the mob are after the same information. Ultimately, Michael leverages the chip with bidders through an elaborate Ponzi scheme, with surprising results Michael Ponzi is an unemployed teacher from Hoboken, New Jersey, who presently lives in upstate New York. He is the only son of hardworking Italian/Irish parents who have always been very proud of him. The Family Business is his first novel.