BROADWAY BUTTERFLY: VIVIAN GORDON - Anthony M. DeStefano


 1920's and 30's, New York. A truly exciting era in an exciting city. The jazz age and Prohibition, gangsters and molls. But where there's gangsters and mobsters and speakeasies and prostitution and the heavy flow of illegal booze, there's the danger of murder. 

On February 26, 1931, Vivian Gordon, a Broadway Butterfly (a name given to the many young women who were lured to New York by the bright lights of Broadway but who had little to no success on the stage) as well as a high-end escort, blackmailer, and con artist, was found beaten and garroted in a park in the Bronx.

Born in Indiana, Vivian made her way to New York City in 1920, hoping to find fame and fortune on Broadway. It's a competitive industry and even those with lots of talent don't always make it and a beautiful girl (especially in a city like New York) had limited opportunities for an income. Vivian took full advantage of her looks and shrewdly kept a detailed diary of all the names of the men she spent time with.  Shrewd ... but dangerous, especially when she associated with such high-profile people as “Legs” Diamond.

Author Anthony M. DeStefano has done some incredibly detailed research and fans of Jazz Age history can really sink their teeth into a book like this. Unfortunately this is not really a book about a Broadway Butterfly or Vivian Gordon. She, and more specifically her death, is certainly the catalyst for a deep look at corruption in Prohibition-era New York and perhaps even brought down some powerful political figures. But the book digs deeper into many people - some who never had contact with Gordon during her life - and the media circus surrounding her death and the corruption in the government that was exposed.

I love reading about the Jazz Age - both fiction and non-fiction - and as an old theatre person myself, I was really looking forward to reading more about "Broadway Butterfly: Vivian Gordon, the Lady Gangster of Jazz Age New York." Had I known this was more about the downfall of the corrupt politics of the age, I may not have selected to read this, but if I had, I would at least have a better idea what I was getting in to. I'm actually MORE interested now, to read a real biography of Gordon.

It's a little hard to write about the complicated spiraling effects of corruption and DeStefano does a pretty good job of keeping the reader informed and on track with what's happening.  it does get a little dull at times, as facts are put before the reader, but this is still generally engaging. I just wish it was about what the title suggests.

Looking for a good book? As a biography, Broadway Butterfly: Vivian Gordon, the Lady Gangster of Jazz Age New York by Anthony M. DeStefano doesn't quite work. As a historical perspective of bringing political corruption to light in the Jazz Age, this works fairly well.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

3-1/2 stars

* * * * * *

Broadway Butterfly: Vivian Gordon, the Lady Gangster of Jazz Age New York

author: Anthony M. DeStefano

publisher: Citadel

ISBN: 9780806543147

hardcover, 256 pages

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