THE DURHAM MOB

About the Book

It’s a Black “Wolf of Wall Street” as six smart, talented, and eager college students from Durham, North Carolina set out to find their future in the Big Apple. It’s the Sixties: JFK’s assassination has affected the social fiber and spirit of the Nation. Despite this, The Civil Rights Movement is going strong and Hope continues to spring up in the lives of the young throughout the country. At the heart of our story are William and Coy, brothers. They’ve been brought up with the courteousness that’s unique in Southern Black folks, gentlemen to the teeth. But once they arrive in New York City their lives change forever. American Counterculture is at its peak... Disco, drugs, parties, and free love are in style... And with their education and good looks, the Durham Mob (as they became to be known) are quick to join the scene. Putting their creative minds to work, they take advantage of the many thriving opportunities that come their way... legal as well as illegal. But the promise of fame and fortune soon gives way to greed and paranoia as the Durham Mob find themselves lost in the temptation of hard drugs, fast women and easy money. It’s a lurid world where people can be bought or sold, physically and spiritually... where the dollar is king and power is just an illusion. Here, we see how Coy and William are pulled in opposite directions. William senses a need for restraint, while Coy gets lost in the pursuit of power and control. At the center of our conflict is a scheme to defraud the city, the state and The Federal Government as Coy, a man with a brilliant mind for finance and accounting, lands a top job with A Federal Anti-poverty Program and creates an uncanny system to bleed the Institution of millions of dollars. After a measure of success, he soon recruits the rest of the Dixie boys to play along and increase his illegal enterprise.

About the Author

Walter Smith, author of THE BLACK MOZART, was born and raised in Durham North Carolina where he attended North Carolina Central University, majoring in French. There, he was a member of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. After Graduation, he moved to New York City. He taught French, Spanish and English as a Second language in the NYC Public Schools for several years. Later, he attended graduate school at Laval University in Quebec, Canada. Having written a few short stories, he moved to Los Angeles California to try writing for television. After only nine months, he and his writing partner, Bill Duke were fortunate enough to land an assignment to write an episode of the popular TV show, “Good Times.” Over the next few years, he wrote a story for the sit-com, “Different Strokes,” which was nominated for The Humanitas Award and later, he wrote a story for “Magnum P.I.” He is a member of The Writers Guild of America. In 2004, he wrote his first book, “The Black Mozart.” He presented his book and a short film at The African American Film Festival in 2006 and 2007. In 2014, he and two friends translated it into French, entitled “Le Mozart Noir.” He taught French, Spanish and English as a Second Language in The Los Angeles Unified School District and retired in 2012. Now, he is a full-time writer.