Augie's Secrets
The Minneapolis Mob and the King of the Hennepin Strip
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Average rating2
15
The Minneapolis Mob and the King of the Hennepin Strip
Ratings1
Average rating2
Augie Ratner, the proprietor of Augie's Theater Lounge & Bar on Hennepin Avenue, was the unofficial mayor of Minneapolis's downtown strip in the 1940s and 1950s. In a few blocks between the swanky clubs and restaurants on Eighth Street and the sleazy flophouses and bars of the Gateway District, the city's shakers-and-movers and shake-down artists mingled.
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I enjoyed the local Jewish history and recognized a few names of people and places I knew. I learned a few things I didn't already know (Kid Cann was partially responsible for the tragic scrapping of the Twin Cities streetcar system!) The writing wasn't inspiring. At times it was repetitive and didn't tell a story so much as it listed anecdotes and names. It's a quick read, so if you're really interested in Minneapolis Jewish gangster history, go for it.
