Lords of Corruption

About the Book

Long before casinos became legal in Atlantic City, New Jersey, a powerful political machine known as “The Organization” sanctioned and operated gambling establishments throughout the resort. Mobsters aided by corrupt politicians and cops-on-the-take controlled the city’s businesses, both legitimate and shady. In the early 1950s, four honest policemen, led by determined officer Jack Portock, battled the corruption and illegal operations in the name of the laws they’d sworn to uphold. Their efforts earned them nationwide prominence and powerful enemies, including the leader of “The Organization,” New Jersey State Senator Frank “Hap” Farley. Farley and his minions would stop at nothing to discredit and defeat the intrepid officers. From the resort nicknamed the “World’s Finest Playground” to the Kefauver Crime Commission’s televised hearings on organized crime held in Washington, D.C., Lords of Corruption tells the gripping, true story of the legendary Jack Portock and his fellow officers who came to be known as “The Four Horsemen of Atlantic City.”

About the Author

Edward Thomas Ellson began his professional career with executive positions in the foodservice and hotel industries. Born in Brooklyn, NY, he earned a Master of Business Administration in Corporation Finance and a B.S. degree in Management from St. John’s University, Jamaica, NY. After relocating to southern New Jersey in 1979, he applied his vast knowledge and experience in various Atlantic City casino hotels. While in the casino industry, he met and worked with Jack Portock, the legendary former police officer whose life story is the basis for Ellson’s first book Lords of Corruption. Now a full-time business consultant and writer, Ellson continues to make his home in the Atlantic City area.