History Literature / TheNorthAvenueIrregulars

* DramaticChaseOpening / FirstEpisodeSpoiler: The book begins with the Irregulars chasing the money as far as they are able then celebrating with their advisors. The rest deals with the history of gambling in New Rochelle and [[HowWeGotHere how the Irregulars got to that point]].

* DramaticChaseOpening / FirstEpisodeSpoiler: The book begins with the Irregulars chasing the money as far as they are able then celebrating with their advisors. The rest deals with the history of gambling in New Rochelle and how the Irregulars got to that point.

TheMafia in the hometown of [[TheDickvanDykeShow the Petries]]? Improbable, but there it was, on practically every downtown street corner! Unable to get any of his male parishioners to participate, Rev. Hill calls on their wives instead, then two Treasury agents get involved, and The North Avenue Irregulars are formed. Together, they put a dent in the local numbers running racket.

* DramaticChaseOpening: See FirstEpisodeSpoiler.
* EmbarrassingMiddleName: See GenderBlenderName.
* FirstEpisodeSpoiler: The book begins with the Irregulars chasing the money as far as they are able then celebrating with their advisors. The rest deals with the history of gambling in New Rochelle and how the Irregulars got to that point.
* FriendOnTheForce: Averted. ''Nobody'' wants the Irregulars making noise.
* GenderBlenderName: When meeting the T-Men to discuss the Irregulars, Rev. Hill asks them to call him Fay.

* TheMafia: Numbers runners whose cash is followed to Yonkers, where it's presumably mixed with cash from other operations in the vicinity and headed south.

* BadassPreacher: to a degree. He starts off as one minister taking on TheMafia by himself.

* DirtyCop: seemingly the entire department to one degree or another. At least one officer's brother runs numbers and the officer himself hangs out in the brother's establishment while bets are made.
* DramaticChaseOpening: see FirstEpisodeSpoiler.
* EmbarrassingMiddleName: see GenderBlenderName.

* FriendOnTheForce: averted. ''Nobody'' wants the Irregulars making noise.
* GenderBlenderName: when meeting the T-Men to discuss the Irregulars, Rev. Hill asks them to call him Fay.

* TheMafia: numbers runners whose cash is followed to Yonkers, where it's presumably mixed with cash from other operations in the vicinity and headed south.
* PoliceAreUseless: at least the local cops are, and it goes all the way up to the Commissioner.
* RealLife: the entire tale is retold by Rev. Hill to the best of his ability, though names have been changed to protect the women and Treasury agents involved.
* SuspiciouslyIdleOfficers: at least when it comes to investigating TheMafia. Sure, they raid a few places once in a while, but only enough to make the news so the citizens go back to thinking everything is hunky-dory.

* FirstEpisodeSpoiler: The book begins with the Irregulars chasing the money as far south as they are able then celebrating with their advisors. The rest deals with the history of gambling in New Rochelle and how the Irregulars got to that point.

* TheMafia: numbers runners whose cash is followed as far south as White Plains.

[[caption-width-right:229:First Edition cover]]

* FirstEpisodeSpoiler: The book begins with the Irregulars chasing the money as far south as they are able then celebrating with their advisors. The rest deals with the history of gambling in New Rochelle and how the Irregulars go to that point.

* FriendOnTheForce: averted. ''Nobody'' wants the Irregulars making noise.

* TheMafia: numbers runners whose cash is followed as far south as White Plains.

TheMafia in the hometown of [[TheDickvanDykeShow the Petries]]? Improbable, but there it was, on practically every downtown street corner! Unable to get any of his male parishioners to participate, Rev. Hill calls on their wives instead, then two [[FBIAgent FBI agents]] get involved, and The North Avenue Irregulars are formed. Together, they put a dent in the local numbers running racket.

* AmateurSleuth: Rev. Hill and his Irregulars, albeit with guidance from the FBI.

* FBIAgent: two of them, naturally.

* FriendOnTheForce: inverted. ''Nobody'' wants the Irregulars making noise.

New Rochelle has a problem that's been going on for more than a decade, the local police look the other way, and one powerful businessman is fed up. The businessman implored the community leaders to do something about the city's plethora of [[DirtyCop Dirty Cops]]. The community leaders, in turn, formed a committee amongst themselves plus a rabbi, a priest, and a minster.

New Rochelle has a problem that's been going on for more than a decade, the local police look the other way, and one powerful businessman is fed up. The businessman implored the community leaders to do something about the city's plethora of [[DirtyCop Dirty Cops]].

November, 1962. John F. Kennedy has been president for nearly two years, the Cuban Missile Crisis is over, and ''TheJetsons'' has been on for a few weeks. Everything seems right with the world. Unless you're a certain preacher in New Rochelle, New York.

New Rochelle has a problem that's been going on for more than a decade, the local police look the other way, and Rev. Albert Fay Hill is fed up.