Book Signing with Author Frank Hayde

Frank R. Hayde is a career law enforcement officer whose Kansas City heritage reaches back to the 19th century. Descended from Irish-American bricklayers and machine politicians, he brings a deep personal connection to the city’s colorful past and its ties to organized crime. Hayde is the author of several other books, including: The Mafia and the Machine: The Story of the Kansas City Mob; Mafia Dreams: A True Crime Saga of Young Men at the End of an Era in Kansas City; Stan Levy: Jazz Heavyweight; and Italian Gardens: A History of Kansas City Through Its Favorite Restaurant.

Hoffa's Connection: The Story of Sylvia Pagano, the Kansas City Girl at the Center of the Mafia's Alliance with the Teamsters Union

The alliance between the Mafia and the Teamsters Union remains one of the most notorious partnerships in American history—a saga dominated by powerful men like Jimmy Hoffa. Yet its very origins can be traced to one formidable woman: Sylvia Pagano, a Kansas City native the FBI once called “the connection between the Detroit Italian Syndicate and the Teamsters Union.” Sylvia’s influence extended far beyond Detroit and Kansas City. She became an indispensable asset to Hoffa and a trusted figure within the American underworld. In a patriarchal subculture that relegated most women to servile or ornamental roles, Sylvia Pagano was unique. As a powerbroker, liaison, and advisor, she was more consigliere than gangster moll. Her life story is a microcosm of the Mafia and a window into some of organized crime’s most fascinating people, places, and events.