A Stand Up Guy, a novel which combines the humor and poignancy of childhood with the disturbing realities of the criminal underworld, tells the story of Vinny Castelli and Ray Bonavita, two young Italian-Americans growing up in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Under the tutelage of Vinny’s Uncle Benny, a notorious gangland chieftain, Vinny and Ray become involved in organized crime. Ray, who is volatile by nature, becomes increasingly violent and unpredictable, and eventually Vinny is called upon to murder his closest friend. Painfully honest, humorously frank, A Stand Up Guy captures the essence of criminality while debunking the romantic myths surrounding the Mafia lifestyle.