Damon Runyon

''Damon Runyon Favorites'' is a classic major collection of colorful short stories and novellas by Damon Runyon that vividly portrays the underworld of New York during the Prohibition era. It focuses on gangsters, gamblers, touts, and Broadway characters, featuring tales like "Little Miss Marker" and "Madame La Gimp". It features memorable, hard-boiled characters with colorful nicknames such as Harry the Horse, Spanish John, Little Isadore, and The Brain, and explores gambling (craps and horse racing), the transient nature of life, and the humorous yet sometimes grim realities of street-level gangsters and their associates.
The stories are deeply rooted in Broadway and Tenth Avenue, exploring the "main stem" of New York City. Known for its unique, fast-paced narration, often written in the present tense, blending underworld slang with a seemingly detached, yet affectionate perspective on these "tough" characters. This collection highlights Runyon's reputation as a premier chronicler of Broadway's vibrant, albeit shady, life in the 1920s and 30s.