| American Maverick in Japan: The Rick Roa Story Contributor(s): Teora, Tony (Author) |
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ISBN: 0595763634 ISBN-13: 9780595763634 Publisher: iUniverse OUR PRICE: $23.36 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: April 2004 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Biography & Autobiography | Criminals & Outlaws |
| Dewey: B |
| Physical Information: 0.56" H x 6" W x 9" (0.90 lbs) 172 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - Japanese |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: I first met Richard Roa in the fall of 1989. I was in the middle of researching Tokyo Underworld and someone had suggested I interview him because he knew the main character of the book, Nick Zapetti, and also because he worked for a time as a consultant to the Toa-Sogo Kigyo, a real-estate/leisure outfit based in Roppongi, which was, in fact, a transmogrification of the infamous Tokyo gang, the Tosei-kai, a yakuza organization which occupied another major part of the book. My scheduled two-hour interview with Rick Roa metastasized into several lengthy Q&A session because the stories this man had to tell were so damned interesting, starting with the chilling tale he told of being caught in a Tokyo mob run clip joint and what he had to do to get his money back. There was more--his hilarious tale of the American Train venture, his experiences as a bartender in the Ginza's most exclusive (and expensive) hostess club, his adventures with Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston in Japan. But, unfortunately, I could not use much of the material because it did not impact directly on the central thesis of Underworld, which dealt with the corrupt side of the U.S.-Japan relationship. But I always thought that it would make a good book one day, and lo and behold, here it is. I'm sure readers will enjoy this book as much as I did. Robert Whiting, |