Returning to the Lion's Den

When Daniel Montello is 18 years old, because his family is overwhelmed with crushing financial problems, he begins working as an errand boy/clean-up person at the Huntington Social Club, a storefront in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn that is used by the De Luca crime family. That decision dramatically alters the trajectory of Daniel’s life and drastically affects all of those who care about him.

While not a sequel to The Outcast Prophet of Bensonhurst, this new book by Marco Manfre, Returning to the Lion’s Den, deals with similar themes: family, love, loss, and consequences, as well as local traditions and loyalties. However, because it is the story of a man’s life in an organized crime family, Returning to the Lion’s Den is replete with gut-churning images and heart-pounding scenes of crime and retribution. It also explores the boundaries of faith and loyalty and delves into fundamental questions of right and wrong.

While Returning to the Lion’s Den is a work of fiction, as the story unfolds, it reveals much accurate, well-researched information about the actual workings of modern-day crime families. It is an eloquent and fascinating cross between The Godfather and The Valachi Papers.

Its unique characters, real-life setting, and complex plot make Returning to the Lion’s Den that rare kind of reading experience: a fast-paced thriller/crime novel and a deeply moving story of a man’s fall from grace and his ultimate redemption.