Author Joseph Cutshall-King lives in Washington County, NY, with his wife Sara. He was born in Saratoga Springs, NY, and grew up in Saratoga, Fort Edward and Ticonderoga, NY. A graduate of Fordham College and The Sage Colleges, he recently retired as Vice President for Institutional Advancement at SUNY Adirondack.
In a past life he was a museum director at the Chapman Historical Museum in Glens Falls, NY, and the Park-McCullough House in North Bennington, VT.
Cutshall-King was also author of two different local history columns published weekly over nineteen years in The Post-Star, the daily newspaper of Glens Falls, NY, and he wrote and produced Legacy, a radio program broadcast weekly on WWSC AM and WCKM FM.
The Burning of The Piping Rock is Cutshall-King’s first novel. He is also the author of several books of local history: Hospital By the Falls, the History of Glens Falls Hospital 1897-1987; the Con Amore—the Italian History of Fort Edward, NY; and Cornerstone of the Future a history of the First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls, NY. He also co-edited Sherlock Holmes, Victorian Sleuth to Modern Hero with Sally Sugarman and Charles R. Putney.
Is any of the the story particularly George A King’s involvement based on facts?
Hi Rosemary, I am Joe’s wife, Sara. I can answer your question….Joe usually is not able to answer right away because of his job. So the answer to your question is YES…anymore he would have to fll you in…thanks for asking! Sara
Hi Rosemary.
My apologies for not getting back to you sooner. The arson of the Piping Rock as presented in my novel is fictional, so that would make my father’s involvement in it fictional as well. However, there is much actual, true history in the book. Dad was an employee of James Leary, the head of the Republican machine in Saratoga in the 1940s and `50s and the person who coordinated “services” for mob–police-fixing, money laundering, etc. Leary, an attorney, also defended the mob in court.
Dad did run MacFinn’s Drugstore and was very much involved with all the mob activities that Leary was: especially the gambling casinos. At Leary’s request, dad kept two sets of books for the pharmacy, which was used to help launder gaming money, among other illicit activities. Dad also sold cellophane and scotchtape to an arsonist whom he referred to only as Harry the Torch, whom, Dad said, had burned the Piping Rock Casino to the ground in 1954. The casino was owned by the mob, fronting for distinguished citizens who wanted to hide their ties to it.
Dad’s involvement with the Leary machine and everything that went on in Saratoga Springs between 1946, when we came to Saratoga, and 1952, when we left, nearly cost our family our lives. And that is solid truth. Leary was a dangerous man and my father got involved in a dangerous game. A lot of what I have my father relate in the novel is absolutely true. Perhaps someday I’ll do a book about the book.
Thanks for great question.
Joe
Thank you for answering Joe, hopefully you will be able to sign our copy of the The book when you are up north.
Yours truly,
Rosemary Moore
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