Eugene Izzi was a distinguished American author, celebrated for his contributions to the mystery, crime fiction, and thriller genres. He was born on March 23, 1953, in Hegewisch, a neighborhood in southwest Chicago, where he spent his formative years. Izzi's writing career took off with the publication of his first novel, 'The Take', in 1987. Over the next decade, he established himself as a prominent author, publishing a total of 18 books.
Izzi's thrillers were notably characterized by their exploration of organized crime and street characters, which were inspired by his childhood memories in Chicago. His writing style was deeply influenced by the hard-boiled genre, with authors like Dashiell Hammett and Mickey Spillane being among his greatest inspirations. Some of his most popular standalone books include 'Invasions', 'The Take', 'The Booster', 'Bad Guys', 'Prowlers', 'Safe Harbor', 'King of the Hustlers', 'The Prime Roll', and 'A Matter of Honor'.
Despite the moderate success Izzi experienced in his writing career, his life was marked by personal struggles, including alcoholism and a tumultuous marriage. Those who knew him well suggest that he turned to writing as a form of self-therapy. In 1993, Izzi had a dispute with his publisher, which resulted in a three-year period during which he could not publish any books under his own name. In response, he adopted the pseudonym Nick Gaitano and published three novels during this time.
On December 7, 1996, Izzi was discovered hanging outside his Michigan Avenue office. His death was officially ruled a suicide, but many have questioned the circumstances surrounding his death, given the suspicious nature of the event. Regardless, Izzi's literary contributions and the unique hard-boiled style he brought to his crime fiction novels have left a lasting impact on the genre.