The Pied Piper Of South Shore: Toys and Tragedy in Chicago

This true crime memoir of Chicago toy storeowner, Manny Lazar, known as the Pied Piper of South Shore, is set primarily in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood in the 50’s and 60’s. It is the story of the life and death of this beloved retailer told in the gritty detail by his elder daughter. The author takes readers from Russian persecution to American freedom, from Hula Hoops to hit men, from murder to trial. It’s the story of two children of immigrants, their American dream, and their richly diverse neighborhood in which each fell prey to the brutality of of gangs. It is the story of loss and survival, even forgiveness.