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The mob offers the young mayor of Fort Lee, New Jersey, a $500,000 bribe to rezone land adjacent to the George Washington Bridge. Risking his life, the mayor pretends to go along with the plan but wears a wire. His efforts lead to the convictions of seven people.
About the author
Philip Ross is a writer and psychotherapist. He is the brother of Burt Ross, the subject of The Bribe. He lives with his wife and six chickens in the Adirondack mountains of upstate New York.
Summary
The mob offers the young mayor of Fort Lee, New Jersey, a $500,000 bribe to rezone land adjacent to the George Washington Bridge. Risking his life, the mayor pretends to go along with the plan but wears a wire. His efforts lead to the convictions of seven people.
Additional text
“The Bribe is one of the most revealing books ever written about American politics, because at its worst, politics is about money. That’s why one mayor can be offered a $500,000 bribe. This time the mayor, Burt Ross, turned it down, which makes the bribe one hell of a story.” —Richard Reeves, Emmy Award winner and former chief correspondent, Frontline
“The Bribe is a fast paced and compelling tale. It takes courage to turn down a fortune and stand up to the mob. Mayor Burt Ross did it and his story makes startling reading.” —Jack Anderson, Pulitzer Prize winner
“When The Bribe was first published in 1976, it immediately set the standard for investigative accounts of political skullduggery. Today, this book’s prophetic insights into New Jersey’s current dirty tricks make it required reading.” —Daniel Klein, New York Times–bestselling author
“In all my years in New Jersey politics, I have witnessed more corruption than I care to remember. But only once have I seen something so memorable as what Burt Ross did when he was mayor of Fort Lee. It’s a dramatic story told in intimate detail in The Bribe, a fast paced book that reads like fiction. You won’t be able to put it down.” —Loretta Weinberg, New Jersey senate majority leader and cochair, New Jersey select committee on investigation
