A Jazz age true crime story that reads like a crime novel but is actually indeed a true story. About Vivian Gordon a Broadway singer who's murder become an obsession as well as a diary that my have tinted the names of the who's who of the time.

Vivian Gordon — then named Benita Bischoff — arrived in New York City in 1921 and would go on to become well known for her gold-digging schemes, which included seducing and then blackmailing - usually married - rich men. She also ran an escort service, had several rental properties and collaborated with the city’s most notorious madams, bootleggers, mobsters, and crooked lawyers.

Ten years later, on February 26, 1931, Vivian’s bludgeoned and garrotted body was found dumped in Van Cortland Park in the Bronx. The ramifications of her murder changed Manhattan forever, bringing down both its corrupt mayor and Tammany Hall, the political machine that had ruled the city for a century.

Broadway Butterfly: Vivian Gordon, The Lady Gangster of Jazz Age New York by Anthony DeStefano promised the reader a conclusive look at her life.

Unfortunately it fell short for me. I really wanted to like this book, as it was clearly well researched but I found it super boring. I thought this book was going to be based on Vivian Gordan’s life, but the focus was more on New York political corruption and fraud during the Jazz Age.

I got 60% of the way through and could not commit to finishing it.

Although the description of this book had me very excited to read it, the actual execution left me disappointed. The beginning in particular really dragged and I found it hard to get into. Perhaps this book could have benefitted from some more editing. There was a lot of great potential, and I wanted to know more. Unfortunately, I found it a bit of a let down.

Thank you to the publisher and net galley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

Broadway Butterfly: Vivian Gordon: The Lady Gangster of Jazz Age New York by Anthony M. DeStefano is a riveting dive into the life and untimely death of one of the most enigmatic figures of the Jazz Age. DeStefano, a Pulitzer Prize and Emmy Award-winning journalist, meticulously unravels the story of Vivian Gordon, a woman whose life was as glamorous as it was dangerous.

From the outset, DeStefano paints a vivid picture of Vivian Gordon, an Indiana-born chorus girl who transformed herself into a high-end escort, blackmailer, and speakeasy owner.

The book excels in its detailed portrayal of the era, capturing the essence of the Prohibition period with its excesses and corruption.

Vivian Gordon was born in Indiana and educated in a Catholic boarding school with her sisters. She was a rebellious child and in 1920 she went to New York City to pursue a Broadway career and she changed her name to Vivian Gordon. She was one of the many “Broadway Butterflies” hoping to become a famous star. However, Vivian found her true calling as a con woman, high end escort, blackmailer and a racketeer. Prohibition was in effect but that didn’t stop the many speakeasy’s that were in underground NYC. If you paid enough, the corrupt police and politicians turned a blind eye and Vivian was in the middle of it.

On February 26, 1931, Vivian’s mutilated body was found dumped in the Bronx. Who killed her? As the police began to investigate they discovered that Vivian had kept a diary listing the names of more than three hundred politicians, philanthropists, businessmen and gangsters. The city was nervous and people were about to be exposed but would it make any difference in corrupt New York City?

Anthony M. DeStefano has written true crime books about other mobsters but in this book he sheds light on Vivian Gordon , a not very well known women, who was in the thick of the Jazz Age and prohibition. It is a fascinating look into the corruption in Jazz Age New York City and the author’s research is amazing. There are a lot of characters in this book and I liked that at the end of the book the author tells the reader what happened to the major players in the story If you like True Crime stories or just want to read a fascinating story, Broadway Butterfly: Vivian Gordon: The Lady Gangster of New York is for you!

Thanks to Kensington and Net Galley for the advanced reading copy.

This is about the murder of a notorious female gangster. this story is interesting but this book is really poorly composed. Not even the writing - like the literal way it is put together. to start with, the introduction is way too long - it was basically 10% of the whole book on my kindle. It also gave way too much info away for the reader. It felt more like an article that was written and then the rest of the book came later and built off that. Even within chapters though, I was confused about why things were laid out the way they were.

Vivian Gordon, born Benita Franklin travels to New York with stars in her eyes and high expectations of making it on Broadway. So many, like Vivian, get so close to the bright lights and end up getting burned.

The extravagance and excess of the Jazz Age are appealing. When Vivian turns her attention to prostitution and targeting wealthy men in a ruse for their money, it ends badly for her. Her death is the catalyst to uncover the pervasive corruption in law enforcement.

A good part of the book is about the abuse of power and is well researched. Although, it dragged and was hoping for more about Vivian. Her near association with Polly Adler and to challenge her dominance as a madam was something I wanted to know more about. Perhaps her death put an abrupt halt on that endeavor.

This is an good book about the corruption in New York and the catalyst that broke it wide open. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an early copy.

NOT THE BOOK I WAS LOOKING FOR

While not inherently a bad book - except for some flashes of casual sexism and misogyny - it was just not the book I felt I was promised. This is not a book about Vivian Gordon. She is hardly even a main character. This is a book about the world she lived and worked in. If it had just been advertised as such (because it is a fascinating world) I would have been a lot more on board (while of course still resenting the misogyny).

More of a case of the author providing a central figure around which to delve into the history of the period rather than the other way around. Jazz Age New York is the star and Vivian Gordon is the understudy.

However, it is a highly compelling look at the huge amount of graft and corruption taking place in all levels of government, as well as an insight into some of the legendary characters of the period - gangsters, cops, politician and madams. The reader will not be failed to be entertained.

Nice wrap up at the end with a chapter dedicated to what happened to those key players mentioned in the book.

'The image of the Jazz Age popularized by The Great Gatsby, the good times, the parties, the speakeasies and the easy money created an elusive Nirvana...'

Benita Franklin aka Vivian Gordan was drawn to the bright lights of New York City like so many young women seeking fame. They were often branded with the moniker, 'Broadway Butterfly', and sadly, for many, the bright lights that drew them also burned them. In spite of some initial success on stage, Vivian Gorder soon steered her talents towards hustling and prostitution, not only drawing attention from rich men but also from criminals and gangsters keen to get a cut of her money. Her murder in 1931 though, finally provided a catalyst to truly rid New York City from the insidious corruption that pervaded throughout both the police and government departments.

Broadway Butterfly is a well-researched summary the Jazz Age, Prohibition, and corruption. However, I wouldn't consider it a biography. Vivian's murder is used as a launching point to discuss how dirty and corrupt authorities had become and how gangsters had proliferated and profited from bootlegging and extortion. Her life as a, 'hooker, hustler and vindictive conniver who made poor choices', simply exemplifies both the opportunities as well as the criminal tyranny in New York City at that time.

If you are interested in wanting to learn more about the Jazz Age in New York and the gangsters and corrupt policemen and politicians who ran the city, then this will provide you with a great scope.

If you like books dealing with figures from the days of Prohibition/Great Depression, this is the book for you. However, it is not a straightforward biography about Vivian Gordon. Rather, it's a bio on her and all the people in her orbit, no matter how tenuous the connection may be.

While I like the time period, the delivery leaves a little to be desired. It feels choppy in some areas, as the author seems to hop from one figure to another without a good flow. It also seems that the stories of others overwhelms the story of Vivian Gordon, and that is counterproductive to what the author claims he was trying to accomplish. The author would have been better off framing this book as a profile of ALL the Broadway butterflies of the Jazz Age.

If you have the patience to get through the book, then it's for you. If not, pass over this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this ARC, which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

True story of Vivian Gordon, who was known as the Broadway Butterfly. she was involved in several illegal activities. she was eventually murdered. interesting read.

Vivian Gordon was involved in any number of illegal activities in the 1920s, including prostitution and extortion. This book covers her sad life and eventual murder and the attempts to find and convict the perpetrators. I knew a bit about the Jazz Age, Prohibition, speakeasies, and the rise of organized crime, but this book fills in a lot of gaps with the personalities of the time, including the staggering amount of corruption among public officials and the eventual need for New York's leaders to act upon it. The everchanging and growing cast of characters can be a hard to keep straight. Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a deep dive into the case of Vivian Gordon, born Benita Franklin, then Bischoff after marriage. She took the stage name Vivian Gordon when she made a play for Broadway fame. Her career in extortion was her main way of making money for many years, while trying all along to get her daughter back from her ex. Her murder eventually led to the resignation of Mayor “Jimmy” Walker and the downfall of Tammany Hall.

Got 11% into it, but it wasn’t keeping my attention. Plus, there were some confusing things that weren’t clicking for me, even after doing Google searches.

I have heard of the Broadway Butterfly Vivian Gordon in the past, but not with as much detail as this book provided. We learned about Vivian’s childhood and her rise to fame and fortune and then her demise. There is much detail into the various corrupt gangsters that Vivian worked with during her New York City stay. She swindled money out of New York City’s elite men and used them up and spit them out. Sadly, Vivian knew too much and wronged too many people along the way, which eventually led to her gruesome death.

I enjoyed reading more about Vivian and this time period. The 1920’s New York City is portrayed in movies as a opulent time, but this book shows the real New York City, full of gangsters and illegal activities. I took a tour a few years ago of Speakeasy’s in New York City so that really helped me to visualize scenes in this book (I highly recommend the tour!). Many men in New York City were corrupt and doing shady business. Vivian, like most women at this time, needed to survive in the big city. Many of these “Broadway Butterflies” tried to get big under the lights of Broadway, but found they could make more money with prostitution and other illegal activities with gangsters.

Thank you to Kensington Publishing and Anthony M. DeStefano who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 What a beautifully wild ride this book was! Before receiving a copy of The Broadway Butterfly: Vivian Gordon, I had never heard the story of this infamous Lady Gangster of the Jazz Age. When a gruesome murder is discovered on February 26, 1932 in New York, the police are left to wonder who the mysterious female victim is. This book tackles the absolutely fascinating history of crime scenes before the technological advancements of today. Vaudeville, jazz, the Public Enemies mobsters combine in this almost too fantastical to be real Great Gatsby era true crime novel. Very thorough yet easy and enjoyable to read, Broadway Butterfly: Vivian Gordon, The Lady Gangster of Jazz Age New York is a captivating read!


Review is posted on Goodreads and the final review I’ll be posted on Instagram ahead of the publication date.