Croix Ben Lazzara
w a s b o r n t o
pare n t s J o y c e
and Bennie in
Tampa, who also grew up
there. Croix died in 2014,
leaving behind several unfinished
manuscripts and
thousands of poems. After
his passing, a collection
of his poems and artwork
was published in Named
After an Island. His Double
Plays and Double Crosses,
an unfinished noir mystery
novel, was completed
by B.M. Reade, who grew
up in Ybor City during the
1950s, where he developed
a love of baseball, jazz and
fishing. Croix’s mother Joyce, an
award-winning oil painter, created
the cover image for the book, using
images referred to in the novel.
People who grew up in the
Tampa Bay area in the 1950s will
recognize some of the characters,
even if their names have been
changed. Although it is fiction,
the authors have been able to give
the reader a clear view of what life
was like during this period of time
through the book’s narrative. The
descriptions of attire, automobiles,
locations, foods and beverages are
spot on and will bring back memories
for anyone who experienced
life in the Tampa Bay area at the
time this adventure takes place,
which is shortly before the fall of
Fulgencio Batista in Cuba. There is
a section of the book that takes you
to pre-Castro Cuba, when “Papa”
Ernest Hemingway was king of
the adventurers and a popular
hero. There are even a few views
of old Key West and Egmont Key.
In addition to Hemingway, other
celebrities of the time appear, such
as César Gonzmart at the Columbia
Restaurant and Capt. Wilson Hubbard,
the Pinellas County legend.
140 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2020
Written in a style that
is reminiscent of crime
novelist Mickey Spillane,
the story moves
quickly to unravel itself
like a ball of twine, often
leading to where you
thought it would and
then at times, surprising
you with a twist for
which you were not prepared.
I could not stop
myself from seeing it as
a movie, and in several
instances, even choosing
which actor or actress
would play the parts.
This is a fun read that
will hold your attention.
A bevy of colorful individuals
come to life as you follow them
in this story of love, fate, baseball
and friendship. The good guys win
in the end, since you would not
want it any other way. 9
EDITOR’S NOTE: Double Plays
and Double Crosses by Croix Ben
Lazzara and B.M. Reade can be ordered
from peppertreepublishing.
com, amazon.com, barnesandnoble.
com, booksamillion.com or by
calling (813) 309-1279.
BOAORKT S
A TALE OF YBOR CITY
Double Plays and Double Crosses
By Aaron R. Fodiman