My Family and the Mob: An Evening with Russell Shorto. Thursday, June 9, 2022 • 7 - 8:30 p.m. Senator John Heinz History Center | 1212 Smallman Street, Pittsburgh, PA. Register HERE. Join New York Times best-selling author Russell Shorto at the History Center for an evening of revelations drawn from his recently published book, “Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob.”

Shorto sensitively tackles a subject normally taboo in families, piecing together the story of his grandfather’s history as a numbers runner in Johnstown, Pa., and the impact his illicit business had on his immediate and extended family. Shorto’s earnest retelling of his family history weaves together the skills of a trained historian, genealogist, and master storyteller. Tune in as Shorto delves into the history of Western Pennsylvania numbers running with these dual personal and professional lenses.

Using lessons learned researching his book, Shorto will also guide those looking to push back against family history research roadblocks on this topic. He’ll also convey strategies on bringing family history to life through writing. Shorto offers an online course on the topic.

This is a hybrid program. Attendees can participate either online or in-person at the Heinz History Center. Live captioning will be provided at this program.

For more information or to request additional accommodations, please contact Sierra Green at sgreen@heinzhistorycenter.org. 

About Russell Shorto

Russell Shorto is the author, most recently, of “Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob,” and of six earlier books, including “Amsterdam: A History of the World’s Most Liberal City” and the national bestseller “The Island at the Center of the World.” He is the Executive Director of the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Institute at the New-York Historical Society, a contributing writer at the New York Times Magazine, and Senior Scholar at the New Netherland Institute in Albany, New York. From 2007 to 2013 he was Director of the John Adams Institute in Amsterdam. In 2009 he was awarded a knighthood from the Dutch government for his work in increasing historical understanding between the Netherlands and the United States. In 2018 he was inducted into the New York State Writers Hall of Fame. He was born and raised in Johnstown, Pa.