R iverboat Gamblers is the story of Teddy Halloran. Born destitute, he escapes the family’s farm in Kansas after watching his father brutally murder his mother. He is put in a hellish orphanage but escapes and finds his way to the Mississippi River. There he falls under the spell of a riverboat gambler called Tex Chandler who teaches him the art of poker. Always looking for bigger and bigger games, Teddy makes his way to New York and to Lehman Brothers before starting his own private equity firm. He becomes embroiled in a tender offer fight to acquire the Gulfstream Aircraft Company. This fight to the death battle with his archrival for the ultimate luxury asset is eventually settled in a Manhattan criminal court, but only after leading the reader through the potentially murderous underbelly of Wall Street. Riverboat Gamblers is the saga of a man who embraced and ultimately overcame risk because he had no other choice. It brings together a rich cast of characters ranging from riverboat gamblers and faith healers to Wall Street lawyers and rogues. It is a unique look at the changing American landscape over the past few generations and how it has affected us. Yesterday’s riverboat gamblers are today’s financiers.