About this event
LearningA reading and conversation with author Gilberto Fernandes about his book exploring the forces that shaped Toronto’s explosive growth in the 1960s and 1970s.
Admission: Free
“Militants, Mobsters and Mavericks”
Book Presentation
Tuesday, October 27, 7:30 – 9:00pm
Join us for a reading from “Militants, Mobsters and Mavericks,” followed by a conversation between author Gilberto Fernandes and Dr. Abril Liberatori, Mariano A. Elia Chair in Italian-Canadian Studies and Assistant Professor at York University, and an audience Q&A.
“Militants, Mobsters and Mavericks: The Men Who Built Modern Toronto in the 1960s–70s” is a compelling account of Toronto’s explosive postwar growth, revealing the power struggles that shaped the city’s construction industry. Through the stories of labour leaders, politicians, developers, and organized crime figures, author Gilberto Fernandes explores a turbulent era marked by worker activism, job site violence, safety battles, and political influence. Featuring memorable figures such as Gerry Gallagher, Giovanni Stefanini, Frank Drea, Morton Shulman, and Johnny Papalia, this gripping history sheds new light on the forces that helped build modern Toronto and the lasting influence of construction unions today.