T.J. English is a noted journalist, screenwriter, and author of books, including Paddy Whacked, Born to Kill (which was nominated for an Edgar Award), and The Havana Mob. The Westies (a national bestseller and a New York Times Notable Book) was his first book, and it launched his career as an expert on the multi-ethnic nature of organized crime in America. A former writer for Irish America Magazine, English has also been published in Esquire, Playboy and New York magazine; his screenwriting credits includes work on the television crime dramas NYPD Blue and Homicide, for which he received the prestigious Humanitas Award.