DIMAGGIO: SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT By Morris Engelberg and Marv Schneider Foreword by Dr. Henry A. Kissinger Publication date: February 25, 2003 Price: $24.95/hardcover Publisher: MBI Publishing Company ISBN: 0-7603-1482-9 Mitch Albom had Tuesdays with Morrie Morris Engelberg had sixteen years with Joe DiMaggio DIMAGGIO: SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT New Book by Morris Engelberg and Marv Schneider Offers a Unique Look into the Life of Joe DiMaggio Joe DiMaggio was a beloved American icon and one of the greatest baseball players of all time. His baseball stats speak for themselves - a 56-game hitting streak in 1941, a three-time American League MVP, and a lifetime .325 batting average - but his personal life has always been couched in gossip and rumor. Now, for the first time, readers are offered an up-close and personal look at the man behind the myth in DIMAGGIO: SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT by DiMaggio's confidante and lawyer Morris Engelberg, written with Marv Schneider (MBI Publishing Company; February 25, 2003). During the last sixteen years of his life, Joe DiMaggio spent time with Morris Engelberg nearly every day. As DiMaggio's lawyer, Engelberg represented him in many negotiations including those involving history making memorabilia deals and personal appearance fees, for which he refused compensation from his friend. At the same time, they shared dreams, memories, and closely held confidences. Through it all, DiMaggio made Engelberg promise that he would always protect the ballplayer's name. That is why Engelberg wrote this book. In DIMAGGIO: SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT Engelberg and Schneider present the reality about some of the most talked about episodes of DiMaggio's life - the ballplayer's marriages to Dorothy Arnold and Marilyn Monroe, his dislike of the Kennedy family, and his rift with Frank Sinatra. He also reveals the truth surrounding DiMaggio's strained relationships with son Joe Jr. and brother Dom, the controversy regarding baseball memorabilia deals, his love and devotion for his granddaughters and their families, and the day-to-day details about his decline and death from lung cancer. Part biography, part memoir, Engelberg's story is a compelling and emotional look at an American legend through the eyes of a man who knew him intimately. Supplemented with recollections from DiMaggio's personal diary, as well as from some of the people who knew the ballplayer best, including his nephew and granddaughters, pal Joe Nachio, and former teammates Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, and Phil Rizzuto, this book is the definitive look at DiMaggio's life. DIMAGGIO: SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT fulfills Morris Engelberg's promise to protect his friend's name and to refute vicious untruths about DiMaggio that surfaced after his death. # # # ABOUT THE AUTHORS MORRIS ENGELBERG was Joe DiMaggio's business advisor, attorney, and confidante during the last sixteen years of the ballplayer's life. Engelberg was a devoted friend to his boyhood idol, and their close relationship provided him with rare access to this intensely private man. Engelberg is an attorney in south Florida, specializing in tax and probate law. MARV SCHNEIDER was a sportswriter and editor for the Associated Press for 43 years. He interviewed Joe DiMaggio several times and wrote a memorable piece on the occasion of DiMaggio's eightieth birthday, and he broke the news of the Yankee Clipper's death in 1999. Schneider has been broadcasting sports stories for AP Radio since the network was established nearly thirty years ago, and he continues to serve as a correspondent. Born in Yonkers, New York, he currently lives in Fort Lee, New Jersey.
close window