Warren Adler creates a well-imagined setting - the Catskills resorts of the late 30's and the mafia that populated them - with his historical novel, Funny Boys.

The story ostensibly centers on Mickey Fine, a tumler - or entertainer and activities director - at the Gorlick resort whose job is to keep the guests laughing and amused. Since the guests throughout the week are primarily the wives and girlfriends of the mafia (who come up on weekends after a tough week of breaking kneecaps and teaching lessons), Fine is constantly reminded to keep his shmekel in his own trousers and out of trouble.

Ya don mess wid da goils of mobstas, to employ Adler's sometimes excessive use of dialect for dialogue.

And the jokes, the clichés! Did these ever sound fresh and new? It's hard to imagine these zingers ever eliciting a genuine snort of laughter much less a guffaw, but I'm giving Adler's historical perspective the benefit of the doubt, mostly because I enjoyed the story of the naïve Brownsville goil wid da cinematic fantasies. Instead of accepting the given fate, the usual path of marriage right out of high school - "You're 18! Marry the decent but boring Henry already! Ya wanna end up a spinsta?!" - Mutzie Feder transforms herself into a Jean Harlow replica and catches the eye of the handsome sociopath, Pittsburgh Phil Strauss, or Pep as he's known in certain circles.

As Pep's numbah one goil, Mutzie is treated to status and presents and a summer at the Gorlick Resort where, on weekends, obediently accompanying Pep, she studiously ignores the conversations she overhears and all the other signs that maybe the company she's keeping ain't too good faw huh healt, ya know whaddye mean?

The title is Funny Boys, but the story really gets going when Mutzie realizes that she needs to escape Pep and enlists the tumler's help. Turns out Mickey Fine had fallen in love with the young beauty from da day he laid eyes on huh, and now he gets to play knight in shining armor.

It's easy to imagine this story as a movie, especially with the heavyhanded use of "da dialeck" and with the usual actors playing the usual mob roles. Tip: I found the book easier and more fun to read if I read the dialogue out loud.

Overall, I recommend Funny Boys, cos it's a good Summer weekend read with sufficient suspense and entertainment to keep you turning the pages.