March 9, 1918. One of the most controversial of crime writers was born this day in Brooklyn. His books about private eye Mike Hammer were panned by many critics as hyper-violent and sub-literate, but the public bought them by the millions. In 1995 the Mystery Writers of America gave him the Grand Master Award. He passed away in 2006 in the part of South Carolina he had made his home since he first flew over it in an Air Force plane in the 1940s.
Spillaine was a family friend of Nola Foulston, the former D.A. here. The family has a bunch of autographed first editions and a bunch of priceless memories!
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