Buried in the depths of the Ohio Penitentiary, the cruellest prison in American history, an inmate known as "The Smilemaker" keeps his brothers' spirits buoyant and their hopes of survival alive with stories of love and sacrifice amongst the tenements and theatres of Manhattan. Leaping from the shadows bursts a throng of colourful characters including a delirious pair of tap-dancing lovers, a hitman disguised as Santa Claus and a Central Park tramp who, try as he might, can't get himself arrested. From burlesque to ragtime, from Hell's Kitchen to Fifth Avenue, this collection of sharp, witty...