LONG WHITE CON - ICEBERG SLIM

The quest to read all the Iceberg Slim continues. I think the man wrote only a dozen or so books and, thanks to Baby the Birdman, I’ve been able to get editions of most of them from the local library. This is the first of the Iceberg books I’ve read that features recurring characters. Specifically, Johnny O’Brien, the titular TRICK BABY, aka White Folks, is back. Actually, it’s stranger than that. Like the novel TRICK BABY, this book is a frame story, one where the first chapter is written by the character of Iceberg Slim who meets his old friend White Folks, a mix-raced con artist, and the rest of the book is White Folks’ story. This is made slightly stranger in this volume since the meat of the story is in 3rd person despite nominally being White Folk’s first-person account. Iceberg is most famous for his pimping but this book, like many of the others, focuses on con games. I would like to know how “realistic” the cons in this book are since, from my perspective in 2020, they’re pretty far out. They involve half-a-dozen people, nights spent practicing routines, disguise, fake offices and a whole fake ghost-town at one one point, seduction, sleight-of-hand, and legal corruption to work. Were people really getting swindled with such elaborate scams? One of the scams White Folks and friends run in this one is what I’d consider a reverse Scooby-Doo, by which I mean that instead of trying to convince someone a ghost-town is haunted so they can buy it for cheap, they try to convince someone a ghost-town is secretly full of cash and treasure and thus very valuable. Seems like a lot of work. This book also seems unfinished. It appears to be missing it’s last third, since it ends with White Folks’ partners being killed and without him resolving the unrequited love angle. Likewise, while this book does explore the racial dynamics of a racially ambiguous con man, TRICK BABY, was more insightful about them, even if it was at times didactic. Either way, Slim doesn’t get the respect he deserves and I’m excited I’ve still got some left. As always, I’ll leave with a list of the street names. Unlike previous books, not all of them are pimps, some are boxers or con men or whatnot, likewise, I tried not to repeat names from TRICK BABY. I need to compile a master list. ‘68 Long Cons.

-Aztec Billy

-The Utah Wonder

-Speedy Jackson

-Pearl

-High Ass Marvel

-High Pockets Kate

-Sure-Shot Kid

-One Pocket

-Precious Jimmy

-Sweet Dog

-Tango

-Black Sampson

-Tear-Off Thomas