McLafferty and Costello set August 25 release for Memoir of the Last Real Bookie

Chris McLafferty and Anthony Costello will publish Memoir of the Last Real Bookie on Aug. 25, 2026, with pre-orders now live on Amazon. The fictional memoir follows a former Chicago bookmaker and his grandson through lessons on family, discipline, grief and what wisdom gets passed down.

Why it matters: - Memoir of the Last Real Bookie frames street experience as something that can be turned into guidance for the next generation. - The book centers on family, judgment and the cost of choices, which gives the story a personal stakes beyond gambling. - The novel also ties Chicago neighborhood life to Las Vegas, linking two settings that shape Joey Agostino’s outlook.

What happened: - Authors Chris McLafferty and Anthony Costello will publish Memoir of the Last Real Bookie on Aug. 25, 2026. - The book is available now for pre-order on Amazon. - The story follows Joey “Eyes” Agostino, a 60-year-old former bookmaker, and his 14-year-old grandson, Albert. - The narrative is set across Chicago and Las Vegas. - Chris McLafferty said the story is about knowledge earned through experience and the responsibility of sharing it. - More information is available through the Amazon listing.

The details: - Joey tells the story in his own voice on Albert’s birthday in June 2015. - The memoir begins in Elmwood Park, where Joey grows up in a close-knit Italian-American community. - Joey learns to read people by watching adults around him, and that skill earns him the nickname “Eyes.” - The book follows Joey into numbers, bookmaking and other high-stakes environments. - Albert stays active in the conversation through questions, skepticism and humor. - Joey’s path includes Chicago neighborhood life and the 2003 World Series of Poker. - Mentor Bob Hilo helps Joey sharpen his understanding of patience, preparation and human behavior. - Joey applies those lessons to sports betting. - Financial advisor Dan Shaw introduces the idea of the “golden egg.” - The “golden egg” starts as a retirement account and grows into a broader metaphor for protecting something that can support a family over time. - Joey draws a line between measured risk and reckless action. - The book preserves neighborhood dialect and natural cadence. - Dialogue appears without quotation marks so remembered speech and present-day narration can flow together. - Family remains central through Joey’s memories of cousin Vito, sister Maria, wife Silvia and other relatives. - Later chapters follow Joey and Silvia to Las Vegas. - Those chapters turn toward aging, grief and the legacy Joey wants Albert to carry forward.

Between the lines: - The book appears to be less about betting as a trade and more about the moral code Joey builds around survival, restraint and responsibility. - The choice to present the novel as a memoir-like conversation gives the story the feel of oral history rather than a conventional sports or crime narrative. - The emphasis on passing down judgment before it is lost suggests the real tension is time, not money.

What's next: - Memoir of the Last Real Bookie is scheduled for publication on Aug. 25, 2026. - Readers can pre-order the book now on Amazon. - Chris McLafferty and Anthony Costello are positioning the novel as an intimate story about what one generation can still teach another while there is time.