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James Earle "Jimmy" Breslin (October 17, 1928 – March 19, 2017) was an American journalist and author. He wrote a column for the New York Daily News Sunday edition until his death in 2017. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1986.
Breslin authored numerous novels, and columns of his have appeared regularly in many newspapers in his hometown of New York City. He served as a regular columnist for the Long Island newspaper Newsday until his retirement on November 2, 2004, though he still published occasional pieces for the paper.
Breslin wrote the novels Can't Anybody Here Play This Game? (1962) and The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight (1969). In 1999, he appeared as himself in the 1999 American thriller movie Summer of Sam.
Breslin worked as an investigation journalist and helped solve crimes committed by the mafia in New York including Henry Hill and serial killer David Berkowitz.[1] He also exposed Queens Borough president Donald Manes's corruption actions which eventually led to his suicide in 1986.
He was known for his newspaper columns which offered a sympathetic viewpoint of the working-class people of New York City.
Breslin was born in Queens, New York. He studied at Long Island University from 1948 to 1950. He left without graduating.[2] He married Rosemary Dattalico from 1954 until her death in 1981. He later married Ronnie Eldridge from 1982 until his death in 2017. Breslin had six children.
Breslin died on March 19, 2017 at his home in Manhattan, New York from complications of pneumonia, aged 88.[1]
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