Tampa mid-’70s: The stack of numbers flashed to flames as Detective Bill Brume kicked the door open—no bets, no evidence, just more refunds with explanations. “But it’s the second time this week, Sal. You gotta do somethin’!”
Journey back to Tampa when this Florida city was clandestinely run by America’s infamous mafia—but times were changing. Against mob tradition, drug trafficking and its turf wars spread widely. Tampa’s law enforcement was systematically infiltrated by these gangsters, eventually corrupting its highest ranks. Nightclubs were set ablaze, restaurant owners strafed by gunfire or blown to shreds by explosives. Its international ports became controlled for narcotics and human trafficking. Worse, homicide became a regular front page headline. Half of the police department was either on the take or looking the other way. When Detective Bill Brume and company interfered, Tampa boiled over.
In 1975, at the table of a famous Ybor City café, Tampa’s ambitious mafia underboss and its top law enforcement held court. Disobeying omertà—without the Don’s knowledge—the List of Five was sealed, and soon five men could be dead, starting with Bill Brume.
Adapted from true stories from Tampa’s historical archives and personal interviews, Bolita is the gritty saga of a determined group of local and federal lawmen who dared to investigate the entire police department and the ruthless criminal organization pulling its strings. One detective—a cagey, implacable, uncompromising man named Bill Brume—risked the entire operation as his final stand.
