"River of Shame is an in-depth look into the elusive God-father of Quincy, Illinois: Ted Crowley, the man who organized prostitutes to be traded up and down the Mississippi River to cities in 10 states. Up until his death, in 1989, his relationship with godfather Meyer Lansky in Florida and Havana, Cuba had been kept a secret from the city and the nation. His contract hits with gangsters Jake Rubin and George Garner led to murders in southern Illinois and Missouri. And his startling friendship and partnership with James Earl Ray, the convicted killer of Martin Luther King Jr. is also brought to light. What was Ted Crowley's and the government's role in King's death? Author Maureen Hughes exposes the secrets of the man everyone saw but no one really knew."--Back cover.