Two faculty members and an alumna wrote Galveston's Maceo Family Empire: Bootlegging and the Balinese Room (History Press) about a family that brought crime and prosperity to Texas.

The book was written by Nicole Boatman ('12, '14 M.S.), a private investigator whose master's thesis became the basis for the book; Scott Belshaw, assistant professor of criminal justice, and Richard McCaslin, history professor.

Belshaw grew up in the area and was intrigued by its mob history, which goes back to the days of Al Capone and includes illegal gambling parlors and drinking establishments.

"We were able to trace the family, their relatives and their debauchery back many generations," he says.