Mark Harmon and retired NCIS special agent Leon Carroll Jr. unveil the cover of their third joint book, Ghosts of Sicily, releasing April 14, News Of Losangeles reports.
At a Glance
- The book details how the Office of Naval Intelligence partnered with the mob to guard U.S. waterfronts during WWII
- All official records of the operation were destroyed after the war
- This is the duo’s third collaboration following Ghosts of Honolulu and Ghosts of Panama
- Why it matters: The account adds a newly uncovered chapter to naval-intelligence history
The forthcoming Harper Select title drops readers into 1942 New York, where the Office of Naval Intelligence “turned to an unlikely ally – the mob – to protect America’s waterfronts,” according to the publisher’s synopsis. The narrative tracks the controversial alliance with Charles “Lucky” Luciano, the missions of agents such as Tony Marsloe, and the operation’s dual impact on the war effort and the rise of organized crime.
Inside the covert partnership
The book braids together figures like Meyer Lansky and General George Patton with “high-stakes espionage and the harrowing realities of war.”
“The history of World War II has always been fascinating to me, and there have been many books written,” Harmon, 74, tells News Of Losangeles. “The Office of Naval Intelligence/ONI played a huge part in the invasion and new details uncovered a riveting, complex story. All records were burned after WWII. Why? Read Ghosts of Sicily and find out.”
Carroll, who joined the Naval Investigative Service in 1980, admits he “knew little of its remarkable history” at the time. “This book adds another chapter to the ONI/NIS/NCIS legacy, previously unearthed by the Ghosts of Honolulu and Ghosts of Panama,” he says. “Once again, I feel honored to showcase the ingenuity of Naval Intelligence officers, in this case, teaming with notorious mob figures during WWII in the Ghosts of Sicily.”
From TV to true crime
Before co-authoring, the pair met on CBS’s NCIS, where Harmon starred as Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Carroll served 21 seasons as technical advisor and now works on NCIS: Origins.
Their earlier books:
- Ghosts of Honolulu: A Japanese Spy, A Japanese American Spy Hunter and the Untold Story of Pearl Harbor
- Ghosts of Panama: A Strongman Out of Control, A Murdered Marine, and the Special Agents Caught in the Middle of an Invasion
Ghosts of Sicily is available for preorder wherever books are sold and hits shelves April 14.
