Author of mob book brings awareness to child abuse in Coachella Valley

It was a book signing event to raise awareness about child abuse in the Coachella Valley.

Dozens of people celebrated author and desert resident Robert Teitelbaum and his book “Frogs and Snails and Mobster Tales: Growing Up in Al Capone’s Shadow” at the Annenberg Center in Rancho Mirage.

Teitelbaum said his parents were attorneys for Al Capone.

The event featured historic photos and a question and answer session.

Participants heard stories from Teitelbaum about a time when the desert was safe for the mobsters, but not their children.

“From the time I was four years old to 14, I was mentally, physically and sexually abused. And we were from a wealthy family,” said Teitelbaum.

The author said he and his siblings were abused by their bodyguard for more than a decade as their parents were legally obligated to the mob.