four black and white photos of politicians and a dead body criss crossed by white lines with words like 'striptease,' 'prostitution,' 'racketeering,' and the subtitle front and center overlapping each of the four photos

Portland Confidential: Sex, Crime, and Corruption in the Rose City

by Phil Stanford Author

For readers and students of history unfamiliar with this ignominious chapter in Portland's past, Portland Confidential is the true crime thriller you've been waiting for. Examining the Great Portland Vice Scandal of 1956-57, this book from author Phil Stanford dives deep into the incident that blew Portland wide open. In the '50s, Portland was a 'side-open town' where drugs were dealt openly under the nose of the local cops, and everybody was in on the action, from city hall to the chief of police. When it all came to a head and the ring was exposed, it generated national headlines and a metric ton of embarrassment for the mayor, the DA, and the cops. Dig into this hidden chapter of Portland history and uncover Portland's dirty little secret for yourself.