The Santa Claus man

Description:

"Before the charismatic John Duval Gluck, Jr. came along, letters from New York City children to Santa Claus were destroyed, unopened, by the U.S. Post Office. Gluck saw an opportunity, and created the Santa Claus Association. The effort delighted the public, and for 15 years money and gifts flowed to the only group authorized to answer Santa's mail. Gluck became a Jazz Age celebrity, rubbing shoulders with the era's movie stars and politicians, and even planned to erect a vast Santa Claus monument in the center of Manhattan -- until Gotham's crusading charity commissioner discovered some dark secrets in Santa's workshop. The rise and fall of the Santa Claus Association is a caper both heartwarming and hardboiled, involving stolen art, phony Boy Scouts, a kidnapping, pursuit by the FBI, a Coney Island bullfight, and above all, the thrills and dangers of a wild imagination. It's also the larger story of how Christmas became the extravagant holiday we celebrate today, from Santa's early beginnings in New York to the country's first citywide Christmas tree and Macy's first grand holiday parade" --

subjects: United States,  Social life and customs,  Santa Claus Association, Inc. (New York, N.Y.),  United States. Post Office Department,  Swindlers and swindling,  History,  Charities,  Biography,  Christmas,  United states, post office department,  Charities, united states,  New york (n.y.), social life and customs,  New york (n.y.), history,  New york (n.y.), biography,  Santa claus,  Manners and customs

People: John Duval Gluck (1878-1951),  Santa Claus

Places: New York (State),  New York (N.Y.),  New York

Times: 20th century