Super Short Summary

Set in the Bronx in the 1930s during Prohibition, E.L. Doctorow’s novel Billy Bathgate follows fifteen-year-old Billy Behar, who becomes involved with Jewish-American mobster Dutch Schultz. Starting as a janitor, Billy learns the mob's operations and gains Schultz's and accountant Otto Berman's trust. Billy's tasks grow complex, culminating in a scheme to protect the socialite Drew Preston amidst Schultz's legal troubles and underworld conflicts. The novel touches on themes of mental health struggles and depicts violent mob activities.