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With the Memory of the Green Hills Far Behind Them, Their Documents Were Stamped For a New Life
With the Rhythm of Labor Etched into her Hands, She Sadly Bid Farewell to Her Daughter
Welcome
to My Books
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Dialogue sharp as a seaside wind, characters built of bone and loyalty, and tales that keep the lamp burning long past midnight.
Virtues of the Heart
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Virtues of the Heart is a novel about my grandmother and grandfather. In 1884, my great-grandfather, Thomas Costello, emigrated from Charlestown, County Mayo, Ireland, to Philadelphia and three years later brought his entire family — his wife, Mary, and five children — to Philadelphia.
This in itself was a stunning accomplishment, but a typical pattern of Irish immigration in the mid to late nineteenth century. My grandfather, Thomas Francis Costello, was 14 when he immigrated with his family. He eventually, at age 30, found a job as an attendant at the Wernersville State Mental Hospital ten miles west of Reading, Pennsylvania. He worked his way up to Supervisor of Attendants.
My grandmother, Mary Jane "Jenny" Gearhart, grew up on a farm outside of McAlisterille, Juniata County, Pennsylvania. At the beginning of the twentieth century, farms in the Juniata Valley were hard-pressed. The Gearhart farm kept about 10 dairy cows, which they hand-milked twice a day. They grew crops for their table and fodder crops for their stock: pigs, chickens, cattle, and dairy cows. It was hard, unglamorous work. Jenny knew it was not the life meant for her.
At the age of 21, she took a job as an attendant at the Wernersville State Mental Institution. Why there? Farm girls with little schooling had few chances elsewhere in 1908. A poster in the general store might have drawn her; the institution was recruiting for steadiness and labor. It was also testing “path gardens” as a form of therapy for its patients.
Then the story turns up and down as Thomas Francis and Jenny move toward Philadelphia, toward a house on the Hill—Belmont Hills—facing the river and Manayunk.
At 144 Ashland Avenue on the Hill, a tale truly from the heart.
"The Board thinks that it's too much to put on the shoulders of one person.("Especially her, she's dumber than a sack of bricks.)"So, we've created a new position, Supervisor of Attendants, and Thomas, we'd like to offer the position to you, if that is something you would like."
Before Costello could answer, Dr. Bennett, the staff psychiatrist, spoke. "We've all watched how well you work with our patients, Thomas. They like you, even those who have lost their ability to speak or reason. They light up when you approach them."
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"She grabbed his sleeve.
“Well, well, well, ain’t you a sight to see,” she said. “I got a little nook where you can get out of them clothes and relax a while.”
Thomas Francis swallowed the impulse that rose in him. A bachelor working at an insane asylum had little contact with women. She was attractive. He could be tempted. “I can’t, deary,” he replied. “God bless you, but my time is not my own this evenin’. It’s strictly business, ahead.”
"You need my evaluation," Thomas Francis countered. "Mr. Rourke needs my evaluation. If something happens to me, it could ruin Mr. Rourke's chances of leaving Philadelphia and finding solitude at the Asylum. And I don't think Mr. Rourke would be too happy if you were the cause of that, would he now?"
What I learned about myself writing this book
In 1980, we purchased a tract of land two miles outside the community of Mansfield, Pennsylvania. I was a high school teacher at Mansfield High School. We built a house on the land and made a half-acre garden. We planted potatoes in that garden, lots of them. Enough to store in burlap bags in our cool cellar for the winter.
Why did I do that?
No one else in the Mansfield area planted potatoes. In fact, I had to drive to an Amish seed stand near State College to purchase potato seed. I knew I was Irish then, but had no idea that my grandmother grew up on a Pennsylvania farm, and that my grandfather and his father were potato farmers in County Mayo, Ireland.
When we moved from Mansfield to State College, where I began work at Penn State University, we planted a garden. Not just any garden, but the largest garden in the borough of State College. And yes, we had rows and rows of potatoes.
From State College, we purchased a large home in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia. We hired a contractor to gut the home down to the bare walls, and we redesigned it. We heated the home with wood. It had gas heat, but we had the contractor install a beautiful slate platform on which we set a woodstove. The heat rose up the open staircase, warming the entire house.
Why did we do that? Wood heat is wonderful heat. It is also hard work. Cutting, splitting, and stacking wood was definitely the hardest work I have ever done. Soon, I found local Philadelphia contractors, who, when they cleared a lot to build, had nowhere to put the hardwood. I got my wood dumped in our Mt. Airy driveway “free.” When we built that first house in Mansfield with the huge garden? We had the contractor install two wood stoves, and I cut, split, and stacked wood all summer. I was a glutton for hard work, and I never knew why.
Until now.
I loved wood heat!
Hard talk and harder men, loyalties sworn in whispers, and stories that take you by the throat and don’t let go.
Alone in the Fight
This is what I love to write: fiction based on facts. Also called historical fiction.
We spent a month in Salerno, Italy, and I learned about the Camorra Mafia in Naples and Salerno. But a member of the Camorra I met and spoke with told me that to use the Camorra in a story, I needed to come up with a unique business. They can't compete with the Sicilian mobs.
Salerno is a port city on the edge of Italy's Amalfi Coast, overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. It serves as a major hub for industrial shipping, where shipping containers are loaded, unloaded, transferred, and temporarily stored between different transport modes—such as ships, trucks, and trains. The house we rented in Salerno sat high on a ridge, overlooking the port. As we sat on our deck looking out at the ships coming in and out of the Salerno port, the idea hit me.
Bodies. Cadavers.
This is where fiction starts—an idea like a light bulb going off in your brain, illuminating a world that didn’t exist a moment before. In the late 1960's, when Alone in the Fight takes place, medical science around the world was dealing with new diseases: heart disease, lung cancer, stroke and hypertension, and autism. Medical schools were under pressure to identify cures and drugs to save people's lives, and to do this, they needed cadavers for their students.
The Naples, Salerno Cammora entered the body business and set up a base in America to orchestrate this business. And the place they set up in? The Hill. To be successful, the Camorra needed bodies, even if they didn't come naturally. Detective Georg Rausher of the Lower Merion police force, along with his most unusual and surprising sidekick, killer Buster Hicks, stepped into the plot with more questions than answers. The story has more twists and turns than a city street at midnight—where even Detective Rusher can’t tell who’s hunting and who’s being hunted. Hicks, a former Vietnam Marine, came home with the war still in him—drawn to the chaos, like a man who had seen too much and longed for the fight. Hicks understood violence in a way that made others uneasy—and made him invaluable to Rausher.
This "On the Hill book" is another unputdownable that will pull you in fast and never give you a chance to catch your breath.
I I need your help. Below are three books, each with two chapters available to read. One of the books I'm going to spend the most time on and finish it by the first of January. Which one should it be? Please read them and use the form to let me know.
Butcher Hicks Hit Man From the Hill
Excerpt from Alone in the Fight
Settimo Consigliere
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Like in all of the On the Hill Books
Hard talk and harder men, loyalties sworn in whispers, and stories that take you by the throat and don’t let go.
"Oh, one more thing. If you pull this off right, there's a three-day pass for you and a Huey ride to the Paris of the East. Know where that is, soldier?"
"No, Sir."
"Saigon, soldier, on the Dong Nai river. We'll load you up with some Saigon Tea and a few Boom-Boom girls. Can you handle that?"
"Oh, yes, Sir."
"All right. Get the hell out of here."
"But, Sir. What happens if I don't pull it off?"
The General gave Hicks a funny look. "Well, fuck, son. You'll be dead, so don't worry about it.
Butcher Hicks Battle of Lang Vei '68
“Okay, Hicks, let me see your license and registration.”
“Oh, shit, Detective, you’re a hard man to find. I’ve been looking for you cause there’s some heavy shit been going on on the Hill lately.”
“What’s that have to do with your license and registration, which I don’t see you reaching for.”
“My girlfriend, Annette, lives over on Rockland, right? And so I’m been going over there a lot, and right across the street from her, there’s these guys who live there. A few of them are old Italian-looking, know what I mean? But the type of old guys who could kick your ass,”
“And that’s unusual on the Hill, Hicks? Half the God damn population here looks like that.”
“I know, but these guys are different.”
“Uh, huh, how so?
I seen guys like that in the Nam. You don’t fuck with them, or even look crosseyed at them.
“And then there’s this other guy who looks mean as shit. He don’t live there but shows up once in a while. So one time just after dark this one leaves and we’re sittin’ on the porch drinkin' and smokin'. So I tell Annette I’m going out for some Newports and I follow him. Guess where he goes?
“I have no idea.”
“To Westminster Cemetery. I shut off my lights and stay far enough behind him, and he meets some other guys, and they dig up a fuckin’ body. No, shit, Detective. I swear on my mother’s grave that’s what they did.”
“So what did you do?”
“I got my ass out of there, fast.”
“So you’re making up this story because you don’t have a license or registration. Pretty good, Hicks. Is that what you did in school when you didn’t do your homework?”
“No, Sir, I swear to fuckin’ God, Detective.”
“Rausher stepped away from the car and looked around. He shook his head, then looked back in at Hicks. “All right, I’ll tell you what. You keep an eye on them and try to get some definite information, such as a license plate number or something I can check. And get me the address on Rockland. I know you just got out of the Marine Corps, so I’m cutting you a break. But the next time I see you, I want to see some evidence that you are trying to get a license and registration. You got that?”
“No problem, Detective Rausher. No problem, Sir."
“All right, get the hell out of here. And don’t go following them again, you’ll get yourself killed.”
Butcher Hicks on Special Assignment
Excerpt From Alone in the Fight
Shirley and Knuckles Hicks lived on Old Belmont Avenue, just up from the gas station, set back. Drugs and drink ruled them. A welfare worker said they’d get twice the amount with just one kid. So they tried, and sure enough, Shirley got pregnant. But the shit hit the fan when Shirley delivered twins, a boy and a girl. They didn’t want two babies; they didn’t ask for two babies. Besides, two kids didn’t raise their welfare anymore than one. They kept the girl because they figured she’d eat less, and then they tried to sell the boy on the black market but got caught. They had a choice: jail or adoption; they chose adoption. They never gave them names or bought toys — let them play with kitchen utensils. When the caseworker arrived for the boy, Shirley filled out the form, and the boy needed a name. Shirley bit her lip, eyes pinched to the floor. The baby boy was playing with kitchen knives, especially the biggest one. He cut his baby sister twice with it and laughed until he pissed on the floor. They never bought diapers, either. So Shirley wrote on the form, Hicks, Butcher. The name followed him like a brand through four reform schools, three county jails, and either state prison or the Marine Corps. Butcher Hicks chose the Marines.
How Butcher Hicks Got his Name
Excerpt from Alone in the Fight
Oh, one more thing. If you pull this off right, there's a three-day pass for you and a Huey ride to the Paris of the East. Know where that is, soldier?"
"No, Sir."
"Saigon, soldier, on the Dong Nai river. We'll load you up with some Saigon Tea and a few Boom-Boom girls. Can you handle that?"
"Oh, yes, Sir."
"All right. Get the hell out of here."
"But, Sir. What happens if I don't pull it off?"
The General gave me a funny look. "Well, fuck, son. You'll be dead, so don't worry about it.”
Reviews
The on the Hill series has many five star reviews on Amazon All by Verified buyers. Here are some of them.
Verified Amazon buyer, Dawn.
Insomnia. It gives you insomnia, because you don’t want to put this book down. One of the Authors best work.
Verified Amazon Buyer, David
Mr. Costello has written a fantastic book about my hometown. The story is engaging, right from page 1. Loved the story, plot and twists. Another great installment in the On The Hill series. Can’t wait for the next one!!!!!
Verified Amazon buyer, Cheryl.
What a wonderful adventure story about 4 good friends who lived on the "Hill" in the Mainline section of Philadelphia. Where the boys were thrown into a hide-and-seek game of survival. The cops and the mafia were after them after they witness murders from cherry trees. Will they survive? "Dead Kids Don't Speak" was exciting, suspenseful and, hard to put down. A must read for all who like thrillers.
Verified Amazon buyer, Jahna
As soon as I finished the first book, I had to read his second book,"On the Hill, Insomina". This book was even better. From the start I couldn't put it down. I laughed a lot and the people in his book are so real. I can't wait for his next book due in out in November.
Verified Amazon buyer, Paul B.
It is a small neighborhood where everyone looks out for one and other - partly because of the times, the 1960's. My favorites scenes involve the youthful banter of the high school kids from the Hill. Without giving the plots away, I'll mention some of the elements: school bus rides, HS baseball, local police, local tough guys, Russians, deadly virus, black family, Irish mob, insomnia, paper route, and the FBI. The author weaves the various story lines throughout the book. Everything is interconnected and concludes in an exciting finish.
Verified Amazon buyer, Joan.
OMG! What a terrific book. On The Hill Dead Kids Don't Speak is a terrific murder mystery and a book you can't put down.
Verified Amazon buyer, Fritz
Hero, Villain? The real man is lost to history. But that doesn't prevent Costello from presenting a nuanced vision of Columbus. Yes, he is something of an antagonist in this book. But not a two dimensional one. At once arrogant and confident, he is also operating in an historical period where these qualities are required, and where no amount of research can offset ignorance.
Verified Amazon buyer, Mary
An amazing story line that brings in fiction to a non-fiction place and people!
Verified Amazon buyer, Gloria.
"Dead Kids" takes place in a real small town near Philadelphia. Its population of free-range boys takes full advantage of its many natural and municipal wonders--steep hills, fields, woods, creeks, a river, a baseball field, and a dump. They explore, swim, make trails, hide out, and build contraptions from found treasures, all the while developing skills, creativity, and kinship.
Verified Amazon buyer, David
This book is excellent !!!!
Verified Amazon buyer, Brenda.
Wow this a fast pace thriller.4 kids witness a murder and have to run for their life. From the mob and police. From there it stays uphill on who will find and kill them. This doesn't disappoint with a great shootout ending. First read for me of this author. Need more stars to give. Great job.
Verified Amazon buyer. Joan
I read this book because some of the characters from the first Book, On the Hill Dead Kids Don’t Speak. While it is not a continuation, it is an enjoyable read through the eyes of some of the characters in the previous book. The story is compelling mystery which keeps you want to continue to read so you can find out what happens. Ron Costello is a wonderful writer who leaves you waiting for the next book. Don’t miss this page turner. Insomnia is a winner!.
Verified Amazon buyer, Richard.
I didn't really enjoy the banter in the first Hill book, perhaps because I didn't like Ron's banter in HS either. In this second book Ron nailed the right balance of teenage language and the story line was intriguing. Butch has created a first class book with this second on the Hill series.
Verified Amazon Buyer, Peter Reinhart
This story takes place in the woods behind where I grew up, with a cast of characters I knew in my childhood. That may be the only statement that is historically true about this book, but it hardly matters because this story is a true page turner; a great roller coaster ride of ups, downs, and crazy twists and turns. Among the many memorable characters is one you will not be able to get out of your head, a Casa Nostra hitman known as the "Badger," who is unlike anyone you've seen before and who I hope returns in future volumes from this "On The Hill" series.
Verified Amazon buyer, Dawn
Isn't it great when you find a book that completely drags you into the dialog? Well this is the book for you.
Verified Amazon buyer, Bumper
Loved the book!,
Verified Amazon buyer, Jo.
Then there are the adventures when they arrived at a new. A fascinating book.
Verified Amazon buyer, David.
This book and the others in the series are so much fun to read. The adventures of the Hill kids are incredible ... I want to hang with those guys !! Any book in this series is enjoyable. Verified Amazon buyer,
Verified Amazon buyer, Pete
I read the book excellent story line!
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Batting Practice inside the Phillies complex. You worked your way down the line: First underhand toss, next station pitching coach firing fastballs, and the third station pitching machines firing fastballs.
Phillies Phantasy Camp 2026
I attended Phillies Phantasy Camp in January: Five days of baseball in the Florida sun. The grit, the desire, the challenge of the competition all returned like the crack of a bat echoing through summer nights. Those teams from my past never left me—they gave me the will and the desire to return to the field once more: exceptionally fortunate to complete again. The friendships I made with other players and coaches are all in the heat together and are inseparable. And. since I survived, I returning in January, 2027.
The Camorro — the Naples-Salerno Mob — set up their body business on the Hill. They were up and running when one detective started asking questions. No, problem, right? They'll just take him out. Well, not this detective they won't, nor do they want to take on his deputy, Buster Hicks. They wished they were back in Italy.
Alone in the Fight
In the Pipeline
Return of the Clothed Gods
Columbus's second voyage to the Americas following the first book, Darkness They Could Not See. This time, he brought 17 ships, plus soldiers, priests and the Monarchy's representatives. But was he really in charge?