"Wheeler, Dealer!" is the never-before-told story of the murder of Roger Wheeler, a multi-millionaire and the CEO of World Jai Alai, America's largest Jai Alai Fronton; and the Telex Corporation, a leading supplier of computer technology to the DEA and other such powerful government agencies. This is the true, behind-the-scenes story, based upon the more than 5,000 pages of files compiled by the nearly 100 participating detectives involved in this nearly 30-year cross-country murder investigation. The files not only tracked the status of the crime, but also included multiple interviews with former crime-family members, since-turned FBI informants. And it was the sum of such interviews that not only provided assistance to the investigators, but will provide an astonishing learning experience to the readers. As head of his two corporations, Wheeler was in a position of considerable power. Accordingly he was renowned to be a head-strong, ego-driven entrepreneur. He feared no one and repeatedly chastised all who interfered with his life -- including members of the mafia. Wheeler had but one goal in life, to make money. But in his many quests to do so, his "No Fear" actions negatively impacted three of the five major crime families in America, resulting in each authorizing "hits" on him. What you thought of Roger depended upon how you knew him. His public image was one of a "wealthy, charming, church-going father of four." But those who knew him as their boss, considered him to be "a mean-spirited and belligerent leader" who listened to no one and treated his employees with such disrespect that he was despised by nearly all. All things considered, Roger Wheeler's life was one that epitomized a "Wheeler, Dealer! His other reputations included being: "An aggressive, over-sexed womanizer;" a heavy gambler who too often slow-paid his debts; and allegedly the leader of a home-burglary ring that targeted his friends. It was the investigators' discovery of this secret life that led to a greatly-expanded list of suspects -- more than 120 at one time. It was a list that included the many members of the underworld that he had challenged or fired; his gambling foes and the alleged home-burglary pals who had twice threatened his life for non-payment of debts; and finally the many revenge-seeking husbands and boyfriends of the innumerable women he had successfully bedded -- his preferences being his employees or the wives of his close associates.
Charles H. "Chuck" Hood is a veteran of over 50 years in the marketing and advertising business. From 1969 until 1990 Hood served as co-founder and chairman of the ad agency, Hood, Hope & Associates. He later served as chairman of the newly merged firm of Ackerman, Hood & McQueen. When he retired from the ad agency business, the agency was ranked as the 108th largest agency in America, with offices in six cities, 200 employees and annual billings in excess of $80 million. After his retirement from the ad agency business, he purchased a patent for calculators on shopping carts, re-patented the concept in 14 different configurations, each with an advertising image area and founded ADDvantage Media Group, an in-store advertising company. Its products were known as the Shoppers' Calculators. These calculators were installed on each of the shopping carts in over 1200 grocery stores as well as all of the Walmart outlets; advertising was then sold to their suppliers/vendors for placement on all carts. The company was then taken public and Hood served as the president and CEO for the next 10 years. During that time, the company became the third-largest in-store advertising company in the America. Hood is a past member of the "Advertising Age" Editorial Review Board, the board of the AAAA (American Association of Advertising Agencies), and the board of POPAI (Point of Purchase Advertising Institute). He has also held numerous regional and national positions within each group. Hood is a past recipient of the Tulsa Advertising Federation's Silver Addy, recognizing him as being the "Ad Man of the Year." His creative writing skills have garnered countless local, regional and national ADDY's as well first place awards from the International Film Festival, the New York Film Festival and the Chicago Film Festival. Hood is the author of "Walmart's EGOnomics -- Always -- the Greed Behind the Smiley Face," a book that details his personal experiences within nearly a decade of dealings with Walmart, as both an in-store vendor and their ad agency. In addition to being judged a finalist for the Indie Reader Discovery Awards' Best Nonfiction Book of 2011 (Top 100), it was acclaimed by Kirkus and IndieReader's 4 1/2 and 5-Star reviews; and a 5-Star review by ForeWord Reviews. Hood is also the author of: "Big Rigs, Posh Digs, Fast Cars, Dark Bars;" "The Tommy 'The Duke" Morrison Story;" the nonfictional "Prey for the Pastor" and a fictional version, "The Pastor's Prey."
