The Extortioners

Ovid Demaris (born Ovide E. Desmarais, 6 September 1919 - 12 March 1998 as) was an American author of books and detective stories. A former United Press correspondent and newspaper reporter, he wrote more than twenty books and hundreds of newspaper articles.

Born in Biddeford, Maine, Demaris obtained an A.B. degree in History and English from the College of Idaho and an M.S. degree in Journalism from Boston University.

During World War II, he served in the Air Force as a personnel officer. After the war he worked as a reporter on the Boston Daily Record, then as a Boston Bureau staff man for United Press, and finally became Ad Copy Chief of the Los Angeles Times.

Mr. Demaris is most noted for historical or biographical books about the Mafia and other gangland characters such as “Lucky Luciano”. His books have been translated and published in 10 foreign countries.

He died in 1998 aged 78.