Wild About Harry; A Biography of Harry Lee

New Orleans, Louisiana: Edition Dedeux, 2001. First Edition [stated], presumed first printing. Hardcover. Good/Good. Anita Semjen (Author photograph). xiii, [1], 298 pages. Illustrated. Chapter Notes and Index. DJ has some wear and soiling Top edges of book show some staining. Inscribed on the fep verso by the author. Inscription reads To Bernice and Bruce, Hope you enjoy this story about my friend, Harry Lee--A colorful character from the wacky world of Louisiana politics. Deno. Foreword by President Bill Clinton. Deno has developed media campaigns, films and videos specializing in advocacy, politics and art. His work has won top prizes at international film festivals in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Paris, Berlin, Taipei and won "Best of Show" at the Houston WorldFest Film Festival. The Washington Post awarded him their Shelby Storcke Award for Political Advertising and wrote, "Deno Seder is renowned for his hard-hitting television spots...devastating drama as well as argument." Deno is also a published author. His books include Wild About Harry, a political biography with a foreword by President Bill Clinton; Dead Fish, Humor and Satire in Political Advertising; and Miracle at Zakynthos, The Only Greek Jewish Community Saved In Its Entirety From Annihilation, which has been optioned for development as a motion picture. Deno earned a BS in Business and an MBA from Louisiana State University. Harry Lee (August 27, 1932 - October 1, 2007) was the long-time sheriff of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. He was first elected in 1979 as the thirtieth sheriff, and was re-elected six times, having served twenty-eight years and six months. Lee was elected sheriff in 1979, having defeated long-time incumbent Alwynn Cronvich. He was re-elected every four years from 1983 through 2003. In 1987, Lee faced a strong election challenge from Republican Art Lentini (later a state senator), and he was forced into a general election, but he managed to win by 54-46 percent. He was re-elected with no significant opposition in subsequent elections, and he remained a political celebrity within Jefferson Parish. He was credited with keeping the crime rate low for the past twenty-five years, while the rate in neighboring Orleans Parish remains one of the highest in the nation. In 1989, Lee deplored the choice of David Duke and John S. Treen standing as Republicans for the vacancy in state House District 81 created by the resignation of Charles Cusimano, who became a state court judge. To Lee, the showdown in the special election was a choice between "a bigot and an asshole." A Democrat, Lee ran for governor in 1995 but dropped out before the primary. He famously said, "why would I want to be governor when I can be king?" Lee endorsed Mike Foster, a Republican who came from behind in the polls to win the governorship and to serve two terms. He also endorsed Bobby Jindal for governor in 2003, his bid for Congress in 2004, 2006 reelection and again for governor in 2007. Lee, one of the best-known politicians in the Greater New Orleans Area, was known as a zealous crime fighter. He also gained a reputation as an anti-corruption reformer while serving as the Parish Attorney for Jefferson Parish. Lee was a political insider in Louisiana, and had close personal contacts with former Governor Edwards and the Boggs family in New Orleans. He often made controversial statements to the local media. He showed unwavering loyalty to his deputies during allegations of police brutality in Jefferson Parish. He had also shown support for other Louisiana politicians during several federal investigations of government corruption, including the investigation and eventual conviction of Edwards. Many of these politicians were personal friends of Lee, but Lee himself was never charged with corruption. Lee also defended gambling and claimed abuses were no more severe that those with addictions to alcohol and tobacco. He earmarked gambling revenues for jail buildings and maintenance. Without video poker, Lee said that Jefferson Parish would lose nearly $4 million annually in public revenues. Sheriff Lee maintained a strong presence during Hurricane Katrina. Most memorably, the morning before Katrina hit New Orleans, Lee appeared on emergency radio, with a message for those who had not yet evacuated: "You better haul ass! Y'all should have left yesterday."
Lee was one of the few New Orleans politicians to maintain his pre-Katrina popularity.