Philadelphia Eagle alumnus Joe Pagliei has released his debut book, titled Joe Pagliei: The Roast Master. A real-­life Zelig, Joe’s story begins during the Depression Era, in a humble steel-­mining town in Western Pennsylvania where he lived under the same roof as the local neighborhood numbers runner.

From that colorful beginning, Joe went on to live a life in which he was constantly a central figure among remarkable, eccentric characters, from wise-­guys to Rat Pack-­ers, and from Hall of Fame athletes to top-­billed entertainers. Now, Joe Pagliei has combined his remarkable stories with his natural-born talent for being everyone’s buddy to weave a compelling, hilarious, and heart-­warming narrative that covers much of the “back nine” of the 20th century.