Born and raised in New York City, Richard Condon began writing fiction in his forties. He had previously worked in the movie business for more than twenty years as a press agent for Walt Disney productions, putting in time at nearly all of the major studios. In addition to The Manchurian Candidate -- a work that many feel disturbingly foreshadowed the assassination of both President John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert -- he wrote numerous bestsellers, including Prizzi's Honor and Prizzi's Family. He died in 1996.