Bill Lee (author)

Infobox Person
name = Bill Lee


image_size = 250px
birth_name = William Lee
birth_date = October 8, 1954
birth_place = San Francisco
residence = San Francisco
nationality = United States
known_for = Ex-Joe Boy member, ex-ESL employee
education = BA in Psychology
employer = Bill Lee & co.
occupation =
religion =
spouse = Kathy Lee (1981-1982)
children = 1
parents =
website = [http://www.chineseplayground.com Official Website]

Bill Lee (born 1954), is a Chinese American and a former member of the San Francisco Chinatown gang that was responsible for the 1977 Golden Dragon Massacre.

He grew up in San Francisco's Chinatown, and went to Marina Middle School, Galileo High School and was a student majoring in psychology at SF State when he joined the Chung Ching Yee, also known as the Joe Boys [ [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/examiner/archive/1999/03/09/NEWS12705.dtl Inside Chinatown's gangs ] ] . He was not involved in but was questioned by homicide investigators about the 1977 Golden Dragon Massacre, one of the deadliest massacres in San Francisco History, for which five other Joe Boys were jailed [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/e/a/1999/03/09/NEWS12705.dtl Inside Chinatown's gangs] ] . In 1988, Lee was an employee at ESL when former employee Richard Farley fatally shot seven people and wounded four others at its headquarters. Lee recalled the tragedy in detail and his role in rescuing coworkers in his first book, "Chinese Playground: A Memoir" [http://www.asianweek.com/012899/mainfeature.html Notes from the Underworld] ] .

Career

Lee is the author of two books. His first, "Chinese Playground: A Memoir" (1999) is a memoir of gang life in 1960s and '70s San Francisco which caused him to be approached and threatened by former gang associates who told him he should not have written the book and made veiled threats against him and his family [ [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi%2Dbin/article.cgi%3Ffile=/chronicle/archive/1999/05/02/RV98109.DTL Remembering Life Inside a Chinatown Gang ] ] . Lee's second book, "Born to Lose: Memoirs of a Compulsive Gambler," (2005) details his lifelong gambling addiction and recovery. He has also written numerous articles for the San Francisco Chronicle and Asian Week and has been featured on the History Channel, A&E Network and in national print publications [ [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/1592851533 Amazon.com: Born to Lose: Memoirs of a Compulsive Gambler: Bill Lee: Books ] ] .

Lee is also the principal of Bill Lee and Associates, a senior management and technical search firm based in California.

Bibliography

* "Chinese Playground: a Memoir", 1999 ISBN 978-0967002309
* "Born to Lose: Memoirs of a Compulsive Gambler", 2005 ISBN 978-1592851539

References

External links

* [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0967002303 Reviews of Chinese Playground]
* [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/1592851533 Reviews of Born to Lose]
* [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/examiner/archive/1999/03/09/NEWS12705.dtl "Inside Chinatown's gangs", a San Francisco Chronicle article]
* [http://www.hcibooks.com/book-description.asp?BookID=721 "Born to Lose: Memoirs of a Compulsive Gambler" (book description)]
* [http://www.chineseplayground.com Bill Lee's website]