Culinary Historians of San Diego will present “Bloody Food Rackets: 1930s New York City,” featuring James Beard Award winner Andrew Coe, at 10:30 am May 18, in the Neil Morgan Auditorium of the San Diego Central Library, 330 Park Blvd. Coe will delve into why notorious gangsters such as Joseph “Socks” Lanza, fought bloody battles over . . . artichokes, and milk, eggs, flour, kosher chickens and even chocolate syrup. The setting was the city’s sprawling food markets and the victims were average New Yorkers who struggled to feed their families in the Depression-era economy. The hero was Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia who fought to free customers from the stranglehold of the mob. Join Coe at this free public event. A tasting and book signing will follow.

Andrew Coe is a writer and independent scholar specializing in culinary history. He and his wife, Jane Ziegelman, are co-authors of “A Square Meal: A Culinary History of the Great Depression,” which won a James Beard award. His ground-breaking “Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States” was a finalist for a James Beard award and named one of the best food books of the year by the Financial Times. He has written books, articles, and blog posts on everything from the ancient history of foie gras to the secret criminal past of chocolate egg creams, to where to buy the tastiest bread in New York City. Coe has appeared in documentaries such as the National Geographic Channel’s “Eat: The Story of Food” and “The Search for General Tso.” He and his wife life in Brooklyn with their two children.