i be from phoenix city and the first time i saw this movie and read the book it only confirm the story i have hear all of my life . i ask my grandfather about the mob and he tell me that when he get back from fight in the pacific theatre he start up a cpa firm that be know the large in the columbus area . when he be just start out he be ask by the mob to do financial work for them and but he say that he gently decline . even when the fbi and army come through phoenix city and clean it up my grandfather wouldn not take it lightly when my mom and aunt and or uncle go across the river and but i assure you all of that be over now . the downtown area of phoenix city be in need of restoration and it have slum by the courthouse where all of the shooting still occasionally take place over angry and uneducated and low socio economic people and and the 14th street phoenix eagle bridge have be shut down for a solid 15 year and replace by a new 13th street bridge and but on the more fair side of phoenix city on summerville rd . it be very quaint and the scenery depressing . another incident be tell to me by my best friend family from high school that live in a nothing spot on hwy 165 call holy trinity and alabama and which be about 28 minute outside of columbus and ga. my best friend in high school uncle be a man that go by the name of old man davis . regardless of how the movie go and that fact be that there be 3 boss and old man davis be one of them . you can even read about him in the original book . legend have it that he be so cold blood that he go to downtown phoenix city to make a deal with a man and but apparently the man back out on the deal right in front of old man davis and so the old man davis proceed to take a saw off shotgun out of his coat and shoot the man in the chest in the middle of town by the courthouse . they say he even walk off nonchalantly because the mob have pay off every law enforcement official in town so he have nothing to worry about . another incident be about a bridge that another one of my friend own a rental house next to in downtown phoenix city . it be the same bridge that the mob kill and throw a black man off of and and you can even read that part in the book . i also would like to a that in many columbus and phoenix city civilian be ask to be extras in the movie . when the patterson friend be murder and bring to trial and prove guilty in front of the judge but still set free and well and the judge be my father partner in his law firm in columbus and who unfortunatlly be decease .