At first glance, one wouldn’t peg Grand Junction resident Frank R. Hayde as a chronicler of organized crime.

A veteran park ranger currently at the Colorado National Monument, he spends most of his working days carrying out the myriad responsibilities involved in caring for the natural resources under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service.

On Thursday, however, he’ll assume an entirely different identity: mafia historian. He’ll speak at Mesa County’s Central Library about his new book, “The Mafia and the Machine,” published in March by Barricade Books and now available for purchase at local bookstores.

The book examines the mafia in Kansas City, Hayde’s hometown, and its impact on the national political scene. A longstanding interest in fellow KC native and U.S. President Harry S. Truman — a good friend of Hayde’s grandfather, “a loyal Democrat” — led to his exploration into the underbelly of local politics and the connections between the mob and prominent officials.

“We were a political family, part of this political machine, mostly Irish-American,” Hayde explained. “My grandfather could be counted on to get the vote out, help deliver votes, show up at fundraisers and do a lot of legwork. A lot of other Haydes were involved in elected or appointed office.”

While working at the Harry S. Truman National Historic Site just outside of Kansas City, Hayde learned about Tom Pendergast, who would later become one of the main characters of his book. “Pendergast ran a political machine in the city and was very closely tied to Truman. Now, Truman was an honest politician; he was uncorrupted. But Pendergast was his political sponsor. Without his support Truman couldn’t even get his name on the ballot. But because he had Pendergast’s support, he did get on the ballot and he did go to Washington.”

Hayde’s interest and research into Pendergast eventually led him to the political overlord’s relationship with Johnny Lazia, a local mafia boss. What began as an intellectual curiosity about a little-known aspect of American mafia history turned into a years-long project that culminated in this well-reviewed book.

“Throughout (all of my reading) there were these little references to Kansas City, but usually it was just one or two sentences. I realized that there was a story there that hadn’t been told yet. A story of organized crime wouldn’t be complete without a chapter on KC, so I decided that I was the guy to write it.”

Hayde’s exhaustive research followed the intricate history of the so-called “mob” and its vast influence over Kansas City life and politics. He made extensive use of the Mesa County Library’s online databases and interlibrary loan program to find obscure articles, court documents and publications about the subject.

“I’d coauthored a book before about Zion National Park, where I once worked,” Hayde said. “It’s part of a really popular series called ‘The Story Behind the Scenery,’ and it’s sold at every national park bookstore. I guess after that I realized that writing a book was something that can be done. I think that a lot of people think that it’s just too overwhelming. After we finished (the Zion book), though, it was like, ‘Wow, a person really can just sit down, start it and finish it. It really can be done.’”

The book has already made a big splash in his native Kansas City, ranking high in the local bestseller list and garnering the author invitations to talk more about its subject. Having done several book signings and radio interviews, he’s scheduled to do more as the summer reading season kicks off, including the Thursday evening presentation at the Mesa Central Library.

“The first printing of 3,000 books sold out in a month,” he said. “It was near the top of the bestseller list for six to eight weeks after it came out, right up there with the Oprah books and John Grisham. There’s so much interest in this subject. Every senior citizen in Kansas City has a recollection or memory of the mafia period, and it’s just an exciting, colorful story.”

Hayde’s book has even become fodder for mafia-related blogs and other online discussions. It’s generally been well-received and has been cited as an important contribution to the enormous literature about organized crime in the United States.

“It’s not about the violence,” Hayde said about the continuing American fascination with the mafia. “It’s about everything it intersects with. If you want to learn about a great American city — Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Kansas City, Cleveland or any of the older cities — you look at it through the lens of the mafia. Then you’ll really learn about that city because the Mob grew up with them. They very successfully intertwined themselves with local politics, so it’s a great behind-the-scenes look at how urban America was run in the 20th century.”

For more information about the library presentation, call 241-5251.