From horses to flying monkeys, a family story weaved into world history

Family histories are a precious legacy of who you are and from where you came. Unfortunately, as time goes on, these stories can get lost over time. Dr. Lane Jay Mercer heard his family stories all his life. He shared them like bedtime stories with his four children. His son suggested he write the family history down so that future generations could enjoy their heritage. And that's what he did - "An American Jewish Family Saga" follows five generations of his family's journey from Spain during the Inquisition to finally coming to America. They were constantly uprooted because of historical events. "Although a story of my family, I think the narrative could be any group of immigrants who were forced to pull up roots and resettle as strangers in a strange land," he said.

"My purpose for writing these were two-fold. First, to record the stories told to me by the older generation, now gone, for the younger generations who couldn't hear them from the original source," Mercer explained to his friend, Dr. Daniel Layish. "Second, to explain how the prior generations existed and eventually thrived through hard work, quick thinking and seizing opportunity when it presented itself. Not all were terribly successful, but what they did achieve, they did so on their own."

Mercer is originally from Clifton, N.J. He moved to Chicago, later opened a practice in the Orlando area, and retired in the Tampa Bay. A physician and former George Gardner Professor at Northwestern Medical School, he practiced at Florida Hospital South from 2004-2018. He was active in Congregation Beth Am while living in Winter Park and now attends Chabad in St. Petersburg.

Mercer moved to Orlando to be near his mother, Claire, and his siblings who lived in the area. For 30 years his mother was involved in the JCC 39ers (the senior adult group), and most other areas of the JCC programing. She also volunteered for Give Kids the World for 12 years. But, his books are about his father's side of the family, a colorful and audacious legacy.

The first book, "Children of the Reyter: Jews Do Ride Horses," begins with the Spanish Inquisition following the family as they settled in Central Europe under the leadership of The Reyter (Rider) where they became horse breeders and traders. The story focuses on three brothers who are forced to flee Austria following a confrontation with the Army. As they venture toward America, the three brothers settle in Paris where the three eventually separate. One stays in France and endures the trials of the Holocaust while the others make their way to America.

"My Cousin Was a Flying Monkey: The Not So Straight Path to Becoming an Upright American" is the second book of the series. A cousin, Moshe, travels to Vienna (how he gets there is rather exciting, but I'm not telling) with hopes to become a lawyer. He and a cohort plan to modernize the railway system of Europe, but Moshe ends up fleeing to America where he finds many opportunities for riches. Moshe's nephew, Chaim, is introduced and the plot thickens. Things get real exciting as Chaim comes to America, becomes a bootlegger, rubs shoulders with Jewish gangsters and attempts to control the flow of river barges to New York Harbor. Chaim has three children: a daughter who becomes a lawyer and introduces science into the courtrooms, a son who introduces naturopathic treatments to the Army and another son who goes to Hollywood pursuing his "big break" in the movie "The Wizard of Oz." His role? You guessed it - a flying monkey.

The third book of the series, "Horses, Booze, and Candy Bars: The Rocky Road Through American Enterprise," goes back to when the three brothers were in Austria where two of them escape recruitment into the Austrian Army and travel to Cherbourg, France. On a tramp steamer they arrive in America where they find opportunities for "those brave, smart and strong enough to overcome others competing for the same piece of the American dream," Mercer said. They succeed using what they know - horse trading to bootlegging to land development.

The final book in the series, "Booze in a Baby Carriage: The Jazz Age, Black Mobsters, and the Bambino," begins with the family's first American-born generation who live in 1920's Passaic, N.J. The three siblings - two brothers and a sister - struggle to make their "fortunes" by taking on almost any kind of job, including delivering bootleg whiskey in a baby carriage. This leads to involvement with Black mobsters and opening a Jazz Club called the Panther Club. Here the three siblings rub shoulders with some of the most famous celebrities of the time.

A researcher at heart, Mercer said that all the stories are true, although Mercer said he had to fictionalize at times to fill in the gaps.

Mercer has written several scientific books and articles and thoroughly enjoyed putting together in print his family's entertaining history.

The four-book series is available on Amazon under Lane J. Mercer. It is also available on Kindle.