Vic DiGenti is a rare creative polymath, equally at home ghostwriting deeply personal biographies and composing novels while championing jazz in Northeast Florida. But it’s his latest release, James R. Anthony: The Banker Who Shaped Florida’s History, that cements his reputation as a masterful storyteller and historian. Born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and raised in South Florida, DiGenti has long nurtured a passion for both words and music.
A graduate of the University of Florida in Journalism– Broadcasting, he spent thirty six years at WJCT in Jacksonville producing documentaries and special events. As executive producer of the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, he helped the event flourish—introducing signature elements like the Jazz on the Run 5K and the Backstage Café. In 2004, he was inducted into the Jacksonville Jazz Festival Hall of Fame.
Parallel to his broadcasting career, DiGenti pursued fiction writing. He’s authored six novels. most notably the Windrusher adventure-fantasy trilogy under his Windrusher Hall Press imprint, and the Quint Mitchell Mystery series under the pen name Parker Francis.
Upon retiring, he turned to ghostwriting full time, crafting more than a dozen biographies and family histories for a diverse clientele, including World War II veterans and jazz musicians. His writing blends narrative flair with documentary precision.
His latest book, James R. Anthony: The Banker Who Shaped Florida’s History, showcases that dual strength. Released in mid-2024, the biography tells the story of James R. Anthony, a Georgia farm boy turned Florida banking magnate, whose decades-long career helped transform the state’s chaotic frontier into thriving cities. DiGenti vividly chronicles Anthony’s ventures in real estate, banking, and insurance, tracing the boom-and-bust dynamics of early 20th-century Florida.
For fans of history, biography, and engaging storytelling, DiGenti offers a compelling narrative of ambition and transformation. James R. Anthony is available wherever books are sold or directly from Windrusher Hall Press.
