Review by payal80 -- Gringo by Dan "Tito" Davis
Posted: 15 Apr 2019, 00:47
[Following is a volunteer review of "Gringo" by Dan "Tito" Davis.]
3 out of 4 stars
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Gringo by Dan "Tito" Davis is a memoir part travelogue. This book chronicles the life of Dan "Tito" Davis, a drug dealer living in the 1970s. This book is written by Peter Conti, as told by Davis himself.
I was under the impression that drug lords/dealers lead a highly ostentatious life in huge mansions surrounded by elite bodyguards, traveling all over the world in private jets, and leading an over-the-top lifestyle in general. This has been my perception thanks to the many fictional stories that have glorified the so-called drug dealers or smugglers!
Hence, this story was totally in tangent to my one-dimensional theory! I was very excited to pick up this book and I am happy to say that this story has not disappointed in its content.
The story starts with Davis’s childhood in a small town in South Dakota to his college days where he first started dealing in drugs, which eventually led to him being arrested a couple of times. The main story starts with Davis running away from Federal custody while on a bail. He was wrongly set up by one of his associates through a false accusation of possessing meth, and Davis knew that he would not be able to prove his innocence this time. Consequently, he chose to flee to Mexico and thus began an adventurous chapter of his life full of high adrenaline drama and perilous occurrences.
The story takes us on a tumultuous journey spanning many countries as Davis learns to live a low-key life as a Gringo( Spanish word meaning a White foreigner, mostly derogatory). Although it sounds exotic, the reality was very harsh for Davis hiding in Latin America as he did not speak the language. This was his biggest handicap. His luck, however, was always on his side. He managed to survive in countries such as Mexico, Columbia, Guatemala, Venezuela, Cuba, and across the world including Germany, India, and Thailand in spite of not knowing the local language. He was fortunate that he got the help of the locals who valued honor more than money. Alas, as with all stories, Davis’s extraordinaire journey comes to an end when he finally gets caught by the US authorities in 2007.
This is an interesting story. I am not justifying the life and deeds of a drug dealer nor am I defending his actions. However, as a reader, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the nitty-gritty of the life of a fugitive. Notwithstanding all his money and power, life was not a bed of roses for Davis as he faced unusual challenges but somehow, always managed to be one step ahead of the system until his luck failed in 2007.
I really liked reading this book as it makes for an intriguing story with an insider's view into the life of a young boy who in his eagerness to escape from the confines of his small town chooses an illegal path to attain quick success and pots and pots of money. However, he failed to realize that Karma is a harsh wake-up call that finally caught up with him in 2007.
I will rate this book 3 out of 4. I have given this book 3 as Conti has done a fantastic job in bringing alive Davis’s story. The editing of this book has been very professional and was a delight to read without any jarring errors. At the same time, I did not rate this book 4 as I did not appreciate the manner in which Davis spoke about the native customs and the native people who helped him get through their country despite his attitude!
This book is a perfect holiday read for those people who enjoy fast-paced thrillers and crime stories!
******
Gringo
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Gringo by Dan "Tito" Davis is a memoir part travelogue. This book chronicles the life of Dan "Tito" Davis, a drug dealer living in the 1970s. This book is written by Peter Conti, as told by Davis himself.
I was under the impression that drug lords/dealers lead a highly ostentatious life in huge mansions surrounded by elite bodyguards, traveling all over the world in private jets, and leading an over-the-top lifestyle in general. This has been my perception thanks to the many fictional stories that have glorified the so-called drug dealers or smugglers!
Hence, this story was totally in tangent to my one-dimensional theory! I was very excited to pick up this book and I am happy to say that this story has not disappointed in its content.
The story starts with Davis’s childhood in a small town in South Dakota to his college days where he first started dealing in drugs, which eventually led to him being arrested a couple of times. The main story starts with Davis running away from Federal custody while on a bail. He was wrongly set up by one of his associates through a false accusation of possessing meth, and Davis knew that he would not be able to prove his innocence this time. Consequently, he chose to flee to Mexico and thus began an adventurous chapter of his life full of high adrenaline drama and perilous occurrences.
The story takes us on a tumultuous journey spanning many countries as Davis learns to live a low-key life as a Gringo( Spanish word meaning a White foreigner, mostly derogatory). Although it sounds exotic, the reality was very harsh for Davis hiding in Latin America as he did not speak the language. This was his biggest handicap. His luck, however, was always on his side. He managed to survive in countries such as Mexico, Columbia, Guatemala, Venezuela, Cuba, and across the world including Germany, India, and Thailand in spite of not knowing the local language. He was fortunate that he got the help of the locals who valued honor more than money. Alas, as with all stories, Davis’s extraordinaire journey comes to an end when he finally gets caught by the US authorities in 2007.
This is an interesting story. I am not justifying the life and deeds of a drug dealer nor am I defending his actions. However, as a reader, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the nitty-gritty of the life of a fugitive. Notwithstanding all his money and power, life was not a bed of roses for Davis as he faced unusual challenges but somehow, always managed to be one step ahead of the system until his luck failed in 2007.
I really liked reading this book as it makes for an intriguing story with an insider's view into the life of a young boy who in his eagerness to escape from the confines of his small town chooses an illegal path to attain quick success and pots and pots of money. However, he failed to realize that Karma is a harsh wake-up call that finally caught up with him in 2007.
I will rate this book 3 out of 4. I have given this book 3 as Conti has done a fantastic job in bringing alive Davis’s story. The editing of this book has been very professional and was a delight to read without any jarring errors. At the same time, I did not rate this book 4 as I did not appreciate the manner in which Davis spoke about the native customs and the native people who helped him get through their country despite his attitude!
This book is a perfect holiday read for those people who enjoy fast-paced thrillers and crime stories!
******
Gringo
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like payal80's review? Post a comment saying so!