4 out of 4 stars
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Gringo by Dan "Tito" Davis is a memoir. This book chronicles the real-life events of Dan "Tito" Davis as written by Peter Conti. It details his beginnings and his involvement in the drug trade. It also describes the events that occurred during the 13 years he spent on the run from the law. Dan Davis is born and raised in a town in South Dakota. He comes from humble beginnings and both of his parents are hard-working people. How does a small town boy become an international fugitive? In high school, he gets an opportunity to work at horse racing track and he is able to make a lot of money. This opens the door to luxuries that even his parents couldn't afford.
He joins college and that is where he comes into contact with his first drug. The White Cross (Ephedrine) is a pill that most of the students are using to enhance the outcomes in their studies and exams. Due to financial constraints, he becomes interested in their sale and distribution. Dan joins the University of Las Vegas and becomes involved with Bandidos Motorcycle club. It is there he begins to distribute the White Crosses on a larger scale. Over time when he gets married, he shifts to the new drug of choice in the market, Cocaine. A drug which at that time is a preserve of the rich. The law catches up with him and he gets arrested and serves time in prison.
After serving his sentence when gets out he shifts his focus to Marijuana. At that point his life changes dramatically when he is betrayed by a man, he regarded as a friend. To avoid imprisonment his only option is to run away. This is where his journey as an international fugitive begins. He finds unlikely allies and friends in members of the Medellin cartel. The most powerful criminal organization in Colombia at that time. His top priority is to learn Spanish and to get a false identification to help evade capture. Throughout his quest, he has a few close calls and almost near captures, which in hindsight he also regards as stupid. He finds love again and ventures into new business opportunities. During this time he travels all around South America, India, and Europe. Well, nothing lasts forever, and the law finally catches up with him.
This is an action-packed life story of a man on the run. This book is a real page-turner, and it had me at the edge of my seat from the beginning to the end. It grabs hold of your attention and never let's go. There many instances that I had to backtrack because my mind couldn't grasp the idea that these events were real. Peter Conti does a great job of bringing together Dan's story. I literally did not feel like I was reading a book, but it felt like I had been given front row access to follow Dan Davis' life as it happened. By the end of the book, I was left speechless. Each of the events is vividly detailed. The happenings in this book are just amazing. My biggest question as I concluded was, "Is there a movie adaptation of this book?" An idea I surmised is still in the process.
There are so many things I liked about the book that it is hard to pick a few. The book is well-edited. Unlike some memoirs or autobiographies, this book does not bog you down with facts. Various phrases and words are highlighted and explained within the text, so the reader's pace of reading isn't interrupted. Peter Conti brings simplicity to such an amazing story. He gives us enough information to keep us appraised of the situations and enjoy reading it too. I am a big fan of true crime stories, so this book did not disappoint. I would rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because this is the highest rating that I can give. The story basically over took over everything, and I became totally engrossed in reading it. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to read memoirs. This is a book every true crime fanatic will love. Die-hard fans of the "Narcos" series will definitely enjoy reading this book.
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Gringo
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