Review by Ice dragon -- Gringo

Ice dragon · Post by **Ice dragon** » 20 Dec 2018, 17:23

[Following is a volunteer review of "Gringo" by Dan "Tito" Davis.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Gringo: My life on the Edge as an International Fugitive by Dan 'Tito' Davis

Gringo is the autobiography of a drug trafficker and fugitive Dan ‘Tito’ Davis. Born in South Dakota, Davis enjoyed a privileged and picturesque childhood, excelling in wrestling he worked in flag-poling and as a jockey. Bringing in a pretty impressive income at a young age. Upon enrolling in university, he still has the taste for wealth that a typical student income doesn’t quite match.

Developing and marketing a form of ephedrine dubbed “White crosses” under the guise of dog multivitamins. Davis goes into the dealing business with the notorious biker gang, The Banditos Motorcycle Club, hitting it big, he brings in $200,000 a week at the age of twenty-three. Frustrated and wanting more, Davis starts trafficking marijuana and cocaine, which leads to his first mistake as his friend is busted, this leads to his first imprisonment, leaving his young family behind.

After leaving prison the author finds getting employment hard, leading him to return to his former life. Unfortunately, he gives work to a former schoolmate, Marv Schumacher. Once discovered by the feds, he names, names, and is allowed to give a fabricated testimony, placing Davis in prison in his place. Davis flees to Mexico.

The book charts Davis’ flight through Mexico. Follow his plight as he is sheltered by Medellín Cartel owners, is tutored by Pablo Escobar’s hitwoman and his hair-raising encounters with guerrillas, and so much more.

First, I have to give a "hats off" to the author, as this is the first autobiography that I have ever read all the way through. I don’t read them as they generally bore me, so well done for grabbing my attention for 700 pages. The book is aimed at mature audiences and will appeal to crime and true crime fans, as it encompasses the dark glamour that draws fans to the genre.

The author is a well likable character. His sense of loss and remorse echoes throughout the book, as he describes the life that he had to leave behind and the heartache he suffered from losing his family to his crimes. He has a very dry sense of humour and has good delivery of his tales that allow you to fully immerse yourself in the world that he has lived in. His use of the self-deprivation "gringo stupido", becomes an endearment as you can feel the author kicking himself over his actions during his exile. I felt the thrills from his close encounters with death, the ruthless people he consorts with and defying the ‘feds’. The story was highly entertaining and maintained the human element of the life of crime all the way through.

The highlights of the book are his bus trip to Guatemala City as this is the most entertaining bus trip I have ever encountered. The level of destitution, the corruption, violence and the sheer ruthlessness of the lives of the people of Mexico is grippingly described, so well that you can feel that you are living it through the author’s eyes. The author arrives in Colombia two years after the death of Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria, many of his cohorts are linked to the cartels. There is an area of interest where you can see the fallout of his reign and the repercussions it had on the lives of the people living there. It is this part of the book that makes up its heart, I could feel the warmth of the people who helped him rebuild his life and feel the sense of community that they build, despite the lives and danger that they live in. To coin a Scorsese film quote “It’s a funny feeling being taken under the wing of the dragon its warmer than you think”.

The book has its fair share of sex scenes, to sate most crime buffs appetite. However, on the flip side, there is a nasty scene where the author travels to San Antero and witnesses a Burro (donkey) Festival. I really wasn’t expecting a graphic description of zoophilia, that apparently is traditionally practised by the locals. I was extremely tempted to throw the book out the window, when you come to this part, skip forward a couple of pages as it’s revolting.

The last part of the book is probably its weakest, as the author moves to Venezuela and marries his third wife, its clear that he is content and reaching the autumn years of his life. I didn’t like his wife and found that the pace of the book slowed rather rapidly to the point when it started to become boring and I struggled to keep reading as I found the story more devoted to her and the plot just wasn’t interesting. I also found that the climax is covered rather rapidly, then the book ends very abruptly.

I rate Gringo 3 out of 4 stars, it’s well edited and the plot is fantastic, it’s just the last part of the book that I found to be a let down.

******
Gringo
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Alicia09 · Post by **Alicia09** » 21 Dec 2018, 17:23

Congratulations on finishing this book! 700 pages sounds like a lot to read, especially if the ending is not up to par with the rest of the story. At first I wasn't sure if I wanted to read this book because I feel like crime books can easily end up having cliche plots. Now I'm actually more intrigued to read this book since you mentioned the zoophilia that took place with the animals in one scene. I would like to know if it really is that disgusting and disturbing. Thanks for the review!

gen_g · Post by **gen_g** » 22 Dec 2018, 00:55

It seems like the author could have developed the last part of the book better, instead of rushing it. Thanks for the detailed review!

Post by **Vickie Noel** » 22 Dec 2018, 14:57

Thanks for your review. For some reason, I just couldn't find it engaging enough to read it. Too bad about the slow-paced ending, especially after all those pages.

Bianka Walter · Post by **Bianka Walter** » 23 Dec 2018, 13:49

I agree - it almost seems like he gave up on writing the rest and was content to let it just end.
Although, I didn't enjoy most of the book - not just the ending

Great review!

Darlynn_Tebogo · Post by **Darlynn_Tebogo** » 02 Jan 2019, 05:46

Slow-paced endings are such a disappointment. Most especially if the book had an interesting plot. I will not be reading this book because I am taking a break from autobiographies but thank you for such a great review.

Jackie Holycross · Post by **Jackie Holycross** » 02 Jan 2019, 20:42

I like stories about people who remake their lives. It doesn't sound like this really goes that way. I'll pass, but good job.

Vscholz · Post by **Vscholz** » 03 Jan 2019, 19:05

What a tome of a book! I don't know that I would be able to do that... unless it really is as interesting as you say. I am a fan of true crime, but I usually prefer to watch shows on it. Even though this book has been an option to review for a while, I will probably pass on the official review and just read it for entertainment.

Thanks for the in-depth review!

Post by **Sushan Ekanayake** » 04 Jan 2019, 20:36

I will read this leisurely but definitely not try to review this, since it seems too large for me. Nice work. Thank you

kdstrack · Post by **kdstrack** » 18 Apr 2019, 16:14

The author certainly had his share of unique experiences. Keeping your attention throughout the length of the book is impressive. I agree that there are some parts that are best to skip. Thanks for the recommendation.