Tough Guy: A Memoir by Louis Ferrante - Hardcover

Ferrante, Louis

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0593060180 ISBN 13: 9780593060186

Publisher: Bantam Press, 2008

Synopsis

Louis Ferrante was a young rogue who made his reputation on the streets of New York by leading a gang of mobsters and shooting a neighbourhood bully. Later Louis hooked up with the infamous John Gotti Jr and the Gambino crime family and pulled off some of the most lucrative robberies in US history, many of which are still unsolved. Life was sweet, and most of the time he had fun. When the law finally caught up with Louis, indictments came from the Secret Service, the Organized Crime Force and the FBI. He found himself facing a long stretch in some of the most notoriously dangerous penitentiaries, and living amongst the most violent, not to mention insane, criminals incarcerated in the US prison system. Life in jail was gruelling and uncompromisingly brutal, and Louis needed his wits about him day and night just to stay alive. But life became more tolerable when, almost by accident, Louis read his first book and quite unexpectedly a new world opened up to him.During the course of his eight years in prison, he read everything from Danielle Steel to Caesar’s Gallic Wars; he learned the art of writing and studied the major religions, eventually choosing to become an Orthodox Jew. And with only limited access to law books, he somehow managed to teach himself enough to successfully appeal his own conviction. Gritty, hard-hitting, and yet so often hilarious, Louis Ferrante’s memoir recounts his meteoric rise to the upper echelons of the mafia hierarchy, his time in prison, and his struggle to turn his life around. It’s also a poignant and incredibly moving slice of life in the tradition of Nicholas Pileggi’s Goodfellas, Wiseguys and The Sopranos.

About this title

Review:

"A raw, brutal memoir with glimmers of hope and redemption." -- Publishers Weekly

"A stunningly written account of renewal, and one of the best books of our time." -- David Black, Producer and screenwriter for Law and Order,

"Hardly your typical ex-mobster... a hard-boiled tale of crime, punishment and redemption... incredible story." -- Newsday

"He tells his story with immediacy and candor... he spares us none of his life's unflattering details... Inspiring!"
-- Library Journal

"Lou Ferrante writes of redemption in a memoir that's already been optioned for a movie." -- L. A. Times

"There are some tough pages in this book, pages that will turn your stomach. But if you stick with it... inspiring."
-- Rabbi Jack Riemer

"Tough Guy is a deeply moving, honest account of an extraordinary life." -- Nicholas Pileggi, author of Wiseguy and Casino

'As someone who tends to be a magnet for Mob stories, I'm so glad this one found me - not so much for the mafia aspect, but for Lou's amazing story of self-education and re-birth during his prison sentence.' -- Actress Lorraine Bracco, star of The Sopranos

Book Description:

Brutal but often hilarious, Louis Ferrante’s candid memoir tells of his fight to turn his life around.

About this edition

• Publisher: Bantam Press
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0593060180
• ISBN 13: 9780593060186
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 320