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American Desperado

My Life as a Cocaine Cowboy

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About this listen

American Desperado is possibly the most jaw-dropping, event-filled, adrenaline-soaked criminal autobiography ever written. Like a real-life Scarface Jon was born into the upper levels of the Gambino crime family and witnessed his first murder at age seven. He became a one-man juvenile crime wave before joining an assassination squad in Vietnam. He returned to New York at age 20 to become one of the city's top nightclub promoters, then journeyed to Miami where he became the de facto transportation chief of the Medellin Cartel, and along with a tech-wizard partner, created some of the most sophisticated smuggling technologies ever. With a hulking 6'6" bodyguard always at his side, and a rural fortress protected by mortars, tear-gas cannons, and a gold-fanged attack dog, Roberts was brutally effective at what he did. To law enforcement, he was known as the "Bearded Gringo," a spectre they could never touch. To United States senators and CIA officials, he was "the guy who can get things done". He eventually formed a clandestine alliance with the US government and in the end found personal late-life redemption.

©2011 Jon Roberts and Evan Wright (P)2011 Random House AudioGo LTD True Crime Crime Exciting Scary Thought-Provoking Espionage New York Government Mafia
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The reader is great but the content is less than satisfying.

Some of the escapades are entertaining, but something is missing

Bragging from soulless man.

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Was a great story which I thoroughly enjoyed listening to.

Was broadly three parts, growing up the son of someone high up in the Mafia, being a soldier in Vietnam and finally his life as a smuggler.

All were told from a different angle which made the story more interesting, for example the war veteran was not from the "look at me I'm such a macho hero", but actually told of how the U.S. Government depended on people like him who would do "dark" things to the enemy, even though as he puts it they went too far on a number of occasions.

Great listen

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What a great book and life this fella has led. Gripping from start to finish, best I’ve read for a long time.

Brilliant

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It's hard for me to give the book such good reviews as the content was frankly quite disturbing at times. At many times in fact. Jon's story shows how a group of people seized on America's passion for cocaine in the 80s and made fortunes whilst changing modern culture, permanently.

You have to give the guy credit for his ability to lead, problem solve and discover potential in every opportunity. However, the way he did it was really twisted and selfish. How he managed to get to the end of this era without being taken out is astonishing. Like playing a 30 hour PS4 shooter game on one life and successfully getting to the end. Amazing how he did it.

Loved the parts with Mickey the best (this book is about 25% Mickey), mainly because he was a big kid playing games with the government just for kicks.

Read it if you have a strong stomach.

This is not a bed time story

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I was tentative about buying this audiobook as I wasn't sure it was a story I would warm to, but after two hours or so I was engrossed. It certainly helps that the narrators are perfect for the roles they play. You soon learn who is who and it gets to the point where you can't wait for Jon to be back on giving his insight into the era. His life is laid bare. There is no real apology for who he was or what he did, but the reasons his life was steered down that path all become apparent. There are some dark and brutal truths that horrify but also many beautiful, endearing moments too and a few where i couldn't stop laughing. All the stories are researched for truth by the co-writer where possible so it isn't merely the truth according to Jon. I listened to all 25 hours in the space of a month driving to and from work each day and I was devastated when I got to the end. I look forward to listening again in a year or so - definitely the sign of a great audiobook.

Meet Jon. You'll like him.

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