Dan “Tito” Davis and Peter Conti
Full Court Press (2016)
ISBN 9781938812842
Reviewed by Robert Leon Davis for Reader Views (8/19)
“Gringo: My Life on the Edge as an International Fugitive,” written by authors Dan “Tito” Davis and Peter Conti, is the true-life story of Dan “Tito” Davis, who was a fugitive wanted by the U.S. Marshals Office for 13 years before he was eventually apprehended for drug crimes. The story not only speaks of the “hunt” for the fugitive but also narrates about the various cities and countries he escapes to before his apprehension.
His first task was to leave the United States via Mexico, and visit various other Latin American countries, learning Spanish quickly, hiding, staying low, and escaping his hunters. He eventually got caught up with other various nefarious individuals and crimes, and was eventually arrested, extradited back to the United States, and began to serve time for his past crimes. He now disavows crime after serving his sentence, and shares with the readers about living “life on the edge.”
Well, I really don’t know where to begin after reading this amazing story, as it covers so many subjects, it’s difficult to establish a start part. But I’ll start with this statement. You will devour this book! And quickly. Why? Because the story will overwhelm you! It’s not only the many adventures and exotic locales Davis visited while an international fugitive, but the various lives and unique mindset he had to maintain to “get away.”
The pace of “Gringo” is super-fast! Not so fast that you can’t keep up, but fast in the sense that the next chapter outdoes the previous chapter. It makes one says, “what’s next with this journey?” Running through different cities and countries, numerous deliberate characters he develops to fit the situation, learning a new language, and his head all the while on a swivel looking out for law enforcement.
This story is mind-boggling, and I’m utilizing that term in the strictest way I can. It’s also what I describe as “rapid” meaning the succeeding chapters and engagements takes on a complete set of different circumstances for Davis to overcome. Constant deliberate planning is obvious. I guess that’s what it takes to remain free: precise planning! The plots (keep in mind this is a real story), is brilliantly written and explained in vivid detail. It’s the type of story that a review really doesn’t give proper justice to. “Gringo: My Life on the Edge as an International Fugitive,” written by authors Dan “Tito” Davis and Peter Conti is a definite “buy” book. And may I also add, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it on the big screen in the future. Yes, it’s that engaging…Five Stars!
