It was 1988. I was sleeping in my room with my baby girl, just six months old, curled up nearby. […]

Bar Days FlashbackBefore I ever owned a bar, I was living in them. Daily. The bar scene was my playground,

“Owning a Sportsbar”My friend—one of my coke suppliers—is the guy selling the bar. It’s a sportsbar, the kind of place

From Oweing to CollectingSo remember—I owed the bookie $4,000. At the time, that number felt impossible. Like staring up at

“The Mobster in Me”All the things I did wrong growing up—stealing candy, skipping school, sneaking liquor—don’t compare to what’s coming.

📅 Chapter One: 1978 — The Bookmaker BeginsIt’s 1978. I’m twenty years old, living in the Midwest — Missouri to

⛪ From Altar Boy to Bad SeedIt doesn’t seem real when I look back. I was an altar boy in

The beginning of one bad apple in the family