Customer Reviews

Big D (Victorious Through God's Grace) (Victorious Through God's Grace)

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I just finished reading Big D's book. Once I picked it up I could not stop reading it. It is a poignant and living example of what a person can accomplish in spite of his past. Big D a former gang leader chronicles his life growing up in the City of San Fernando during the 1950's to the 1980's where he became a respected and feared leader by a legion of gang members. Twice convicted of murder and served 30 years behind bars finally finding hope in the bible and his belief in a better life. Today Big D works through a non profit trying to create peace among the gangs that he once ran with often risking his life to share his story of chaos, drugs, murder, and prison to any gang member willing to hear him out. This book is currently being read by some of my students at my high school and they now have some hope that they can leave the gang lifestyle and create a better life for themselves.

Conrad Donald Garcia aka Big D, is a legendary figure whose impact in the area of gang intervention is well documented. Big D is a larger than life personality whose passion for his role as a mediator, peacemaker and role model is clearly apparent in the later portion of the book. There truly was no need for Big D, to present a resume but he does in the form of his prison record. He's experienced the ups and downs of living a life of peace as he obviously cherishes the example and accomplishments of Art 'Conejo' Blajos, Ernest "Kilroy" Roybal and others but he has also experienced the pain of watching others such as Robert "Robot" Salas try and fail to shake the old habits and addictions that produced their reputations to begin with. Big D's story invites us all to invest a little extra time in that troubled kid whose behavior seems wild and uncontrollable for your interest just might make the difference between a life spent in and out of prison, and a productive member of society. This title is absolutely worth every penny you'll spend on it and when combined with Art Blajos Blood In, Blood Out, you have the makings of a very formidable pair of books that tell it like it truly is.