Inside the Cocaine Cartel: The Riveting Eyewitness Account of Life Inside the Colombian Cartel [Mass Market Paperback]

Richard Smitten (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1993

Here is the incredible, true story of a boy from Brooklyn who married a Colombian girl and soon found himself in the inner sanctum of the world's most powerful and deadly drug lords.

Max Mermelstein became the hidden force behind the American cocaine explosion, moving 66 tons of the white powder to the U.S. and 300 million in cash back to Medellin, Colombia.

Given the order to kill ex-Green Beret and CIA operative Barry Seal - and threatened with death if he didn't - Max Mermelstein turned on the Cartel and became the star government witness whose news making testimony:

Linked Panama's Manuel Noreiga to Major U.S. drug operations;
Set drug lord Pablo Escobar on the run with a murder rap;
Implicated top officials in Panama, Colombia and the Bahamas;
Convicted the assassins of Barry Seal.

"Inside the Cocaine Cartel" is a dramatic true story of crime and punishment, spectacular sin and hard fought redemption. Max, from within the Witness Protection Program, continues to bring down the world's mightiest drug Cartel.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Richard Smitten is the author of nine books including,Bank of Deat, Inside thecocaine cartel, legaal tender, How to trade in stocks (with jesse Livermore), Jesse Livermore: World's Geatest Stock Trader. Kathy a case of Nymphomania and False Witness.

He lives in Fort Lauderdale Florida.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: S.P.I. Books (October 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156171254X
• ISBN-13: 978-1561712540
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,742,298 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An absorbing and gritty story from page 1., January 14, 2000

By 

LagoonCrow "LagoonCrow" (SF Bay Area, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Inside the Cocaine Cartel: The Riveting Eyewitness Account of Life Inside the Colombian Cartel (Mass Market Paperback)

This is one of those relatively rare true-life dramas that reads a lot like fiction without any loss to the quality of the storyline. If you have the stomach to learn the "down-and-dirty" of the chaotic and bloody underworld of narcotics, you will probably find this book one of the very best reads at your disposal.

This story is definitely not the Godfather. There is no attempt to glorify the characters - just a straightforward description of characters as the author experienced them. The cast is mostly a ragtag (but filthy rich) bunch of ever-changing drug smugglers (both Colombian and American) whose methods and personalities could be called comic at times, brutal at others, but always real.

The book jacket describes it all, and the book delivers. This is the first book in a long time that's kept me up late at night reading.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I recommend this book to everyone, especially our CEO's, April 26, 2002

By 

Chad Hedgcock (Koppel, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Inside the Cocaine Cartel: The Riveting Eyewitness Account of Life Inside the Colombian Cartel (Mass Market Paperback)

Max Mermelstein approaches this story as though he's a kid who managed to sneak into an R-rated movie, and now he has to tell all the other kids about it. This book was worth the money, although at times it's rather blandly eloquated and leaves you wishing he had a better way with words. The magnitude of what he was involved with more than makes up for that, though. It's a great read even for those not interested in the drug trade, especially if you have a mind for business. It's such a different perspective on money-making schemes compared to something you'd read in a business mag, but is definitely enlightening for that very reason. That morality inversely equates with revenue is a common theme throughout the book.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "The Colombian Goodfellas", September 25, 2001

By 

Juan Carlos Vargas (Miami, Florida United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Inside the Cocaine Cartel: The Riveting Eyewitness Account of Life Inside the Colombian Cartel (Mass Market Paperback)

"WoW" This book was an instant addiction!! Mr Mermelstein where ever you are...God Bless You!! I wish I could write you.
Why this is not a movie, I'll never guess, maybe it's being worked on... I would only pray... Much better than blow...
Inside the Cocaine Cartel is an amazing true story of man and an empire, that he helped build. A colombian cartel expose written by a jewish man from brooklyn...