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Ghetto Brother: How I Found Peace in the South Bronx Street Gang Wars Paperback – February 19, 2015

by Benjy Melendez (Author), Amir Said (Author)

14 ratings

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Benjy Melendez, founder of the Ghetto Brothers street gang, social activist, and lead singer of the Ghetto Brothers band, now tells his story: a memoir of life as a late 1960s/early 1970s street gang member, of a musician on the cusp of stardom, a fighter for peace, and a man on a quest to reclaim his Jewish roots. With chilling detail and candor, Benjy Melendez opens up as never before in Ghetto Brother (Benjy Melendez with Amir Said). Telling the story of his family, growing up first in the West Village in in the '60s, his family's forced move to the South Bronx, his life in a street gang, and his transformation to a peace ambassador, Ghetto Brother is a riveting memoir that explores the human condition.

Melendez takes us back to the forgotten New York of the late 1960s and early 1970s that gave rise to New York's infamous street gang era. But at its core, Ghetto Brother examines the route from boy to man in uncharted territory, and it renders a vivid portrait of what identity means and what happens when that identity dissolves and grows anew. Evocative and filled with the sights and sounds of a changing New York and a transformative life, Ghetto Brother is the fascinating chronicle of a remarkable journey and an extraordinary leader.

Print length

280 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Superchamp Books
Publication date

February 19, 2015
Dimensions

5.5 x 0.66 x 8.5 inches
ISBN-10

0974970468
ISBN-13

978-0974970462
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Amir Said is the co-founder of Superchamp Books and creator and editor-in-chief of Best Damn Writing Magazine. His work covers a variety topics, including everything from copyright law and sampling to street gangs of 1970s New York to poetry in Paris. He has written a number of books, including: The BeatTips Manual, The Truth About New York, Ghetto Brother (co-written with Benjy Melendez), and The Art of Sampling. Follow Said on Twitter: @amirsaid.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Superchamp Books; First edition (February 19, 2015)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 280 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0974970468
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0974970462
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.1 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.66 x 8.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #780,829 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #507 in Children's Social Activists Biographies (Books)
- #1,466 in Children's Historical Biographies (Books)

Customer Reviews:
14 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		86%
4 star		14%
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Top reviews from the United States

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Ppos

Great!

Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2019

Verified Purchase

Fantastic comic about a very interesting piece of US history

One person found this helpful

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M. Gross

Powerful!

Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2015

Verified Purchase

Powerful!

There are few books that you will read that have as much power and raw emotion as ‘Ghetto Brother: How I Found Peace in the South Bronx Street Gang Wars.’ Chronicling one of the craziest times in NYC history, the street-gang era of the late 1960s and early 1970s, this memoir, written with the help of Amir Said, is a beautiful roller coaster ride of self-discovery in the jaws of one of America’s worst urban areas. Melendez doesn’t just give you details about the South Bronx of this time, he places you there, and pulls you through it with him. Hopefully, you come out on the other side as I did: More knowledgeable about NYC history and social oppression, and more grateful for any privilege I’ve ever been afforded. I love this book! It made my happy, it made me sad, it made me angry. And it made me shed more than few tears.

2 people found this helpful

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Jay C

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2016

Verified Purchase

Good info but not well written

One person found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2016

Verified Purchase

Great book, a must read..

One person found this helpful

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boolias

A book you'll keep talking about

Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2015

After reading Ghetto Brother, I left my copy lying around my apt, and so many people have come to ask about it – because between the music and the history, everyone can’t get over the real story of the Bronx and this guy’s personal journey. I just keep telling them: please read it so I can talk to you more about this story.... Living in New York since college, I was always aware of how the city constantly changes and evolves and how the playing field is never even. But for me as a Jewish NY’er this is another side that’s never been on my radar. Because this story is first hand it really gets you in the heart. Abruptly an innocent childhood becomes a post-war gang. This was the sentence I will always remember: “It was a hopeless situation but I never lost hope”. So this is one of those books you not only read for yourself, but you just keep telling everyone else to so you have someone to talk about it with.

One person found this helpful

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Magenta

A story everyone should read!

Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2015

This is an incredibly timely story given the changes that continue to evolve in the Bronx. Since I read this memoir I have been hearing more and more about the Bronx as the next 'place to be.' And I feel as if I have an inside glimpse into the history of the South Bronx and the person who helped shape it into what it is today. It's a story about the South Bronx in a very transformative time in its history and that of NYC. But it's also a story about leadership and family and choices and ethics. I was amazed by Benjy's personal story; how he became a leader at such a young age and how big a life Benjy lived. I was riveted by this kid who was the leader of a gang but whose father was such a steady source of what's 'right' and 'wrong' and how his father's positive influence and stability in his life eventually impacted Benjy's actions. It's a powerful story that will leave you wanting to know more about the history of where you live and wanting to hang out with Benjy to hear more!

Helpful

Mama Mariah

Excellent read:: Melendez offers himself and captures us.

Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2015

America is at a strange crossroads now in how we think of one another, what we're willing to accept from our communities and "other communities," and where we believe we can arrive- together or seprately. If you want to know how we move toward a better world: ASK BENJY.
This book is fantastic! Benjy Melendez tells his story with honesty, heart, passion and a deep philosophy that embraces the complexities while making it all SO VERY SIMPLE. It is HIS story, but it's our story, too. Our Bronx, our Ferguson, our Baltimore, our Staten Island. Our 70s, or 21st C.
He's brilliant. The story is fantastic, and it's our history: a microcosim of what we are all living with every moment now in the States, from one very personal, beautiful perspective.

Helpful

jclaar

Great NYC Memoir!

Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2015

I didn't expect to like Ghetto Brother quite as much as I did. But Benjy Melendez's memoir is a captivating read that is really a coming of age story that takes place during the height of the South Bronx gang wars in the '60s and early '70s. Its amazing what Melendez went through and that, despite leading a street gang and and his internal identity issues, he was still able to bring about positive change in the end. The story vividly captures the history and transformation of New York City during that time while highlighting the humanity and transformation of a true leader. Its really great read!!

2 people found this helpful

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