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Nationwide
-- For most of his life, he was the guy most wannabee thugs wished they
could be. Officially declared a "menace to society", he was sentenced
to 30 years in federal prison for his role as mastermind of a series of
daring bank robberies in the 70's. Two involved shootouts. One with the
police. The other with a citizen in a bank parking lot where he narrowly
missed being killed. While confined, he took part in an even more
daring prison escape.
As a boy, he toyed with the alphabets like most kids his age played with marbles, and from the start, there appeared to be a household conspiracy to convert him into a writer. By the time he was ten, he possessed a private library fit for a scholar, a new typewriter, a big desk, and plenty of blank paper. By 11, he had mastered the dictionary, was a whiz at Scrabble, and was an honor roll student in school. At twelve, he had completed his first novel.
By his 13th birthday, he had discovered hustling and adopted "the streets" as his home. By 14, he was in reform school for assaulting a police officer.
By his 13th birthday, he had discovered hustling and adopted "the streets" as his home. By 14, he was in reform school for assaulting a police officer.

