With Foreword by Zac Stuart-Pontier, producer of Crimetown
For Bobby Walason, the turning point in his life began when he was thrown out of his house at age twelve. It was also the best moment in his short life. Forced to survive on his own, with no friends or family to turn to, his determination drives him without the benefit of a moral compass. Finding shelter in the basement of a Providence, Rhode Island inner city housing project, sleeping in an abandoned cardboard box, he tries to stay hidden from the world.
Finding solace in the Olneyville Boys Club, he learns to box, discovers a physical strength beyond his age, and hones an ability to fight. His ability to absorb punishment, forged under the fists of his brutal father, earns him a reputation for toughness. A toughness which built a powerful street reputation, enhanced in prison, drawing the attention of organized crime.
This the story of the horrific life of a 12-year-old boy, enduring abuse no child should ever face, the lure of organized crime, descent into the brutal and violent world of a feared mob enforcer, and the power of resilience.
Bobby Walason unmasks the false patina of Organized Crime, finding a way to leave the life; alive, without spending life in prison, and without disappearing into the invisibility of the witness protection program. Turning from a life of brutality to the world of business, Bobby builds a successful life as an entrepreneur. This story casts a light onto the ebb and flow of the dark side of American society; a look at the forces that play havoc with the lives that go adrift on the streets of all our cities. And, how one man found a way out against staggering odds.
