#1 Bestseller by Woodson James (True Crime).

TRUE-LIFE story of notorious Mafia boss Johnny Toracio and his protege bookie Carlo Juliano from the Salerno crime family in New York City.

Orphaned and homeless in New York City at 14 years old, Carlo Juliano lived on the streets to survive until a local crime family boss, Johnny Toracio, gave him a job, a place to live, and a mentor for his new life as a gangster.

For the next few years, Carlo flourished on the streets of New York befriending leaders of construction scams, art theft rings, drug cartels, biker gangs, extortion rackets, gambling, and cybercrime.

In 2015, a series of events ignited a treacherous power struggle for control of New York City’s underworld.

Sample from the Chapter titled: The Life that Chose Me.

I heard a gunshot and thud hit the ground behind me. I turned around and saw my dad on his back with a blank stare. A cold shudder ran down my spine as I lost my breath.

In a few minutes, my life changed forever. A mob hit man murdered my dad on a public street in broad daylight. Earlier that year, my mom overdosed on heroin. I was orphaned and homeless at 14 years old.

It was October 10, 2009.

In the aftermath, I felt scared, afraid, anxious, rejected, alone, unloved, and depressed. I stole food, and slept in unlocked parked cars on the neighborhood streets. I figured out how to survive on my own. Every now and then, I woke up in the middle of the night in tears staring at the moon and stars wondering, “What happened to my life?”

Two months later, it was the night before Christmas. I wandered the streets aimlessly trying to distract myself by looking at decorations in shop windows. I walked past a bar owned by Johnny Toracio several times. He sat at a table inside alone near the front window looking out at the street. He was an important person in the neighborhood. Each time I passed, my grief-stricken eyes met his thoughtful gaze.
A few minutes before midnight, he opened the front door intercepting my path and calmly lit his cigarette. He took a deep first cigarette drag and squinted his eyes.

December 24, 2009 - FBI Surveillance Tape

JOHNNY: Hey kid, I knew your father. Where are you going?

CARLO: I don’t know.

JOHNNY: Come in here for a moment. It is cold outside. How are you doing?

CARLO: I’m alright.

JOHNNY: Where are you sleeping tonight?

CARLO: Nowhere.

JOHNNY: I’m getting ready to leave. You’re sleeping here. This place is yours tonight. I’ll grab you some blankets and a pillow. Here are the keys to the back door. Leave the front door locked. There is food in the bar fridge. I’ll check on you tomorrow afternoon. I have to visit my ex-wife’s house and kid in the morning.

If you need to leave, go through the back, and lock up. There is a mattress in the room on the right in the back. Here are the remotes for the televisions above the bar. I got to go, see you kid.

Why are you smiling so big?

CARLO: I met you.

JOHNNY: You met me? Hey, what are you doing for dinner tomorrow night?

CARLO: Nothing, I’m wide open.

JOHNNY: You want to come to my mother’s house? I’m heading over there.

End of FBI Surveillance Tape Dated December 24, 2009

His human compassion saved me that night. The next day, I woke up, turned on the TV, made myself sandwiches, and drank sodas. Johnny came by in the afternoon. I couldn’t hold back another big smile when I saw him.

I remember sitting at my first holiday dinner with Johnny’s family, which was now my family. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I belonged, like I was wanted, like somebody in this world cared about me.