{"quotes":[{"text":"Listening to their argument made me aware of how empty my life was, and I hated the life I was living all the more. It was quite obvious to me this lady was deeply in love, for she was fighting for what she thought to be hers. Even though I was dating two females at the time, and stringing a third one along, yet I’ve yet to discover that kind of love. I guess this was why my favorite song was ‘I wane be love’, by the Jamaican reggae super star Buru Banton.","author":"Drexel Deal","tags":["argument","deeply-in-love","emptiness","faithfulness","hunger-within","infidelity","loneliness","love","relationships","searching-for-love","thug-life","true-friendship","true-love"],"id":19076,"author_id":"Drexel+Deal"},{"text":"Looking back, I have come to realize that the gang lifestyle back then—the fame, the respect, and the recognition—was stronger and powerful than any drug. We were serious with what we were dealing with. It was like a do or die situation. Shelton ‘Apples’ Burrows reform gang leader.","author":"Drexel Deal","tags":["drug-addiction","drugs","fame","gang-addiction","gang-life","gangbanging","lessons-learn","looking-back","recognition","reflection","respect","street-fame","thug-life","violence-addiction"],"id":95194,"author_id":"Drexel+Deal"},{"text":"On the inside, the copycats of the ruffians are more delicate than the copycats of prudes.","author":"Criss Jami","tags":["acceptance","conformist","copycat","delicate","dependency","discernment","followers","gentleness","heart","independent","likeness","longing","need","prude","rough","ruffian","soft","soul","thug-life","thugs","tough","tough-guy","understanding","unoriginal","vulnerability","vulnerable"],"id":107802,"author_id":"Criss+Jami"},{"text":"While the layman sees an opportunity and decides to take it, the professional criminal through the use of deceit and treachery, is able to create opportunities. This individual not only actively searches for a crime to commit, the professional criminal assembles teams of similar people and generates situations in which crime can be safely perpetrated in a controlled environment for maximum profit.","author":"Gary \"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"Gunz\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\" Govich","tags":["crime","criminal","mobsters","new-york-city","nyc","russian","thug","thug-life","thugs"],"id":149741,"author_id":"Gary+%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22Gunz%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22+Govich"},{"text":"Crime was my career. I considered myself a craftsman | a true professional. Everybody has a craft they practice. Clean or dirty, safe or dangerous, we all have a viable skill and a part to play in the enigma that comprises our world. A professional is a person who earns moneys for practicing their craft. Having labored many years and becoming experienced in a particular skill, you learn the gradations and eventually reach the title of master.","author":"Gary \"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"Gunz\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\" Govich","tags":["master","mob","mobsters","russian","thug","thug-life","thugs"],"id":169787,"author_id":"Gary+%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22Gunz%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22+Govich"},{"text":"Fear is the primary tool of the mafiya. It's how they contain their vast criminal enterprise. For the mafiya, fear is the grease in the wheel. Fear is much stronger than love | Fear lasts much longer. Love fades and is replaced by hatred and contempt. Fear lingers and brings forth other emotions such as doubt. Fear encourages procrastination and cowardice. Besides, you always hurt the ones you love. Most are too afraid to hurt the ones they fear.","author":"Gary \"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"Gunz\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\" Govich","tags":["autobiography","criminal","mob","mobster","new-york-city","nyc","russian","thug","thug-life","thugs"],"id":206639,"author_id":"Gary+%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22Gunz%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22+Govich"},{"text":"Life is so fragile and unpredictable, especially when you are in a gang or in a life of crime. It’s like playing poker; you think to yourself that you have a good hand. However, it is only when you reveal your hand do you sometimes discover to your horror that someone else’s hand is better.","author":"Drexel Deal","tags":["a-life-of-crime","consequences","court-of-law","criminals","fragile","gang-members","horror","poker","poker-players","prison","prison-inmates","prison-sentence","street-killings","street-life","thug-life","unpredictable"],"id":255769,"author_id":"Drexel+Deal"},{"text":"How do you defend against a person who is ready to die? How do you defend against a person who don’t fear being sent to prison for life? How do you defend against a person who has nothing to lose? It’s like trying to defend against a suicide bomber, who has no problem going out in a glorified bang.Suicide bomber, assisted death, nothing-to-lose, not afraid, fearless, criminal mindset, thug life, mental disease, suicidal, mental challenges, death march, How do you defend against a person who is ready to die? How do you defend against a person who don’t fear being sent to prison for life? How do you defend against a person who has nothing to lose? It’s like trying to defend against a suicide bomber, who has no problem going out in a glorified bang.","author":"Drexel Deal","tags":["assisted-death","criminal-mindset","death-marchers","fearless","mental-challenges","mental-disease","not-afraid","nothing-to-lose","suicidal","suicide-bomber","thug-life"],"id":263731,"author_id":"Drexel+Deal"},{"text":"Disrespect one of our associates and face the penalty | This was our creed. There should have been corpses floating that cold September eve. This was the perfect place to do it, too, in the middle of the ocean where gunfire goes unheard and chopped up limbs and torsos would be lucky to survive the predators and float onto a beach weeks or even months later.","author":"Gary \"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"Gunz\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\" Govich","tags":["ganster","new-york-city","russian","thug-life","thugs"],"id":271931,"author_id":"Gary+%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22Gunz%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22+Govich"},{"text":"For those of you that truly believe there's no such thing as the mafiya, I would be more than happy to sell you your own fast lane on the Belt Parkway, you know, so you can avoid the rush hour commute. The mafiya is real as a heart attack and, contrary to popular consensus, has been steadily growing in power since its inception in the 1920s. Italian organized crime just doesn't operate out in the open anymore, former mayor Rudy made sure of that.","author":"Gary \"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"Gunz\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\" Govich","tags":["gangster","mob","mobsters","new-york-city","nyc","russian","thug-life"],"id":295729,"author_id":"Gary+%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22Gunz%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22+Govich"}],"pagination":{"page":1,"page_size":10,"total":18,"pages":2,"next":"?page=2\u0026page_size=10"}}