Despite this, some of Louis' funniest stories relate to his time in the state pens!) But life became more tolerable when, almost by accident, Louis read his first book and quite unexpectedly a new world opened up to him - a world which offered him a sanctuary from the brutal chaos of his everyday existence.During the course of his eight years in prison, he read everything from Danielle Steel to Caesar's Gallic Wars; he learned the art of writing and studied the major religions, eventually choosing to become an Orthodox Jew. And with only limited access to law books, he somehow managed to teach himself enough to successfully appeal his own conviction and win his freedom. Gritty, hard-hitting, and yet so often hilarious, Louis Ferrante's memoir recounts his meteoric rise to the upper echelons of the mafia hierarchy, his time in prison, and his struggle to turn his life around. It's also a poignant and incredibly moving slice of life from the insider's point of view, in the bestselling tradition of Nicholas Pileggi's "Goodfellas", "Wiseguys and "The "Sopranos".