my life as pablo escobar's hitman - mi vida como sicario de pablo escobar - Jhon Jairo Velásquez Vásquez aka popeye

 

Ask anyone who pablo escobar is and they will likely know. Ask anyone in latin america who popeye is and they will likely tell you he was escobar's lead hitman instead of a sailor that ate spinach. This is a good book. It starts out with him stealing a police helicopter with the help of a woman named vilma negra (black vilma). Actually, try to say his name three times fast. I never understand why spanish people name their kids with a j (isnt it a silent letter in the rest of their language???). But I have hispanic friends with the j so idk. Anyways his name is like marshall mathers or calvin broadus, like a crazy name lol. This book gives you a good look at the life of Escobar through "popeye." At imf my friend from ecuador used to always talk about "popeye." Btw a spanish person will probably not pronounce it as popeye. They will likely say it as "pop ay ye" (due to how you pronounce things in spanish). Anyways you learn that popeye was often safer in prison than he was out of prison. The whole part about la catedral (where escobar lived for a while with the blessing of the government i think, if i read it right) is super crazy. They flew in the beauty pageant queens for you know what lol. What a life. Anyways if you want to learn more about vazquez and escobar read this book. 

It is not the best book ever but it is interesting. I read this in spanish but I am pretty sure you can find it in english.

p.s. Jhon Jairo Velasquez Vasquez is now dead of cancer. I am not sure whether he died of cancer in jail or out of jail.

p.s.s. Yes he did look like popeye the sailor, hence the nickname (or at least this is my understanding of why they called him that). 

I did not watch narcos but from what I hear this book will remind you of it.