From The Bullet To The Bible: A Gangsters Tale

By Phillip Anthony Sainz-Hall

“At a very young age, I knew I wanted to be a GANGSTER and NOTHING or NO ONE was going to get in my way.”
This is is a story of what happened to Phillip when he went from street gangs where he was fighting, robbing, and stealing to becoming a soldier and enforcer for the MOB. How the steroids, ecstasy, and cocaine he dealt and eventually used would force him to go on the run and join Ringling Bros. Circus. He became one of the most wanted by the law and associates from his criminal life. Everything one day caught up with him and he was off to jail for a very long time. He had been shot, stabbed, and left for dead many times and was tired of running. But he got another chance. His story is about how he wound up on a path of self-destruction. And survived. The broken roads and redemption. His life is a testimony of the power of prayer and God’s unfailing love that finally set him Free.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gatekeeper Press
• Release date: Aug 14, 2018
• ISBN: 9781642372311

Book preview

This story is based on true events about the author’s life. Some names, places and events have been altered and or changed in regard to privacy.

From The Bullet To The Bible: A Gangster’s Tale

Published by Gatekeeper Press

2167 Stringtown Rd, Suite 109

Columbus, OH 43123-2989

www.GatekeeperPress.com

Copyright © 2018 by Phillip Anthony Sainz-Hall

All rights reserved. Neither this book, nor any parts within it may be sold or reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

ISBN (paperback): 9781642372304

eISBN: 9781642372311

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

Special Acknowledgements

Preface

Introduction

1. Mafia Meets Cartel

2. My Childhood Bully

3. Fighting In My New Neighborhood

4. High School and War Lords

5. Death of A Friend

6. Stealing and Street Cash

7. Big John Giovanni

8. My Grandma Cole

9. My Move to Dallas

10. My Momma’s Last Amen

11. Back To Dallas

12. Dallas Mob Collections

13. Back To Denver

14. The Denver Mob

15. Screen Time and My Own Thing

16. Steroids, Ecstasy, Cocaine

17. Self-Destruction

18. On the Run! I Joined The Circus

19. Goin To Jail

20. The Power Of Prayer

21. God Bless My Broken Road

Special

Acknowledgements

FROM MY YOUNGER YEARS

Roland and Danny Treantos and Family

Jim Rogers and family

Wayne Dittbrenner

Rich Holland

Dave Kauffman

Dean Clay and family

Kirk Noonan and Family

Patrick Ennis (R.I.P.) and family

Steve Ennis

Khashyar Darvich

Mike and Trish Vacknitz (R.I.P. Mike)

Bob Hiene

Eric Carson

FROM MY RECENT YEARS

Pastor Bryan Sederwall and family

Pastor Ernie Hutchings and family

Judge Bill James and family

Mike and Laurie Groth

Mage Thibodeaux

Vickie Sissom

Rod Gonzalez

Felix Chavez

Martin Flores

Michael Clements

Richard Knight

Wayne Hardin

Steven Scott

Leslie Fay Williams

Joey Davenport

Pat Lukeman and family, Lori (R.I.P.)

Leroy Breaux

Michael Franzese (Ambassador For Christ) AKA (The Prince of The Mafia)

MY FAMILY

Grandma and Grandpa Cole

Roy (R.I.P.) and Marie Hall, mom and dad

Phil Sainz, dad

Rita Wiemann mother in-law

Uncle Mike and Aunt Angie Cole

Darron, Denise, Josh, Michael, Darlene, brothers and sisters

Jovian, John, Ashton, Joe, our boys

Preface

My friend, Phillip Anthony Sainz Hall, attempts to explain the dichotomy of a life that has both cruel and reckless human instinct and an overwhelming belief in what is good. His journey through childhood leads us to commonality and pointily illustrates how environmental pressures are formulative for a lifetime. The blessing his grandmother bestowed in a belief on something greater than ourselves proves such a powerful climax, in such a destitute time, that this transformation of human spirit provides him with the perseverance he continues to this day. I admire the courage Phillip demonstrates in revealing a past full of torment, cruelty and regret. We have all had a bully in our life, his experience was transformative in shaping his future. His youthful associates led to a life that he felt drawn to yet simultaneously his attempts at normality covey a duality of being. He is both a culprit and victim of drugs that permeate our society. He is a survivor, but many were not so fortunate. In the classic sense, he is our protagonist. He overcame the challenges of living and transformed himself into a new destiny and he is compelled to share his experiences and beliefs with the world. I invite you to journey with him. Enjoy the read, but study the words, perhaps colloquial and base, they are his words, his life and represent his sincere desire for deliverance to us all.

His friend 

Rod Gonzalez

Introduction

Iwas born June 21, 1970 in Denver, Colorado. I am the oldest of six kids.

I grew up with a very rowdy crowd, always fighting, always in trouble. I have been friends with this crowd since forever and will for ever be. It is very interesting, how as we grow up, and develop and choose the paths in life that we do. I say choice because I feel choice is something the majority of us are capable of.

The choice of path that we follow in life depends on our knowledge of this world. I don’t think that there is one path that we should all be taking since we are all individuals and have desires of our own. I do believe that background and upbringing have a lot to do with how we go through life. I believe that if we tried hard to communicate with one another we might understand the things that people do, or live life the way that we do, we may come up with a few more answers as to all the hardship we cause ourselves.

I have experienced both sides of the track, well, as far as between the wealthy and the poor. I grew up with the first part of my life around gangs and violence on the street. We didn’t have much and I shared everything with my brothers and sisters, from cloths to beds. As kids my brothers, sisters and I were very close we stood together in everything.

I have also had a chance to grow up with the later part of my life on the wealthier side of the track. My father landed a better job with the Denver Fire Department and we moved away from the inner-city area. We are a big family, so we still didn’t have much compared to those around us but we always stuck together and were grateful for what we did have.

Regardless of my experiences I was still a bad example for my brothers and sisters by always getting into trouble. I don’t really have a logical reason why I stayed on the path of trouble back then, I think it had a lot to with finding myself, a place where I belonged.

I know one thing for sure is that there were many people praying for me throughout my life and that one-day prayers started to get answered and I invited Jesus Christ into my life.

To this day I’m not sure where I am headed in life but I can honestly say that with Jesus involved I’m definitely in a better place and on a positive productive path. I now pray for my children and my grandchildren and that I can only take advantage of the time that God gives me now from here forward to be a better person by example and hope that they will never go down the road I went.

Through my experiences I didn’t find much difference in the way people feel about our society no matter what side of the tracks you grew up on, however there is a big difference in the way we lay down our actions about our feelings.

My hope for you after reading this book, you can take away something positive about where you are in your life right now. If your in a bad place in your life and if feels like nothing can get better I pray that my story will give you hope and that there is a better way and I am praying for you.

I thank my wife Clarissa Dawn for her incredible strength and persistence in encouraging me to write this book. She had to endure much and even suffer some which in the end brought healing.

Clarissa Dawn,

Divides the darkness from the light and in the morn brings the rising of the sun. She is Heaven sent from Parliament and God knows she’s the one. Amen.

Phillip and Dawn Hall, May 5, 2012

1.

Mafia Meets Cartel

It’s a little after midnight, I was sitting in my truck parked on a hill somewhere between Smelter Town, Texas and Sunland Park, New Mexico. I was accompanied by Michael who’s with the Gambino faction. Michael was a wanna be tough guy protected by the Gambino name. He was short and skinny with long black hair he wore in a ponytail. I believe he liked to party a lot and he did his share of cocaine. I had only been around this guy a few hours and he had already managed to annoy me. I had been in this line of work for about five years now. You could say I was well seasoned. That being said, life expectancy was on a day to day basis.

We were out at this secluded location conducting business in this manner because that’s how the Mexicans we were working with wanted it. Mexicans from Mexico, the Juarez Cartel. From this bluff it was easier to spot unfriendlies and some types of border patrol. I say some types of border patrol because we had the ones who were paid off and savvy to what we were doing out there, and there were the other ones. Local authority was easy to please and were always taken care of. Border patrol is routinely circulated, so even if you paid guys off you could not be sure who would be working that area or when. The border patrols didn’t know either. I personally never have been on a job that didn’t go well or involved any authorities.

This particular night we were to meet with Lobo, aka the Wolf, a low-level soldier for the Juarez Cartel. Lobo owned a ranch in the area on the US side and on the Mexico side, making it suitable to do business out there. I was in my late twenties around this time and Lobo was in his mid-thirties. He had wild hair, unshaven, a very dingy human being. I wasn’t new to coming down here and conducting business in Juarez. I had heard of Lobo but this was the first time I met him. This deal also served as an introduction. It is safe to say that the Italian Mafia didn’t really hold the Mexican Cartel on a pedestal. They didn’t like the way the cartel did business nor appreciate Mexican culture, even though they are very close in religion. The Italians have always held themselves at a higher level than anyone.

In the late nineties drugs had become big money in all areas of organized crime. It has always been believed that the Italian Mafia would never take part in drug dealings. Drugs were a dirty business. They degraded people, sickened people, and hurt children and families. Most of all, drugs were sloppy and invited the law because people on them would do anything for them. Drugs were corrupt even to the corrupt. But drugs brought money, a lot of money!

I had been welcomed by the Mexican Cartel through my dealings in Juarez. I was to oversee an exchange by the Gambino group to develop this new business connection. The Cartel faction in this area was cleared to do business with the Smaldone group, whom I represented. I was to make the introduction, verify the product and secure the transaction. Lobo was to produce five kilos of cocaine. I was to bring thirty-six thousand in cash and twenty-four thousand cash value in hand guns, which is about three hundred small caliber pistols, and Michael Gambino. This was a very small transaction. What was more important was the introduction. The Gambino’s would be operating out of Houston and Michael was to manage this part of the organization. I don’t answer to them, I am just overseeing this introduction.

Off in the distance I see a line of lights approaching. More than I was anticipating. They prod through the dirt trails, bringing more attention to the area than I thought necessary. I suppose since its’ their land they were comfortable with the arrangement. It’s about 12:30 AM as the four trucks pull up. They are loud and drunk. I didn’t like this scene at all. I have been a part of many deals but none as sloppy as this.

I picked Michael up a few hours ago from the airport and until now, he has not stopped talking. I worked alone at this point in my career unless I needed someone for the job with me, or I am given specific orders to work with someone. I usually knew the person. This was a different situation. There are four trucks full of drunk loud cartel soldiers and this Michael who would not shut up. I tell Michael to keep quiet and only answer when spoken to. The Cartel knew this is a Gambino deal. Michael was very new to this. I could just tell, he was nervously cocky. I mean, I could see the tough guy front, and if I could see it… Lobo and others could too. I carry two shoulder holstered pistols one a semi auto Sig 9mm the other a Smith & Wesson .22 rapid fire. Before I exit the truck, Michael asks for a gun. I tell him to use his mouth.

Don’t get out of the truck until I call for you. I told him. Leave the money in the truck until we confirm the product. I reminded him. Stay here until I call for you. I told him.

I had placed tape over the dome lights, so everything remained dark on my end. There were a few roads that all intersected here making every approach face me. The direction I came from was pretty much the only road in on the US side. I figure that they were running along the border. I jumped out as soon as they got there. It takes the tension out of the unknown in this type of situation and also means let’s get on with it. There were about sixteen guys in total with them. Each guy had an assault rifle except one. That would be Lobo. They leave headlights and spotlights on us which tells me that they were very safe in this transaction. On the other hand, we are in their backyard. They control this outcome for now. I walk out to the front of my truck and open my coat and take it off. Exposing my pistols, which I normally would not do, but I don’t want any surprises out here, it’s almost submissive but with guys like this it keeps things simple and focused. I stand in front of my truck and Lobo approaches. I extend my hand.

Lobo I say. Greeting him. He nods his head.

Si. He acknowledges.

Antonio. I introduced myself. I look at this man and I think to myself he is a small man, but there is evil in his eyes. I know more about these cartel guys due to my previous dealings. I know that they are completely dangerous, because they are explosive. They are crazy, the value of your life is very low. I’m not sure what he thought of me. At that time in my life I was 5’6, one hundred eighty-five pounds, all muscle. I also had a good rapport with the cartel down this way. I motion over to the passenger side.

Michael. I say loudly. I wave for him to exit. He gets out of the truck with the duffle bag of money, which I had given him specific directions to leave in the truck. He walks around the front of the truck.

Michael Gambino this is Lobo; Lobo this is Michael Gambino. They are introduced.

Then Michael proceeds to hand the bag to Lobo but I reach out and intercept the bag and put it on the hood of my truck. I was livid. I could have easily, without questions, shot him and left him there. That was not the way to do things and Lobo knew it. Lobo would have easily had us killed right there, took the money, truck and guns, and buried our bodies. The mafia does not pose a threat to the cartel. Because there were bigger powers that wanted this to happen, he chose against this option.

What are you doing? Michael asked.

I turned to Lobo.

Excuse me please. I said.

I reached around and back handed Michael, knocking him against my truck and he fell to the ground.

What the… He snapped. He slowly gets up holding his mouth as his lips are bleeding. I remember just staring at him. What the hell was that? He asked sullenly.

I just stared at him and never said a word. I turned my attention back to Lobo.

The product por favor. I requested.

Little Anthony. He said in an evil like chuckle. He snapped his finger and a couple of his guys brought over two large duffle bags filled with compressed bricks of cocaine wrapped heavily in plastic. I cut a slit in the package and gave it a taste.

Bien. Let’s go. I sounded.

I motioned to the back of my truck, where I had three U-Haul boxes we opened up. There were various pistols, mostly .22’s. There was an inventory, but I won’t go into that. I will just say all hand guns. Lobo rummaged through them.

Bueno. He responded.

I shook his hand and again introduced Michael of the Gambino faction. Lobo grabbed his hand and examined him and then laughed. I walked over, got in my truck and started the engine and Mike came running