The first half of the book documents his former life. He came to New York from Puerto Rico in 1955 at age 15 an angry, rebellious kid. By age 18, he was a warlord of a vicious gang, a thief and mugger, and a hardened street criminal. Yet, he searched for a better alternative to all the drugs, alcohol, violence, arrests, and death. He encounters a preacher who tells him that he can be loved-- something that no one, not even his mother, had ever done before. He is unreceptive at first, and tries to act tough, but the preacher's courage eventually prevails, and Cruz sets out to do Jesus' work.