Pablo Escobar: The Life and Crimes of the Most Notorious Colombian Drug Lord

Book excerpt: Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria was born on December 1, 1949 in Rionegro, the Antioquia Department of Colombia. His father, Abel de Jesús Dari Escobar, was a farmer and his mother, Hermilda Gaviria, was a teacher in an elementary school in the area. He was the third of seven children of his parents and began his criminal activities as a teenager. Some reports claim that he would steal gravestones, sand them down, and then resell them to smugglers. However, his brother denies that he used to steal those gravestones. His friends and family report that Pablo would often tell them that he wanted to become the president of Colombia. Instead, he became the world's most notorious drug lord.