The FBI's undercover Spider

MY CHILDHOOD
My father was an official in the Batista regime. We lived very well, but then Castro took over in 1959, and things began to change.

One night, my father kissed us goodnight and said he’d be gone for a couple of days. We later found out that the FBI attaché office in Havana helped him escape because he was in danger. It was a year before we were all reunited in the U.S.

MY PARENTS
We first lived in New York City in a six-story walk-up in Washington Heights. I remember my father saying, “This is our new country, and we will learn to become part of it.” I worked very hard to learn English and fit in.

We came here with nothing, but my mother constantly said, “It’s not a shame to be poor; it’s a shame to live like a slob.” We would clean the floors on our hands and knees with Ivory soap. The house was sparsely furnished, but it was always clean.

MY RICHMOND DAYS
How could you not love Richmond? It’s a beautiful place. For me, more important were the friendships, the brotherhood of teammates that to this day I talk to and see on a regular basis.

But when I was in college, I was just enjoying the college life. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. I barely graduated. My senior year, after football season, I had a heart-to-heart with a professor. She said, “What are you going to do now?” I became laser-focused and never looked back.

MY EARLY FBI YEARS
We’re talking about 1980. The agents then didn’t mirror the demographics of our society. These guys were all wing-tipped shoes, clean-cut, and all looked like FBI agents.

I spoke Spanish and began working narcotics. I started looking like a dope dealer with hair down to my shoulders, a goatee, and an earring. Because I walked the walk and talked the talk, I became an asset on the streets.

MY EDGE
I learned from some great guys in the FBI to prepare myself for undercover work. You can’t wing it. There are no second takes, like in the movies. You’ve got one shot, and you have to make it work or you’re dead.

MY ADRENALINE RUSH
There’s no better feeling than sitting in front of a bad guy toasting a deal; lifting your glass up and your hand is not shaking; and looking him in the eyes and thinking, “You’re believing what I’m telling you. And you’re gonna go to jail.”

OUR MAFIA ROMANCE
The only reason I got the fanfare, was on 60 Minutes, and made New York newspaper headlines is because of the media’s fascination with the mafia.

I’ve taken down dealers with tons of cocaine, multi-kilos of heroin, and it never made the newspaper. But you down one wise guy, and you’ve got front page for a week. It really blows my mind because the drug cartels are much more dangerous; they make more money, and they’re ruthless.

MY FAMILY
I say a million times over that I owe my success to my wife because she was very supportive. Her father was an NYC detective, so she understood the life.

Our daughter was born in 2000, and I started to miss holidays and special occasions with her.

I used to carry multiple phones, and she would hear me use all these different names. One time she asked, “Daddy, what is your name?” I said, “As long as I’m here, you’ll always know me as daddy. Just call me daddy, sweetheart.”

They are the reason that I decided to pack it in. I left the bureau in 2006 to spend more time with my family.

MY NEW WORK
I witnessed a lot of animal abuse when I was undercover. I went to several cockfights and dog fights. They were brutal. I’ve started working with Guardians of Rescue, an animal rights and welfare organization, helping with investigations. Somebody has to be the voice for our four-legged friends.