Skippy Rast, like a lot of people, wanted a shot at easy money. After some unfortunate serendipity, he found himself in the middle of the smuggling trade. Not without a code, though, the media branded Skippy and his ilk "gentleman smugglers," leading to a portrayal of street life that found its way into con movies and the true crime craze. But what was being a smuggler really like?

Skippy says of himself that he was "totally out of the loop but somehow... in the thick of it, nonetheless." As Skippy tries to make sense of these experiences, he also works to educate readers on the truth of an often overly glamorized lifestyle. And rather than longing for the more vivid imagination whereby creative writing may thrive, he's able to fall back upon having savored those actual street real escapades instead. Now readers can experience the wild yet compelling story of a smuggler's life. Skippy is a real-life Han Solo, with all the foul-mouthed smugness and charm . . . but with a deeper grit and a profound awareness of how easily lives may often unravel on the opposite side of the law. This book is a steal for true crime afficionados and those who want a deeper look at the underside of society.