"It is very rare when someone from the world in which Louis was raised has the heart of a writer. Criminal experiences don't usually lead to great insights, while many of today's grad-school writers have very limited life experiences. Louis Ferrante is different. He has lived in both worlds."

Nicholas Pileggi, author of Wiseguy, and Casino

"As someone who tends to be a magnet for Mob stories, I'm so glad this one found me--not so much for the mafia aspect, but for Lou's amazing story of self-education and re-birth during his prison sentence." 

Lorraine Bracco--Actress, Goodfellas and The Sopranos.

"In Unlocked, Louis tells the story of his transformation from a wise guy to a wise man--a stunningly written account of renewal, one of the best books of our time."

~David Black, Producer and screenwriter for Law and Order, Monk, CSI: Miami, 100 Centre Street, Miami Vice, and Hill Street Blues

"Reads like a Puzo novel on steroids...a raw brutal memoir...this true crime account does not resemble any of the cardboard wise guys of the tube or the silver screen.  It definitely grabs the readers attention."

~Publishers Weekly

"Remarkable transformation from mobster to scholar...tells his story with immediacy and candor, employing a prose style that underscores his authenticity...In straightforward language, he spares you none of his life's unflattering details."

~Library Journal

"Laugh-out-loud funny.  Heart-wrenchingly sad.  Unlocked is a rare treat."

~Baltimore Jewish Times

"Engaging, funny, and fascinating.  Readers can't help but be amazed and shocked."

~San Diego Jewish World

"His capers are constructed with insider knowledge prized by readers of Mob genre...Ferrante tells his story as an encouraging one."

~Booklist

"Very well written, at turns disturbing, funny and astonishing...an example of resilience."

~The Jewish Week

"Hardly your typical ex-mobster...a hard-boiled tale of crime, punishment and redemption...incredible story."

~Newsday

"Lou Ferrante writes of redemption in a memoir that's already been optioned for a movie...To hear {him} speak seriously about his life is to hear the story of a man who once brutalized others and vows to change...He tries to provide some insight into his own behavior."

~LA Times

"Written with terrific candor effortlessly incorporating street talk into his masterful storytelling...Ferrante's vignettes of heists and thievery, sprinkled with capers involving gambling and women, make for great reading...reads like a Scorsese movie...Ferrante's time in prison is a trying but thoughtful period. Even through the rigors and trials of this dark experience, Ferrante maintains his ability to captivate his reader with his storytelling...Ferrante's engrossing memoir is one that works, period."

~Jewish Book World

"If you think that you are too set in your ways to ever become a different person, read this book...A well-written story that holds your attention from the very first page."

~South Florida Jewish Journal

Lou, as quoted by The London Telegraph:

"For a time, I thought long and hard about how I would escape that hell.  Suddenly, the depth of all my earlier cunning and intrigues seemed so simple and unimaginative as I recognized the plan by which I would escape--books."

"If anything can feel more liberating that rotating my wrists after the removal of shackles, it's stretching my fingers after a night of writing."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/4932768/How-books-saved-Mafioso.html