Dogfella: How an Abandoned Dog Named Bruno Turned This Mobster's Life Around--A Memoir

How did an addicted ex–con on the verge of suicide become a caring member of the community? With a little help from a Shih Tzu named Bruno.

James “Head” Guiliani, a confidante of the Gotti regime, was arrested and jailed on a weapons charge. After his release, he fell back into alcohol and drug addiction—until, one day, he came across an abandoned, abused Shih Tzu in the street. He rescued the dog, whom he lovingly named Bruno, and, in the process, turned his own life around.

Dogfella recounts the story of Guiliani's life, from his involvement in street gangs and the infamous Gotti crime family to his incarceration and eventual redemption through animal welfare. Guiliani's new career has led him to save pit bulls from a dog-fighting ring and drive through six-foot snowdrifts to reach 200 cats stranded at a Long Island sanctuary.