A Tale of Crime And Addiction

Bruce Von Stiers

Some time ago I reviewed a book about a gentleman bank robber. It was written by the guy's nephew, Dane Batty. It was a well written chronicle of his uncle's life of crime.

Dane has a knack for writing about crime and the human elements surrounding the criminals. He has co-written a new book about high crime and a unique criminal. The title of the book is Heist And High. Dane's co-author is Anthony Curcio. Actually Anthony is listed as the book's primary author and Dane as secondary. The book was published by Nish Publishing.

The book opens in the town of Monroe, Washington on a late September day in 2008. The reader gets treated to a Brinks truck robbery and the crook's ensuing escape. Although the robbery went pretty much as planned, the getaway was anything but smooth. The robber was called “D.W. Tuber” for his use of an inflatable inner tube as part of his escape plan. The robbery was planned by Anthony Curcio and executed by him and a handful of other people. But that's only the preface for the story behind Anthony's life and what led up to the robbery.

The reader learns about Anthony's early life and how he became the local jock hero at his school as he grew older. The book details the on and off again romance that Anthony had with Emily Chester, who he eventually married.

As the book progresses, the life of Anthony becomes anything but serene. He puts together heists for alcohol and set up parties for underage drinking. While he was in the spotlight for his athletic abilities, his budding career as a criminal was forming. Soon Anthony hit upon gambling and gaming tables as a money maker. This development makes Anthony seem like he's on the way to become a major crime figure. But not exactly.

Along the way, Anthony suffered a major sports injury. This led to an addiction to high end pain pills. The addiction plays a major role in what happens later in Anthony's life. Prescription drug thefts and scams are just a few of the things that are detailed in the book. Later things include real estate scams that dealt with the flipping of houses.

As you read this book, you might think how could this guy get so screwed up? He has a loving family, a terrific woman by his side and the potential to be someone great. But as I read through the life and times of Anthony Curcio, my thoughts were that this could have happened to any one of us. Poor life choices only make us more human. Although sometimes those choices provide detrimental results.

Interspersed with the narrative are quotes from both Anthony and Emily. Each of these quotes emphasize a particular piece of Anthony's story. There are also pictures scattered throughout the book of Anthony and Emily and a few associated with the armored car robbery.

I found Heist and High to be more of a life lesson and less of a tome on crime. Anthony's drug addiction provided the catalyst for his ultimate downfall. And while learning about the scams and Anthony's various criminal activities were entertaining, the cause and effect of his addiction was what I considered the focal point for the book.

Heist And High is available at most online book retailers. For more information, visit Nish Publishing at www.NishPublishing.com

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© 2014 Bruce E Von Stiers