Nicky Cruz: Difference between revisions
m Reverted edits by 86.156.4.151 (talk) to last version by 194.72.129.29 |
|||
| Line 44: | Line 44: | ||
==Film== |
==Film== |
||
A film, ''Run Baby Run: The Nicky Cruz Story'', based upon Cruz's book of the same title, is set for release in 2010. The film's website is http://www.runbabyrunmovie.com/. |
A film, ''Run Baby Run: The Nicky Cruz Story'', based upon Cruz's book of the same title, is set for release in 2010. The film's website is http://www.runbabyrunmovie.com/. |
||
AMY LANDLES WAS HERE :) x |
|||
==References== |
==References== |
||
Revision as of 16:49, 16 November 2009
Nicky Cruz | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Puerto Rican |
| Notable works | Run Baby Run |
| Website | |
| http://nickycruz.org | |
Nicky Cruz (b. December 6, 1938 in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is the former leader of a New York City gang, The Mau-Maus. He later became a world-renowned religious minister.
Nicky Cruz was born to a Theistic Satanist family in Puerto Rico, into a home where his parents brutally abused him, both physically and mentally, his mother saying that she did not want him and his father locking him in a room full of pigeons.He was one of 17 brothers and sisters and was ignored quite a lot. They soon sent him to New York, to live with his brother Frank, but Nicky decided to go solo and ventured onto the streets alone. He was beaten-up by a gang leader, and then left unconscious, trying to heal for ten days. After it was over, he improved his fighting tactics, and sought out after the gang leader, to teach him a lesson. He found the man, and beat him so badly that he was unconscious and bloodied. Soon he was the talk of the neighborhood, and made friends with a gang called the Mau Maus; named after the anti-colonialist uprising in Kenya in the 1960s. He agreed to joining the gang, and underwent their initiation ceremony; which left him unable to move for ten days. It was about six months later that Cruz was elected the leader of the gang, and under his rule, they were known as one of the most feared gangs of New York.[1]
Conversion
Soon a preacher by the name of David Wilkerson was preaching in Cruz's neighbourhood when Cruz encountered him. The preacher told Cruz that God loved him and would never stop loving him; the conversation ended when Cruz threatened to kill him. That afternoon the preacher showed up at the Mau Mau's headquarters to repeat his message, and was slapped by Cruz. David Wilkerson just smiled, and then prayed for Nicky.[1]
Two weeks later the preacher had an evangelistic meeting in the neighbourhood. When Cruz heard about it, he decided to go and teach the preacher a "lesson" and, with some of the members of his gang, he headed for the church where the rally was being held. According to Cruz, when he arrived at the arena, he felt guilty about the things that he had done and started to pray. The preacher prayed with Cruz and Cruz asked God to forgive him.[1]
The following day Cruz and some of the gang members who converted went to the police and turned in all of their bricks,hand guns and knives. Cruz began to study the Bible and returned to school. He became a preacher and returned to his old neighborhood, where he preached and persuaded some of the Mau-Maus to accept Jesus, including the gang's new leader, Israel Narvaez, who was also converted.[1]
Nicky Cruz has written two autobiographies, Run Baby Run, with Jamie Buckingham (1968), and Soul Obsession, with Frank Martin (2005).[1]
Film
A film, Run Baby Run: The Nicky Cruz Story, based upon Cruz's book of the same title, is set for release in 2010. The film's website is http://www.runbabyrunmovie.com/. AMY LANDLES WAS HERE :) x