Of God And Gucci - Paperback

"I drew St. Paul's Church for the cover of our parish bulletin when I was thirteen. Three years later I would daydream about hanging myself in its steeple."

Of God And Gucci begins in 1976, Jersey City. I was an artistic, creative boy raised in the shadow of the Catholic Church. The sanctuary that should have protected me instead became the stage for an unholy betrayal. Groomed first by the church musical director, then by the priest that I turned to for help, I would be led down an un-godly path paved with sexual abuse, drug dependency, and a proclivity for suicide.

Never wavering in my faith, I prayed desperately for a way out and met a real-life angel - a young married woman who helped me escape the church's grasp and begin an arduous healing process.

Set against the backdrop of the 1970s and 1980s, Of God And Gucci is a journey from the dark corridors of abuse to the bright lights of the fashion world, where I rebuilt my life and reclaimed my voice. It is also a story of confronting powerful men in powerful institutions and refusing to be silenced.

Part art therapy and part legal document - drawing from actual testimony, attorney correspondence and media sources - Of God And Gucci understands the principle that readers can only enter into and begin to comprehend the scope of the sweeping tragedy of childhood sexual abuse via narratives that are detailed, specific, and raw.

In an era when survivors everywhere are breaking their silence, Of God And Gucci adds a rare male perspective on the cost of abuse and the courage to fight back against institutions built on silence and complicity.

Of God And Gucci transcends the subject of child sexual abuse and becomes a story about living your life fearlessly, following your dreams, and following your heart.

This memoir confronts child sexual abuse in unflinching detail, yet also undeniable proof that healing and finding love are possible.

Some stories are meant to be told.

This is one of them.

They picked the wrong kid.