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Download the Klarna app today or visit Klarna.com to learn more. Terms apply. California resident loans made or arranged pursuant to a California finance law license, NMLS number 1353190, aren't a balance account required to be eligible for cashback points. Limitations, terms, and conditions apply. This is our American Stories.
And as you know, some of our favorite stories and some of your favorite stories on this show are redemption stories. Comeback stories about people who turn their lives around. Which brings us to our next story. It comes from the documentary, The Father I Never Knew, a movie that tracks the lives of former gang members that were raised without a positive father figure. Which you can find on Amazon Prime.
The director, Don Albert, graciously gave us the interviews. to tell these stories. And now we bring you the story of Carlos Cologne. I was born in Chicago, Illinois, in Humboldt Park. From the 70s on through the 90s, It was pretty drastic.
Growing up with a single mom, You know, the gangs was pretty bad in the neighborhood and Poverty was at its worst. Yeah, I will think about it.
Now I think about my. upbringing in It was a lot of empty lots, so there wasn't no playgrounds. It was just empty lots, you know, where no buildings were and... Where they used to be So A lot of times, you know, we turn to the streets and You know, you come from a dysfunctional home where you see drug abuse from different men in my mom's lives. Domestic abuse.
I returned to the streets. My spend Most of my life in prison from juvenile on through my adulthood. Single mother, Never knew my dad. poor and My mom was in two abusive relationships, so that had its toll. I was missing the father's love, you know, for his son.
Not only that, but a complete family, something, you know, a father's supposed to be, you know, sense of security, he's supposed to be the one to provide, and we didn't have that in my house.
So I never knew what it was like to grow up A man, I pretty much was playing the guessing game and going off of uh a lot of bad examples in my life ahead of me and so and the streets where my father In my teen years, I joined a gang, you know, and I clung to that. And what attracted me to the gang was actually just the unity. We all had something in common. A lot of us were miserable, we had no fathers in our lives, and so. It's like a pack of dogs, you know.
We hung together and we clung together and. Life spiraled real fast. We would steal a car in the city, a beat up car, go to O'Hare Airport and look for a nice car, something with rims and speakers and sound system, and we would try to bring it back to Chicago and sell it.
So We were doing this for a while now and we got caught. And when they caught us, it seemed like they were investigating.
So there were like six or seven cars that they charged us with. which trust me we did take but I ended up going, fighting the case out as best I can, and I ended up getting probation. The rules were too much for me. I couldn't handle it. They had house arrests, and I had to do all these crazy things just to.
Stay out of jail, which I violated.
So I eventually ended up going to juvenile detention center, which is like juvenile prison. And that's where I spent a lot of time in and out of until You know, I got out at About it. I think I was 17 when I got out.
So from 15 to 17, I spent most of my time in and out of juvenile detention. And once I went into juvenile, I was being trained for when I got out to be worse. We were a small gang.
So by being a small gang, we had more to prove than these big gangs. You know, it's not like Oh, you know, we were well established in Chicago. No, we were a small gang. We had one corner, and in that corner, It was only if there was 50 of us, which some people might think 50 is a lot of people. But there's hundreds and thousands of gangs out here.
There could be no war going on because a lot of times we'll go into war and we'll fight with each other. I remember I would be driving with my buddies and we would see someone's car and we'd say, hey, that's so-and-so's car from this neighborhood. And it's someone we don't like. And we would already know, okay, his car's parked here. Tomorrow or tonight in the late night, we're going to burn his car.
And um we would burn cars, break windows. Even to the point where sometimes we would go to other neighborhoods and jump out on people and jump them and act like we were a different gang. Just because we for the thrill of it, because we wanted to instill damage. And I would say even at 20, It got to the point where now if we could catch you, But no one was around, and we had a gun on us. We would actually try to kill you.
We would see if we could get away with it, or at least shoot you or something without you knowing it was us. That's how bad it was. It just escalated from you know, stealing cars in my life too. knives, bats, guns, and murder eventually. And I remember getting into a shootout with somebody, getting away.
Telling a friend of mine about it. And um After I spoke to him about it shortly afterwards, They came back. I got shot. I got shot in the hand and in the leg, and I did about a month or two in the hospital recovering. And during that time, the war was still going on.
Pretty much, it started because I got shot. My buddy got killed.
So that took its toll on me too. You know, he's a friend of mine who His dad passed away and got killed, so he grew up without a father. And so I was bringing him up into the gangs. And next thing you know, he's dead.
So I thought that was my responsibility. And I wanted to take, I wanted revenge, you know, for so much. It was like just a pot of so much boiling and brewing and I wanted to get revenge.
So I got out of the hospital and when I got shot, I got shot because I ran out of bullets.
So I didn't want that to happen no more. And I remember saying, well, I'm going to buy two guns. And And I keep one on me, and when I'm walking with somebody, I let them hold the other one just to be safe. And as I was healing and recuperating, and I couldn't run, I was still walking with a cane. I ran into one of the guys who was involved in my shooting.
I shot him five times and shortly afterwards they pronounced him dead at the hospital and The cops were looking for me. And it's funny because He was his only witness, but what happened was the cops actually grabbed one of the guys from my neighborhood. And instead of being a stand-up guy, he actually ratted me out. And so once I knew that the cops were looking for me, Yeah, it was over with for me. I had to leave the neighborhood.
Chicago wasn't an option no more.
So I fled and I ended up from Ohio to Florida, Puerto Rico, Ohio, back to Florida for about 11 months I was a fugitive. I was working at this furniture warehouse under a different name. I just made the union and everything, so I was meeting a lot of people, the big wigs from the warehouse, corporate. And I remember my supervisor walking up to me with this man, and I'm thinking, okay, I'm gonna meet another. supervisor and When I shook his hand, he actually was an Orlando police officer that the extradition came over, and they actually the warrant came and they arrested me there.
And then the Chicago police came and got me and took me back to Chicago. And it wasn't easy because I had a child on the way myself from a previous relationship. And so this will be my firstborn. It was my son. That was crazy because I grew up without a father.
Knowing who my real father was, I found out he grew up without a father. And now I'm gonna have a son who's gonna grow up without a father. And I wanted I didn't want that to happen, so That's pretty much how I ended up getting caught because I tried to keep a relationship with him. And you're listening to Carlos Colon and my goodness. As he said about life in Humboldt Park in Chicago, From the 70s to the 90s, it was pretty drastic.
What a tragic story thus far. When we come back, more of Carlos Colon's story. Here on Our American Stories. Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi-asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto, and now generated assets, which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI.
It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high-free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one-of-a-kind index, and lets you backtest it against the SP 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's.
Go to public.com/slash podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com/slash podcast. Paid for by Public Investing. Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. member Finra and SIPC.
Advisory Services by Public Advisors LLC, SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete the Disclosures available at public.com/slash disclosures. Kids, pets, life, your sofa sees it all.
But with a washable sofa, stains don't stand a chance. All of our sofa collections come with fully machine-washable covers and cushions, making cleanup effortless. Liquid and stain-resistant fabrics provide extra protection against everyday messes. Plus, with modular designs, you can rearrange your sofa however you like. Perfect for growing families and changing spaces.
Starting at just $699, it's time to upgrade to a stress-free, mess-proof sofa. Visit washable sofas.com today and save. Offers are subject to change, and certain restrictions may apply. If you're looking for more flexibility in how you pay for everyday purchases, meet Klarna. Klarna lets you decide whether to pay now, pay later, or spread payments over time.
All managed right in the Klarna app. Download the Klarna app today or visit Klarna.com to learn more. Terms apply. California resident loans made or arranged pursuant to a California finance law license. NMLS number 1353190.
Klarna balance account required to be eligible for cashback points. Limitations, terms, and conditions apply. Bye. You ever wonder how far an E V can take you on one charge?
Well most people drive about 40 miles a day, which means you can do all daily stuff no problem. Go to work, grab the kids at school, get the groceries, and still have enough charge to visit your in-laws in the next county. But they don't need to know that. And the best part, you won't have to buy gas at all. The way forward is electric.
Explore EVs that fit your life at electricforall.org. And we continue with our American stories and Carlos Colon's story. He had joined a Chicago gang at a young age. Killed a man. and was on the run from the cops.
Let's get back to Carlos. with the rest of his story. They sentenced me to do 20 years in prison. I had to do 20 years straight. You know, during that first 10 years, all I would think about is trying to occupy my time, try to make it up the hill and over the hill to get home.
And, you know, we would make homemade wine and smuggle in drugs and smoke reefer or weed, however, you want to call it. And I remember When I was 12, I want to make sure that you guys know this. When I was a kid, I got saved. I found Jesus. The problem was I would go home, and Jesus was not preaching to me because my home was domestic abuse, drug violence, and so we were poor.
It wasn't like God was in the house. But no seed returns void.
So the seeds were in me. I get to prison. And You know, they say blessings and curses come out the mouth, and I would always speak these curses: like, if I ever see this one person, I'm going to try to kill them, I'm going to try to do this and that. And one of them was the guy that actually killed a friend of mine, my buddy Fredo. And he ended up.
in the same prison as me. And like he was in a big game, but his game turned on him. and now the numbers are in my favor.
So I wanted this guy and we got into a big fight, just me and him. And it got really bad where we ended up going to segregation, which is like a prison in the prison. And um He actually witnessed to me, believe it or not. He actually shared the word with me. And, you know, I didn't take him as serious, but.
No seed returns void, so the seeds were planted again.
So that's when I said enough is enough. You know, I just wanted something different. You know, I talked about the void in my life.
Well, you know, I went to prison with a void. in my life. I figured it out. I realized it. It was Jesus.
I was missing God in my life, even though He was always there. I never willingly recommitted myself to him. I never willingly said, okay Lord, I need you to go do this with me. You know, I needed him as my father. I was looking for a father and he was always the one.
So I remember making a prayer in segregation, and I started praying. I asked God, listen, Lord, I know I'm in trouble. I know I'm going to go to a worse prison. I'm not trying to give you one of these prayers where if you get me out of this, I'll be good. Because a lot of times we say that prayer, and it's never the case.
I just ask God to go with me. And so you know, watch over me and to surround me with believers. to make it where I can convince my wife to change her life and I can have a home At home, when I get home, ready for me, a church waiting on me. And I wanted to totally change my life. I just wanted to.
turn away from who I was and become something new. And so that started the next 10 years, which were the best 10 years of my life. in prison. I was able to Not only recommit my life to the Lord, but You know, God was. preparing me to come home.
I was raised with bitterness and rage and anger. And God was showing me the root of it. And God reminded me. That if you Want to be truly forgiven, and I've done some things. I was in jail for murder.
If you really want to be forgiven, you have to forgive. And so that's when I was saying, okay, Lord, I release that unto you. Show me how to forgive. And so no longer am I mad at the abusive man in my mother's life. or my mom for the way she raised me, even though Times were tough, you know.
She probably could have learned how to do things better. The past is the past.
So I got to the point in my life where I said, okay. No more bitterness, no more anger, no more rage. Let's fill that with peace and joy. and happiness. And I was hoping that he could make a way.
in my life, you know, to be forgiven by the families. that I have took their son away, their brother away, their father away. You know, that was my prayer for the next 10 years. guy was really spiritually getting me ready and motivating me for Life outside of prison, a new life. There was this one man.
I remember he was bold. His name was William Flores. And I would see him lead Bible studies and I knew, okay, God sent me here. to meet this man and You're gonna always run into to people in your life. at certain times in your life.
that were real influential. And this was a key moment because this was the beginning. And it looked like I was going to become a closet Christian. I seen his boldness. I needed that boldness.
And I know what boldness was about because. In my life before Christ, I was always trying to be bold.
So I seen this boldness, true boldness, by the way. No shame in speaking about Jesus and I started attending his Bible studies whenever we would get recreation time and I started picking his ear and he would pray with me and teach me things of the Bible. And we would have Prison Bible studies where people from outside of the prison would come in and freely spend time voluntarily, by the way, fellowship with us, share the word with us. And we even had a Spanish preacher that would come and be bilingual and speak the word in English and Spanish just so more people could attend his Bible studies. These are people who had different personalities and they fed into my heart, into my life.
where now I could pick their brains. And figure out How to install these good qualities in my life, in my walk, when I come home.
Now, I'm back in Chicago and I work for my church. Not only do I work for my church, I'm in the same community that I did damage in. I remember going to Many meals in Glen Ellen, it's called Radical Time Out. And it's a time where everyone gets together and they pray radically. It's a place where they can pray and fellowship together, and break bread together, and hear the word together.
worship together and I remember going that I had to go there, it's a must. I went there and I've been going there every chance I get, and I gave my testimony there. And remember, I had spoke about forgiveness and I wanted God to restore what the enemy had broken and Shortly after my testimony, I spoke to Nephtali, who is pretty much Manny Mill's right-hand man. I found out that somebody was there giving their testimony who happened to be. Nelson Vargas, the father of the man that I killed.
And I spoke to Neft Ali about that and And I let them know, hey, you know, you just had a man here recently and He just gave his testimony. I want you to know that that's the man whose son I killed and Nephtali went and through prayer he spoke to Nelson and he set up a meeting where we met at Midwest Church with Pastor David and um. him, his family met me and my wife and He forgave me, you know, and this is something that was in my heart for the last ten years in prison. Not only did he forgive me, but we have a relationship and He's wonderful, you know, and... He tells me now I'm your father, you know, now you're my son, he tells me.
knowing that I killed this man's son, He would say that and And I think we both are embracing that, that relationship that's going to grow and Mature and nurture between him and I, and both are families, actually, you know, and so. I thank God because nothing is impossible for the Lord. You know. If he can Restore this between me and Nelson. Just imagine what else he's gonna do, you know?
Since I've been out, I work for my church now and I'm working on trying to visit the prisons as well. Because I want people to see life. Beyond the walls, but how it's possible through Christ, you know, to maintain a relationship with Him and to have a life after jail, you know, other than prison. I want people to see hope. I don't deserve nothing.
But God is good that He's given me.
So I've been involved with my church now, working for the church. I do maintenance for my church, and it's actually me and one more guy. We have all these properties that we have to maintain, and I didn't know nothing about construction and plumbing. And my boss, Joey, he's the best. He's younger than me, and he's a great teacher.
That's Jesus, you know, and so I've learned a lot. My life now is just trying to live for the Lord but B better than who I was and I'll never make up for all the wrong that I've done. But Elise We can make a difference today. and every chance that we can get from now on, you know, we can try.
So that's what I'm going for right now in my life. And what a story, and special thanks as always to Joey Cortez for. Getting this story and getting it out to you, and a special thanks to Carlos Colón for telling this story. and for Don Albert graciously sharing these interviews. The name of his movie is The Father I Never Knew.
And go to Amazon, watch it with your family and friends, whatever your religious beliefs. This is his testimony, and it's his story, and it's countless tens, if not hundreds of thousands of inmates. and that God turned their life around. the story of so many young men and women without dads. Roaming the streets here.
on our American stories. Should it stay or should it go? What if I mess it up? What if I have to pay taxes now? If you're unsure about an old 401k, it's okay.
Fidelity can help you understand your options, avoid mistakes and taxes, and feel good about your decisions for your retirement savings. To learn more, visit fidelity.com/slash rollover. Be sure to consider all your available options and the applicable fees and features of each before moving your retirement assets. Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC member NYSE SIPC. Kids, pets, life, your sofa sees it all.
But with a washable sofa, stains don't stand a chance. All of our sofa collections come with fully machine-washable covers and cushions, making cleanup effortless. Liquid and stain-resistant fabrics provide extra protection against everyday messes. Plus, with modular designs, you can rearrange your sofa however you like. Perfect for growing families and changing spaces.
Starting at just $699, it's time to upgrade to a stress-free, mess-proof sofa. Visit washablefas.com today and save. Offers are subject to change, and certain restrictions may apply. Have you heard about Klarna? Klarna is an app designed to make everyday spending simpler and more transparent.
It gives you flexibility to decide how you want to pay, whether that's paying right away, paying later, or spreading payments over time, depending on what works best for you. Everything is managed in the Klarna app, so you can keep track of purchases and stay organized. You can also discover deals and even earn cash back when you shop through the Klarna app with participating brands. It's all about flexibility and staying in control of how and when you pay. Download the Klarna app today or visit Klarna.com to learn more.
Terms apply. California resident loans made or arranged pursuant to a California finance law license, NMLS number 1353190, aren't a balance account required to be eligible for cashback points. Limitations, terms, and conditions apply. At CVS, it matters that we're not just in your community, but that we're part of it. It matters that we're here for you when you need us, day or night.
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