Nicky Cruz

The Reverend Nicky Cruz (b. December 6, 1938 in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is the former leader of a notorious New York City gang The Mau-Maus who became a world renowned religious minister.

Related Topics:
The Reverend - December 6 - 1938 - San Juan, Puerto Rico - New York City - Gang - The Mau-Maus

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Childhood

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When Nicky was a child, he was raised by his parents who practiced witchcraft ("brujeria") and were followers of spiritism ("espiritismo"). They mentally abused him; his own mother would call him "Son of Satan." The neighborhood in which he lived was one of the worst in Puerto Rico and Nicky was always getting into trouble.

Related Topics:
Witchcraft - Spiritism - Satan - Puerto Rico

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Gang-life

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On January 1,1955, when Nicky was sixteen, he was sent away from home to live with his older brother in New York City. Nicky moved to Fort Greene, Brooklyn in the heart of a tenement that housed over 30,000 Puerto Rican and Black people. In the ghettoes of New York, such as Fort Greene, life can be very difficult. Joining a gang was one of the few options that teenagers had in order to survive everyday life. Nicky quickly became the gang's "warlord." The position of warlord was important within the gang because the warlord is the person who meets with the warlords of other gangs to discuss the time and place of a gang fight and which weapons are going to be used. In 1958, Nicky was 18 years old and already the gang's "president." Nicky was also into drugs and his friend Mannie Durango, died in his arms during a gang fight. His gang was also involved in robberies and killings.

Related Topics:
1955 - Ghetto - Teenager - Warlord - 1958 - Drugs

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Conversion

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A preacher by the name of David Wilkerson was in Nicky's neighborhood preaching when Nicky ran into him. They exchanged some words and Nicky threatened to kill him. That afternoon the preacher showed up in Nicky's gang's headquarters and was beaten up by Nicky.

Related Topics:
Preacher - David Wilkerson

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Two weeks later, the preacher was back in the neighborhood for a church meeting. When Nicky 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. According to Nicky, when he arrived at the church, something strange happened to his body. He started to feel guilty about the things that he had done before and started to pray. The preacher prayed with Nicky and Nicky asked God to forgive him. He also asked for the preacher's forgiveness.

Related Topics:
Pray - God

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The following day Nicky went to the police and turned in all of his weapons. Nicky began to study the Bible and returned to school. Nicky studied many subjects, including theology, for years. He himself became a preacher and returned back to his old neighborhood, where preached and persuaded some of the "Mau Maus" to accept Jesus, including the gang's new leader, Israel Navarez, who himself accepted Jesus as his savior.

Related Topics:
Police - Bible - Theology - Mau Maus - Jesus - Israel Navarez

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Ministry

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Nicky is the founder of the "Nicky Cruz Outreach," which is a program that helps teenagers with troubled lives. The program has been a huge success and has branches in the United States, Latin America, and Europe. Nicky Cruz is also the founder of halfway houses which help in the rehabilitation of drug addicts. He is a member of the Honorary Committee of The Presidential Prayer Team which includes the likes of former President of the United States Gerald Ford, Jerry Colangelo, and others.

Related Topics:
United States - Latin America - Europe - Halfway house - Rehabilitation - Drug addict - The Presidential Prayer Team - President of the United States - Gerald Ford - Jerry Colangelo

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Literature

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In 1970, a movie production about the life of Nicky Cruz, titled The Cross and The Switchblade, was made, starring Pat Boone as Rev. David Wilkerson and Erik Estrada as Nicky Cruz. In February 2000, a television special about Nicky Cruz titled Run Baby, Run was telecast in the United States

Related Topics:
1970 - The Cross and The Switchblade - Pat Boone - Erik Estrada - February - 2000 - Television - Run Baby, Run - United States

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Nicky also did a 55 minute documentary with Art Linkletter called "No Need to Hide." Nicky took Art to his old stomping grounds and showed him his old turf and showed how heroin broke the gang up.

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The following books about Nicky Cruz have been written in various languages: The Cross and The Switchblade, by David Wilkerson, Run, Baby, Run, by Nicky Cruz, and ', by R.J. Owens.

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Rev. Nicky Cruz now lives in Colorado and continues preaching all over the world.

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