Dante wasn’t a troublemaker, but trouble sometimes found him due in large part to Dante’s slow wittedness.
The Philadelphia neighborhood where Dante lived, gun violence was at an all time high. School was closed for the day because someone had written a threatening note on a boys room stall.

Dante was raised by his Grandma who worked two jobs to support him and his four younger siblings. They had money for food, clothing and shelter, the essentials, but Dante wanted more.
Dante wanted to wear what the other kids at school wore, he wanted to look cool, act cool, be cool. But he was not cool.
He was picked on for his stuttering and his lack of designer apparel.

Dante was walking down the street when a black Lincoln Towncar pulled up and stopped in front of him.

The man in the passenger seat, looking directly into Dante’s eyes, said, “Yo kid, you wanna make a few bucks?”

Of course it went without saying that Dante did want to make a few bucks.
“Get in da car,” the man said.

And Dante did.