went to the police and turned in all of their bricks, handguns and knives, shocking the police officers in the station. They stated that if they had seen the group approaching, they probably would have shot them down. Cruz began to study the Bible and went to Bible college. He became a preacher and returned to his old neighborhood, where he preached and converted more of the Mau Maus to Christianity, including the gang's new leader, Israel Narvaez. Written works Nicky Cruz has written two autobiographies, Run Baby Run, with Jamie Buckingham (1968), and Soul Obsession, with Frank Martin (2005). He has also written several books with a Christian theme, including The Corruptors (1974), The Magnificent Three (1976), and Destined to Win (1991). Cruz's conversion was depicted in the 1970 film The Cross and the Switchblade starring Erik Estrada as Cruz and Pat Boone as David Wilkerson. In 2013, Cruz authored The Devil Has No Mother which shares Cruz's understanding of the devil's hunger to gain power, but contrasts this with God's ability to nevertheless win the day. See also List of Puerto Rican writers List of Puerto Ricans Puerto Rican literature References 1938 births Living people People from Las Piedras, Puerto Rico Former gang members Puerto Rican Protestant missionaries Assemblies of God people Puerto Rican non-fiction writers Puerto Rican religious leaders 20th-century American novelists Hispanic and Latino American novelists Religious leaders from New York City American autobiographers Hispanic and Latino American autobiographers American male novelists Puerto Rican novelists 20th-century American male writers Novelists from New York (state) 20th-century American non-fiction writers American male non-fiction writers