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The Rent Collectors: Exploitation, Murder, and Redemption in Immigrant LA
TATTOOS ON THE HEART meets GHETTOSIDE in this gripping true story about a botched gang murder set in the invisible economy of LA's immigrant street vendors
Baby faced teen Giovanni Macedo is desperate to build a reputation with local LA gang, the Columbia Lil Cycos -- so desperate that he agrees to kill an undocumented Mexican street vendor. The vendor, Francisco Clemente, had been refusing to give in to the gang’s shakedown demands. But Giovanni botches the hit, accidentally killing a baby instead. The imprisoned overlords who rule their world must be placated so the gang lures Giovanni across the border and plots his disposal. But, in turn, the gang botches Giovanni's killing. And so, incredibly, Giovanni rises from the dead, determined to both seek redemption for his unforgivable crime and take down the whole gang who drove him to do it.
The Rent Collectors is filled with ruthless gang members, tattoo artists, a legendary FBI investigator, a girl who risks her life to serve as a witness, all in service to the story of the irrationally courageous immigrant whose ethical stance triggers these incredible events.
Jesse Katz has built a teeth clenching and breathless narrative that explicates the difficult and proud lives of undocumented black market workers who are being exploited both by the gangs and by the city of LA -- in other words, by two sets of rent collectors.
Baby faced teen Giovanni Macedo is desperate to build a reputation with local LA gang, the Columbia Lil Cycos -- so desperate that he agrees to kill an undocumented Mexican street vendor. The vendor, Francisco Clemente, had been refusing to give in to the gang’s shakedown demands. But Giovanni botches the hit, accidentally killing a baby instead. The imprisoned overlords who rule their world must be placated so the gang lures Giovanni across the border and plots his disposal. But, in turn, the gang botches Giovanni's killing. And so, incredibly, Giovanni rises from the dead, determined to both seek redemption for his unforgivable crime and take down the whole gang who drove him to do it.
The Rent Collectors is filled with ruthless gang members, tattoo artists, a legendary FBI investigator, a girl who risks her life to serve as a witness, all in service to the story of the irrationally courageous immigrant whose ethical stance triggers these incredible events.
Jesse Katz has built a teeth clenching and breathless narrative that explicates the difficult and proud lives of undocumented black market workers who are being exploited both by the gangs and by the city of LA -- in other words, by two sets of rent collectors.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published July 16, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
May 15, 2024
This book is great for true crime nerds but the exact opposite for California tourism. The Rent Collectors by Jesse Katz follows the journey of Giovanni Macedo as a member of the Columbia Lil Cycos. It's not a spoiler to mention some of the low-lights of Giovanni's gang career since they are in the summary. He botches a murder and ends up killing a newborn only to have his own murder at the hands of his fellow gang members get botched as well. It's enough to make you wonder why they are so bad at crime.
Katz does a great job explaining gang life while juggling an insane amount of characters. He mostly sticks to the facts of the story and criminal cases but will dip now and again into social justice commentary. The commentary sections are few and far between. They are so short that I am not even sure Katz was trying to change the reader's mind but merely just trying to plant a seed. In any case, if you are interested in true crime and specifically gang crime, then this is an excellent read.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Astra Publishing House.)
Katz does a great job explaining gang life while juggling an insane amount of characters. He mostly sticks to the facts of the story and criminal cases but will dip now and again into social justice commentary. The commentary sections are few and far between. They are so short that I am not even sure Katz was trying to change the reader's mind but merely just trying to plant a seed. In any case, if you are interested in true crime and specifically gang crime, then this is an excellent read.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Astra Publishing House.)
July 29, 2024
I liked this one, pretty fast moving (though the pacing does stall out in sections) and interesting. Presented as a mix of true crime and investigative journalism. Enjoyed being embedded in the subcultures of LA gangs, street vendors, and law enforcement. There are moments when I rolled my eyes at the way the author would present certain things, a little copaganda here and there and sometimes little paternalistic.
March 13, 2025
3.5
i was worried that THE RENT COLLECTORS was going to read like it was written by a journalist (derogatory), but it instead draws on all of the strengths of the field while avoiding some common pitfalls. it's apparent that in writing this book, jesse katz spoke to EVERYONE involved to reconstruct the story of how giovanni, a boy of barely eighteen years old, could become involved in a plot to shake down an undocumented street vendor and unfortunately end up accidentally killing a newborn baby.
i think it would've been easy to lean into the sensationalism of this horrendous crime and to bolster narratives of violent gangsters and righteous cops. instead, katz presents a thorough and well-researched story that bucks most of the common narratives we would immediately associate with this crime, highlighting the individual humanity of everyone involved. for example, giovanni is not an adultified and irredeemable gangster. everyone around him, the cops included, comment on how much of a child he is, and katz shines a light on how giovanni is still working to be more than the worst thing that he's ever done. additionally, the street vendors are not passive victims. katz focuses in on how the government's failures to decriminalize street vendors (and more broadly undocumented peoples & their labor), creates the vulnerable conditions that leaves them open for gangs to prey on them; and he emphasizes the way that the vendors exercise agency, compassion, and tenacity amidst this landscape.
i walked away feeling like this is a deeply layered and humanizing story showcasing how some of the most vulnerable people amongst us navigate the madness of a political system that is constantly shifting under their feet.
my only gripes: i understand why the story starts where it does--with giovanni regaining consciousness after his former gang members attempt to kill him in mexico--because it's so gripping! however, this is the one time i almost wanted the story to progress chronologically because it just kept getting wilder and wilder. i also think that the use of street spanish was sometimes corny haha but i didn't mind it that much.
i was worried that THE RENT COLLECTORS was going to read like it was written by a journalist (derogatory), but it instead draws on all of the strengths of the field while avoiding some common pitfalls. it's apparent that in writing this book, jesse katz spoke to EVERYONE involved to reconstruct the story of how giovanni, a boy of barely eighteen years old, could become involved in a plot to shake down an undocumented street vendor and unfortunately end up accidentally killing a newborn baby.
i think it would've been easy to lean into the sensationalism of this horrendous crime and to bolster narratives of violent gangsters and righteous cops. instead, katz presents a thorough and well-researched story that bucks most of the common narratives we would immediately associate with this crime, highlighting the individual humanity of everyone involved. for example, giovanni is not an adultified and irredeemable gangster. everyone around him, the cops included, comment on how much of a child he is, and katz shines a light on how giovanni is still working to be more than the worst thing that he's ever done. additionally, the street vendors are not passive victims. katz focuses in on how the government's failures to decriminalize street vendors (and more broadly undocumented peoples & their labor), creates the vulnerable conditions that leaves them open for gangs to prey on them; and he emphasizes the way that the vendors exercise agency, compassion, and tenacity amidst this landscape.
i walked away feeling like this is a deeply layered and humanizing story showcasing how some of the most vulnerable people amongst us navigate the madness of a political system that is constantly shifting under their feet.
my only gripes: i understand why the story starts where it does--with giovanni regaining consciousness after his former gang members attempt to kill him in mexico--because it's so gripping! however, this is the one time i almost wanted the story to progress chronologically because it just kept getting wilder and wilder. i also think that the use of street spanish was sometimes corny haha but i didn't mind it that much.
July 22, 2024
The book tells the story of a gang shooting in the MacArthur Park area of Los Angeles. An 18 year-old kid (Giovanni) botches a hit on a street vendor, resulting in a ton of chaos in the local area. To clean up the mess, the gang throws him off the side of a road in Mexico with a noose around his neck. He miraculously survives and returns to the United States to testify against his former gang members.
What elevates this book above your standard "true crime" fare is its honesty about the characters. The gang leaders come across as arrogant cowards who take advantage of desperate people to do their dirty work. Giovanni, in particular, grew up in a single parent household with a mother barely scraping together enough money to pay rent. He was looking for his life to have a purpose, and while that doesn't excuse his actions, it does make the people who pressured him into an assassination seem even more vile. Our justice system doesn't come out seeming rosy, either, as sentencing an 18 year-old boy to 50+ years without parole doesn't seem like justice, especially when the folks at the top of the gang organization got lighter sentences because they cooperated with investigators. The book helped me think through the nuances of criminal justice reform. Some of the figures -- like the slimeball lawyer who helped prop up the gang's operations -- might deserve to stay in prison for most of their lives, but I'm not comfortable with a young kid who got caught up in a bad situation living out his life in prison. At the end of the book, the author discusses some California reforms that help Giovanni eventually get a parole hearing, and more needs to be done nationally to make sure that young criminals get an opportunity to put themselves on the right path.
More than anything, though, the book shows how poverty and our morally bankrupt immigration system work together to make crime seem like the only option for certain folks. Obviously, it's not just about the money. People want to believe their lives are meaningful and that they are part of something larger than themselves. And criminal organizations take advantage of that impulse, giving people the sense of belonging that they feel has been denied them in the outside world. Of course, expanding social welfare programs and smoothing the immigration process won't magically solve all our crime problems. But it might reduce the desperation that leads to these type of situations.
Highly recommended. Might be my favorite book of the year at the moment.
What elevates this book above your standard "true crime" fare is its honesty about the characters. The gang leaders come across as arrogant cowards who take advantage of desperate people to do their dirty work. Giovanni, in particular, grew up in a single parent household with a mother barely scraping together enough money to pay rent. He was looking for his life to have a purpose, and while that doesn't excuse his actions, it does make the people who pressured him into an assassination seem even more vile. Our justice system doesn't come out seeming rosy, either, as sentencing an 18 year-old boy to 50+ years without parole doesn't seem like justice, especially when the folks at the top of the gang organization got lighter sentences because they cooperated with investigators. The book helped me think through the nuances of criminal justice reform. Some of the figures -- like the slimeball lawyer who helped prop up the gang's operations -- might deserve to stay in prison for most of their lives, but I'm not comfortable with a young kid who got caught up in a bad situation living out his life in prison. At the end of the book, the author discusses some California reforms that help Giovanni eventually get a parole hearing, and more needs to be done nationally to make sure that young criminals get an opportunity to put themselves on the right path.
More than anything, though, the book shows how poverty and our morally bankrupt immigration system work together to make crime seem like the only option for certain folks. Obviously, it's not just about the money. People want to believe their lives are meaningful and that they are part of something larger than themselves. And criminal organizations take advantage of that impulse, giving people the sense of belonging that they feel has been denied them in the outside world. Of course, expanding social welfare programs and smoothing the immigration process won't magically solve all our crime problems. But it might reduce the desperation that leads to these type of situations.
Highly recommended. Might be my favorite book of the year at the moment.
September 23, 2024
I read this book as "research" for my police procedural and found it quite informative in aspects about gang organization and activities. It was also empathetic and presented all people involved with a lot of understanding, compassion, and did not shy away from presenting multiple angles that explained people's actions. There were few black and white distinctions between "good" and "bad" people, but the author also didn't spare criticism. I do think it was longer than it needed to be, with many parts in the first third of the book being repetitive or unnecessary. There was a section that was repeated nearly verbatim in non-consecutive chapters (I discovered it by accident when I was consolidating my notes), and unnecessary side-track conversations (such as how many people die by strangulation following the attempt on Giovanni's life which was utterly unnecessary). Once the book focused on the takedown and shutdown of the Columbia Little Psychos, it flowed better. An interesting read for people trying to understand what drives gang violence and what options may be available to stem it.
September 25, 2024
1) they threw in a fact about Puppet's lawyer dying by murder-suicide after killing his paralegal, so that's cute to know in my current job context
2) interesting, but not surprising, to note that after California repealed the criminal penalties for street vending, they implemented a bunch of civil fines and regulations, meaning that vendors had to handle difficult bureaucracy work in addition to paying similar "rent" - this time just to the government rather than the gang - and they were still highly constrained on where and when they could work... short version, it didn't really better the situation for vendors, even if it made it harder for gangs to profit
3) Katz' friend Hector encouraged him to pursue this story by saying "there had to be more to Giovanni than the worst thing he'd ever done," which is one of the multiple sections that made me tear up, and also made me thing of extremely contemporaneous events, i.e. the murder of Marcellus Williams - no act should ever be so defining that we murder someone in captivity (even if we know they committed said act), and then of course, the situation gets even murkier in his case
last point, I listened to this in audio format, and spent 22 hours listening on 1.4 speed... it's a 10-hour audio book regularly, so that shows you how many times I had to re-listen to parts.
2) interesting, but not surprising, to note that after California repealed the criminal penalties for street vending, they implemented a bunch of civil fines and regulations, meaning that vendors had to handle difficult bureaucracy work in addition to paying similar "rent" - this time just to the government rather than the gang - and they were still highly constrained on where and when they could work... short version, it didn't really better the situation for vendors, even if it made it harder for gangs to profit
3) Katz' friend Hector encouraged him to pursue this story by saying "there had to be more to Giovanni than the worst thing he'd ever done," which is one of the multiple sections that made me tear up, and also made me thing of extremely contemporaneous events, i.e. the murder of Marcellus Williams - no act should ever be so defining that we murder someone in captivity (even if we know they committed said act), and then of course, the situation gets even murkier in his case
last point, I listened to this in audio format, and spent 22 hours listening on 1.4 speed... it's a 10-hour audio book regularly, so that shows you how many times I had to re-listen to parts.
September 2, 2024
(3.5)
Compelling account that doesn’t go deep (or shallow, really) on any of the myriad issues involved. While taking nothing away from the pain of the victims or the journalistic efforts of the author, this is more like the book equivalent of a true crime podcast. There’s some mild copaganda, but given how disconnected the story is from any social or political commentary, it scans more like a TV police drama than bootlicking.
Compelling account that doesn’t go deep (or shallow, really) on any of the myriad issues involved. While taking nothing away from the pain of the victims or the journalistic efforts of the author, this is more like the book equivalent of a true crime podcast. There’s some mild copaganda, but given how disconnected the story is from any social or political commentary, it scans more like a TV police drama than bootlicking.
January 28, 2025
The Rent Collectors is a very readable account of an episode involving the largest gang in LA (and probably the US) in 2007. The rent collectors are gang members who extort "rent" from the sidewalk vendors around MacArthur Park, most of whom are undocumented immigrants from Mexico and Central America (as are many of the gang members). When a gang member is coerced into shooting a vendor who refuses to pay a baby is killed by the crossfire. The book documents the fallout, from the vendor who survived to the baby's mother, to the actions the gang takes to deal with the shooter. I would have given the book five stars, but felt the author was overly sympathetic to the shooter.
October 7, 2024
Deep dive into one personal story of gang life, and how their younger values pushed them into actions that they cannot undo and that change their direction of life. This author was really great at painting the whole picture, explained chain of command, how rent was collected & enforced, and even vendor experience in LA. Great read.
October 6, 2025
I really enjoyed this insightful look into gang culture in a specific part of LA, as well as all the background information of what was going on that the main character who the book follows wasn’t aware of. The book asks an important question: is everyone redeemable, or are some people too far gone to be redeemed?
August 5, 2024
Spectacular. Yet another book I read in one day.
I read this book with ferocious momentum, captivated by its true crime narrative style and Katz's virtuosic arrangement of unfortunate events. But what really shone through for me was his thoughtful exposition on law, policing, and gang business. The loyalty of a gangbanger to his puppet master is stronger than my loyalty to any CEO I've ever worked for, despite the fact that we rely on our overlords for the same 3 things - money, protection (from others? from poverty?), and belonging. Belonging, thankfully, is not something I seek from work - but it's what did Giovanni in.
When I read, I seek different ways of seeing. We all end up in our special predicaments through the blunders of life, and most of us deserve a second chance.
I hope Giovanni is granted an early release.
I read this book with ferocious momentum, captivated by its true crime narrative style and Katz's virtuosic arrangement of unfortunate events. But what really shone through for me was his thoughtful exposition on law, policing, and gang business. The loyalty of a gangbanger to his puppet master is stronger than my loyalty to any CEO I've ever worked for, despite the fact that we rely on our overlords for the same 3 things - money, protection (from others? from poverty?), and belonging. Belonging, thankfully, is not something I seek from work - but it's what did Giovanni in.
When I read, I seek different ways of seeing. We all end up in our special predicaments through the blunders of life, and most of us deserve a second chance.
I hope Giovanni is granted an early release.
June 10, 2025
Thoughtfully written.
August 31, 2025
2024 la times current events winner.
November 14, 2024
The practice and power of radical compassion.
August 28, 2025
Wow. Just wow.
May 27, 2025
Really delivers on the promise in the sub title - covers a lot of territory in a very readable way.
December 20, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up.
I listened to this book via the Libby app.
At points I felt that this book dragged and at other points it was very engaging.
It's reminded me of Ghettoside by Jill Leovy. Both tell of murders perpetrated by LA gangs. I would recommend starting with Ghettoside. I remember thinking that Ghettoside read like a novel. The Rent Collectors is good too but not told quite as tightly, from what I remember (I read Ghettoside several years ago).
I listened to this book via the Libby app.
At points I felt that this book dragged and at other points it was very engaging.
It's reminded me of Ghettoside by Jill Leovy. Both tell of murders perpetrated by LA gangs. I would recommend starting with Ghettoside. I remember thinking that Ghettoside read like a novel. The Rent Collectors is good too but not told quite as tightly, from what I remember (I read Ghettoside several years ago).
July 31, 2024
Incredible book that delves into the life of Mexican street gangs and offers an extremely eye opening look into members motives. I couldn’t put it down and highly recommend it!
February 6, 2025
Thank you to Astra House for sending me an ARC of this book.
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. This is a true crime novel that really feels like a podcast episode. The book is split into four parts that follow the tragic murder of an infant and the sad life story of the murderer. The book doesn’t hide the fault in our systems that lead to the dangerous choices people need to make to survive or fit in. It doesn’t glorify policing and indeed makes clear a lot of failings of the police and justice system.
I don’t think it was the authors point but I think the uselessness and danger of cops and fbi agents are glaring in this book. Sometimes a person os arrested and convicted just out of malice.
Discrimination in our system is also called out here as we see how useless and dangerous anti vendor laws are.
What could have been changed if immigrants were supported more for their hustle in this hostile, capitalist land?
While I appreciated what the author did here, it still talks a lot about respecting rules, now breaking the law, good vs bad and these are tired narratives. We need to get more complex than that.
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. This is a true crime novel that really feels like a podcast episode. The book is split into four parts that follow the tragic murder of an infant and the sad life story of the murderer. The book doesn’t hide the fault in our systems that lead to the dangerous choices people need to make to survive or fit in. It doesn’t glorify policing and indeed makes clear a lot of failings of the police and justice system.
I don’t think it was the authors point but I think the uselessness and danger of cops and fbi agents are glaring in this book. Sometimes a person os arrested and convicted just out of malice.
Discrimination in our system is also called out here as we see how useless and dangerous anti vendor laws are.
What could have been changed if immigrants were supported more for their hustle in this hostile, capitalist land?
While I appreciated what the author did here, it still talks a lot about respecting rules, now breaking the law, good vs bad and these are tired narratives. We need to get more complex than that.
December 9, 2024
The best book I've read this year!!! I couldn't put it down.
July 16, 2024
The Rent Collectors by Jesse Cats, in the book we hear about Giovanni and his desperate plight to join the 18th St. gang and LA and his subsequent attempted murder and prison sentence because of it. Born to an immigrant mother Rena and brought up in a gang infested neighborhood Giovani didn’t see many choices when looking for who to be as a young teen and focus his self on the 18th St. gang and dress the part long before they even let him in. This is a very sad story because I think had Jvoni hit someone more positive to look up to he would’ve been dressing like him and wanting to do whatever it is “he “did but unfortunately he became a gang member. This is how Jovanny botched a shooting for a man who refused to pay taxes to the gang for selling his wears at a local illegal flea market and why he found his self having gang members strangle him with the rope and throwing him over a cliff in Mexico.
I’m sure someone told you about this book it would take five minutes but do to the million of different characters in the book because it seem like Mr. cats wanted to tell you everyone’s backstory and at first I found it interesting eventually it got old. It was still a pretty good book although I did find the author sing to make any immigrant he spoke about seem like a victim even when it came to their employment. When someone in the book steals a credit card he even makes excuses for them as if we shouldn’t hold it against them because they were just tired of being poor… Well I’m tired of it too I’m not gonna go steal from somebody. Having said all that I still recommend this book I felt so bad for Giovanni and his poor brother OMG and essentially his poor mother Rena. Rena‘s story from 9 on is heartbreaking I also felt bad for Francisco and his wife Jesse and Danielle but was so happy for them in the end that made me almost cry. As far as immigration goes I think our laws are too strict because had it not been for the wide open immigration of the past most of our families wouldn’t even be here. Unless your Mexican or native American than your family had to use immigration to come here… Well everyone except the slaves and indentured servants so essentially I can’t even say if you’re white you used immigration because that may not be true for most people it is though. OK that’s enough of my soapbox spiel just know this book is long but it is interesting for the most part in a book I recommend.#AstraPublishing, #NetGalley, #JesseKatz, #TheRentCollectors,
I’m sure someone told you about this book it would take five minutes but do to the million of different characters in the book because it seem like Mr. cats wanted to tell you everyone’s backstory and at first I found it interesting eventually it got old. It was still a pretty good book although I did find the author sing to make any immigrant he spoke about seem like a victim even when it came to their employment. When someone in the book steals a credit card he even makes excuses for them as if we shouldn’t hold it against them because they were just tired of being poor… Well I’m tired of it too I’m not gonna go steal from somebody. Having said all that I still recommend this book I felt so bad for Giovanni and his poor brother OMG and essentially his poor mother Rena. Rena‘s story from 9 on is heartbreaking I also felt bad for Francisco and his wife Jesse and Danielle but was so happy for them in the end that made me almost cry. As far as immigration goes I think our laws are too strict because had it not been for the wide open immigration of the past most of our families wouldn’t even be here. Unless your Mexican or native American than your family had to use immigration to come here… Well everyone except the slaves and indentured servants so essentially I can’t even say if you’re white you used immigration because that may not be true for most people it is though. OK that’s enough of my soapbox spiel just know this book is long but it is interesting for the most part in a book I recommend.#AstraPublishing, #NetGalley, #JesseKatz, #TheRentCollectors,
December 10, 2024
Pretty good balance of expository and sensational. the latter is to be expected. as far as "true crime" goes, this is pretty much as respectful as it gets. I was glad to read so many words from firsthand interviews. I liked reading about how they drained the lake and filled it with concrete... never knew there was a weird swamp there to begin with. I never knew who the people on the donut shop mural were either. I heard about this book on the radio and was interested in the history of westlake and the story of Giovanni, rusty, Macedo after living in the neighborhood for a little over a year. Around the end of the book, this story gets bureaucratic and depressing but that's no fault of Katz's.
The law enforcement/state agents in this story make themselves look bad with little effort on the author's part. That being said, some effort doesn't hurt. I can sort of appreciate the "objectivity" in an academic sense, but this is not an academic story, or an academic book. Some of the grit (and by extension some of the truth) of this story is stripped away as it's filtered through the trained journalist's perspective. If you're getting down dirty, say it straight up. Where do you think the CLC got the idea for their violent, money hungry power structures?
They're doing major construction at the westlake/macarthur park Metro station now, trying to turn it into some multipurpose complex. It's a huge upset to the vendor ecosystem there. The Westlake Ave entrance was blocked off last time I checked, so subwaygoers from the east side have to walk the extra block around to the Alvarado entrance. The sidewalk congestion around the block has gone from navigable to trying. Only about a third of the new housing units are supposed to be rent controlled. So who knows what's gonna happen with that. I digress. I liked the book. Thanks.
The law enforcement/state agents in this story make themselves look bad with little effort on the author's part. That being said, some effort doesn't hurt. I can sort of appreciate the "objectivity" in an academic sense, but this is not an academic story, or an academic book. Some of the grit (and by extension some of the truth) of this story is stripped away as it's filtered through the trained journalist's perspective. If you're getting down dirty, say it straight up. Where do you think the CLC got the idea for their violent, money hungry power structures?
They're doing major construction at the westlake/macarthur park Metro station now, trying to turn it into some multipurpose complex. It's a huge upset to the vendor ecosystem there. The Westlake Ave entrance was blocked off last time I checked, so subwaygoers from the east side have to walk the extra block around to the Alvarado entrance. The sidewalk congestion around the block has gone from navigable to trying. Only about a third of the new housing units are supposed to be rent controlled. So who knows what's gonna happen with that. I digress. I liked the book. Thanks.
August 13, 2025
I did actually really enjoy the Rent Collectors. It was well paced, well written and Katz is an excellent storyteller. He does a wonderful job untangle the inequalities and injustices within the legal system and immigration policy. And overall, The Rent Collectors avoids sensationalizing and dehumanizing the participants and victims, and their social network,.
My primary complaint is that narrative feels so one sided when Katz actually discusses the crime. He is extremely sympathetic to Giovanni, even more than Giovanni is towards himself. Giovanni takes complete responsibility, even when he recognizes the hardships and injustices of his upbringing, he never places blame on anyone but himself. Katz's, when discussing the crime and the immediate aftermath, subtly shift blame to the circumstances of Giovanni and his family's life and it felt like such a slap in the face Danielle who in the end, is lost to the system herself, her life utterly destroyed by Giovanni's choices. Katz's obvious bias made me sick knowing that. Danielle, just a girl herself, disappears from society and the pages and is a major failure in my opinion of Katz's coverage.
All that said Giovanni himself is truly an inspiring person and given how the book ends, it feels like true justice for Luis, Danielle, Francisco, and Giovanni.
My primary complaint is that narrative feels so one sided when Katz actually discusses the crime. He is extremely sympathetic to Giovanni, even more than Giovanni is towards himself. Giovanni takes complete responsibility, even when he recognizes the hardships and injustices of his upbringing, he never places blame on anyone but himself. Katz's, when discussing the crime and the immediate aftermath, subtly shift blame to the circumstances of Giovanni and his family's life and it felt like such a slap in the face Danielle who in the end, is lost to the system herself, her life utterly destroyed by Giovanni's choices. Katz's obvious bias made me sick knowing that. Danielle, just a girl herself, disappears from society and the pages and is a major failure in my opinion of Katz's coverage.
All that said Giovanni himself is truly an inspiring person and given how the book ends, it feels like true justice for Luis, Danielle, Francisco, and Giovanni.
July 17, 2024
The story follows the life of Giovanni Mecado, wanting to belong to a street gang Columbia Lil Cycos. His home life and his just wanting to belong. You also get a look into the life of street vendors in L.A. at least until laws were changed and the city government became the new rent collectors forcing or moving people off the sidewalks. Giovanni keeps hanging around different members who have now decided that people selling items in their area must pay rent. Most do except for one man. This goes on until word comes down to make him an example and they pick Giovanni as the trigger man, it does not go as planned. Man is shot and lives but a baby dies. Now Giovanni must die. The story reads true to life because it is like all true of life even in prison that life is different now than it was decades ago. Now they have a prison for snitches when before it was just a small yard. They even have their gang in prison. The story that is told in these pages for me, is real I won’t say how I know except I do know the places that were talked about and that Macarthur Park was not like it is now to this extreme as back in the sixties and early seventies. Overall a very good book and good characters.
July 22, 2025
interesting read, very factual account of giovanni’s experience with gangs, the fbi, and immigration law. i found i wanted this book to push the point further though, it seemed almost neutral at times, simply laying out facts and then not really utilizing them to drive points home, such as various failings of the systems giovanni encounters. many people say this book could have been shorter, and i agree with the that goven the way it’s written. however, if further analysis had been done on what these failings mean in larger context, especially when applied to racism and anti-immigrant sentiment, i would argue that it could have been longer.
also, something that really really bothered me (and forgive me if i just missed this), but the author thanks everyone from giovanni’s family to the fbi agents and police to various community members at the end of the book, but does not thank giovanni, the man that he has focused this entire novel on and revealed intimates parts of? it made me feel icky, as though katz didn’t truly see him as a person but rather as a subject. that alone drastically changed my opinion of the book - i think it’s an interesting read, but at the end of the day i was wanting katz to just drive it home better.
also, something that really really bothered me (and forgive me if i just missed this), but the author thanks everyone from giovanni’s family to the fbi agents and police to various community members at the end of the book, but does not thank giovanni, the man that he has focused this entire novel on and revealed intimates parts of? it made me feel icky, as though katz didn’t truly see him as a person but rather as a subject. that alone drastically changed my opinion of the book - i think it’s an interesting read, but at the end of the day i was wanting katz to just drive it home better.
October 26, 2024
What an incredible read. I’d recommend it to any Angeleno - especially if you’re fortunate enough to see a neighborhood like MacArthur Park from the distance of privilege. While I’ve spent time there, I have not experienced life as an immigrant. I have not been forced to turn to illegal street vending to make ends meet, nor grown up with parents too busy trying to survive to spend time with me. Nor have I felt the mixture of disaffection and pressure that pulled protagonist Giovanni Macedo into the 18th Street gang.
This book makes all these experiences real, while never exploiting any of its subjects. It’s well reported, thorough, and full of empathy. Most astonishing of all - as a reader, you feel not only outrage and dismay at the way gangs prey on their victims, but also an overwhelming generosity and mercy toward all involved. Nearly everyone in the book, including the gang members, are basically decent people. Macedo especially, despite his crimes.
There but for the grace of God go I.
This book makes all these experiences real, while never exploiting any of its subjects. It’s well reported, thorough, and full of empathy. Most astonishing of all - as a reader, you feel not only outrage and dismay at the way gangs prey on their victims, but also an overwhelming generosity and mercy toward all involved. Nearly everyone in the book, including the gang members, are basically decent people. Macedo especially, despite his crimes.
There but for the grace of God go I.
July 27, 2025
Hard to put this book down. Jesse Katz, former gang reporter for the LA Times, tells the story of Giovanni Maceda, an 18-year old young men who is becoming affiliated with an LA gang, Columbia Lil Cycos, which controls much of the underground commerce at MacArthur Park, an immigrant neighborhood just over a mile away from downtown. Giovanni is ordered to kill a street vendor who refuses to pay the Columbia Lil Cycos-imposed rent on street vendors, and he critically injures the vendor one noisy Saturday night but kills a newborn baby sitting near the man. The gang's attempts to kill Giovanni enable him to break away and ultimately seek redemption for his murderous act.
Mr. Katz spent years on this book, visiting Giovanni in prison and interviewing all the other interloculators. We gain a better understanding of undocumented life in a place like LA, as well as gang life, and how the criminal justice system work. Mr. Katz writes beautifully about the people he comes to know, as well as the public records of court hearings. Thank you, Mr. Katz, for this outstanding work.
Mr. Katz spent years on this book, visiting Giovanni in prison and interviewing all the other interloculators. We gain a better understanding of undocumented life in a place like LA, as well as gang life, and how the criminal justice system work. Mr. Katz writes beautifully about the people he comes to know, as well as the public records of court hearings. Thank you, Mr. Katz, for this outstanding work.
September 10, 2025
gangster collecting rent from illegal street vendors near MacArthur Park in LA - the irony of risking one's life to a land of opportunity while being deprived of legal rights to work; one failed attempt to remove the protestor among the vendors to another failed attempt to remove the messed up member; the innocent turning yourself in without the presence of a lawyer...
the cycle of busy parents trying to make ends meet without time for kids -> bad influence in the bad neighbourhood b/c that's all they could afford -> teenager moms with kids while themselves are still kids -> irresponsible fathers leaving leading to more abusive boyfriends... if this the life they imagine when putting everything behind to chase the so called dream?
The last part on Giovanni's prison life is touching - you think being put behind the bars at 18 pending release at 5x and life is doomed and hopeless, think again - regulation changes gave him a 2nd chance to get GED, even higher education, work, responsibilities and even romance - life is what you made of it
the cycle of busy parents trying to make ends meet without time for kids -> bad influence in the bad neighbourhood b/c that's all they could afford -> teenager moms with kids while themselves are still kids -> irresponsible fathers leaving leading to more abusive boyfriends... if this the life they imagine when putting everything behind to chase the so called dream?
The last part on Giovanni's prison life is touching - you think being put behind the bars at 18 pending release at 5x and life is doomed and hopeless, think again - regulation changes gave him a 2nd chance to get GED, even higher education, work, responsibilities and even romance - life is what you made of it
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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