Life Lessons of a Legend

by Brad Manard

Life Lessons is a dramatic and inspiring story of Captain Tony Tarracino’s remarkable journey from the ghettos of Elizabeth, N.J. to becoming a living legend serving as the Mayor Emeritus of Key West. He made a career of being a mesmerizing storyteller, captivating personality, and Casanova of the sea. The Captain swears like a sailor on leave yet speaks of compassion as the word we should all live by. In Life Lessons you learn of his harrowing life on the sea, secret spy exploits as a gunrunner during the Cuban revolution, tales of the oldest bar in Florida - Captain Tony’s Saloon, being immortalized by his friend Jimmy Buffett in the song Last Mango in Paris, and Tony’s family of 13 children with eight different women. Life Lessons captures the legendary tales and riveting lessons learned from a life of great adventure lived on the edge.

357 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 26, 2008

Reviews

[Greg Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book because I am a huge Parrothead. As a Parrothead I know the song that Jimmy wrote about Captain Tony called “Last Mango in Paris”. I have heard the stories about Captain Tony and know several people who have had the opportunity to meet the legend. Going into this book I knew that Captain Tony was a true pirate. He was a former bookie, shrimper, gunrunner, gravedigger and the Mayor Emeritus of Key West. I also knew that he had 13 children by 8 different women. What I learned from this book is that he was so much more! In his lessons he talks about finding the jewel in everyone. Amazing book about an amazing man!

[Dale Dewitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is like “Tuesdays With Morrie” if Morrie had been a poverty-born, New Jersey man who ended up becoming a gun-running, Key West womanizing pirate, who also was Mayor for Life. Filled with compassion, kindness and life stories the tales and words of Captain Tony, written by his ParrotHead friend Brad makes for a read that one cannot miss. Fins Up for this book and the joy it was to read.

[James Lanier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!

Words to live by. Live lessons. Read it, then live it. You will be better off and so will we!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great stories but some of the wording could be summarized.