Fight or Die ─ The Vinny Paz Story

NOW IN PAPERBACK! A personal account of how a beloved boxer beat the odds inside and outside the ring "Written by Tommy Jon Caduto, a childhood friend of Vinny Paz who was there every step of the way. It’s a book that not only captures [Paz's] entire journey, but also expertly captures the culture the journey sprang from." —Providence Journal "Fight or Die: The Vinny Paz Story delivers every bit of excitement to both the clamoring Pazmaniacs and mainstream sports fans that the 'Pazmanian Devil' brought into the ring every night of his fan thrilling career. . . . Every bit as entertaining as it is accurate, [it] leaves no stone unturned." —onthegrindboxing.com Fight or Die tells the remarkable story of one of America’s best-loved boxers, Vinny Paz. Born Vincent Pazienza in 1962 in the mean streets of Cranston, Rhode Island, Vinny rose to become a champion in two weight divisions over a twenty-year career. Here, his best friend captures all the pain and sweat of the boxing world, with the rich traditions and grit of Rhode Island’s Italian-American community—and with the incredible odds this boxer overcame again and again. A moving testament to the power of the human spirit, Fight or Die recounts in arresting detail Vinny Paz’s dramatic victories inside the ring—but it is his victory outside the ring that will inspire all readers.

Tommy Jon Caduto is a lifetime Rhode Island resident and a lifelong friend of Vinny Paz. He has worked as a freelance writer for the Echo in Providence and as a drop-out prevention director and history teacher at Cranston East High School. He lives in Cranston, Rhode Island.