Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria

Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria (1949-1993)

Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria was a Colombian national who rose to infamy through his exploits as the leader of the notorious Medellin Drug Cartel, a seemingly unstoppable force in the underworld into the 1990s.

"Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the World's Greatest Outlaw" by Mark Bowden details the life of Pablo Escobar as well as the political climate of Colombia and how it allowed Escobar to become a legendary criminal and philanthropist.

Escobar was born to Abel de Jesus Escobar, a successful cattle farmer, and Hermilda Gaviria, a well educated and capable school teacher. Pablo was the third of seven children for the Escobars. The family lived in Rionegro, a town in which violence and death were common. In the early 1950s, La Violencia had been unleashed, resulting in hordes of vigilantes and criminals as well as the siege of...