From the Bronx with Scars: Vinny Cuevas on Survival, Loyalty, and Redemption

Vinny Cuevas grew up Cuban and Puerto Rican in the South Bronx, where survival wasn’t a metaphor — it was a daily calculation. In his raw and unflinching memoir From the Bronx with Scars, Vinny traces a life shaped by violence, loyalty, betrayal, fatherhood, and devastating loss. This episode is not about glorifying the streets — it’s about what it costs to survive them, and what it takes to rewrite your story when the scars don’t disappear.

In this episode, we talk about:

    •    What the “scars” in From the Bronx with Scars really represent

    •    Growing up in the South Bronx and what survival looked like day to day

    •    How Vinny understood power as a kid — and how that definition changed

    •    The pull of the streets and why it felt like the only option

    •    Loyalty, betrayal, and the price of trusting the wrong people

    •    The moment Vinny knew he had to change his life

    •    Fatherhood, grief, and losing a child — and how that loss reshaped his purpose

    •    Why people still misunderstand him — and what they get wrong

    •    Advice for anyone who feels trapped by their past

    •    What redemption actually looks like when you’ve lived through real trauma

This conversation is about identity, accountability, and the courage it takes to stop surviving and start choosing something more.

Vinny’s Book: https://www.amazon.com/Bronx-Scars-Lessons-Streets-Raised-ebook/dp/B0FHKTJS4H

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