Pedro Serrano

 Pedro Serrano is a passionate painter, whose life he references to the 1983 hit movie “Scarface”.

Born in Brooklyn in 1977, Serrano grew up one of five siblings in a cramped, aging apartment. But, he still enjoyed the hot summers of playing catch in the middle of the streets. He took up the vice of graffiti and constantly running from the police. Things got worse when he moved to Puerto Rico at the age of 13. There, he started to skip school with his brother and got into more and more trouble. That slowly led him into the world of drugs and gangs. In total, he lasted about five years in the drug world, until death threats from rival gangs drove him back to the United States. 

“It wasn’t easy leaving my home, but I listened to my parents and fled before it was too late,” said Serrano.

Serrano’s biggest achievement is turning his life around and starting his own painting business. He is happy now, and when he looks back, he can’t believe that he survived to tell the tale. 

“My life is like an Al Pacino movie come to life and I find that hilarious,” he said. 

If he had the chance to speak to his younger self he would advise him to listen to his parents and not get involved with gangs no matter the struggle.

Serrano loves being a provider for his family making poverty his biggest fear. One of his main regrets is the fact that he never finished school, he believes that if he had graduated, he would most definitely become a somebody in life. He loves making people laugh with his silly jokes and loves putting a smile on others faces. In ten years, Serrano sees himself sitting in front of a sunset next to his wife and children, admiring the blessings life has brought to him,

“I consider myself one of the lucky ones, I am very lucky to have my family,” he said.