Man Who Made It Snow

Mermelstein, a ``Jewish street kid from Brooklyn'' who became an engineer, was ``swept'' by ``fate'' into ``the intimate circle of the powerful death merchants from Colombia,'' otherwise known as the Medellin cocaine cartel--and here tells the tale of his activities from the late '70s through the mid-'80s, aided by Moore ( The French Connection ) and Smitten ( Twice Killed ). As the organization's agent in Miami, he was ``personally responsible for sending his Medellin cronies $300 million in cash and bringing fifty-six tons of the white powder into America.'' Mermelstein notes that he enjoyed the adventures of his criminal career, but became frightened when his bosses ordered him to kill a federal witness. He demurred, and in 1986 surrendered to the U.S. government and is now in the Witness Protection Program. This expose of the highest echelons of the drug business is detailed and expertly plotted. Photos not seen by PW. Major ad/promo. (May)