After dropping out of university in Saint Croix, Gantos began using hashish and later joined the sail team.

[3] There, he became friends with two other men named Hamilton and Rik, the latter of whom promised Gantos $10,000 to sail with him from the Virgin Islands to New York City to sell hash.

Gantos and his co-conspirators all received prison sentences that varied in length from 5 to 20 years for drug trafficking.

[4] While in prison, he worked as an X-ray technician and wrote his thoughts in a journal on a copy of The Brothers Karamazov.

Before leaving prison, Gantos applied to a university creative writing program, and he would later begin a new life by selling Christmas trees.