One Hell of a Ride - The Life and Times of Lou Federico

Can you imagine a novel with General Douglas McArthur, John Wayne, Miss San Francisco, Jayne Mansfield, corrupt Mexican officials, and a fast-food mogul who rules over parties from Mexico to Hawaii with a toilet plunger? In One Hell of a Ride, Lou Federico proves that truth is indeed stranger than fiction, for you'll find all of the above in this true story of a man who served under Admiral Chester Nimitz in World War II and went on to tame a wilderness in Baja, California.

Born in Denver, Colorado, in 1925, Federico was raised by his father to be a tailor, but his apprenticeship with Frederick Tailoring was cut short by military service. Don't think for a second, though, that the war stories assembled here are just about combat or securing beachheads for the landing craft which Federico's shp carried. They deal with young seamen looking for ways to satisfy their secual urges inexotic ports, relate the rough-and-tumble side of shore leave for American soldiers, and show what it was like for one man in particular as he sailed into San Francisco Bay at war's end.

The years after his homecoming were bittersweet for this ex-sailor, however. A jeep accident resulted in the death of his son, Randy, an event that culminated in Federico's divorce from his first wife. Seeking a fresh start, the indomitable Federico journeyed to Baja, California, to construct a luxury resort hotel in an arid wilderness where water was scarce and few people spoke English. When the ownership of both the land and his hotel, Club Aero Mulege, was disputed by the Mexican government, Lou Federico made a decision that flew in the face of logic: he decided to construct an even grander hotel at Punta Chivato, a location which, like Mulege, was so remote that he was forced to build his own roads and airstrips.

This is a tale about one man's love for his family and the great outdoors, as well as his willingness to undertake a seemingly infinite series of challenges. From Denver to Italy to Brooklyn to San Jose to Manila to Baja, Lou Federico has had one hell of a ride...and he's not finished yet. Having formed the Golden Ram Sportsman Club, he lives with his wife, Lana, in Folsom, California, where he ventures into the fields each fall with his hunting dogs, waiting to see what life holds next.