There’s one brother behind bars in particular that Suave can’t stop thinking about — Frank Ross, his longtime mentor. The man who taught him how to read and write on the inside. Serving a life sentence for more than half a century, the 93-year-old may have a speck of a chance to get out. That is, if he can convince the state to release him to die on the outside.Season 2 of Suave was made possible by The Mellon Foundation. Mellon makes grants to support the visionaries and communities that unlock the power of the arts and humanities to help connect us all. More at mellon.org. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on Suave and all our podcasts. www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus.
Chapter 1: Who is Frank Ross and why is he important?
The piece that I'm reading, it was written by a gentleman called Frank Ross. Frank Ross is a lifer. They probably taught thousands and thousands of young guys in prison how to read and write, including me. Now I'm on stage in Broadway reading a piece from the guy that taught me how to read and write.
Suave remembers meeting Frank Ross in the early 90s. That was just a few years into Suave's lifetime prison sentence. Suave was in his early 20s then. He initially didn't pay much mind to Frank. Frank was in his late 50s, and Suave says he always used to carry a notebook around. But Suave did notice that no one ever really messed with Frank. Frank would go on to become really important to him.
that I'm paying honor to someone that made a difference in my life. I paid him back by coming to Broadway and re-winning his pieces.
Suave is one of a number of formerly incarcerated speakers reading at tonight's show. He's introduced to the stage by the show's producer, Kiara Alegría-Judis. She's a Pulitzer Prize-winning Philly native best known for writing the movie In the Heights.
So the next person I'm going to call to stage, Suave Gonzalez. Suave knew this next author, Frank Ross, while inside. So this piece is untitled by Frank Ross.
He was an old guy when I met him. I never knew his real name. Had an Indian nickname. Once in a while, I almost came up with it. It wasn't like Bray Warren or Running Bear. He was called after one of the tribes like Apache's. It's on the tip of my tongue.
Long before Suave read Maria's memoir in his cell or was able to read her Christmas cards, long before he wrote letters home and before he became a published author behind bars, young Suave was completely illiterate. It didn't really bother him much then, or at least he acted like it didn't, until he ended up in solitary confinement. No phone calls, no visitors.
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Chapter 2: How did Suave learn to read and write in prison?
All he really had were these letters that his mom would send him with news from back home. Letters he couldn't read. Until then, he'd always had someone on the cell block willing to read them to him and write back for a pack of cigarettes. But solitary was really different. And that was when he thought of Frank, that older guy that was always walking around with a notebook, writing God knows what.
Now, it's time to pay Frank back. And that means Suave confronting his own mortality. From Futuro Studios, this is Suave. I'm Julieta Martinelli. In 2017, David Luis Suave Gonzalez was released from prison after 31 years serving a life sentence without parole. He was one of thousands of juvenile lifers granted a second chance at life.
This is a story about life after incarceration and the search for the true meaning of freedom. This is Season 2. On this episode, the brothers left behind.
Are we good, Benita? Yeah. Oh, I guess we're out of time. Get your phones.
Let me turn it off. Suave's phone rings and rings and rings.
I mean, it's ringing all the time. Like, he's teaching at the community college and it's ringing. He's in his studio and he's painting and it's ringing. He's recording this podcast and it's ringing. And it's just like all the time. It's constant.
Okay, no more interruptions.
That's because Suave has made it a priority to stay connected with his brothers on the inside. Although he's busier than ever now and can no longer give them his full attention, there's certain phone calls he never misses, especially Frank's.
That man showed me how to read and write, which is like the survival in prison. Because if you can't read, you can't read your legal papers. You can't appeal your case. He showed me that.
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Chapter 3: What does compassionate release mean for inmates?
We're in a car. We're going to go pick up a package and talk to Frank Raw's nephew. Frank would type like a thousand pages, front and back, and then want me to put it on Facebook. And I'm like, Frank, Facebook is for old people. And he'd be like, well, damn it, I'm 90 years old. I'm old.
we knock on the door of a corner row home in North Philadelphia. Frank's nephew, Robert Reason, is a pretty serious man. He's in his 60s, about Suave's height, bald with broad shoulders and really strong arms. He hands Suave a thick, sealed yellow envelope. It's a package from Frank. Do you mind giving us five minutes? Oh, you're cooking.
So we'd agreed to an interview today, but Robert Reason stands in the doorway, arms crossed. He says he doesn't have time to talk, but he does agree to let us return in the evening for a few minutes. Outside, standing on a street corner in the Badlands, Suave can't wait to start opening the envelope.
Chapter 4: What challenges do prisoners face when applying for release?
Look at the way it's wrapped up. It's wrapped up in a yellow envelope. Wrapped up in newspaper. Taped up. So I'm opening it up and it kind of reminds me of an offering. When you go offer something, it's wrapped up with tape, newspapers. Look at it.
The wrapping is unlike anything I've ever seen before. There's about 30 pages of writing front and back. Each carefully written page is protected by a blank page below and above. They cradle the writing the way that you would wrap your arms around someone you love. Those pages are then wrapped in newspaper and folded neatly like a present, and then once more.
All that extra paper makes the package heavy, nearly $12 worth of mail. Now, that may not sound like a lot to you, but it's a fortune to someone like Frank who can no longer work a prison job for a few cents an hour. It's evident that this package means a lot to Frank.
I don't know what's in it yet, but you hear the paper?
The package contains a short story that Frank hopes to publish soon. It's called The Pardon. Suave turns to the acknowledgement page in the beginning.
The Arthur family gratefully acknowledge Mr. David Suave Gonzalez, spell my name with an S, Frank, kind effort to highlight his body of work to the world. Frank, I'm going to let you slide with that.
So he dedicated this story to you. We come back to visit Frank's nephew later that evening. It's already dark. Robert welcomes us inside, and he looks more relaxed.
Hey, man, how you doing, sir? I had to apologize. I just came in for your case.
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Chapter 5: How does the process of dying in prison affect inmates?
Chapter 6: What legacy does Frank Ross leave behind?
Suave says Frank was one of the first people to ever really have faith in him besides his mother.
Little by little and over the years, Frank ended up teaching Suave how to read. So Suave was now reading. He was writing letters home. Then Frank taught him how to read these court documents. And then he opened up the world of literature. All of this ended up opening a literal new world for Suave.
Because when he went to court, his lawyer was able to highlight all the good work that Suave had done in prison, especially his focus on education, his writing, the fact that he went from being illiterate to being a college graduate. And then Suave gets out and he was deemed worthy of a second chance. And Frank cheered him on.
And he still had that hope that I'm fighting, I'm trying to go home. And to me, that's like, wow. Because yes, I always think about it like, dang, that could have been me 40 years from now. That could have been me, easily. I know plenty of Frank Ross. I know plenty of people that I seen young that now are wrinkled and you be like, dang, what happened?
Suave always thought that he would spend the rest of his life around Frank, and both would die at Greaterford. Though there are no more daily visits or walks around the yard, that bond is still there.
All right, bro, so call me the day... Call me the day of tomorrow, man. Love you, and I'll talk to you the day of tomorrow. All right, take care.
All you guys stay safe, okay? Okay. You stay safe. Secure us. Goodbye. Wow. That's the first time I've heard Frank Ross's voice. 90 years old. Oh, my God. I didn't understand half of what he said.
90 for the last two years now.
Wow. That was incredible. As we listened to more of Suave's phone calls with Frank over the next few months, we realized that the clock is really ticking and in more ways than one.
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