Clutching his scratchy grey tracksuit as he followed a prison officer to his cell, reality started to sink in for Hermenegildo Dange.
The class A dealer had been jailed for more than six years on drug charges and would witness some terrifying sights while behind bars.
But nothing scared him more than seeing a drug lord cry alone in his cell – a once powerful kingpin who used to 'have it all'.
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“There’s a lot of gang activity in prison,” the 29-year-old told the Manchester Evening News. “I’ve seen all sorts.
“The most shocking thing for me was seeing the baddest of people – even people I used to look up to when I was younger – cry by themselves after prison visits.
“That was the scariest thing, even though I’ve seen people get stabbed in there.”
Hermenegildo Dange, known as Hermen, first got caught up in the 'wrong crowd' when he was just 15-years-old.
He looked up to his peers who had expensive cars and jewellery. So, when he was offered the chance to make his own money, he grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
The youngster started selling cannabis outside of school and eventually moved on to selling harder drugs.
And although he often got in trouble for petty crime, Hermen only grew more confident as his drug dealing continued to go undetected.
At the age of 18, he attempted to leave the criminal world and get a legitimate job, but was always rejected for having a criminal record.
“It was affecting me,” Hermen, who is from Collyhurst but now lives in the city centre, said. “I had all of those little warnings.
“Since I was getting knocked back from jobs, I thought I may as well carry on with crime. The temptation kept me in. I didn’t die or get a prison sentence so I couldn’t stop.
“I’d get the odd job that I didn’t want to do or like but the money wasn’t the same.”
At his peak, Hermen was earning around £3,000 a week.
He told himself he’d leave his life of crime whenever he hit a certain money target, but once that target was exceeded, he kept on going.
“Once you reach that number, you set new targets,” he said. And before you know it, you’re caught up in the system.”
Though he was living a life of luxury, Hermen recalls his time as a drug dealer as often being stressful. “You were in a lot of debt,” he said.
“You owe money to people. Things would get stolen or robbed which would make you in debt to the person you got your drugs from.
“It’s pressurising because people aren’t happy if you haven’t got them money by a certain time. Things escalate, you’d get knocks on your door, threats and warnings.
“Those were scary things. But once you go through it once or twice, I don’t know if it’s the thrill, but you think it’s doable.”
But the dangers of Hermen's job quickly became apparent. “I was losing friends because of the criminal world,” he said. “Because they were in debt or stepped in someone else's territory.
“I’ve had friends who have died, friends who got too deep or got lost to the prison system.”
Part of a gang called the Manchester Boys, or Manx, Hermen started running heroin and crack cocaine from Manchester to Southampton.
Slowly, members of the gang were being arrested one by one – but it still didn’t stop Hermen and the operation continued for four years.
"We were making money as a group,” he added. “One by one, people were getting picked out and arrested. We didn’t learn from it; we didn’t know we were being watched all the way through it.”
Police had the entire group under observation. Hermen was in Southampton when he was stopped by an officer.
“They asked me why I was in Southampton,” he added. “I said I was working and I was there to see my girlfriend.
“They let me go after an interview but they found out the girl I was talking about didn’t exist. The workplace wasn't proven because I gave a random company name.”
At the age of 22, Hermen was arrested and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin and money laundering.
He was sentenced to six-and-a-half years but only served three at Strangeways prison. He was released just before the pandemic in 2020.
“I thought I’d get away with it because I wasn’t caught with any drugs on me,” Hermen added. “I thought that was enough. But police intelligence just shows you can’t win.
“Life in prison was different. No one was speaking to me. My family lost trust and faith in me and weren’t visiting me.
“People who had life sentences were crying because even they regret what they had done. You have this image in your head that you’re a bad boy just so you’re not targeted as a victim.
“But when they’re by themselves in their cells you see a completely different person to the person you see in the exercise yard.”
Once out of jail, Hermen was determined not to return to a life of crime.
He borrowed £800 from his family and bought himself a van so he could set up his own removal company, GOGO Same Day.
“One thing I’ve always lacked was asking for help,” he added. “When I was in school, I was scared of putting my hand up in case I got laughed at.
“It’s the same thing as an adult when you come out of prison. Temptation kicked in and I thought, do I go back to a life of crime? Or do I ask for help? It was make or break for me.
“In a way, I’ve proven to myself and others that being independent and making legitimate money is possible.
“It was fighting that vulnerable position and accepting I was no longer that guy and no longer a fake superstar and to be vulnerable and ask for help before temptation kicked in and I was selling drugs again.”
Alongside running his business, Hermen also holds workshops at secondary schools and prisons across Greater Manchester called 2nd Chance Programme.
The course is designed to inspire children and ex-offenders to start again by building life skills and utilising hidden talents such as cooking, singing, problem solving, acting and more.
The aim is to reduce the chance of reoffending or challenging behaviour in schools. Hermen was also recently offered the opportunity to model for a Manchester United campaign.
“Luckily I believe I needed [my prison sentence at that time and I went in at the right time,” he added.
“I went to prison when I was 22 and it was good enough for me to wake up and change my life around. I knew when I got out, it would be more years and potential death.”
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