He is a member of one of the most notorious street gangs in New Zealand and has served time in prison for disturbing crimes, but this tatted gangster says he has turned his life around with one unexpected hobby.
Coey Rogue is a member of the Mongrel Mob and has previously spent seven years in prison for attacking a member of a rival gang called Black Power and cutting off his thumb.
But the tattoo-covered gangster claims he has changed narrow and now spends his time promoting healthy eating.
The “Heils Kitchen” Facebook page that Coey regularly contributes to boasts more than 100,000 followers.
The page gives cooking tips and teaches followers how to cook healthy meals on a budget.
“I have been in and out of prison for quite some time but it has all changed,” Coey told New Zealand Today.
“I have got children now and I am just trying to help our community, help the country and eventually help the world.”
He revealed he only started being interested in cooking a few years ago when a devastating drug addiction saw him lose all his money.
“I learned how to cook about two or three years ago. I used to be extremely rich so I never had to cook, restaurants every single night for years,” he said.
“All of a sudden I decided to pick up a meth habit and I smoked my empire. When you’ve got no more money you need to learn how to cook.”
Coey said he was a “changed man” now and had a word of advice for people who may be in a similar position.
“Fry your food not yourself because I was that guy that fried himself and lost everything.”
Coey said his experience of drug addiction and having little money means he knows how difficult it can be to make healthy food choices.
“That sad thing is it can be expensive to eat healthily. It’s always going to be 95c for a cheeseburger and its always going to cost $2.50 for carrots,” he said.
He claims he is now a changed man.
The Heils Kitchen page was created by the Mongrel Mob to promote healthy eating and feature a range of different healthy meals.
Coey regularly uploads recipes and pictures of his meals to the page.
Though not all the meals shown on the page could be considered healthy.
Members have shared photos and videos of them tucking into bacon and eggs, pizza and even lollies melted on bread.
When Coey was asked whether the Mob’s reputation conflicted with the healthy eating message they were trying to promote, he claimed they do a lot for the community.
“The Mongrel Mob have been doing good deeds in this community long before I was born,” he said.
The reporter then asked about his prominent face tattoos, particularly the swastikas on his cheeks.
“Every mark on my body tells a story. Takes me back to a time of my life,” he said.
He later added that he personally used his time in jail to reflect on his actions and better himself
“I learned to use my jail time as a positive thing and use it to reflect and manage my behavior,” he said.
Coey also uses the page to encourage people to donate items for the homeless community, which he then goes out to deliver.
“I’ve done a lot of things that I can’t take back, that I regret,” he said.
“But that doesn’t make me a bad person or mean I don’t deserve the spotlight or to be human.”
Source - news.com.au
