Immigrant. Dropout. Entrepreneur. Restauranter. Real estate developer. Movie producer. Philanthropist.

These are only a few titles Izek Shomof, the so-called King of Spring Street, has carried throughout his fascinating life. Each of these monikers tells a part of Izek’s unbelievable tale, but the whole story has never been told—until now.

Dreams Don’t Die is not your typical, run-of-the-mill immigrant story. It is the memoir of a man who had every opportunity to take unethical and often-illegal shortcuts but who instead chose the lesser-trod path of honesty and integrity. It’s the story of a young man who poured his blood, sweat, and tears into the city he loved, transforming not only buildings but lives in the process—starting with his own.

From serving drinks in backroom Israeli casinos to buying an entire city block of downtown Los Angeles, Izek’s life has been anything but traditional. Between flipping burger joints, building tract homes, and renovating historic California high-rises, Izek has come face-to-face with some particularly problematic elements of his family tree—including organized crime, Mob enforcers, hit men, drug cartels, bank robbers, and history-making embezzlement schemes. The sordid adventures of Izek’s family have even become the subject of not one but two film productions—a major Hollywood motion picture starring James Caan and a blockbuster Israeli documentary series. Izek’s life proves that even in the face of dream-killing obstacles, with hard work, steadfastness, and tenacity, dreams don’t have to die.