Released prison chef, given 2nd chance, opens new restaurant

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — Candido Ortiz beamed as he stood in front of his new restaurant, the bright yellow-and-red awning providing a splash of light on an otherwise drab stretch of sidewalk between a tattoo parlor and a liquor store where bulletproof glass protects the merchandise.

After more than 26 years in prison, life has come full circle for Ortiz, who was arrested for selling drugs in the late 1980s and was sentenced to more than 49 years. A year ago, President Barack Obama granted Ortiz clemency more than two decades early, along with other nonviolent drug offenders sentenced to lengthy terms.