Drug Kingpin Remakes Himself As Aerobics Instructor To Seniors

By the time that he was 24, Thomas Mickens had at least 20 luxury cars, 20 properties, a 38-foot yacht, a series of businesses, and 50 employees. By the time he was 26, he was sentenced to 35 years in prison.

Mickens was released five years ago, with an entrepreneurial spark just as bright. No longer the kingpin of an extensive cocaine cartel in New York City's borough of Queens, this time Mickens is the owner of The Tommy Experience. For a living, he is an aerobics instructor to senior citizens.

The skills that turned Mickens into the drug lord of Queens have lent themselves well to his new profession, Mickens told AOL Jobs. "I always had a good personality. I was good at communicating," he said.