From Federal Prison at 18 to Calling Home at Six Years Sober - AA Speaker - Robbie W.
From Federal Prison at 18 to Calling Home at Six Years Sober - AA Speaker - Robbie W.  
Podcast: Sober Sunrise - AA Speaker Podcast
Published On: Thu Mar 26 2026
Description: Robbie went from federal prison at 18 to getting kicked out of his own AA club at three months sober — until a pig farmer from Michigan took him home and said someday you're going to be somebody. We just launched our new Episodes page — search hundreds of AA speaker meetings by topic, speaker, or step ☀️  Sober-Sunrise.com Robbie grew up loved in a Catholic family in Philadelphia, fit in everywhere, and started drinking at a Yes concert in eighth grade. Within a few years he was giving himself raises at a federal bank, got arrested by the FBI at 18, and spent the next five years cycling through jails, prisons, psych wards, and the streets. He cut his arms open in a prison hole and woke up tied to a bed with cameras on him — and still wasn't done drinking. When he finally crawled into an Alano club in Kalamazoo, Michigan, they kicked him out at three months for his attitude. A pig farmer named Don C. walked out behind him, put him in his truck, and said welcome home, son. Nine months later Robbie was sober, working, and building a life. At six years he called his mom and asked if he could come home for Christmas — she said they were just waiting for him to ask. His dad knelt down and handed him an Eagles jersey with his name on the back. Today Robbie sells cars, sponsors men, served as a delegate, and has a daughter whose picture is all over his Big Book. Robbie W. from Vineland, NJ speaking at the Aberdeen Wednesday Night Group's Quarterly Meeting in Aberdeen, SD - 2007 Music: Deep by KaizanBlu