He was born in Omaha in 1949, graduated from Creighton Preparatory School and took courses at Creighton University. He wrote for the local underground paper, Buffalo Chip, from 1969 to 1970 and joined the Black Panther party. In the 32 years since his conviction, Mondo has created art, written short stories, poetry and journalism. He had five books of poetry published between 1973 and 1978 and has contributed poems and stories to such literary journals and magazines as Prairie Schooner, The Black Scholar, ARGO, Black American Literary Forum, Shooting Star Quarterly Review, Pacifica Review, Obsidian, Black Books Bulletin and over 30 more. In addition, his poem, "Great Babaleur" was featured in Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary by Walter Dean Myers (Scholastic, Inc, 1993). Two of Mondo's plays, Different Dances and We Dance in Our Neighborhood, were performed by Ujima Youtheatre in Nebraska, as well as in New York City.

Mondo is one of several co-authors (including Yosef-ben-Jochannan, John Henrik Clarke, et al) of The Race: Matters Concerning Pan Afrikan History, Culture, and Genocide (Native Sun Publishers, 1992). He is a contributor to Nebraska Voices, the anthology commissioned by the Nebraska Humanities Council in celebration of the sesquicentennial of Nebraska statehood.

In prison, he has continued his education, and now in his 50s, is a mentor and exemplar to young inmates just coming into the system. In all the years of his incarceration, he has not committed a single act of violence; he has, in fact, been an exemplary prisoner.

But he is an African-American, and to the authorities, no matter what evidence is presented, he is a "cop-killer." The Nebraska Pardons Board is made up entirely of elected officials (the Governor, Attorney General and Secretary of State), and election depends on being "tough on crime."