Paul L. Williams has done a lot of research and given the subject, this was a brave act. He is to be saluted. This is the reason I’m giving his book 5Paul L. Williams has done a lot of research and given the subject, this was a brave act. He is to be saluted. This is the reason I’m giving his book 5 stars while citing a number of weaknesses.
The thesis is that after WWII, the newly formed CIA needed funds to fulfill its objectives (overturning governments it deemed insufficiently anticommunist). It could not approach Congress for funds since neither the funds, nor goals, would be approved. The CIA found the needed resources in the drug trade. Williams shows how CIA operatives exploited their contacts in the Vatican and the Italian based Mafia to get the extraordinary amount of money needed to go into this business and then to interfere with the governments of Guatemala, Iran and Chile to name a few.
The scale of the Gladio is astounding. There are a host of people in many countries (and continents) in production, transportation and distribution. The financing system, stemming from the Vatican’s Bank, is mind boggling. At the top of the operation you see how power/violence is used to protect the drugs and the financiers from prosecutors and honest politicians.
The text, like the operation, sprawls. The reader is somewhat helped by the format of labeled chapters with separated and labeled topics. Also helpful are the Chronology, the listing of the characters (”Leading Rogues”) and an excellent Index.
There were many crimes within the drug, financial and regime toppling crimes resulting in money for the rogues (i.e. investing deposits and using Madoff style accounting to credit losing investments to unwitting depositors and gains to the “rogues”) and violence (one of many examples was exposed 20 years after the fact is a kidnapping gone bad resulting in the dismemberment of its teenaged captive).
Several issues, large and small, were clarified for me. ---One large issue was mysterious death of John Paul I in 1978 (who was in good health and had served as Pope for only one month) and the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in 1981. The “Operation” had aroused suspicion of prosecutors and the press and there was fear that the Popes might expose the Vatican Bank. Evidence defies the official stories of "natural causes" (John Paul I) and the "lone assassin" who was prosecuted and put to death, --- another dramatic clarification is that it was Gladio operatives that kidnapped and killed Aldo Moro and not the communists (the "Red Brigade') whom they framed. --- On the “small” side there was the resignation of Bert Lance from the (very clean) Carter administration. The story at the time was something about loans made by his family’s small bank in Georgia. According to Williams it was not the Georgia Bank, but BCCI, a bank founded in Karachi, as one of the many banks set up to hide/launder drug money transferred from the Vatican's Banking system.
Early on I spotted small errors and wondered how pervasive errors could be. ---a Magoddino, but not Stefano (as claimed by Williams), attended the Apalachin meeting; --- it was the NY State Police that reported the meeting not PA State Police. --- the western NY mob was based in Niagara Falls not Buffalo (excused since everyone gets this one wrong). These errors are not meaningful and episode had little bearing on Gladio. This part could have been edited out as could many such connected (at least in the text) episodes. These only sew confusion and exhaust the reader. The small errors make you wonder, even with great documentation, how much more inaccurate information is in this book and if that info is significant.
I had problems when I started reading this due to the flood of information. There are a lot of dots that are not connected and there are loads of names for whom there is innuendo but no follow up. Once I stopped looking for connections it was a smoother read.
As noted above, there is a lot of information in this book. While not the best read, I give this 5 stars for the research and the bravery of Paul L. Williams....more
Journalist Jeff Adelstein lucked out when he asked his Yakuza source to recommend a driver and body guard. Saigo Makoto, a “retired” Yakiza, had serveJournalist Jeff Adelstein lucked out when he asked his Yakuza source to recommend a driver and body guard. Saigo Makoto, a “retired” Yakiza, had served at all levels, rising to be something like a #2 in the Inagawa-Kai.
Each chapter tells a story that illustrates the Yakusa life. While there are some chapters that give basic Yakusa history, most of the content is about the experiences of Adelstein’s driver and body guard.
You see how the various Yakuza gangs are organized and how they protect their territory. You see bosses, like Saigo who at times had over 100 reports, control (punishment is violent) and support their “staff”. They pay widows benefits for those who fall in the line of duty.
Yakuza customs reflect Japanese culture. You see members bowing based on rank, the ritual of lighting cigarettes and sharing of business cards (Yes. Yakuza have business cards). Members enjoy the many Yakuza comic books. There are ceremonial protocols for weddings and funerals. Many members have short fuses, so like Samurai, slugging, kicking and knifing are accepted. Suicide is also accepted, and in some cases is considered honorable. Even the well centered Saigo contemplates it.
The “old style” Yakuzas stuck with protection, extortion and other schemes they could justify. For instance, they believed that their punishments for petty criminals kept a safer community than police could and those who pay extortion money are guilty of something. Young Yakuza’s broke from the more “justifiable” crimes and they started using guns, Coach, like other older Yakuza’s the head of Saigo’s gang, accepted some pretty heavy violence, but not guns.
Despite the thuggish foot soldiers, the “new” Yakuzas entered the corporate world at the top. From their fashionable offices (hardly like the meeting places of the Sopranos) they looked for “investment” opportunities like any other executive.
One of the most amazing chapters was Saigo’s penance where he removes a finger. Prior to this, there is a lot on this fading practice as well as Yakuza tattooing.
Saigo’s career spanned the (approximately) 30 year post war period when the Yakuza were powerful. They had effectively infiltrated the police and government, Yunichiro Koizumi, a former Prime Minister, was from a Yakuza family.
In 2011 a series of laws made it difficult for the lower level Yakuza to bring in the money. Those who rented an Yakuza a apartment or sold them a phone were punished. As being a Yakuza became less profitable, many left.
Adelstein follows the writer’s rule of “Show me” (i.e. don’t tell me.) Each chapter is an episode illustrating the various aspects of Yakuza life and culture. You see the how crimes, the violence, the rituals, the relationships and much more are play out in actual events.
If you are interested in this topic, the book is recommended....more
It was the cause celebre of its time. Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were convicted of an April 20, 1920 murder in Braintree, MA, Sacco was at wIt was the cause celebre of its time. Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were convicted of an April 20, 1920 murder in Braintree, MA, Sacco was at work in Milford, MA and Vanzetti was at the Italian Consulate in Boston on that day. John Florio and Ouise Shapiro have brought together the significant facts for this very readable short history.
Everything from the selection of jurors to having the defendants in the iron cages in court room was irregular. The defendants were questioned for several days on their political views in English, a language in which they were hardly proficient. Judge Thayer told the jury that their job was to “was protect the American way of life” and outside the court room made comments that the two should be executed (with the implication that this was for their political beliefs and immigrant status).
Aldino Feliciano led The Sacco and Vanzetti Defense Committee. They hired attorneys and in these pre-TV days kept the national and international communities informed.
After the conviction, requests for a new trial included evidence of jury tampering, recanted testimony, the many prejudicial statements of Judge Thayer and the confession of a “professional” bank robber. Judge Thayer was the sole arbiter of this and he was steadfast in his refusal to grant a re-trial.
The decisions reverberated around the world. There were marches, attacks on US embassies and letters to President Harding from international notables.
The book has many B & W photos. Some are of the “worth 1000 words” variety: p. 96 The Jury; p. 114 a lapel button for the Fund campaign; p.139 yellow journalism reports the execution; and pages 142 & 3 the caskets, pallbearers and funeral march.
There are some very touching letters (translated from the Italian originals) written by the defendants to family and supporters. There is a good index and the text is well documented in the “Source Notes”.
This is a must read for anyone interested not only in this particular trial, but also the issue of racially/ethnically motivated prosecutions which is still with us today....more
Years ago Robert Saviano put me on to the Camorra, a crime syndicate operating in Naples and elsewhere, through his book Gomorrah and the film that foYears ago Robert Saviano put me on to the Camorra, a crime syndicate operating in Naples and elsewhere, through his book Gomorrah and the film that followed it. I wondered what happened to him, and now I know: his life has been in danger for 15 years and he lives under police protection.
In graphic format he shows his early family life and how he became an journalist. Once he exposed the Camorra his safety, if not his life, became threatened by its leaders.
He seems to have come under some form of state protection. His handlers move him from place to place. Guards are always with him. This seems to be a limited form of the US witness protection program since he is given protection, but not a new identity and life. Perhaps this is limited to give Saviano enough space so he can continue to write and speak out.
While he yearns to move freely, he does have the semblance of a life. He visits New York, his mother, and places where he lectures. He has a large social media following (but hate mongers threaten). He dreams of seeing his brother. He can have a date, but a relationship is out of the question. It is difficult to talk to those who are sympathetic, since their experiences are so different. He develops a protective armor.
The drawings by Asaf Hanuka creatively depict his feelings of being trapped, his self doubts, fears and view of the world.
This is an honest portrait of the high stakes of telling truth to power. He yearns for simple things. He accepts evil people but is disappointed in the everyday honest people who do not help.
Years ago when I read Gomorrah I felt comfortable that it couldn’t happen here. Now that I see the anger of the right wing, how they are threatening prosecutors, jurors, secretaries of state and even election workers I have a different view. The NRA has assured that these right wingers are heavily armed (despite criminal records, restraining orders, etc.). We already have people living like Saviano: Ruby Freeman; Shayne Moss, Secretaries of State in Michigan and Arizona; Rusty Bowers, former Speaker of the AZ House, E Jean Carroll and I presume Cassidy Hutchinson, members of the January 6 Commission and many more.
This is a report on the brutal murder of Sister Michelle Lewis in Miami in 2001. Her assailant was a teenaged monk-in training at the holy Cross AcadeThis is a report on the brutal murder of Sister Michelle Lewis in Miami in 2001. Her assailant was a teenaged monk-in training at the holy Cross Academy. This crime opened up a lot of questions about the academy and its founder and top administrator Father Abbot Gregory Wendt.
Wendt must have been a go getter. He founded this school in 1985 and by 2001 it had a full (and respected) academic program with 500 students.
Wendt initiated a training program for monks and to this end recruited teens from the Ukraine… making promises of American life that appealed to the boys, and a good education that appealed to the parents. The education seemed to be delivered as promised. The school had an intense (if dated) curriculum that included Latin and Greek. It had a cooperative program with a local college that seemed to lead to a nursing career. It is the other areas of the school that were questionable.
First was its cloudy relationship to the Catholic Church and second the qualifications of its top administrator (Wendt) and others. What of its authority to confirm a status of “monk”? (hint: Monastic training is not open to teenagers.)
There were a lot of murky statements about the school's legal foundation such as its loose affiliation with an Eastern Orthodox entity in Passaic, NJ. Sadly ironic, Sister Michelle was also "in training" and believed she would receive permanent status as a nun. She did not know that the school had no authority to grant it.
What makes this stand out from so many other brutal murders (92 knife wounds on the victim) was that the teen aged murderer was a victim himself. While it was cleverly skirted by the school and its lawyers, you could reasonably conclude that the monks-in-training were brought to Miami for the sexual pleasure to the two top administrators. One of the boys seemed to have adapted and took all the benefits (a car, spending money, freedom, trips home) while the eventual murderer had to swallow the rigid rules… looking longingly as other boys played soccer…. and suffering the abuse.
This book was given to me by someone who knew one of the principals.
I understand that while the perpetrator will be in prison until 2031 (maybe 2026) and will be deported to the Ukraine upon release the "priest" who set this in motion is living as an Eastern Orthodox priest in the Ukraine.
If you had a connection to the school, this book may be of interest. It will be hard to find a copy outside of a Miami library… it is long out of print....more
This is the story of Egil “Bud” Krogh who headed the Nixon administration's newly formed Special Investigation Unit. Because it was charged with stoppThis is the story of Egil “Bud” Krogh who headed the Nixon administration's newly formed Special Investigation Unit. Because it was charged with stopping leaks to he press, it was popularly referred to as “The Plumbers”.
While it is a father and son authorship team, it is written in the first person, with Bud narrating his story. The focus is Krogh and not the plumbers as the title would have you believe.
Bud had worked on narcotics investigations for the Navy and despite his youth (32 at the time) was tapped for this job by John Erlichman, a family friend. He writes on how the office was set up (to be secret) and staffed.
Its big assignment was to investigate the leak of the Pentagon Papers. The task came directly from Nixon who framed it as a national security threat and set the tone:
“I need a real son of a b***** who will work his butt off and do it dishonorably…. I can’t have a high minded lawyer…we’re up against an enemy, a conspiracy. They are using any means. We are going to use any means. Am I clear?”
Daniel Ellsberg, the leaker of the Pentagon Papers, was a target of the investigation. It was presumed he did not act alone. Who helped him? How did he do it? Who does he know etc. Howard Hunt and E. Gordon Liddy were moved from other departments into this unit and it was their suggestion that Ellsberg’s psychiatrist might have files with answers. A plan was hatched and Krogh signed the proposal that went to John Erlichman for approval. "The Plumbers" went to the psychiatrist's office and found nothing. They vandalized the office to make it look like a routine break in.
What follows after an investigation into the break in was Krogh’s experience of the legal system; his time in jail; his disbarment; how he re-established his career and how he apologized to both the psychiatrist and Nixon.
This event preceded the Watergate break in, which involved some of the same burglars a year later. “Deep Throat” has a cameo appearance under his actual name, Mark Felt.
This scandal seems tame compared to what is going on right now. Young lawyers, like Krogh, are being disbarred and sweating out criminal charges. It appears to be pressure from the top, ambition to do a good job and group think can sway people to do things they know are wrong....more
Why is Ruja Ignatova not a household name? She masterminded a scam that eclipsed Bernie Madoff’s by any measure.
Jamie Bartlett takes you through the sWhy is Ruja Ignatova not a household name? She masterminded a scam that eclipsed Bernie Madoff’s by any measure.
Jamie Bartlett takes you through the steps that took “Dr. Ruja” from success in a prestigious consulting firm into the murky world of cryptocurrency and MLM (multi-level marketing - the somewhat legal twin of Ponzi schemes) through her creation of OneCoin.
This amazing story shows not only how crowds can be manipulated by mass gatherings with spectacles and celebrities but also how the wealth is hidden through corporations owned by other corporations in other counties, owned by still other entities . Sometimes at the end of the chain there are “monkeys” –poor people who, for some unknown reason, have the shares in their possession.
OneCoin was marketed as are many herbal supplements and cleaning products by "entrepreneurs" buying inventory and selling it to friends and families. They buy an "educational package" with a title indicating level (silver, gold, etc,) and a number of coins depending on the amount paid. The entrepreneur can buy up to higher levels. Those who recruit the sellers take a percentage on all the inventory in their pyramid of entrepreneurs, so that those at the top of the pyramid get richer and richer as the marketing enterprise fans out.
As the market for OneCoin "educational packages" peaked, sales of the coins on the company’s exchange had restrictions to times and amounts. As restrictions increased beyond what was practical, Bartlett shows how Dr. R managed her followers, assuaging their doubts with glitz, high powered motivational speakers and talk of a tantalizing IPO that would make their coins marketable on an international exchange …then further soothing them with reasons for the IPO's delay. Finally the pressure forced the extreme action – the number of coins in the accounts of the entrepreneurs was doubled… which opened up the question: were these coins actually on a blockchain?
There are scams within the Crypto/MLM scam (and many of the people associated with OneCoin were moonlighting with other scams. Dr. R's promotion of a fake cover on Forbes is one example the many ways the company tried to make itself seem respectably established.
Dr. R. could see her days were numbered. There is quite a bit on how remaining principals managed her absence, You also see how so many supporters become desperate to believe the lies.
You learn how Dr. R might have engineered her disappearance and how, with so many assets frozen, she could be financing it. There is an update on the legal problems of her brother and many others who took the fall and are in US jails awaiting trials at the time of the book’s printing.
This is a fascinating read. I turned pages… continuing to be surprised at the audacity of those at the top and their lavish life and the contrast to those who held the bag.
The book could use some pictures and an index.
If you like a mystery or true crime you will like this since truth is stranger than fiction Of course, you will have to wait for the ending....more
Kindra Neely survived the Umpqua Community College shooting and has produced this graphic memoir of the experience and the PTSD that followed.
Neely rKindra Neely survived the Umpqua Community College shooting and has produced this graphic memoir of the experience and the PTSD that followed.
Neely recounts the fear and confusion of the day. It follows with self destructive thoughts and actions, panic attacks and attempts to feel better by attending memorials. There are constant reminders of violence every time a new shooting takes place, when she sees threats to Muslims and as she lives with a president who boasts of getting away with murder on 5th Avenue.
It was difficult to get help. Campus counselors were booked solid. There were no self-help books for this. Others in her art class encouraged to share her story; hence, she wrote this book.
This book can provide comfort for the many survivors of these killings. Unfortunately, they are not alone and their numbers are growing....more
This is the story of how the Magnitsky Act came to be, its ramifications and the extreme lengths Vladimir Putin has been going to eliminate it and punThis is the story of how the Magnitsky Act came to be, its ramifications and the extreme lengths Vladimir Putin has been going to eliminate it and punish those who brought it about. The author, Bill Browder, takes you through the legal issues and the murders and attempted murders of the brave Russians who worked with him.
There was a time that Browder ran one of the largest (if hot the largest) western owned investment firms in Russia. His firm’s seals (identity) were stolen and the thieves took out a $250 million loan for the company (themselves) and got a substantial “tax refund”. Browder, being in the financial world, knew how to tackle this but did not expect his lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, to wind up beaten, starved and dead in prison.
This led to Browder’s campaign to get counties to adopt legislation that would freeze assets of human rights violators. In his quest for justice, he did not expect.....
• two poisonings and a “tall building syndrome” treatment for professional working for him… • that one of his law firms would be actually working for and reporting to the Russians on Browder. • how the Panama Papers drew a bead to Putin and his vulnerability to lose his fortune if the Mignitsky Act could be applied to him. . to become so familiar with the world of money laundering • That he, himself, would be charged (in Russia) with the theft of his firm’s money, the unlawful tax rebate and the deaths of Serge Magnitsky and the others. • That the President of the US (guess which one) would publically say it was possible that he would give Browder to Putin in exchange for legal relief for the 12 Russians cited in “The Mueller Report’’ for interfering with the 2020 US election.
As of the book's publication, 27 countries have Magnitsky Acts and 500 individuals and entities have be sanctioned by it. (p,292)
The tale is complex. but Browder states it clearly. It’s a page turner. This is highly recommended for those interested in this topic....more
Stephanie Wolkoff tells of her friendship with Melania Trump and how she got involved in the PIC (Presidential Inauguration Committee). The PIC work iStephanie Wolkoff tells of her friendship with Melania Trump and how she got involved in the PIC (Presidential Inauguration Committee). The PIC work is told in a chronology, summarizing things that happened on “X days before the inauguration”. This is followed by her role in setting up the first lady’s office and the demise of her friendship with Melania. She shows how she came to be the face of the (still unexplained) financial debacle of the Inaugural Committee, the emotional turmoil that resulted and the lessons learned.
As you journey with her through her Inaugural and FLOTUS work, you notice her naïveté. Many friends had warned her about the Trumps but she was proud of being apolitical. She was convinced Melania was her friend and together they could make a difference.
Her Inaugural work, as presented, for me, was a blur. I could not figure out her role. The only title or job description I could find was a word salad on the book jacket. You glean a bit of what she is doing, but her actual responsibilities are unclear.
There are 18 (or so) events. Which ones are hers? There is more about Melania’s wardrobe than working with contractors and subs. Wolkoff gets schedules (she never makes them). She gets budgets (she never makes these either). Everyone in the PIC is trying to get A List entertainment (who is actually responsible?).
She sees a schedule that shows Melania (and DJT) hosting $1 million/ticket candlelight dinner (p. 79). The event (you might assume it is a Main Event- right?) is news to Wolkoff, who is supposedly an executive producer. Melania is surprised that people pay to come to a dinner she hosts. Wolkoff picks the location, uses her artistic/event skills/ It comes off beautifully, but who set it up and who was really in charge?
Wolkoff knows that Tom Barrack is raising money… but she doesn’t seem curious about how much or where it is going.
She seems over her head, trusting and naive: Was she targeted as mark from the very beginning?
After the inaugural, for which she notes DJT’s praise, she works on setting up the Office of the First Lady. This is difficult since Melania will not be moving to DC for a while. Stephanie writes of (unspecified) wonderful things she and Melania can do for families and children, but does not notice Melania’s tepid (if any) interest.
There is a lot on the search for staff. Well qualified professionals turn her down. Top level staffing slots are limited and these get assigned to more bureaucratically attuned West Wing staffers. Stephanie agrees to volunteer so that they can get another paid position, but, still, no policy or communications positions are allotted for the FLOTUS office.
Never does Stephanie realize that Melania’s stated priority (Baron and herself) and her inability (or lack of desire) to network or to define a message or enlist her husband’s power are a deterrents. Wolkoff and Melania are like a little island in the administration, and Melania does not seem to care. There are examples of how Ivanka would like to perform the First Lady role.
Without staff, the FLOTUS office is essentially reactive. They learn of others’ plans for Mrs. Abe’s (FLOT Japan) visit and International Woman’s Day and wedge in their own participation.
Exhausted and stressed out, Wolkoff is hospitalized for a pain that she, as a workaholic, had been ignoring. When she returns, she sees her friend, Melania, now working with the West Wing staff (and not needing her) and cooling towards her.
In all this (FLOTUS work & illness), meetings on “The 990” begin: Where did all the money go? Maybe $100 million?
The New York Times headlined the story. The article implies that Wolkoff, a society friend of the First Lady, was given a bloated sweetheart contract and walked off with a lot of money. Wolkoff describes the embarrassment, shame, devastation for her and her family. Her self esteem, identity and career choices are shaken and it looks like a break down. There is a bit on how and why this story was originated/planted. Melania does not go to bat for her … it takes a while for this to sink in. Wolkoff is restricted by an NDA.
What was Wolkoff's’s company was paid? She says her company got $1.3 million and her “net” was just over $400K. She does say in passing that she “transferred to Inaugural Productions for the concert and the balls” (p.288). Concerts and balls clearly totaled more than the $900K difference. There are credible press reports that say the company was paid between $24 - $29 million.
It would help her credibility (I hate to say it, but a "one pager" would do) if Wolkoff clearly explained - where the $24+ million figures come from - the transfers to Inaugural Productions (and possibly other vendors) - what came of the donor money from the candlelight dinner?- Why she didn't ask more questions about this event at the time?
There is another $80 million is also not accounted for, but this has been obscured (successfully for those who "lost" it) given in the media attention to the ($24 million) Wolkoff narrative. In other words, the innuendo worked and Wolkoff was scapegoated for all of it... and may not be guilty of any of it.
The material at the end is very good, but to appreciate this you have to wade through 300 pages. She says her most important lesson was that being apolitical is “a luxury” (p. 330). (Surprising that with Holocaust survivor grandparents, she is learning this now.) Another lesson was not to listen for what you want to hear (i.e. She wanted Melania to be interested in helping kids and families).
While the book is about WolKoff's experience, it defines how the Trump administration began - with an $80 million (or more) grift for which someone was blamed, but no one has been held accountable.
Clinton was impeached over Whitewater which was a $35,000 real estate deal where he lost money. This was a $80 million windfall for someone but; today, it is just another scandal that the public has lost interest in. -------- There were two interesting tidbits about the Trump family. One is that Barron speaks Slovene with his mother and grandmother. The other is that Melania’s RN Convention speech, which was plagiarized from Michelle Obama, was part of the constant undermining of Melania. The Obama phrases might have been planted into the speech by Ivanka....more
There are two stories in this book. One is the Jeffrey Epstein story, the other is how investigative journalism is done in budget conscious regional nThere are two stories in this book. One is the Jeffrey Epstein story, the other is how investigative journalism is done in budget conscious regional newspapers.
“Miami Herald” reporter, Julie K. Brown, shows the process of creating an investigative series from getting the project approved through to the aftermath of its publication. There are documents to find, interviews to be arranged and completed, reading and writing, and long drives, flights, cheap hotels and travel vouchers to submit. There are dispiriting rivalries/jealousies among reporters and the tactics of those who don’t want this story written are life threatening. All the while there is life - two kids to raise and bills to pay.
Brown works from primary sources such as police and court records, government documents and any scrap of internal or email material. She shows how to read them between the lines. Traveling with a videographer, she interviewed victims and their families, local police, former Epstein employees, prosecutors and defense attorneys. She traveled to the Virgin Islands and spoke with anyone she could.
Interviews are not easy to get. Victims and those with information about Epstein’s crimes are terrified for good reason: they are followed and harassed. Previous investigators and prosecutors who have cooperated with other journalists, feel this story will go nowhere like the others so talking to a reporter is an unnecessary risk.
Once Brown's series on Epstein was published the dominoes started falling. The public was able to see how in 2008 the prosecutors bended to defence lawyers and unethically stacked the system on Epstein’s behalf: Even after accords were reached the lawyers returned to argue for still more leniency; They allowed Epstein’s lawyers to sit outside the grand jury room to intimidate witnesses; They scheduled the trail with two days notice so witnesses couldn’t come; They switched a 14 year old’s name for that of a 17 year old to minimize the number of states where Epstein would be registered as a pedophile.
The 2008 “work release” sentence was incredibly loose The very liberal format set by the court was ignored. Young girls visited him at his “office” and he catered extravagant meals for his guards. His ankle bracelet had technical problems and he never visited his parole officer.
There is a long section on Alex Acosta, his background, his lifestyle (unaffordable at his salary) and his resignation. There is an entire chapter on Alan Dershowitz and a well reasoned chapter entitled “Jeffrey Epstein Did Not Commit Suicide”.
In the end Brown suggests that the timing of Bill Barr’s (clumsy) firing of US Attorney for SDNY Geoffry Berman may relate to Berman’s aggressive pursuit of Epstein and the recent arrest of Ghislaine Maxwell. Days after this firing, Donald Trump, (who has several pages covering his alleged involvement with underage girls, including a credible lawsuit whose plaintiff has withdrawn it and has not been heard from again) said of Maxwell “I wish her well.”
You see in so many instances how Epstein skirts the rules and how people make exceptions for him. For instance after his 2008 conviction many did not want to be associated with a registered pedophile: The sellers of an island he wanted to buy would not sell to him so he set up some shell companies to hide his identity and make the couple think the buyer was a Saudi Arabian. Harvard University would no longer accept his donations, but he arranged gifts through others and we can presume Harvard knew and accepted the actual source. Bill Gates stated that he would no longer associate with him, but there they are together in 2014.
You see how without a reporter’s initiative, investigative stories like this would not get written. Even with this achievement, with the downturn in newspaper subscribers, Brown’s job is not secure,
If you are interested in Epstein, this book has a lot of information. You may or may not like the author’s insertion of her personal life as she tracks this story (I appreciated it for its demonstration of how this type of work plays out on a daily basis). The book needs and index. There are no photos, but for those of people and events that did not make the news, this would have added to the material. The Spider: Inside the Criminal Web of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell and A Convenient Death: The Mysterious Demise of Jeffrey Epstein are good for their outline of this story. This book has more detail both in hard facts and description. It is a bit more recent so it has more on where things stand now....more
So many times at the Met or Smithsonian, I’ve wondered: who are these Sacklers? I never took the time to look them up, so the source of their wealth wSo many times at the Met or Smithsonian, I’ve wondered: who are these Sacklers? I never took the time to look them up, so the source of their wealth was a surprise to me. Patrick Radden Keefe cuts through the smoke and mirrors of this family’s history. Now I know not only who they are, but that their story was hidden by design.
The immigrant story is familiar, but the lack of respect for the mores and norms of their new country stands out. Arthur Sackler, the oldest of three brothers (all had medical degrees), worked at Creedmoor Hospital and moonlighted in medical publishing. He succeeded in owning William Douglas McAdams, his employer, that produced professional journals for physicians. He pioneered the field of marketing to medical professionals by publications and providing speakers and conferences. He also owned a competing firm (where he kept his ownership and affiliation secret) which allowed an echo chamber to the benefit of drugs he had a financial interest in. A friend at the FDA in the 1950’s helped. These and other elements resulted in his making a fortune from Valium and Librium.
In the meanwhile Arthur started the family tradition of giving to art and educational institutions. While he wanted name recognition he shunned the openings and galas that usually celebrate donors.
Arthur was instrumental in founding Purdue Pharma where his brothers carried on Arthur’s methods of disseminating authoritative sounding information, hiding ownership and control and making donations while shunning ceremonials.
By the time the FDA realized Purdue was marketing OxyCotin without approval, the horse was out to the barn. Purdue and its lawyers said it wasn’t new drug, just the repackaging of an approved drug. Given its widespread use, and the positive press (guess how this was engineered) for its role in pain management, and most likely some skillful lawyering, the family skated. Throughout the book you see the family’s extraordinary lawyers help them avoid responsibility for the growth of opioid addiction and death.
While the family says it knows nothing of the damage caused by their drug, the evidence that they do is overwhelming. The 2007/8 US District Court of VA and the multi-state (tobacco style) 2018 litigation had piles of evidence that: sales reps were encouraged to visit pill mills to get more sales; when a doctor was being investigated by one state Purdue directed its representative to visit him in another; pharmacists reported individual doctors overprescribing without any company response; Purdue touted is 12 hour dosage (which accompanies a non-addictive drug) when the company knew its relief lasted 8 hours, and of course – it hid the many, many reports of deaths and addictions.
Both the 2007/8 Federal and the 2018 multi-state cases let the Sacklers off. The 2008 case, after an exhaustive investigation, ended up in the office of the US Deputy Attorney who was told to “reign in” the prosecutors of Western District of Virginia. When US Attorney (of WDVA), John Brownlee, refused to back down on the charges, he was fired and the new appointee filed what might look good to the general public, but was in reality a slap on the wrist.
The 2018 case had even more damaging evidence. It ended up with a bankruptcy judge selected by the Sacklers. He stripped the opinion of the court, and awarded Purdue Pharma to the government as a fine and dropped all charges against the Sacklers. They walked away with the $10-12 billion they had looted from Purdue Pharma before the bankruptcy (and surely more from before since they understood they were threatened). This resolution required approval of the US Department of Justice. Of this the author says “The family had long understood the physics of political influence and the value of a well connected fixer.” Approval was given and the Sackler’s walked away with full accounts in Swiss banks.
The 2008 and 2018 dispute resolutions, like most corruption, cannot be traced, but the "higher ups" at the times were Bush II and Trump.
The family’s entitled attitude comes through. They say they are not responsible for addicts. They certainly are – at the very least for those who died in withdrawal in the 4 hour dosage gap (the 8 hours known to be the pain relief threshold and the 12 hour prescription dosage).
Keefe covers the activism of those for whom OxyCotin had life changing misery through loss of a loved one or through their own addiction devastation and difficult recovery. Perhaps the only sentence the family received is the public shaming by these protestors. They provided unique performance art at Sackler funded institutions. They succeeded in "unnaming" many Sackler collections, facilities and medical programs. (Graduates will not have to have their degree from the Sackler Medical College at Tufts University)
My review scans the surface of what you will learn about this drug and the family that made a fortune (now safely stuffed away in Swiss banks) off of it if you read this book. The book is written so that you can understand the complex legal issues. Keefe is engaging with a good sense of the people he is writing about....more
The book has 3 main research subjects: Donald Trump, William Barr/Robert Hanssen, and the Epstein/Maxwell alliance. Author Craig Unger poses that whatThe book has 3 main research subjects: Donald Trump, William Barr/Robert Hanssen, and the Epstein/Maxwell alliance. Author Craig Unger poses that what ties them together is that they either wield Kompromat or they may be controlled by someone who does.
Russia’s process for recruiting agents is defined through the chapters on Donald Trump. The author relies on Yuri Shvits, a defected KGB agent, who gives insight on the tedious process looking for targets and filing reports. Having worked in the KGB (now FSB) he interprets the subtleties by which any FSB agent would surmise that Trump has been recruited. Two of the tells are: • A Russian Ambassador was so impressed with Trump Tower that said he made an impulsive visit to introduce himself to Trump. A Russian news story immediately followed the visit. Shvits shows how no contact is ever impulsive; all are cleared. This was a preplanned media op. • Trump Tower Moscow had been dazzled before Trump for 20+ years. It was never going to be built. This was a way to keep Trump eagerly coming back.
There is a lot about loans, deals and finance and how in denigrating NATO, supporting Asad and more, Trump advanced Kremlin priorities. Trump’s Kompromat is that at any time his Russian friends could expose his deeds, with or without sex tapes.
The chapters on Robert Hanssen and William Barr are the weakest. Unger poses that their membership in Opus Dei binds them, and others, to loyalty and promoting authoritarianism. Barr, as Attorney General under President Bush, promoted Hanssen twice, giving him 12 more years to sell secrets to the Soviets after his treachery was known. Barr’s helpfulness to Trump was told in review. The kompromat s here seems to be the membership in Opus Dei, which closely guards its members' identity such that the members do not know whom the other members are.
The most interesting chapters are those on the Maxwell/Epstein relationship. There is a lot of background on the Robert Maxwell, Ghilslaine’s father, who was associated with Epstein. Robert had an amazing career as a publisher, spy, double spy, money launderer and most likely an arms dealer. He may have committed suicide or maybe he was killed. His company was depleted at the time of his death. Perhaps he had looted some of it. Maybe some went to Epstein. Robert Maxwell enjoyed young girls and there is mention of someone in Bulgaria procuring them. There is more detail that I’d seen elsewhere of how a Palm Springs cop wound up with Epstein’s tapes and went to Russia with them.
The last chapter “American Carnage” is essentially browsing material, summing up the Trump administration.
This is a five star book when it gives the background on Trump’s recruitment as an asset, the Maxwell side of the Epstein saga, and the fate of the "Kompromat" produced by Epstein. All the research is good and credible, even in the “let down” chapters....more
The book misses the promise of its title and subtitle but, perhaps more valuably, it delivers reasoned interpretations of Epstein’s personal and finanThe book misses the promise of its title and subtitle but, perhaps more valuably, it delivers reasoned interpretations of Epstein’s personal and financial entanglements.
Earlier this year I read the The Spider: Inside the Criminal Web of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell which is a straight reporting of the facts. In “Convenient”, Goodman and Halper report facts and give different ways to look at them. Examples are the treatments of Leslie Wexner and Ghislaine Maxwell where both “Spider” and “Convenient” give the facts but “Convenient” poses some “whys”.
Both books show how Wexner transferred considerable assets and authority to Epstein. This book goes beyond the con-man theory to one posed by Wexner’s associates. They believe that there was some level of blackmail regarding Wexner's sexuality and that Epstein could have been a sexual partner. Despite his young girl obsession, some of Wexner’s associates firmly believe Epstein was gay.
Similarly, this book fully debunks "Spider's acceptance of Epstein's self description that he was a "financial bounty hunter" recovering money and mitigating taxes for wealthy clients. Goodman and Halper show how Epstein’s fortune (assets are enumerated on p.150) could have been built on the original (and documented) $46 million from Wexner.
“Spider” gives detail on Ghislaine Maxwell’s childhood and family. Being more recent (by a few months) this book is able to cover her ultimate apprehension and arrest. Both books note the similarities of Epstein and Maxwell’s father. “Spider” says she has trust fund set up before her father died bereft of his fortune; “Convenient” says she was broke. Both agree that Epstein wanted access to her social network. As to Maxwell's motivation, “Convenient” shows why some say she wanted his love (and marriage) and that he could provide the lifestyle she was brought up in. “Convenient” further speculates (with supporting information) that Bill Clinton and Epstein did not get along. It was Maxwell whom Clinton wanted to be with.
Goodman and Halper have good chapters on how Epstein manipulated the national press, ivy league academics and the local authorities. They show how the people and the institutions they represent let the public down. Afraid of his lawyers, or of his cutting off charitable donations or of just rocking the boat they were silent about their knowledge of Epstein's crimes. The elites who knew he was a predator were in a position to shine some light on what he was doing did nothing. Their silence adds to the public disillusionment with the institutions Americans previously respected.
Both "Convenient" and "Spider" are good. They complement each other. Given that they are short (together they equal an average size book), and if you are interested in Epstein, you might want to read them both....more
This is a good reporting on the life of Jeffrey Epstein. Barry Levine tells the story in a straightforward way. There is no sensationalism.
Levine answThis is a good reporting on the life of Jeffrey Epstein. Barry Levine tells the story in a straightforward way. There is no sensationalism.
Levine answered questions I’ve had since Epstein was in the news. I didn’t follow it closely, so I might have missed things. In lieu of a review, here are the questions I had had, that were answered by this book - since you may have had these questions too:
• Epstein is called a “financier” but I had seen no evidence of this, i.e. no office, no staff, not even a computer in the shots of his mansions. How did he do this? Answer: He seems to be a “go to” guy for finance. If your employees embezzled your money, he can recover it (how he does this left to your imagination, but from his witness intimidation, you get an idea). If you embezzled the money, he could help you too. He was expert at hiding money and assets. He created Ponzi schemes as he did with the promise of taking over PanAm Airlines.
• Where are the surveillance tapes that were reported to be in every room including toilets? Possible answers: 1) A man named Patrick Kessler claimed to have them – but he has disappeared. 2) Ghuislaine Maxwell (now in custody awaiting trial) may have them and use them as bargaining chips. 3) John Mark Dougan, who did a 5 year stint on the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office claims to have them. He now lives in Russia, which leads to the speculation that these may be the “kompromit” Putin has on Trump and others.
- Jane Doe's charge that the abuses took place in NYC, Palm Beach, the Virgin Islands and New Albany, Ohio. Why New Albany, Ohio? Answer: Early in his career, Epstein met Henry Wexner, owner of The Limited and other national brands who lived there. Wexner was obviously conned. He gave Epstein, not just a building on the grounds of his New Albany estate, but also ownership of his NYC townhouse, and major roles in managing his assets. One of those assets was Victoria’s Secret, which Epstein used to lure teens with promises of modeling for the company.
-You learn that he paid the girls $200 – 1,000 per assignment. Did the “guests” pay Epstein or was this just a way to build his rolodex? This question is not answered.
There is a lot more here. If you are interested in Epstein and how he built his empire, his legal standing, the issues of his death and the life and role of Ghislaine Maxwell, you don’t need to look any further. This is well written and informative....more
There have to be many in Washington who have been wrestling with issues similar to those that drove Josh Campbell from the FBI. Can they still serve tThere have to be many in Washington who have been wrestling with issues similar to those that drove Josh Campbell from the FBI. Can they still serve the country within their positions? If they stay will they be compromised? Can they do more in public service from the outside?
Once Campbell introduces himself and why he joined the FBI, he demonstrates through his experience how respect (and admiration) for the FBI helps in getting the information needed to uphold the rule of law. He defines the process culture of the FBI and how the investigations of Russian interference in the 2016 election were by the book. The President’s response was to try to get individuals in the FBI to be loyal to him (not the rule of law) and when they did not, came the firing of Jim Comey. Then there were tweets and rally slogans that discredited the FBI.
Campbell gives the various insider views of Comey’s announcements of the Clinton email investigations and his being fired. He writes about how the how the challenged search warrants, interviews (and investigations) arrests etc. followed procedures. The president’s reactions, like many guilty parties, was to discredit the prosecutor, the investigator, etc. Now these criticisms were coming from the chief executive of the country with access to a major megaphone.
He concludes with the procedures of how one actually leaves the FBI and ties it all together about how the president’s pounding of FBI missteps into vast conspiracies harms the ability of the FBI to get informants (“rats” as the president calls them) and investigate cases.
This is a well written presentation. There is a lot of background. If you are interested in the FBI this is a must read, but I feel its importance is as an historical record....more
In 1999 "Premier Magazine" asked free lance writer Tom O’Neill to write a 30 year commemorative article on the Tate-LaBianca murders. The article was In 1999 "Premier Magazine" asked free lance writer Tom O’Neill to write a 30 year commemorative article on the Tate-LaBianca murders. The article was expected to cover the murder’s impact on individuals and Hollywood in general. O’Neill takes the reader along with him on this project that wound up enveloping him for 20 years.
Most people, particularly celebrities, like to see their name in print, so landing interviews was expected to be easy. O’Neill not only got a cold shoulder from friends and neighbors of the victims, he also found police and judicial records sealed or missing. Prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi wanted him to stop and threatened to ruin his reputation, and sue him and his publisher.
The book does not dispute the guilt of Manson and his family but uncovers a trove of negligent police work, fishy cover stories, missing evidence and perjury. The back story has a cast of enablers who may or may not be criminally liable and sheds some light on "why". Here are a few of the many intriguing characters for whom O’Neill provides well documented stories.
- Reeve Whitson – made the first call from the Tate house – before the news of the murders was out. Who was he? Why was he there? Why was he not interviewed?
- Dr. Louis Jolly West, David Smith and Roger Smith all operated “clinics” in San Francisco where Manson and his family hung out. The clinics were actually fronts for these men who researched LSD and other drugs. O’Neill digests their applicable research and interviews them. He documents how all three were associated with COINTELPRO and/or MKULTR.A, CIA drug and mind control experiments.
- Roger Smith – The drug researcher above was also Manson’s parole officer prior to the murders. He sat by as Manson violated his parole many times (drugs, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, auto theft, etc) was caught and released to the chagrin of the arresting officers (Who is Manson’s godfather?). Susan Atkins has “catch and release” experiences too. Smith approved a questionable trip to Mexico and took in Manson’s baby with Mary Brunner. If all that isn’t questionable enough, Manson was his only parolee.
There are plenty of fishy side stories. These are the most curious for me:
- It's not surprising that Terry Melcher and Brian Wilson would distance themselves from Manson after the murders, but O’Neill exposes the legal issues of, for instance, Melchor’s claim that he never saw Manson after the murders.
- Why is Larry Schiller allowed to interview Susan Alkins and publish a pre-trial book despite the gag order? Note, Schiller was granted similar and questionable access to Jack Ruby.
- Why is Vincent Bugliosi so apoplectic? I was surprised about his back-stories (the revenge on the milkman!) but his frequent harassment of the writer hints of something deeper than the gaps in the testimony O'Neill showed him.
- Why was Paul Dostie's dig for more bodies curtailed?
The documentation presented and the record of how difficult it was to get, even on simple matters such as Manson’s parole violations, the identity of Reeve Whitson and the “free clinics” in Haight-Ashbury, on their own are significant.
While this is a research project, it does not have that feel. O’Neil’s chronological approach has you traveling alongside him as he follows leads. If you are interested in this time in history and read this, you will find yourself as engrossed in it as the author was in producing it.....more
This is the story of Anders Breivik, how he came to kill 77 people on July 22, 2011 and the aftermath. It includes portraits of his victims.
The book bThis is the story of Anders Breivik, how he came to kill 77 people on July 22, 2011 and the aftermath. It includes portraits of his victims.
The book begins and ends with Breivik’s mother. In between is the story of his life as an infant, child, teen and the adult who committed a heinous act of terrorism at age 32. The Oslo bombing and the events on Utoyo Island are reconstructed in detail as are Breveik’s days in court.
The most riveting parts of the book, for me, were: the episodes of Breveik’s family situation including his mother’s horrible childhood; the treatment of how he made the bomb in a rented farmstead (reconstructed from the journal he kept at the time) his days in court; and his life in solitary confinement.
In Norway it appears that prosecutors present both sides of a case to a panel of judges. Victims, and in this case there are many, get to speak to the defendant. Since Breveik surrendered with a confession, all that was left to decide was if he were sane and therefore responsible for his actions. Prosecutors brought in psychiatrists with different opinions.
There are portraits of a few young people who went to Utoyo Island. These are lengthy and poorly introduced. You expect they will be victims, but you don’t really know what their relationship with Breveik will be until the event. The book could use some photos. To follow Brevik’s path on Utoyo you might want to find an arial of the island on the internet. There is no index.
The book is an important contribution for documenting this event and showing how a terrorist develops a rationale. I think one of the psychiatrists hit the nail on the head when he observed that Andres Breveik was lonely. While it was not as simple as that, his isolation was fundamental to his desire to do this, and his ability to carry it out....more
Pablo Escobar’s legacy includes the corrupt economic and political infrastructure that supported him. Upon his death factions inside and outside the cPablo Escobar’s legacy includes the corrupt economic and political infrastructure that supported him. Upon his death factions inside and outside the cartels branched out into other areas of large scale crime. In the name of anti-communism private armies plundered and terrorized a mainly rural population and in the cities fought the institutions of political and legal control with terror and assassination. This book is a testament to 3 heroes in Colombia who stood for the rule of law against tremendous odds.
Jesus Maria Valle, a human rights advocate, did not live long enough to make his mark. He was shot in his own office as assassins waited for someone to open its locked door.
Ivan Velasquez a chief prosecutor suffered through harassment, physical threats to himself and his family and false accusations. Despite his successful record and world-wide recognition, with much of the paramilitary power structure still in place, he is still not a hero in his own country.
Ricardo Calderon, a committed reporter with a wide network of contacts worked against dangerous odds to get the story out. Calderon briefly took refuge in Canada, but could not let his country and the truth down and returned.
Notable takeaways
-The brutality of the paramilitaries. They did not just kill people, they dismembered them, burned them bit by bit and tortured them in ways normal people would never conceive of. What was it about their leadership made them so sadistic?
-The infrastructure. Colombia has a decent framework for the rule of law. Although some institutions have been co-opted by powerful unlawful elements, there is a free press and a Constitutional Court. Despite bullying and undermining by corrupt but popular politicians the underlying systems seem sturdy.
-The role of women. There are more women than I expected (still a minority, but I guess my expectations were low) in career positions, mostly as human rights or rule of law advocates. The three profiled heroes have good marriages to strong women.
-The role of the US. The US was a factor in change by denying Colombia much desired trade agreements due to the war on drugs and the concerns of many Democrats about the murders of 2000 or so union leaders and supporters.
Justice is far from complete and actual reconciliation may not be possible in this generation. Bits of truth are still coming out as participants age in jail, but powerful forces prefer to leave things in place. The last chapter shows the uneasy balance of the many forces.
There is a list of Acronyms and Main Characters. There is a good index. While I used the internet, a map would have been helpful. Although this is a complex story, it is written so that those without a background can understand it, but this is not a book you would read unless you were interested in the topic....more
I don’t read many best selling thrillers (can’t even think of one), but this book suggests maybe I should. In creating a story set in the InternationaI don’t read many best selling thrillers (can’t even think of one), but this book suggests maybe I should. In creating a story set in the International Criminal Court and in Bosnia, Turow is operating way outside of what I presume is his comfort zone (this is #10 in a series about justice in Kindle County, Illinois) and he really succeeds.
Turow strength is description of characters and environments. His narrator, a former US Attorney (from Kindle County), describes the people and the system he is living in and operating under, all with a prosecutor’s eye.
The women are the stars, Atilla and her dialog hit the mark every time. When I got sucked into her sad story, Turow’s narrator cut right through it, and in it reflected on her being one of a long line of sympathetic people he had put behind bars. He knows and what he sees in Esme and the words this skilled writer puts in her mouth are exquisite in reflecting life in her bubble and her attitude. Nara is drawn as a not so memorable a character, and her dialog is fittingly terse, direct and not splashy.
Of the men, Laza Kajevic, former president of Bosnia, now accused of war crimes, mostly looms in the background. The description leading up to and the dialog of the short Kajevic interview are literature in themselves. Ferko lurks, and in his few appearances, he is right on character - description-wise (the clothes!) since he says very little except for the testimony that gives this book its name. Goos gets a lot of ink, but his portrait is weaker because he is too extraordinary.
The ICC, life in the Hague, the villages in Bosnia, the culture of and attitudes towards the Roma, and a first class prison for the accused by the ICC are similarly well drawn. You can’t find this in a travelog.
The plot, based on a real story, is convoluted but good. Truth can be stranger than this fiction. Although the scenes of capture and escape seem far-fetched, they are intrinsic to the story so the reader will give them a pass.
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