1 00:00:01,440 --> 00:00:04,880 Speaker 1: The Green Lambot Michael Sullivan at the wheel. They waved 2 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: to each other and it's all good. And that's the 3 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:10,559 Speaker 1: last time he sees the Lambo. And that's the end 4 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 1: of that, you would think, But unbeknown to Joe Tranto, 5 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:17,919 Speaker 1: a lot is going on in Michael Sullivan's life. He 6 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:22,640 Speaker 1: met the drug carrying guy at the maternity hospital in 7 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:25,560 Speaker 1: Oast Melbourne, knowing that the police are going to be 8 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 1: very reluctant to start a shooting war in a maternity hospital. 9 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 1: I'm Andrew Rule. This is life and Crimes. We often 10 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 1: delve back into history for stories and when came out 11 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:40,600 Speaker 1: of the blue. Recently, I got a message from a 12 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 1: listener called Joe Taranto, and Joe shared a story with 13 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:48,480 Speaker 1: me that I thought was well worth sharing with everybody. 14 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:53,240 Speaker 1: And it goes something like this, Joe Taranto, we must 15 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 1: remember he's a respectable member of the community. He's a 16 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 1: hard working, white collar guy who's never done a wrong 17 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:05,440 Speaker 1: thing in his life. So let's just get that straight 18 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 1: right at the start. But Joe did have a brush 19 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:14,880 Speaker 1: with criminality way back, and this is what happened. Joe 20 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: was a hard working fellow. He worked for the de 21 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:21,960 Speaker 1: luxe paint company. The headquarters were in Mulgrave may well 22 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 1: still be in Mulgrave for a liner, unless it's now 23 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 1: made in China. And he had a good job there, 24 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 1: sort of in the computer area, and he obviously earned 25 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:37,120 Speaker 1: pretty handy money even though he was relatively young. He 26 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:41,280 Speaker 1: was turning thirty and he was in the process of 27 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:44,320 Speaker 1: courting a young woman at work there hadn't yet got 28 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: married and had children, and he thought, I'm turning thirty, 29 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:52,559 Speaker 1: I want to buy an exotic Italian car. He knew 30 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 1: that his father wouldn't approve of such a thing, and 31 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 1: Joe thought, I want to buy something like a Lamborghini. 32 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:02,559 Speaker 1: So he pulls together some money and he looks around 33 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:07,240 Speaker 1: the marketplace at the time, and we're tooking nineteen seventy seven. 34 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 1: It's a fairwhile ago. Joe's now grandfather. Back then he wasn't, 35 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 1: and he decides to buy a Lamborghini Urrako, which was 36 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 1: one of those really nifty, sharp little Lambos made at 37 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 1: that time. Mid engine motor two seater, goes as if 38 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:30,920 Speaker 1: it's a cutcat and corners as if it's on rails, 39 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 1: an astonishing vehicle for that era. When Holden's and Fords 40 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 1: were fairly agricultural. It was a revelation to driver car 41 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:42,840 Speaker 1: like that. It was just a few years old when 42 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 1: he bought it, very low mileage, probably a seventy three model. 43 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 1: I think they came out and he is delighted with it. 44 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 1: It's a vivid green Lamborghini. He's just this stage. He's 45 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:58,920 Speaker 1: still living down on the Bay side somewhere, and he 46 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 1: drives it around a cash and cleans it and it's beautiful, 47 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:04,720 Speaker 1: and he's going around with the girl that would later 48 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 1: become his wife. I think her name was Jennifer. And 49 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 1: it's really really good fun having this Lamborghini. But of 50 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:15,919 Speaker 1: course they get married and in rapid order they buy 51 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:19,360 Speaker 1: a big new house with a big new mortgage down 52 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:23,959 Speaker 1: at Mentaliza, and I think his bride, Jennifer, points out 53 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:26,640 Speaker 1: that perhaps it would be more sensible to invest the 54 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:30,639 Speaker 1: money tied up in the Lamborghini, which is seventeen thousand 55 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 1: dollars a fair bit of money in that era. Let 56 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 1: me say, I know that because my first year of 57 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 1: work in seventy five, I earned about three thousand, so 58 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 1: it was quite a bit of money for a young 59 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 1: person in those days. He agrees, says heah, right, I'll 60 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 1: sell my Lambeau while it's still worth something. And one 61 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 1: of the reasons he agrees is that he knows it 62 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:56,320 Speaker 1: still has some value. He knows that it's probably gone 63 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 1: up a bit in the market because they're rare, they're 64 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 1: a collector's item. He's kept it in perfect order. In fact, 65 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 1: he took it back to be serviced by the guy 66 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:09,200 Speaker 1: that had sold it to him, this European car dealer guy, 67 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:13,400 Speaker 1: and it was really good. So he advertises it in 68 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:18,159 Speaker 1: a large newspaper that ran classified advertisements. You will know 69 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: which one, and it was in the for sale columns, 70 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:27,679 Speaker 1: but it was probably the only Lamborghini Uraco for sale 71 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:31,720 Speaker 1: that work. He gets one bite. He gets one telephone 72 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 1: call from a prospective buyer, and the guy on the 73 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 1: other end of the line, friendly, bright sort of blog says, 74 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:41,960 Speaker 1: I'll come down and look at your Lamboat, and they 75 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:44,520 Speaker 1: make an agreement to have a look at it. The 76 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:47,080 Speaker 1: ad was on Saturday, I think the next day or Monday, 77 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:50,280 Speaker 1: the guy turns up to look at the Lamboat and 78 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:54,840 Speaker 1: this fellow turns up down at Joe's house. He turns 79 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 1: up in a big black American car, which was unusual 80 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 1: you know it's not not everyone was driving those. And 81 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:06,520 Speaker 1: he's a youngish guy, guy that's even younger than Joe. 82 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:09,560 Speaker 1: And he's really well dressed. He's got an athletic, good 83 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:14,600 Speaker 1: looking guy. He's beautifully dressed. Immaculate was the word Joe used. 84 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:17,280 Speaker 1: Quite an impressive fellow, and he's very easy to meet. 85 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 1: He's quite charming, good conversationalist. Chat chat chat, nice line 86 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 1: of chat. And he looks over the lambeau said, oh look, 87 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:28,480 Speaker 1: I love the look of it. I'm pretty keen on it. 88 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:33,520 Speaker 1: Can I bring my wife back, you know, whenever this 89 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:37,680 Speaker 1: week and have another look and if it's okay, we'll 90 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:40,159 Speaker 1: get it checked over. And it's okay, I'll buy it now. 91 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:44,320 Speaker 1: That is the sort of conversation you often have with 92 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:46,719 Speaker 1: tire kickts, people who come and look at good cars 93 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:49,040 Speaker 1: and then go away and they're never going to buy them. 94 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 1: They're just looking at cars for basically a way to 95 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:56,600 Speaker 1: kill a lazy weekend. But anyway, this fellow turns up again. 96 00:05:56,640 --> 00:06:00,840 Speaker 1: He turns up driving an Alpha Romeo a few days later, 97 00:06:00,920 --> 00:06:05,359 Speaker 1: and with him are two very beautiful young women of 98 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:08,279 Speaker 1: what Joe took to be Spanish origin, are in fact 99 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 1: probably both the Colombians, I think South Americans, and one 100 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:18,479 Speaker 1: he thinks was the buyer's wife, and the other he 101 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:21,440 Speaker 1: thinks was the bias wife's sister, so wife and sister 102 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:25,480 Speaker 1: in law. The buyer's name, or the name he gave 103 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:29,359 Speaker 1: him was Michael Sullivan, which turns out to be his 104 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:33,920 Speaker 1: real name. Astoundingly, it was his real name, because as 105 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:37,000 Speaker 1: it turns out, he was quite a colorful character. And 106 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:39,880 Speaker 1: Michael Sullivan says, yep, love it. They had a drive. 107 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:43,320 Speaker 1: They all four got in the car. You know, there's 108 00:06:43,360 --> 00:06:45,800 Speaker 1: a little dickie set in the back, and they managed 109 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 1: to fit in and went for a drive. Yeah, it's great, 110 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:50,919 Speaker 1: it's wonderful. We'll just get it checked over by the 111 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:54,840 Speaker 1: mechanic guy. And in fact, Sullivan said, we can take 112 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:57,200 Speaker 1: it to your bloke. It's fine because he services it. 113 00:06:57,360 --> 00:07:00,600 Speaker 1: He can do it, and if it's got a I'll 114 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:04,800 Speaker 1: buy it. So Joe is asking twenty two thousand dollars. 115 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:07,640 Speaker 1: Now that's five more than he pay for him because 116 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:11,360 Speaker 1: he thinks it's gone up a bit, And Michael Sullivan, 117 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:15,640 Speaker 1: and this is intriguing, did not try at all to haggle, 118 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:20,120 Speaker 1: even though it was really a bit over the top. 119 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:23,760 Speaker 1: The car was probably worth twenty and Michael Sullivan didn't 120 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 1: haggle one bit. He just handed over one thousand dollars 121 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 1: in cash and said, I'll pay you twenty one with 122 00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:32,200 Speaker 1: a bank check. And that's what happened. He pays with 123 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:35,600 Speaker 1: a bank check. Bank check is bank and he picks 124 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 1: up the Lambeau anyway he goes, and that's that. You 125 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 1: would think this is just before Christmas of nineteen eighty, 126 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:49,559 Speaker 1: and it's probably five weeks before Christmas nineteen and eighty 127 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:53,400 Speaker 1: when this transaction happens. On Christmas Day of nineteen eighty, 128 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:57,200 Speaker 1: our man Joe Taranto has driven his uncle and aunt 129 00:07:57,240 --> 00:08:00,400 Speaker 1: home to somewhere on the other side out of town 130 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:03,920 Speaker 1: Mooney Ponds, I think, because they'd had Christmas dinner and 131 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: couldn't drive whatever, And he drove them home. And he 132 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:11,720 Speaker 1: is driving down the Pan Highway on his way back 133 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:14,240 Speaker 1: to Mounteliza and he sees the Green Lambo, and the 134 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:17,520 Speaker 1: Green Lambot's got Michael Sullivan at the wheel. They wave 135 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:19,760 Speaker 1: to each other and it's all good, and they drive 136 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:22,440 Speaker 1: beside each other for a while and that's the last 137 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:25,600 Speaker 1: time he sees the Lambo and that's the end of 138 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:30,120 Speaker 1: that you would think, but unbeknown to Joe Tranto, a 139 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:33,600 Speaker 1: lot is going on in Michael Sullivan's life. Michael Sullivan 140 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:37,200 Speaker 1: is a very interesting character. We already know he's young 141 00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:42,679 Speaker 1: and immaculately dressed and buying expensive cars. In this conversation, 142 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:45,520 Speaker 1: already we've met the fact that he's driving a big 143 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:48,319 Speaker 1: black American car and Alfa Romeo and he's just support 144 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:52,560 Speaker 1: a Lamborghini and this guy's in his twenties. In conversation, 145 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:56,240 Speaker 1: he has told Joe Taranto that he's owned thirty four 146 00:08:56,280 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 1: cars so far in his life, which is a lot 147 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:03,680 Speaker 1: if you've twenty six or something, and means he's turning 148 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:07,560 Speaker 1: them over very rapidly, several per year. Expensive cars. Now, 149 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:10,320 Speaker 1: that is a sign of someone with a lot of 150 00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:15,200 Speaker 1: disposable income, and that is exactly what Michael Sullivan was. 151 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:19,960 Speaker 1: And what Joe Taranto doesn't know is that Michael Sullivan 152 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:25,840 Speaker 1: is the let's say, business partner of a scullywag called 153 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:30,120 Speaker 1: David McMillan, whose name we have mentioned in these podcasts before. 154 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:34,720 Speaker 1: McMillan the villain, which he very much was. And David 155 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:39,280 Speaker 1: McMillan was a very smooth character, very clever guy. He 156 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:43,960 Speaker 1: was a graduate. In fact, he was expelled from Corfield 157 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:47,800 Speaker 1: Grammar Corfield Grammar School which is the school that produced 158 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:52,559 Speaker 1: Nick Cave the musician, and Christopher Scase, the disgraced businessman, 159 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:56,600 Speaker 1: and the late Lord Mayor and big man around Melbourne, 160 00:09:56,679 --> 00:10:00,720 Speaker 1: Ron Walker. All these people went to Corawfield gramm and 161 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:04,560 Speaker 1: they were pretty sharp operator some of them, and of 162 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:10,319 Speaker 1: them probably McMillan was the most sharp and most villainous. 163 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:13,760 Speaker 1: And McMillan was a very naughty lad. He was charming, 164 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:17,120 Speaker 1: he was articulate, he had all the social graces, but 165 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:20,840 Speaker 1: he was a scoundrel and he would rather turn a 166 00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:24,200 Speaker 1: dishonest dollar than earn two honors dollars. He was that 167 00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:26,679 Speaker 1: sort of bloke in just nature of the beast. He'd 168 00:10:26,679 --> 00:10:31,440 Speaker 1: actually been born in England of Australian parents. His dad 169 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:34,559 Speaker 1: had been an officer in a I think he was 170 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:37,880 Speaker 1: an Air Force office anyway, as an officer in World 171 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 1: War Two, and was quite a distinguished former soldier or 172 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:45,640 Speaker 1: a former military person who got a job after the 173 00:10:45,679 --> 00:10:49,959 Speaker 1: war in the I think early BBC television days. McMillan's 174 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:52,880 Speaker 1: mother was quite a well known beauty. She was a 175 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:56,480 Speaker 1: beautiful woman and talented and clever and all that sort 176 00:10:56,480 --> 00:11:00,920 Speaker 1: of stuff. And he'd been born in London, of life there, 177 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:04,800 Speaker 1: and then later on his beautiful mother had decided to 178 00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:07,960 Speaker 1: go back to Australia, to Melbourne, and she took him 179 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:13,280 Speaker 1: and his sister, young David and his sister Debbie, and 180 00:11:13,360 --> 00:11:17,160 Speaker 1: she had a series of relationships. But she was married 181 00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:19,600 Speaker 1: at some stage to a fellow called Nashed, and they 182 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:23,040 Speaker 1: had a boy called Simon who became the very very 183 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 1: fine journalist Simon Nash, who used to work at the 184 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:30,840 Speaker 1: Age newspaper and at the ABC and became a very 185 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:36,680 Speaker 1: respected and fine documentary maker in Australia. And so this 186 00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:40,480 Speaker 1: is the pedigree of this David McMillan, who is the 187 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:44,719 Speaker 1: business partner, let us say, of Michael Sullivan, the man 188 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:49,160 Speaker 1: who's bought the Lamborghini. And I hear you think, well, 189 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 1: why is he telling us all this? Well you need 190 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:56,120 Speaker 1: to know the setup. The setup is that McMillan and 191 00:11:56,400 --> 00:12:00,679 Speaker 1: Sullivan and a couple of very beautiful young women are 192 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:03,880 Speaker 1: living some of the time in a house down near 193 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:05,920 Speaker 1: the Bay. I'm going to say Sandringham, one of those 194 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:09,280 Speaker 1: sort of places, perhaps one in Brighton, perhaps another one 195 00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:11,600 Speaker 1: in South Thierra, they might have had one in Carlton. 196 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:14,960 Speaker 1: They had a range of properties around the place, and 197 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:18,160 Speaker 1: they would turn up here or there or the other one, 198 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:21,480 Speaker 1: and they would always be driving these exotic cars, and 199 00:12:21,559 --> 00:12:23,760 Speaker 1: every few weeks would be a different car, you know. 200 00:12:24,640 --> 00:12:28,160 Speaker 1: And at one of these addresses, the old chap next door, 201 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:32,120 Speaker 1: former policeman, retired policeman, he starts to take a bit 202 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:35,880 Speaker 1: of notice. He thinks these people are young, and they're beautiful, 203 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:39,080 Speaker 1: and they're obviously very wealthy because they do nothing but 204 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:42,600 Speaker 1: get up at ten o'clock in the morning and by 205 00:12:42,960 --> 00:12:45,880 Speaker 1: go shopping and buy lots of stuff. And they're always 206 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:49,560 Speaker 1: driving these exotic cars. And there is no sign of 207 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:51,480 Speaker 1: a day job. It doesn't look as it's any of 208 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:55,000 Speaker 1: them work. They don't send to go anywhere except to 209 00:12:55,040 --> 00:13:00,560 Speaker 1: go shopping or traveling or having holidays. That is very so, 210 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:04,920 Speaker 1: being a nosy old ex copper, he puts one a 211 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:08,280 Speaker 1: month together and gets eleven and he works out that 212 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:11,760 Speaker 1: probably they're up to no good, that they've got an 213 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:17,240 Speaker 1: illicit form of income, and indeed they did have. And 214 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:23,040 Speaker 1: he started to observe them and note registration numbers, comings 215 00:13:23,080 --> 00:13:25,360 Speaker 1: and goings and all the rest of it, and he 216 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:27,960 Speaker 1: tells he's very good friends in the police force, these 217 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:32,560 Speaker 1: former colleagues, and they are getting a bit keen on 218 00:13:32,840 --> 00:13:35,080 Speaker 1: the idea of the police are getting pretty keen on 219 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:39,920 Speaker 1: the idea of detecting drug dealers, especially high end drug dealers, 220 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:43,080 Speaker 1: and they look into these people and these fellas Is 221 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:48,720 Speaker 1: McMillan and Sullivan are purportedly antique dealers with an import 222 00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:52,679 Speaker 1: export sort of business bringing stuff in, but they're not 223 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:55,160 Speaker 1: selling a lot of antiques. They now again bring in 224 00:13:55,640 --> 00:14:01,160 Speaker 1: a container load of something, often from Asia, and appears 225 00:14:01,240 --> 00:14:03,320 Speaker 1: the police that they're not selling nearly enough to be 226 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:07,320 Speaker 1: making the sort of money that they obviously have. And 227 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:11,240 Speaker 1: the police formed the same conclusion as the old retired 228 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:15,760 Speaker 1: guy that they're drug dealers. And so it's becoming politically 229 00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:19,520 Speaker 1: feasible to spend a bit of time and money looking 230 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:24,160 Speaker 1: at high level inputs at this stage. So the Victorian 231 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:27,960 Speaker 1: State Police Force, for the first time ever i think, 232 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:32,720 Speaker 1: formed a joint task force with i think the Federal 233 00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:37,120 Speaker 1: Police and they had this Joint Task Force JTF and 234 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:42,920 Speaker 1: they called it Operation ares as in aies Ares and 235 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:46,960 Speaker 1: they really got busy with these people and started to 236 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:52,480 Speaker 1: watch them and they discovered that McMillan, who was sort 237 00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:55,600 Speaker 1: of the driving force, he was the brains behind the show, 238 00:14:56,760 --> 00:15:00,800 Speaker 1: was producing a lot of false identities. He did that 239 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:05,040 Speaker 1: thing that was I think probably hit the public imagination 240 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:09,560 Speaker 1: in the day of the Jackal, where the operator goes 241 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:15,560 Speaker 1: to a graveyard and finds the grave site of someone 242 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:19,760 Speaker 1: who died in infancy, a little kid who's born at 243 00:15:19,840 --> 00:15:23,040 Speaker 1: roughly the right time, roughly the same age, same time 244 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:25,840 Speaker 1: as as the operator, and the operator says, oh, here 245 00:15:25,880 --> 00:15:30,480 Speaker 1: we are Jacques Smith, born in nineteen fifty one whatever whatever, 246 00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:35,120 Speaker 1: and they take down the details and they could use 247 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 1: the birth date to obtain a birth certificate, a legit 248 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:44,480 Speaker 1: birth certificate for that person. But because nothing was computerized 249 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:46,880 Speaker 1: in those days, no one actually knows that that person 250 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:51,720 Speaker 1: is dead because it's not really recorded around the whole system. 251 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:55,280 Speaker 1: And what McMillan was able to do was to build 252 00:15:55,400 --> 00:16:00,160 Speaker 1: a whole lot of profiles from dead children. Essentially that 253 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:04,400 Speaker 1: he had bank accounts, he had credit card deals and 254 00:16:05,160 --> 00:16:10,600 Speaker 1: drivers licenses, whatever, built up from these dead people who 255 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:14,440 Speaker 1: didn't exist, and he made them exist and he turned 256 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:16,960 Speaker 1: them into passports. And so what he had was a 257 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:23,160 Speaker 1: suite of passports with his face on them with various names, 258 00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:27,480 Speaker 1: real names of people that had lived and died twenty 259 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:31,120 Speaker 1: years earlier. And he was able to do the same 260 00:16:31,160 --> 00:16:34,840 Speaker 1: thing for Sullivan and for the women that they were 261 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:38,920 Speaker 1: associated with, and others for other couriers. He had dozens 262 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:42,440 Speaker 1: of passports in the end and bank accounts and that 263 00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:46,480 Speaker 1: was his currency for running drugs because he could then 264 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:50,160 Speaker 1: work out and remember this is pre computers, and what 265 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:53,600 Speaker 1: he did was astonishing because he would get great big 266 00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:59,080 Speaker 1: books full of airline timetables, lots of fine print, thousands 267 00:16:59,080 --> 00:17:02,280 Speaker 1: of line timetables, you know, across the world here A 268 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:04,960 Speaker 1: to B tw C, TOD and he would be able 269 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:08,760 Speaker 1: to work out that a courier could fly from Melbourne 270 00:17:09,240 --> 00:17:15,920 Speaker 1: to Sydney to Singapore to Thailand, then buy some heroin 271 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:22,879 Speaker 1: and then switch passports and fly to London and sell 272 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:27,160 Speaker 1: on some drugs or whatever, and then switch passports again 273 00:17:27,359 --> 00:17:30,800 Speaker 1: and obscure their trail around the world by switching passports, 274 00:17:31,640 --> 00:17:35,240 Speaker 1: reticketing each time in a different name, so that when 275 00:17:35,359 --> 00:17:39,200 Speaker 1: you flew back into Australia escorting a big heap of heroin, 276 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:45,720 Speaker 1: it didn't show on a custom's flagging system you having 277 00:17:45,800 --> 00:17:49,199 Speaker 1: been in Thailand or in the Golden Triangle, because in 278 00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:51,919 Speaker 1: fact you were flying back on a different name and 279 00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:54,560 Speaker 1: ticket and passport than the one you flew out on. 280 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:56,800 Speaker 1: In fact, you might have changed it two or three 281 00:17:56,840 --> 00:18:00,680 Speaker 1: times while you're away. And this way he would fly 282 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:06,760 Speaker 1: back into Australia looking as if he'd just visited London 283 00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:09,479 Speaker 1: or something like that, which is regarded as a pretty 284 00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:14,200 Speaker 1: innocent sort of trip, or Scandinavia, these sort of destinations. 285 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:18,080 Speaker 1: It was a pretty clever device and it worked very 286 00:18:18,119 --> 00:18:22,480 Speaker 1: well while it worked. But of course Operation Areas they 287 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:26,680 Speaker 1: started to watch him, and they watched all these different tricks. 288 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:31,080 Speaker 1: He had this other trick with suitcases, identical suitcases, and 289 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:33,960 Speaker 1: he'd have a courier with one that'd have the drugs 290 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:36,800 Speaker 1: in it. He'd have another one that was identical but 291 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:39,840 Speaker 1: without drugs in it. When they're on the carousel at 292 00:18:39,840 --> 00:18:43,240 Speaker 1: the airport, he could pick up the other one, the 293 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:45,199 Speaker 1: one with the drugs in it, and walk out with 294 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:48,520 Speaker 1: it innocently, And of course if the alarms went off, 295 00:18:48,520 --> 00:18:50,879 Speaker 1: he'd go, well, it's not mine. I just looked like mine. 296 00:18:50,920 --> 00:18:54,280 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, it's all a mistake. So he pulled a 297 00:18:54,400 --> 00:19:00,760 Speaker 1: Lese Swifties, but the police were on the job. We've 298 00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:04,439 Speaker 1: probably been through the mc millan story before. But in 299 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:06,640 Speaker 1: the end, he sort of knew they were onto him. 300 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:11,240 Speaker 1: They moved against him. He knew they were following, but 301 00:19:11,440 --> 00:19:15,560 Speaker 1: he's still he knew the police for following him around Melbourne, 302 00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:19,800 Speaker 1: and they knew that this Thai courier guy was flying 303 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:23,159 Speaker 1: into Melbourne. The police watched this guy fly into I 304 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:27,919 Speaker 1: think Sydney and then go out to something like Broken 305 00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:30,560 Speaker 1: Hill on a bus or something, and then Too Adelaide 306 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:34,000 Speaker 1: and then Perth and then back to Melbourne. And he 307 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:35,840 Speaker 1: did all this stuff to break his trip up to 308 00:19:35,920 --> 00:19:40,479 Speaker 1: sort of evade detection, but the police stuck with him. 309 00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:44,359 Speaker 1: They had these undercover guys and all sorts. And when 310 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:49,080 Speaker 1: our man Chowdery, his name was Chowdery, this Thai courier 311 00:19:49,119 --> 00:19:51,680 Speaker 1: who was sort of a partner in the business. He 312 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:55,760 Speaker 1: was their TI connection. Let's say he gets to Melbourne 313 00:19:55,800 --> 00:20:00,640 Speaker 1: and stays at the Hilton Hotels. Then was when police 314 00:20:00,760 --> 00:20:03,320 Speaker 1: break into this guy's room. He's gone down for dinner 315 00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:05,280 Speaker 1: or something. They break in, They get an electric drill 316 00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:08,000 Speaker 1: and they drill into the bottom of the suitcase and 317 00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:11,040 Speaker 1: they pull the drill out and there's the white powder 318 00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:15,199 Speaker 1: on the drill and they taste it or take some 319 00:20:15,359 --> 00:20:19,200 Speaker 1: to test it. Beauty, it's heroin. So they knew they 320 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:22,480 Speaker 1: had the right guys with the gear, but they still 321 00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:26,760 Speaker 1: took a lot of catching because McMillan sort of knew 322 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:30,720 Speaker 1: the police were onto him, and he played this big 323 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:33,119 Speaker 1: chess game with him. What he did for the actual 324 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:37,080 Speaker 1: transfer of the drugs and money, the swapper Rooney. He 325 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:41,080 Speaker 1: pulled this thing knowing he was being watched. He met 326 00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:46,800 Speaker 1: the drug carrying guy at the maternity hospital in Nurse Melbourne. 327 00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:50,680 Speaker 1: It was the big maternity hospital in Nase Melbourne. Knowing 328 00:20:50,840 --> 00:20:52,919 Speaker 1: that the police are going to be very reluctant to 329 00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:56,840 Speaker 1: start a shooting war in a maternity hospital. So he 330 00:20:57,520 --> 00:21:01,040 Speaker 1: drives a car in a lame there's the hospital. They 331 00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:03,679 Speaker 1: had this sort of lameway through the basement of it, 332 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:07,840 Speaker 1: roughly between two bits of it, and he puts the 333 00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:09,920 Speaker 1: windows down on the car and as he drives through, 334 00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:13,600 Speaker 1: somebody throws her the money in, and they throw the 335 00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:16,800 Speaker 1: drugs out to somebody who catches it. And they did 336 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:19,160 Speaker 1: it like that and they were able to make their 337 00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:22,280 Speaker 1: escape even though they knew the police were watching them. 338 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:26,600 Speaker 1: They got away with that for a little while. Eventually, 339 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:29,680 Speaker 1: of course, the police nailed them. They were charged with 340 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:32,720 Speaker 1: lots and lots of stuff. They were charged with multiple 341 00:21:32,840 --> 00:21:37,400 Speaker 1: conspiracies to import all this stuff, lots of stuff, and 342 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:40,639 Speaker 1: it was a very long trial. So we had McMillan 343 00:21:41,080 --> 00:21:47,320 Speaker 1: and the Lambeau driving Sullivan and the tie guy Chowdery. 344 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:49,840 Speaker 1: They were the main guys, but they also had all 345 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:53,440 Speaker 1: these people on the periphery. There was another dozen of them, 346 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:58,000 Speaker 1: and they faced all these different charges. There was I 347 00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:01,000 Speaker 1: think a record court hearing took one hundred days of 348 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:05,160 Speaker 1: court time, which was a lot. That's twenty weeks and 349 00:22:05,359 --> 00:22:07,840 Speaker 1: five months worth. And it went on and on, and 350 00:22:07,920 --> 00:22:12,480 Speaker 1: the jury came back and it actually found these main 351 00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:18,000 Speaker 1: principles not guilty of everything except one major charge. They 352 00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:20,560 Speaker 1: discounted this charge and that charge, and this charge and 353 00:22:20,560 --> 00:22:23,440 Speaker 1: that charge. But in the end they nailed them on 354 00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:27,920 Speaker 1: one major charge, which was enough to put them in Pentridge. 355 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:31,320 Speaker 1: And there they are the cell door slams. They're in 356 00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:34,679 Speaker 1: Pentridge with the real bad guys of tough guys with 357 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:38,360 Speaker 1: tattoos and all the rest of it, and they've sort 358 00:22:38,359 --> 00:22:41,720 Speaker 1: of fish out of water in there. But McMillan said, 359 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:43,639 Speaker 1: never fear, We will buy our way out. We've got 360 00:22:43,640 --> 00:22:45,159 Speaker 1: a lot of money out in the world. He had 361 00:22:45,200 --> 00:22:50,199 Speaker 1: an accountant in Carlton, a man called Max who's no 362 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:54,560 Speaker 1: longer with us. Max had his access to very large 363 00:22:54,560 --> 00:22:58,880 Speaker 1: amounts of cash and could assist in that regard. And 364 00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:06,120 Speaker 1: Sullivan's alleged sister, Sullivan had an older sister, well that's 365 00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:09,159 Speaker 1: what they called her, and it's well held it was 366 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:12,919 Speaker 1: actually his mother. This woman that he thought was his 367 00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:19,920 Speaker 1: twenty year older sister was most likely actually biologically his mother, 368 00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:22,480 Speaker 1: and it had been one of those situations whereas a 369 00:23:22,520 --> 00:23:26,520 Speaker 1: young woman she had had this child and pretended that 370 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:29,320 Speaker 1: it was her own mother's baby, and so on and 371 00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:33,840 Speaker 1: so forth. And Sullivan's alleged older sister, really his mother 372 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:39,240 Speaker 1: helped them quite a lot, and so did various other people, 373 00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:42,560 Speaker 1: some because they liked him, such as a lawyer I 374 00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:45,280 Speaker 1: know that was very friendly with them, and others who 375 00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:49,159 Speaker 1: were They knew journalists, they knew people in showbies, they 376 00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:51,640 Speaker 1: knew lawyers, they knew a lot of people, and they've 377 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:54,480 Speaker 1: been friendly with a lot of people right around the 378 00:23:54,520 --> 00:23:59,200 Speaker 1: social spectrum. And McMillan said this thing up. It was 379 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:02,480 Speaker 1: a great idea. It came unstuck, and his idea was 380 00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:06,080 Speaker 1: that they were going to be rescued from Penridge by helicopter, 381 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:11,040 Speaker 1: and his people out in the world had got hold 382 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:15,920 Speaker 1: of a rogue English Air Force or Army Marine helicopter 383 00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:19,199 Speaker 1: pilot and he came and stayed at I think the 384 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:21,840 Speaker 1: Southern Cross Hotel or the Winds Windsor Hotel, I think 385 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:24,720 Speaker 1: it was. That they had this chopper lined up to 386 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:27,280 Speaker 1: hire it and they were going to do this touch 387 00:24:27,320 --> 00:24:32,679 Speaker 1: and go landing in the exercise yards or playing fields 388 00:24:32,760 --> 00:24:35,919 Speaker 1: out of Penridge. Pentridge in those days had football grounds 389 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:39,119 Speaker 1: and all sorts of stuff, lots of area acres of ground, 390 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:42,160 Speaker 1: and he was just going to bring the chopper over 391 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:44,280 Speaker 1: and do a touch and go landing and they were 392 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:46,240 Speaker 1: going to jump on it and they were going to 393 00:24:46,280 --> 00:24:49,080 Speaker 1: fly off, and they had this whole plan. It was wonderful. 394 00:24:49,119 --> 00:24:53,840 Speaker 1: It was pure James Bond, and it might nearly have worked, 395 00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:57,359 Speaker 1: but there was a hole in the bucket. And the 396 00:24:57,400 --> 00:25:00,440 Speaker 1: hole in the bucket was that somebody somewhere must have 397 00:25:00,520 --> 00:25:03,720 Speaker 1: had their phone tapped or whatever, or someone sold them 398 00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:07,639 Speaker 1: out or whatever, and the policer knew this was on, 399 00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:10,240 Speaker 1: and the policer or in the next room at the 400 00:25:10,280 --> 00:25:15,720 Speaker 1: Windsor Hotel, listening to the chopper pilot as he entertained 401 00:25:15,720 --> 00:25:19,280 Speaker 1: one of the waiters in the room, and they realized 402 00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:21,919 Speaker 1: that they were on the job. And while they had 403 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:25,240 Speaker 1: the chopp a pilot where they wanted him, the chopper 404 00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:27,480 Speaker 1: wasn't going to be landing in Pentridge, so they were 405 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:34,240 Speaker 1: able to stimy the escape plot at the chopper level. 406 00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:37,400 Speaker 1: The chopper never got to take off and grab them. 407 00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:41,359 Speaker 1: Now McMillan's plan, had it come off, was this chopper 408 00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:45,800 Speaker 1: lifts off, takes them just you know, a couple of 409 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:48,439 Speaker 1: k's across the suburbs, which it would do in a 410 00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:52,880 Speaker 1: matter of a minute, and land at a little sports 411 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:55,679 Speaker 1: ground in Coburg or something like that, and they were 412 00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:58,280 Speaker 1: going to run into a nearby flat which was all 413 00:25:58,280 --> 00:26:03,320 Speaker 1: set up with expert makeup artists in there to disguise them, 414 00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:09,160 Speaker 1: total disguise, false mustaches, bids, whatever it would take, and 415 00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:11,480 Speaker 1: then they were going to I think the idea was 416 00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:14,840 Speaker 1: they're going to sit in a boat, a really good boat, 417 00:26:14,880 --> 00:26:18,600 Speaker 1: like a twenty five foot thirty foot or something good 418 00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:21,840 Speaker 1: enough to go in the ocean, big big motor, whole 419 00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:23,960 Speaker 1: bit seaworthy thing, and it was on the back of 420 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:26,000 Speaker 1: a semi trailer, and the idea was going to hop 421 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:29,360 Speaker 1: in that and cover themselves over and a truck would 422 00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:33,200 Speaker 1: pull out and drive up the highway north through New 423 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:36,560 Speaker 1: South Wales up to Queensland somewhere, and the idea was 424 00:26:36,920 --> 00:26:38,960 Speaker 1: they would launch the boat as if they were going 425 00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:43,320 Speaker 1: fishing and go to New Guinea or Indonesia or both 426 00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:47,320 Speaker 1: one then the other, and escape across the world. Total 427 00:26:48,080 --> 00:26:53,199 Speaker 1: James Bond fantasy, which actually could have worked, because that 428 00:26:53,359 --> 00:26:55,960 Speaker 1: is the way that a Malaysian prints kidnapped his own 429 00:26:56,040 --> 00:27:01,160 Speaker 1: children from Melbourne some years later, same trick. He got 430 00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:03,480 Speaker 1: the kids, and he got him in an ocean going 431 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:06,840 Speaker 1: fast boat when the weather was good, and got the 432 00:27:07,560 --> 00:27:11,880 Speaker 1: Malaysia and they lived there happily, i think, for many 433 00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:15,960 Speaker 1: a long year in their gold plated castle in Malaysia. 434 00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:19,520 Speaker 1: And of course Tony Mockbell got across Australia where he 435 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:22,440 Speaker 1: had a boat delivered by truck, and he was able 436 00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:25,320 Speaker 1: to get in a hidden compartment in that boat and 437 00:27:25,359 --> 00:27:28,840 Speaker 1: sailed from western Australia all the way across the world 438 00:27:29,640 --> 00:27:33,800 Speaker 1: to Europe, to Greece, in fact the Mediterranean. So this 439 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:39,719 Speaker 1: plan of McMillan's was not so crazy. That's that story. 440 00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:42,600 Speaker 1: But how does this come back to Lambeau Man. Well, 441 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:48,160 Speaker 1: all that stuff sort of passed Joe Taranto by. He 442 00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:51,840 Speaker 1: didn't realize that he'd sold his lamboat to such a 443 00:27:52,080 --> 00:27:58,040 Speaker 1: scoundrel as Michael Sullivan. And it was only many years later. 444 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:00,800 Speaker 1: And let me say this, it was only as we 445 00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:05,600 Speaker 1: record this in January. It was only just before Christmas 446 00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:09,400 Speaker 1: last December, so it's a matter of weeks ago. Joe Taranto, 447 00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:14,520 Speaker 1: who is no longer thirty, he is seventy something. He's 448 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:17,760 Speaker 1: got a bit of time to kill before the grandkids 449 00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:20,200 Speaker 1: turn up for their holidays. And he thought, I'll watch 450 00:28:20,240 --> 00:28:24,280 Speaker 1: a crime show on the Telly, and he looks through 451 00:28:24,320 --> 00:28:27,400 Speaker 1: some crime shows and he decides to watch one about 452 00:28:27,520 --> 00:28:30,720 Speaker 1: David McMillan. It was in fact one of the Underbelly 453 00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:34,199 Speaker 1: series and was called Underbelly The Man who Got Away, 454 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:40,440 Speaker 1: And that show, that dramatized show was made about David 455 00:28:40,520 --> 00:28:43,720 Speaker 1: McMillan and Michael Sullivan. And when he watched that show 456 00:28:44,120 --> 00:28:49,840 Speaker 1: only three weeks ago, he thought that Michael Sullivan, that's 457 00:28:49,920 --> 00:28:52,680 Speaker 1: the same name as the man who bought my Lamborghini. Oh, 458 00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:58,480 Speaker 1: my god, I sold my car to these people all 459 00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:01,360 Speaker 1: those years ago. I didn't realized that I was dealing 460 00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:07,600 Speaker 1: with probably Australia's biggest and best ever heroin importers as 461 00:29:07,640 --> 00:29:11,440 Speaker 1: they were then. Of course, he were some huge heroin 462 00:29:11,680 --> 00:29:17,280 Speaker 1: importers later, but as of nineteen seventy seven seventy seventy nine, 463 00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:20,719 Speaker 1: I don't think there were any bigger or better or 464 00:29:20,760 --> 00:29:26,280 Speaker 1: more busy than McMillan the Villain and his mate Michael Sullivan. 465 00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:36,640 Speaker 1: Michael Sullivan incidentally a former champion pole vaulter. He'd been 466 00:29:36,680 --> 00:29:39,680 Speaker 1: a champion pole vaulter as a youth, as a junior 467 00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:45,080 Speaker 1: athlete who had set some astonishing high mark I'm going 468 00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:48,440 Speaker 1: to say sixteen feet in the old but an astonishingly 469 00:29:48,520 --> 00:29:53,280 Speaker 1: high mark. As a sixteen year old, injured himself in 470 00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:57,640 Speaker 1: a training mishap or whatever did his knee badly. In 471 00:29:57,680 --> 00:30:01,160 Speaker 1: those days, they weren't good at knee surgery, and that 472 00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:07,240 Speaker 1: ended his career as an athlete. His old coach told me, 473 00:30:07,320 --> 00:30:09,600 Speaker 1: assured me. He said he would have gone to the 474 00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:12,640 Speaker 1: Olympics and vaulted for Australia, and he was good enough 475 00:30:13,120 --> 00:30:15,840 Speaker 1: to vault against anybody in the world. But the injury 476 00:30:16,120 --> 00:30:19,520 Speaker 1: finished him, and it meant that he was in pain, 477 00:30:19,680 --> 00:30:23,240 Speaker 1: and he got keen on the painkillers to kill the pain, 478 00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:26,920 Speaker 1: and that led him into morphine and then into heroine, 479 00:30:27,440 --> 00:30:31,000 Speaker 1: and that's how he got involved in drugs because of 480 00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:35,400 Speaker 1: the injury. And in the end, the drugs filled a 481 00:30:35,520 --> 00:30:38,560 Speaker 1: hole in his life, that hole that was left when 482 00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:42,560 Speaker 1: he could no longer be an elite athlete. And that 483 00:30:42,760 --> 00:30:45,720 Speaker 1: is sort of it, except there we've got Joe Taranto, 484 00:30:46,080 --> 00:30:49,360 Speaker 1: still married to the lovely Jennifer who persuaded him to 485 00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:52,440 Speaker 1: sell the Lambeau all those years ago so that they 486 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:56,560 Speaker 1: could spend the money tiling their driveway and putting in 487 00:30:56,600 --> 00:31:00,720 Speaker 1: a pool, which was good, really probably a good use 488 00:31:00,760 --> 00:31:04,240 Speaker 1: of their money. Apart from one thing. I noticed that 489 00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:07,960 Speaker 1: if you look up that particular model of Lamborghini now 490 00:31:08,760 --> 00:31:11,920 Speaker 1: they bring anything up to about one hundred and twenty 491 00:31:11,960 --> 00:31:16,640 Speaker 1: thousand dollars, And so if Joe Taranto still had his 492 00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:23,480 Speaker 1: flawless and immaculate Lamborghini, it would be worth six figures. 493 00:31:24,120 --> 00:31:28,440 Speaker 1: These days, he tells me, he drives a very plain, 494 00:31:29,200 --> 00:31:36,560 Speaker 1: sensible BMW Sudan, and no more attendant sports cars for Joe, 495 00:31:36,720 --> 00:31:40,960 Speaker 1: no more Lamborghinis for Joe Taranto, respectable retired gentlemen. No 496 00:31:41,080 --> 00:31:43,560 Speaker 1: more for David McMillan either, because if he's not in 497 00:31:43,680 --> 00:31:47,560 Speaker 1: jail in the UK, where he's last known to be living, 498 00:31:47,680 --> 00:31:50,240 Speaker 1: he soon will be, because he's gone in and out 499 00:31:50,280 --> 00:31:54,200 Speaker 1: of jail for his whole life, including that great story 500 00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:57,640 Speaker 1: which we have told him before of him getting out 501 00:31:57,680 --> 00:32:01,200 Speaker 1: of the Bangkok Hilton, which is the name for the 502 00:32:01,800 --> 00:32:06,800 Speaker 1: notorious jail in Thailand. He became the first Westerner ever 503 00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:10,000 Speaker 1: to break out of that jail successfully, and he broke 504 00:32:10,040 --> 00:32:14,600 Speaker 1: out of it carrying an umbrella and walking away on 505 00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:17,760 Speaker 1: the basis he said that escape prisoners do not carry 506 00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:21,160 Speaker 1: umbrellas and that's why he did it. No more and 507 00:32:21,240 --> 00:32:25,680 Speaker 1: ambiguinnis for him his life is not so good these days. 508 00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:29,200 Speaker 1: And no more for Michael Sullivan because he's left us. 509 00:32:29,240 --> 00:32:33,560 Speaker 1: He died for old Michael, and so the only winner 510 00:32:33,560 --> 00:32:36,720 Speaker 1: in this one really is Joe Taranto, who's still got 511 00:32:36,720 --> 00:32:41,760 Speaker 1: the nice house, in ventalizer and having a nice life. 512 00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:45,800 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening. Life and Crimes is a Sunday Herald's 513 00:32:45,760 --> 00:32:50,680 Speaker 1: Sun production for True Crime Australia. Our producer is Johnty Burton. 514 00:32:51,560 --> 00:32:55,400 Speaker 1: For my columns, features and more. Go to herold'sun dot 515 00:32:55,440 --> 00:33:02,400 Speaker 1: com dot au forward slash Andrew Rule. For advertising inquiries, 516 00:33:02,480 --> 00:33:07,480 Speaker 1: go to news podcasts sold at news dot com dot au. 517 00:33:08,360 --> 00:33:13,240 Speaker 1: That is all one word news podcasts sold And if 518 00:33:13,280 --> 00:33:17,720 Speaker 1: you want further information about this episode, links are in 519 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:18,640 Speaker 1: the description