1 00:00:08,245 --> 00:00:15,365 Speaker 1: School of Humans? Is this still recording? It's on? You're 2 00:00:15,405 --> 00:00:18,325 Speaker 1: just going to edit all this bullshit. It's a wasted time, though, 3 00:00:18,365 --> 00:00:22,085 Speaker 1: isn't it having to listen to Semire say something. I 4 00:00:22,165 --> 00:00:28,125 Speaker 1: might say something amazing. I always say something amazing. I've 5 00:00:28,125 --> 00:00:29,925 Speaker 1: just turned on the recorder in front of my dad 6 00:00:29,925 --> 00:00:32,765 Speaker 1: at his house in northern California. This is our first 7 00:00:32,805 --> 00:00:36,645 Speaker 1: recording session, and he's a little uncomfortable being recorded, and 8 00:00:36,725 --> 00:00:39,885 Speaker 1: for good reason, because while my dad was an amazing 9 00:00:39,885 --> 00:00:42,925 Speaker 1: father who made sure I grew up with a storybook childhood, 10 00:00:43,485 --> 00:00:45,845 Speaker 1: this is the first time he is telling me about 11 00:00:45,885 --> 00:00:49,765 Speaker 1: his double life, because for twenty plus years, from the 12 00:00:49,805 --> 00:00:52,965 Speaker 1: late sixties to the late nineteen eighties, my dad was 13 00:00:53,005 --> 00:01:00,605 Speaker 1: a pot smuggler of considerable proportions. Do you want to 14 00:01:00,645 --> 00:01:03,885 Speaker 1: just tell us about what the bond of outlaws is 15 00:01:05,725 --> 00:01:09,285 Speaker 1: to not talk about anything ever? Do you mean? Is 16 00:01:09,325 --> 00:01:12,805 Speaker 1: that what you're speaking of? That? It's that's what we're 17 00:01:12,845 --> 00:01:16,325 Speaker 1: not supposed to do is talk about it. So getting 18 00:01:16,365 --> 00:01:18,565 Speaker 1: me in a whole bunch of my crazy friends to 19 00:01:18,645 --> 00:01:24,245 Speaker 1: be talking about staff is a little fucking crazy. For 20 00:01:24,285 --> 00:01:26,605 Speaker 1: the past year, I've been interviewing my parents and all 21 00:01:26,605 --> 00:01:28,885 Speaker 1: these people in my life who I've learned we're part 22 00:01:28,925 --> 00:01:32,965 Speaker 1: of the smuggling network, and hearing these stories has truly 23 00:01:33,045 --> 00:01:41,005 Speaker 1: changed my life. I'm Rainbow Valentine, and this is disorganized 24 00:01:41,045 --> 00:01:54,645 Speaker 1: crime smuggler's daughter, young, free and groovy making it up. 25 00:01:55,365 --> 00:02:23,685 Speaker 1: We roll along country even brain making it up. So 26 00:02:23,725 --> 00:02:26,485 Speaker 1: here's what I tell people about this podcast. Like most 27 00:02:26,565 --> 00:02:29,085 Speaker 1: kids in the nineteen eighties, I was obsessed with Indiana 28 00:02:29,165 --> 00:02:31,645 Speaker 1: Jones movies. I would dig for treasure in my backyard 29 00:02:31,765 --> 00:02:35,685 Speaker 1: all the time. Well, actually, during one of my digging 30 00:02:35,685 --> 00:02:37,525 Speaker 1: bouts in the mid eighties, when I was about eight 31 00:02:37,605 --> 00:02:40,805 Speaker 1: or nine, there was in fact half a million dollars 32 00:02:41,005 --> 00:02:44,125 Speaker 1: buried in my backyard. Well it wasn't like you'd find that. 33 00:02:44,485 --> 00:02:48,445 Speaker 1: You would have discovered a big steel box which would 34 00:02:48,485 --> 00:02:51,085 Speaker 1: have appeared to be a pirate treasure chest, which would 35 00:02:51,085 --> 00:02:55,165 Speaker 1: have been a treasures like So, this is my dad. 36 00:02:55,565 --> 00:02:58,605 Speaker 1: He's just finished telling me about one of his biggest smuggles, 37 00:02:58,925 --> 00:03:02,445 Speaker 1: helping some of his old smuggling pals distribute sixty thousand 38 00:03:02,605 --> 00:03:07,285 Speaker 1: pounds of Lebanese hash. He ended up smuggling four thousand pounds. 39 00:03:07,645 --> 00:03:10,765 Speaker 1: Oh you know, just four thousand pounds of hash. No 40 00:03:10,965 --> 00:03:14,485 Speaker 1: big deal or the equivalent of two hundred and fifty 41 00:03:14,565 --> 00:03:18,645 Speaker 1: thousand dollars, which at the time was over one point 42 00:03:18,685 --> 00:03:22,965 Speaker 1: three million dollars in today's money, and my dad needed 43 00:03:23,005 --> 00:03:25,805 Speaker 1: to keep that money safe until the Pounds who initially 44 00:03:25,925 --> 00:03:28,925 Speaker 1: smuggled the hash into the country from Lebanon could come 45 00:03:28,925 --> 00:03:33,005 Speaker 1: and collect. But my dad had a problem. He didn't 46 00:03:33,005 --> 00:03:36,045 Speaker 1: know where to put that much cash in my snug 47 00:03:36,325 --> 00:03:40,205 Speaker 1: childhood home, so he decided to bury the money in 48 00:03:40,205 --> 00:03:44,765 Speaker 1: the yard. I got a big steel box, and I 49 00:03:44,845 --> 00:03:46,925 Speaker 1: put it all in this steel box, and then I 50 00:03:47,045 --> 00:03:50,765 Speaker 1: went out to our gardens, which were all at that 51 00:03:50,925 --> 00:03:54,805 Speaker 1: time BlackBerry bushes. The whole acreage was all BlackBerry so 52 00:03:54,885 --> 00:03:58,365 Speaker 1: you couldn't really see much of anything. And I went 53 00:03:58,445 --> 00:04:03,085 Speaker 1: from this bush to this bush to whatever and found 54 00:04:03,085 --> 00:04:06,005 Speaker 1: the spot to bury it. And I buried the ship. Finally, 55 00:04:06,885 --> 00:04:09,205 Speaker 1: a long time later, it could be six months, did 56 00:04:09,245 --> 00:04:12,485 Speaker 1: I get a call saying, yo, bro, we want to 57 00:04:12,525 --> 00:04:15,525 Speaker 1: come over. We're gonna come out next week and pick 58 00:04:15,565 --> 00:04:20,365 Speaker 1: it up. Cool, No problem, okay, So I had to 59 00:04:20,405 --> 00:04:23,525 Speaker 1: go out there and find it. However, by the time 60 00:04:23,605 --> 00:04:26,885 Speaker 1: that had happened, we had already worked on our land 61 00:04:27,565 --> 00:04:31,725 Speaker 1: and got rid of all of the blackberries and I 62 00:04:31,765 --> 00:04:36,245 Speaker 1: mean I had hired these two guys to not only 63 00:04:37,525 --> 00:04:39,645 Speaker 1: get rid of the blackberries, but to dig up the 64 00:04:39,725 --> 00:04:42,445 Speaker 1: roots and sift them, sift through them with it, so 65 00:04:42,485 --> 00:04:45,885 Speaker 1: we wouldn't have so it would become gardens. All my 66 00:04:46,445 --> 00:04:50,765 Speaker 1: idiot landmarks were destroyed. And it have been so long 67 00:04:50,805 --> 00:04:54,045 Speaker 1: since I put the fucking thing in the ground. I 68 00:04:54,085 --> 00:04:57,045 Speaker 1: couldn't initially find it, and I started to freak out, 69 00:04:57,125 --> 00:05:00,725 Speaker 1: and then I freaked out thinking, oh fuck, did these 70 00:05:00,765 --> 00:05:03,405 Speaker 1: guys do in the garden find it and just take it? 71 00:05:03,605 --> 00:05:06,485 Speaker 1: Oh my god. The yard of my childhood home was 72 00:05:06,605 --> 00:05:10,605 Speaker 1: three fourths of an acre on a steep hill. It's huge, precarious, 73 00:05:10,605 --> 00:05:12,645 Speaker 1: and it always took a ton of work. My mom 74 00:05:12,685 --> 00:05:16,925 Speaker 1: garden constantly planting massive bamboo groves with huge shovels, not 75 00:05:17,005 --> 00:05:21,485 Speaker 1: dinky hand spades. I was probably there for the frantic search, 76 00:05:21,565 --> 00:05:24,405 Speaker 1: but I blocked it out because nothing stresses me out 77 00:05:24,445 --> 00:05:28,085 Speaker 1: like my dad's stress, which is huge, theatrical, and like 78 00:05:28,125 --> 00:05:31,965 Speaker 1: a frazzled, angry cabby in Manhattan traffic, super New Yorky. 79 00:05:32,685 --> 00:05:34,965 Speaker 1: I'm sure my parents frantic search was full of blood, 80 00:05:35,005 --> 00:05:38,165 Speaker 1: sweat and tears. Where the fuck is it? Oh? Crust 81 00:05:38,405 --> 00:05:42,125 Speaker 1: spoiler he finds it buried now near the pear tree. 82 00:05:42,805 --> 00:05:47,285 Speaker 1: But in this moment, my dad learns an important smuggling lesson. 83 00:05:48,085 --> 00:05:51,365 Speaker 1: If you're going to bury treasure in the backyard, remember 84 00:05:51,365 --> 00:05:53,965 Speaker 1: where the fuck you put it? Did you ever bury 85 00:05:54,405 --> 00:06:01,725 Speaker 1: stuff in the yard again? No? Anyway, Hi, I'm Rainbow Valentine. 86 00:06:02,085 --> 00:06:04,845 Speaker 1: So Rainbow Valentine is not my real name, although I 87 00:06:04,885 --> 00:06:07,885 Speaker 1: did start calling myself Rainbow Valentine when I was five 88 00:06:08,405 --> 00:06:10,885 Speaker 1: because I thought that rainbows and Valentines were the two 89 00:06:10,965 --> 00:06:13,525 Speaker 1: most beautiful things in the world, so together it would 90 00:06:13,565 --> 00:06:17,645 Speaker 1: be the most beautiful thing in the universe. So I've 91 00:06:17,645 --> 00:06:20,765 Speaker 1: spent the last year on a midlife reckoning, as my 92 00:06:20,845 --> 00:06:24,685 Speaker 1: BFF says, opening Pandora's box and learning about what my 93 00:06:24,765 --> 00:06:27,485 Speaker 1: parents and most of the adults in my childhood were 94 00:06:27,565 --> 00:06:29,765 Speaker 1: up to. While I endeavored to get cast as Annie 95 00:06:29,845 --> 00:06:33,685 Speaker 1: or Dorothy. Now that never happened, but I have learned 96 00:06:33,725 --> 00:06:36,885 Speaker 1: all about the grown ups in my life smuggling thousands 97 00:06:36,965 --> 00:06:40,765 Speaker 1: of pounds of pot quilst I willingly humiliated myself by 98 00:06:40,765 --> 00:06:43,685 Speaker 1: building out somewhere over the rainbow at the Senior Citizens Center. 99 00:06:44,725 --> 00:06:47,325 Speaker 1: I'm using this alias of Rainbow Valentine because most of 100 00:06:47,325 --> 00:06:50,405 Speaker 1: the people i'm talking to, former smugglers, that is, are 101 00:06:50,445 --> 00:06:54,205 Speaker 1: not comfortable having their names revealed. My parents have finally 102 00:06:54,245 --> 00:06:58,685 Speaker 1: settled on Walter and Taffy Lemur. We cycled through Kimmy Whitefish, 103 00:06:58,885 --> 00:07:03,205 Speaker 1: various other ridiculous names. To be clear, I've known my 104 00:07:03,285 --> 00:07:06,525 Speaker 1: dad was a pot smuggler since I was fourteen. I 105 00:07:06,565 --> 00:07:09,245 Speaker 1: remember my older sister, Verdicu, who was in college at 106 00:07:09,245 --> 00:07:11,605 Speaker 1: the time, sat me down one summer day and in 107 00:07:11,645 --> 00:07:15,765 Speaker 1: a hushed voice, told me the family secret that our 108 00:07:15,845 --> 00:07:19,765 Speaker 1: dad was a big time pot smuggler in California. Then 109 00:07:19,845 --> 00:07:22,205 Speaker 1: she said to never tell anyone that I knew this information, 110 00:07:22,445 --> 00:07:29,685 Speaker 1: and definitely don't mention it to our parents. Well. Being 111 00:07:29,685 --> 00:07:31,725 Speaker 1: a bit of a loudmouth, I did mention it a 112 00:07:31,765 --> 00:07:35,685 Speaker 1: few times, and in return received a deadly serious warning 113 00:07:35,725 --> 00:07:38,885 Speaker 1: to never speak of this to anyone from my dad. 114 00:07:40,085 --> 00:07:42,885 Speaker 1: Before this year. The last time I even tried to 115 00:07:42,925 --> 00:07:45,085 Speaker 1: bring up the whole being a smuggler for twenty two 116 00:07:45,125 --> 00:07:47,045 Speaker 1: years thing was when I came home from college in 117 00:07:47,045 --> 00:07:50,125 Speaker 1: the mid nineteen nineties, more than five years after my 118 00:07:50,205 --> 00:07:53,205 Speaker 1: dad was out of the smuggling business. My dad was 119 00:07:53,285 --> 00:07:55,205 Speaker 1: driving me home from the airport, and I remember him 120 00:07:55,245 --> 00:07:58,365 Speaker 1: slamming on the brakes, and he said, well, I'll just 121 00:07:58,445 --> 00:08:02,245 Speaker 1: let him tell you what he told me. I remember 122 00:08:02,445 --> 00:08:08,045 Speaker 1: very much stopping the car and to you, it is 123 00:08:08,245 --> 00:08:14,005 Speaker 1: critical that you never speak of this to anyone ever, 124 00:08:14,525 --> 00:08:19,685 Speaker 1: because more than anything, Bruce lips singing ships. Ah. But 125 00:08:19,885 --> 00:08:23,645 Speaker 1: times they are a changing. All over California, you'll see 126 00:08:23,685 --> 00:08:27,685 Speaker 1: billboards advertising pot delivery and dispensaries. There are apps where 127 00:08:27,685 --> 00:08:31,525 Speaker 1: you can get pot legally dropped off right at your doorstep. Also, 128 00:08:31,685 --> 00:08:34,485 Speaker 1: statutes of limitations on my dad's smuggling days have long 129 00:08:34,565 --> 00:08:37,445 Speaker 1: run out, and as they age, my dad and mom 130 00:08:37,445 --> 00:08:39,645 Speaker 1: are feeling a little more comfortable with the idea of 131 00:08:39,725 --> 00:08:46,805 Speaker 1: sharing their secret stories. Good morning Vietnam, is Mom, there 132 00:08:46,805 --> 00:08:51,445 Speaker 1: too are okay? Hi? I called my parents on their anniversary. 133 00:08:51,565 --> 00:08:54,285 Speaker 1: They've been together since nineteen seventy but only married in 134 00:08:54,325 --> 00:08:56,685 Speaker 1: two thousand and two. They wanted to make sure they 135 00:08:56,725 --> 00:09:00,165 Speaker 1: really liked each other, and I asked them to introduce 136 00:09:00,205 --> 00:09:04,525 Speaker 1: themselves and their aliases, Taffy and Walter Lemur. Hi, this 137 00:09:04,765 --> 00:09:09,885 Speaker 1: is taf Lemur and my husband, Walter Lemer. Walter and 138 00:09:09,965 --> 00:09:13,485 Speaker 1: I are in our seventies and I'm under my life 139 00:09:13,565 --> 00:09:17,205 Speaker 1: seven days and we came from the fifties, from the 140 00:09:17,285 --> 00:09:22,125 Speaker 1: sixties and stepped into the revolution of the Hippie revolution 141 00:09:22,285 --> 00:09:27,405 Speaker 1: when the sixties happened, and then we never left. And 142 00:09:27,485 --> 00:09:29,245 Speaker 1: can you tell us a little bit about your husband, 143 00:09:29,245 --> 00:09:33,405 Speaker 1: Walter Lemur my dad if he's a connoisseur of art 144 00:09:33,845 --> 00:09:39,285 Speaker 1: and decorations and food, and he likes to talk. He's 145 00:09:39,285 --> 00:09:43,245 Speaker 1: a schmoozer. It's from New York. And Dad, can you 146 00:09:43,285 --> 00:09:48,205 Speaker 1: introduce your wife? Hi there, Walter here. I came out 147 00:09:48,285 --> 00:09:52,725 Speaker 1: from the East Coast in nineteen seventy from New York. 148 00:09:53,725 --> 00:09:58,005 Speaker 1: I landed on the porch of two of the grateful 149 00:09:58,125 --> 00:10:03,325 Speaker 1: Dad's roadies, and within a couple of months being in 150 00:10:03,485 --> 00:10:08,685 Speaker 1: the center of that she I was introduced through them 151 00:10:09,005 --> 00:10:16,085 Speaker 1: to your lovely mother, with whom I've been for forty 152 00:10:16,165 --> 00:10:23,365 Speaker 1: nine years, the great and famous Kaffi Leaner. With my eccentric, Bohemian, 153 00:10:23,445 --> 00:10:26,965 Speaker 1: artsy intellectual parents at the helm, I had an idyllic childhood. 154 00:10:28,405 --> 00:10:30,885 Speaker 1: When I was a toddler, our family, me, my mom, 155 00:10:30,965 --> 00:10:33,525 Speaker 1: my dad, and my six year old sister, Vertica, moved 156 00:10:33,605 --> 00:10:35,805 Speaker 1: just north of the Golden Gate Bridge in Saclito to 157 00:10:35,925 --> 00:10:40,445 Speaker 1: Mill Valley, a redwood beetreed valley, nestled below Mount Tamil Pious, 158 00:10:41,485 --> 00:10:44,365 Speaker 1: named for its eighteen hundred sawmill, which still stands in 159 00:10:44,445 --> 00:10:47,085 Speaker 1: Old Mill Park. It was where families from all over 160 00:10:47,125 --> 00:10:51,005 Speaker 1: the Bay Area summerd in the eighteen hundreds. After the 161 00:10:51,045 --> 00:10:54,565 Speaker 1: Golden Gate Bridge was constructed in nineteen thirty seven, real 162 00:10:54,725 --> 00:10:57,605 Speaker 1: estate boomed in Mill Valley and it hasn't stopped since. 163 00:10:58,525 --> 00:11:01,845 Speaker 1: In the nineteen seventies, Mill Valley became an area associated 164 00:11:01,845 --> 00:11:05,005 Speaker 1: with great wealth, with so many people making their millions 165 00:11:05,005 --> 00:11:09,365 Speaker 1: in San Francisco and moving north to raise kids. Nineteen seventies, 166 00:11:09,405 --> 00:11:12,285 Speaker 1: Mill Valley had a quiet, low key, home spun hippie 167 00:11:12,285 --> 00:11:15,885 Speaker 1: wealth vibe. It was charming, rural, a funky town full 168 00:11:15,925 --> 00:11:21,045 Speaker 1: of small businesses and young counterculture families, progressive intellectuals, rock stars, 169 00:11:21,405 --> 00:11:27,805 Speaker 1: nature lovers, and old California gold Rush moneyed families. I 170 00:11:27,885 --> 00:11:30,045 Speaker 1: remember singing this song about Mill Valley as a kid. 171 00:11:30,245 --> 00:11:32,765 Speaker 1: It's by Rita Abrahams, a Mill Valley resident, and it 172 00:11:32,925 --> 00:11:36,085 Speaker 1: perfectly illustrates the feel good hippie vibe of my childhood 173 00:11:36,285 --> 00:11:41,365 Speaker 1: in Northern California. People at a Fridges spa and stop 174 00:11:41,365 --> 00:11:45,965 Speaker 1: and talk with you, walk and you can be as 175 00:11:46,165 --> 00:12:05,845 Speaker 1: friendly as you want to. Be talking about love. Those 176 00:12:05,845 --> 00:12:08,605 Speaker 1: flutes drive on nostal drum just feels good and just 177 00:12:08,725 --> 00:12:13,405 Speaker 1: feels right. Anyway, among the rolling landscapes and redwoods was 178 00:12:13,485 --> 00:12:16,725 Speaker 1: my house, stucked among the trees, BlackBerry bushes and roses 179 00:12:16,725 --> 00:12:19,325 Speaker 1: that adorned our driveway, which to me as a kid 180 00:12:19,365 --> 00:12:22,765 Speaker 1: seemed like the longest dirt driveway in the world. Our 181 00:12:22,765 --> 00:12:25,885 Speaker 1: family was close, always together, cooking and eating, hanging out 182 00:12:25,885 --> 00:12:28,445 Speaker 1: in the main part of the house, which was an 183 00:12:28,445 --> 00:12:31,845 Speaker 1: open kitchen, dining room, living room with giant windows and 184 00:12:32,085 --> 00:12:35,525 Speaker 1: sliding glass doors to the deck, quoi pond, and massive 185 00:12:35,605 --> 00:12:39,005 Speaker 1: gardens full of fruit trees, play structures, the trampoline, and 186 00:12:39,085 --> 00:12:43,405 Speaker 1: more so much more I've since learned. Our house was 187 00:12:43,485 --> 00:12:46,885 Speaker 1: usually full of laughter, delicious food, original art, and it 188 00:12:46,965 --> 00:12:50,685 Speaker 1: was a center of social activity. My parents' friends constantly 189 00:12:50,725 --> 00:12:53,525 Speaker 1: dropped by and stayed for dinner, and every weekend my 190 00:12:53,685 --> 00:12:58,405 Speaker 1: friends visited for slumber parties, spending multiple nights. My friends 191 00:12:58,445 --> 00:13:01,125 Speaker 1: and I would concoct stories that we would theatrically record 192 00:13:01,125 --> 00:13:05,325 Speaker 1: into my cassette player, with me always taking center stage. 193 00:13:05,085 --> 00:13:10,365 Speaker 1: Guys coming for Then I shall cook my specialty brain 194 00:13:10,605 --> 00:13:15,325 Speaker 1: a lah noodle. What shall you cook? I shall hook 195 00:13:17,765 --> 00:13:23,845 Speaker 1: my specialty rive allah I bill yuh me yum, It's 196 00:13:24,485 --> 00:13:27,645 Speaker 1: so delicious. Every night, my parents would read to me 197 00:13:27,725 --> 00:13:30,445 Speaker 1: in my treehouse loft bed wall papered with snow white 198 00:13:30,445 --> 00:13:33,365 Speaker 1: in the Seven Dwarves. I went to an artsy, holistic 199 00:13:33,485 --> 00:13:36,605 Speaker 1: progressive school where each day started with an hour of music. 200 00:13:47,685 --> 00:13:50,245 Speaker 1: When I was eight, my sister thirteen. In the early eighties, 201 00:13:50,325 --> 00:13:52,885 Speaker 1: our little brother was born and I became the middle child. 202 00:13:54,165 --> 00:13:56,925 Speaker 1: My memories of childhood are joyful, full of abundance, both 203 00:13:57,005 --> 00:13:59,765 Speaker 1: the material like playing legos at our Tahoe house, and 204 00:13:59,885 --> 00:14:04,765 Speaker 1: the immaterial like community, magical, spiritual, connected to the earthedness, friends, family, 205 00:14:04,845 --> 00:14:16,805 Speaker 1: and a lot of absurdities. When I look back now, 206 00:14:16,885 --> 00:14:19,685 Speaker 1: I feel ridiculous for not realizing that something was going 207 00:14:19,765 --> 00:14:22,805 Speaker 1: on behind the scenes in our family home. Our house 208 00:14:22,925 --> 00:14:25,685 Speaker 1: was pretty different from TV houses like The Brady Bunch, 209 00:14:25,805 --> 00:14:28,925 Speaker 1: my favorite show. For instance, we had a second parking 210 00:14:29,005 --> 00:14:32,165 Speaker 1: lot on the property for all the extra oversized vehicles 211 00:14:32,245 --> 00:14:34,725 Speaker 1: my family owned. The Brady Bunch only had that one 212 00:14:34,765 --> 00:14:37,965 Speaker 1: wood paneled station wagon. Our car part had a clutch 213 00:14:38,045 --> 00:14:41,205 Speaker 1: of outdoor storage closets packed with camping gear, ski gear, 214 00:14:41,565 --> 00:14:45,965 Speaker 1: and dozens of hardback seventies sampsonite burnt sianta suit cases 215 00:14:46,005 --> 00:14:48,845 Speaker 1: with combo locks. Okay, sure, we were a family of five, 216 00:14:48,925 --> 00:14:52,565 Speaker 1: but we never seemed to use the suitcases. They were 217 00:14:52,645 --> 00:14:54,805 Speaker 1: foemy inside and large enough for me to fit in, 218 00:14:54,885 --> 00:14:57,965 Speaker 1: and I loved playing with them, pretending I was stowaway 219 00:14:58,085 --> 00:15:02,605 Speaker 1: or hidden refugee, climbing inside and shutting the lid. Now 220 00:15:02,965 --> 00:15:08,125 Speaker 1: I get it. These amazing large suitcases were for transporting weed. 221 00:15:09,725 --> 00:15:11,885 Speaker 1: I also have fond memories of going to these weekly 222 00:15:11,965 --> 00:15:14,925 Speaker 1: baseball games with my dad. I'd run around and play 223 00:15:14,965 --> 00:15:18,125 Speaker 1: in the crisp marine air around a glossy green baseball field, 224 00:15:18,205 --> 00:15:21,605 Speaker 1: enjoying myself, maybe batting a ball or two, and my 225 00:15:21,725 --> 00:15:23,445 Speaker 1: dad would play with all these guys I've known my 226 00:15:23,485 --> 00:15:26,045 Speaker 1: whole life, the coach Baseball Bob, the Philly Boys, the 227 00:15:26,125 --> 00:15:30,285 Speaker 1: French hippie tal Joe, Peach Blossom, Loose Larry, the Vietnam Vet. 228 00:15:31,205 --> 00:15:34,725 Speaker 1: And I'm now discovering that all of these people who 229 00:15:34,765 --> 00:15:37,325 Speaker 1: are essentially like my surrogate ants and uncles, all of 230 00:15:37,485 --> 00:15:42,725 Speaker 1: them were also smugglers or growers or somehow in the 231 00:15:42,805 --> 00:15:47,565 Speaker 1: pot industry big time. And here's how oblivious I was 232 00:15:47,605 --> 00:15:50,085 Speaker 1: as a kid, slash amazed I didn't realize what was 233 00:15:50,125 --> 00:15:53,205 Speaker 1: going on. They're always garbage bags of pot in my 234 00:15:53,285 --> 00:15:56,525 Speaker 1: dad's office. Garbage bags, you guys. But this just seemed 235 00:15:56,605 --> 00:15:59,205 Speaker 1: normal to me. My parents seemed normal. I mean, they 236 00:15:59,245 --> 00:16:01,405 Speaker 1: weren't straight that as, they weren't the typical nine to 237 00:16:01,485 --> 00:16:05,245 Speaker 1: five suburban parents with zero interest in Tibetan Tonka's karmas 238 00:16:05,485 --> 00:16:08,805 Speaker 1: aadelic poster art. But they also weren't living on a 239 00:16:08,925 --> 00:16:12,725 Speaker 1: hippie bus and wearing tide like lots of my friends parents. 240 00:16:13,445 --> 00:16:17,525 Speaker 1: And plus, pott was everywhere in Marin County in northern California. 241 00:16:18,085 --> 00:16:22,445 Speaker 1: Everyone's family had pot around, just maybe not garbage bags full. 242 00:16:28,685 --> 00:16:31,405 Speaker 1: So when my sister told me the shocking news that 243 00:16:31,525 --> 00:16:34,605 Speaker 1: our parents were drug dealers when I was fourteen, I 244 00:16:34,805 --> 00:16:38,725 Speaker 1: was mortified. These are the Nancy Reagan just say no, 245 00:16:38,885 --> 00:16:41,485 Speaker 1: this is your brain on Drugs TV campaign years in 246 00:16:41,565 --> 00:16:46,285 Speaker 1: the nineteen eighties. Drug dealers are the worst, according to 247 00:16:46,405 --> 00:16:48,645 Speaker 1: TV and the rest of the world. Do I have 248 00:16:48,765 --> 00:16:53,405 Speaker 1: your permission to record? Yes? Okay, awesome, Okay, So this 249 00:16:53,525 --> 00:16:55,685 Speaker 1: is Petunia, one of my best friends growing up in 250 00:16:55,805 --> 00:16:58,245 Speaker 1: an honorary member of our family. She knew me and 251 00:16:58,325 --> 00:17:02,165 Speaker 1: my parents really well. Yeah. So my bff Petunia spent 252 00:17:02,245 --> 00:17:04,245 Speaker 1: so much time, you spent so much time at our house. 253 00:17:04,285 --> 00:17:06,765 Speaker 1: I wanted to get your stories of what you thought 254 00:17:06,845 --> 00:17:08,325 Speaker 1: was going on in my house and if you ever 255 00:17:08,405 --> 00:17:10,645 Speaker 1: had any what did you think of my house and 256 00:17:10,725 --> 00:17:13,645 Speaker 1: my parents? What did you did you have any inkling 257 00:17:13,725 --> 00:17:16,845 Speaker 1: of what they did for a job? And yeah, well, 258 00:17:17,045 --> 00:17:18,805 Speaker 1: I mean, of course I knew that your mom was 259 00:17:18,965 --> 00:17:27,445 Speaker 1: a painter and a mother, and that was very clear, transparent, 260 00:17:27,605 --> 00:17:30,245 Speaker 1: obvious and made a lot of sense, you know, you 261 00:17:30,325 --> 00:17:34,885 Speaker 1: could see. And with your dad, it wasn't clear what 262 00:17:35,165 --> 00:17:39,445 Speaker 1: he was doing. I feel like we talked about it 263 00:17:39,525 --> 00:17:43,485 Speaker 1: even as children, and and said that he was a businessman. 264 00:17:43,765 --> 00:17:47,085 Speaker 1: He knew that he was a businessman, but definitely not 265 00:17:47,365 --> 00:17:51,405 Speaker 1: like a nine to five, not a suit. But we 266 00:17:51,525 --> 00:17:54,045 Speaker 1: knew that he made deals. I knew that he made 267 00:17:54,085 --> 00:17:57,045 Speaker 1: deals because he would like this. I feel like this 268 00:17:57,205 --> 00:17:59,805 Speaker 1: must have been part of his conversation. That it was like, oh, 269 00:17:59,885 --> 00:18:01,965 Speaker 1: I'm working on a deal or whatever, but some kind 270 00:18:02,005 --> 00:18:05,125 Speaker 1: of deal that it involved talking on the phone. And 271 00:18:05,525 --> 00:18:10,685 Speaker 1: so your dad was around and doing business and and 272 00:18:11,085 --> 00:18:13,645 Speaker 1: that's that's all I knew. Really, yeah, me too, And 273 00:18:13,725 --> 00:18:16,285 Speaker 1: I didn't care, like that's all that was all the 274 00:18:16,765 --> 00:18:18,965 Speaker 1: business man that was. It was an answer that was 275 00:18:18,965 --> 00:18:21,845 Speaker 1: answer enough for me. Yeah, and I could perceive that 276 00:18:22,045 --> 00:18:25,685 Speaker 1: your your family was well off. Your house was like 277 00:18:26,805 --> 00:18:31,925 Speaker 1: an oasis of plenitude. Do you remember my dad being 278 00:18:32,045 --> 00:18:41,525 Speaker 1: super high strung, Yeah, so stressed out. Yeah yeah, me too. 279 00:18:43,085 --> 00:18:46,005 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah. It's sort of interesting, but like I 280 00:18:46,085 --> 00:18:48,205 Speaker 1: don't know, like a lot of other people's dads just 281 00:18:48,325 --> 00:18:52,845 Speaker 1: weren't really around, so like who knows what those dads were, Like, 282 00:18:53,165 --> 00:18:55,725 Speaker 1: who else's dad was around as much as your dad, 283 00:18:55,805 --> 00:18:58,605 Speaker 1: Like nobody's. I love hearing Petunia talk about my dad 284 00:18:58,685 --> 00:19:02,365 Speaker 1: like this, because he really was around a lot. There's 285 00:19:02,405 --> 00:19:05,045 Speaker 1: something special about how my dad subverts the good old 286 00:19:05,125 --> 00:19:08,205 Speaker 1: dad role. Clad in a far side T shirt, my 287 00:19:08,285 --> 00:19:10,685 Speaker 1: dad would pad around in his office and his socks, 288 00:19:11,045 --> 00:19:14,445 Speaker 1: yelling into the phone, stealing our Halloween candy, schooling us 289 00:19:14,485 --> 00:19:17,605 Speaker 1: on opera and art history. Oh and he was also smuggling. 290 00:19:18,565 --> 00:19:21,005 Speaker 1: After I found out the family secret in my teens, 291 00:19:21,365 --> 00:19:24,365 Speaker 1: Petunia was the only person I confided in. Yeah, I 292 00:19:24,405 --> 00:19:27,485 Speaker 1: remember you telling me in this tone of like I 293 00:19:27,685 --> 00:19:29,485 Speaker 1: just found out, how can you believe it? And I 294 00:19:29,605 --> 00:19:34,525 Speaker 1: was like, yeah, I can't believe it actually, Like yeah, 295 00:19:34,765 --> 00:19:37,925 Speaker 1: like it was not at all surprising, but I didn't know, 296 00:19:38,405 --> 00:19:41,965 Speaker 1: which is funny because I was shocked. I grew up 297 00:19:42,005 --> 00:19:43,685 Speaker 1: in this world where there was it was. Pot was 298 00:19:43,765 --> 00:19:48,925 Speaker 1: everywhere in my household. Yeah, it wasn't hidden, I mean 299 00:19:49,125 --> 00:19:53,445 Speaker 1: it wasn't. It was just part of the furniture. Yeah, 300 00:19:54,325 --> 00:19:57,405 Speaker 1: and I was totally uninterested in it. Yeah, it was boring. 301 00:19:58,125 --> 00:20:00,565 Speaker 1: I thought pot was uncool. I thought it was lame. 302 00:20:00,805 --> 00:20:02,365 Speaker 1: I thought it was what grown ups did. I thought 303 00:20:02,365 --> 00:20:05,045 Speaker 1: it was like totally lame. And it blows my mind 304 00:20:05,605 --> 00:20:10,325 Speaker 1: think that literally, at any moment, my parents could have 305 00:20:10,365 --> 00:20:14,605 Speaker 1: been busted and we could have been foster children. Yeah, well, 306 00:20:14,685 --> 00:20:18,525 Speaker 1: this is something that's interesting to me. So my mom 307 00:20:18,885 --> 00:20:23,605 Speaker 1: is thinks of herself as a very overprotective person. So 308 00:20:23,805 --> 00:20:30,325 Speaker 1: I'm curious what she knew about your dad's livelihood because 309 00:20:30,485 --> 00:20:33,325 Speaker 1: I know that she did the books for your dad 310 00:20:33,605 --> 00:20:39,245 Speaker 1: for a while, and I wonder what she knew because 311 00:20:39,365 --> 00:20:43,805 Speaker 1: she thinks of herself as an overprotective parent. But then 312 00:20:44,285 --> 00:20:48,085 Speaker 1: she was allowing me to spend vast amounts of time 313 00:20:48,885 --> 00:20:53,325 Speaker 1: in this household that like, like what if your dad 314 00:20:53,525 --> 00:20:59,965 Speaker 1: was busted or what if some professional enemy. I don't 315 00:20:59,965 --> 00:21:01,605 Speaker 1: know how likely that this would be. I really have 316 00:21:01,765 --> 00:21:05,485 Speaker 1: no idea, but like, did he know people who were dangerous? 317 00:21:06,125 --> 00:21:16,725 Speaker 1: Possibly he did? Coming up, my dad loses all of 318 00:21:16,845 --> 00:21:19,925 Speaker 1: his money and a smuggling trip gone wrong, which just 319 00:21:20,045 --> 00:21:22,885 Speaker 1: happened to be the night I was born. I'm Rainbow 320 00:21:23,005 --> 00:21:25,965 Speaker 1: Valentine and this is disorganized crime. We'll be right back. 321 00:21:36,605 --> 00:21:39,365 Speaker 1: The origin of the word pot is from pataguaya, a 322 00:21:39,445 --> 00:21:42,005 Speaker 1: wine or brandy that has been steeped in cannabis buds. 323 00:21:42,445 --> 00:21:46,805 Speaker 1: Pataguaya is short for potassion duguaya, which means the drink 324 00:21:46,845 --> 00:21:50,325 Speaker 1: of grief. It does seem this job brought its fair 325 00:21:50,365 --> 00:21:53,045 Speaker 1: share of grief with it. If a deal went wrong, 326 00:21:53,205 --> 00:22:00,525 Speaker 1: you could lose everything. Can Dad stop clinking around in 327 00:22:00,605 --> 00:22:05,205 Speaker 1: the back, We can hear him and bail? Yeah? Yeah, 328 00:22:05,285 --> 00:22:09,085 Speaker 1: Dad is not able to be quiet. Good job. Enjoy 329 00:22:09,125 --> 00:22:13,565 Speaker 1: your oatmeal, dad, So mom, can you talk about how 330 00:22:14,365 --> 00:22:18,605 Speaker 1: critical it was that your jobs were see a secret? 331 00:22:18,765 --> 00:22:21,885 Speaker 1: Talk about the high stakes of this job. The high 332 00:22:21,925 --> 00:22:25,765 Speaker 1: stakes were that we was the ego and everybody thought 333 00:22:25,805 --> 00:22:28,925 Speaker 1: it was the devil. And if you got caught with 334 00:22:29,165 --> 00:22:32,525 Speaker 1: even an ounce who went to jail and could lose 335 00:22:32,565 --> 00:22:35,845 Speaker 1: your kids. It was super high stakes. So you could 336 00:22:35,965 --> 00:22:39,005 Speaker 1: you have to be really careful about not talking about 337 00:22:39,125 --> 00:22:44,085 Speaker 1: your business to any of your friends or parents of 338 00:22:44,245 --> 00:22:48,005 Speaker 1: the other children, or the soccer parents. You just have 339 00:22:48,165 --> 00:22:51,965 Speaker 1: to conduct your life like it was really normal, just 340 00:22:52,205 --> 00:22:55,125 Speaker 1: like everybody else. Dad finished his oatmeal and chimed in. 341 00:22:55,485 --> 00:22:58,725 Speaker 1: I mean, my job was to do it right and 342 00:22:59,565 --> 00:23:04,765 Speaker 1: stay under the radar and be this schizophrenic living two 343 00:23:04,845 --> 00:23:10,405 Speaker 1: lives basically didn't bother me. It was either do it 344 00:23:10,605 --> 00:23:15,685 Speaker 1: right for begad. It was similar to war. You stick 345 00:23:15,765 --> 00:23:18,485 Speaker 1: your head above the foxhole and it gets blown off. 346 00:23:19,085 --> 00:23:22,485 Speaker 1: People are getting busted for less than an ounce of pot. 347 00:23:22,885 --> 00:23:26,965 Speaker 1: Now that wasn't real big time staff, but when you 348 00:23:27,085 --> 00:23:30,965 Speaker 1: got into what we were doing, it would cost a 349 00:23:31,085 --> 00:23:34,685 Speaker 1: fortunate attorneys even if you did get off, you know. 350 00:23:34,805 --> 00:23:40,365 Speaker 1: I mean, I was living sort of in two worlds. Now. 351 00:23:40,485 --> 00:23:43,005 Speaker 1: Both of my parents talk about leading a double life. 352 00:23:43,965 --> 00:23:46,845 Speaker 1: On one hand, the parents, I know, they're devoted, involved, 353 00:23:46,885 --> 00:23:50,965 Speaker 1: adoring parents and upstanding citizens who participate, to my embarrassment 354 00:23:51,005 --> 00:23:54,765 Speaker 1: in my school in life almost too enthusiastically. And on 355 00:23:54,845 --> 00:23:59,565 Speaker 1: the other hand, their counterculture outlaws smuggling up to several 356 00:23:59,765 --> 00:24:03,205 Speaker 1: thousands of pounds of pot across a god fearing country 357 00:24:03,605 --> 00:24:06,485 Speaker 1: swarming with law enforcement and full of hippie and drug 358 00:24:06,565 --> 00:24:11,325 Speaker 1: fearing Americans. My dad's career as a smuggler coincided with 359 00:24:11,405 --> 00:24:15,325 Speaker 1: the inception of the War on Drugs, when the country 360 00:24:15,485 --> 00:24:18,885 Speaker 1: was focused on sending drug dealers and users to prison, 361 00:24:19,925 --> 00:24:22,885 Speaker 1: and more and more dangerous drugs were entering the transcontinental 362 00:24:22,965 --> 00:24:26,605 Speaker 1: smuggling trade like heroin and cocaine drugs were If you 363 00:24:26,725 --> 00:24:29,685 Speaker 1: got caught up in those smuggling networks, could lead to 364 00:24:29,805 --> 00:24:33,525 Speaker 1: a bullet through the head. You've mentioned feeling like you 365 00:24:33,685 --> 00:24:36,405 Speaker 1: led a devil life, Can you speak about that? But yeah, 366 00:24:36,525 --> 00:24:40,245 Speaker 1: well then I had I had my friends, which were 367 00:24:40,445 --> 00:24:44,885 Speaker 1: all my old friends. We trusted everybody from their word, 368 00:24:45,325 --> 00:24:49,685 Speaker 1: and they were separate from all the people that lived 369 00:24:49,685 --> 00:24:53,885 Speaker 1: in the community, you know, and the people at the stores, 370 00:24:54,325 --> 00:24:58,125 Speaker 1: and even your doctor didn't know who else was going on, 371 00:24:58,845 --> 00:25:04,005 Speaker 1: you know. Very stressful to lead two loves, I remember, 372 00:25:04,085 --> 00:25:09,245 Speaker 1: ba Yeah, but they were just coming and going. Those 373 00:25:09,325 --> 00:25:13,805 Speaker 1: were I mean, I'm talking about room full of pot 374 00:25:15,445 --> 00:25:20,085 Speaker 1: where we stabshed at the garbage bags. Pot were just samples. 375 00:25:21,485 --> 00:25:24,685 Speaker 1: So the garbage bag is a pot I remember from 376 00:25:24,725 --> 00:25:27,045 Speaker 1: when I was a kid, were just the tip of 377 00:25:27,165 --> 00:25:30,805 Speaker 1: the pot iceberg of how much pot my dad was moving. 378 00:25:31,565 --> 00:25:35,285 Speaker 1: They were samples. Really, At any given point in my childhood, 379 00:25:35,805 --> 00:25:38,205 Speaker 1: my dad was storing up to four or five thousand 380 00:25:38,605 --> 00:25:41,445 Speaker 1: pounds of pot in our garage or the family storage 381 00:25:41,525 --> 00:25:55,205 Speaker 1: unit a few miles away from our house. The true 382 00:25:55,325 --> 00:25:58,205 Speaker 1: and complete story of my birth is the perfect saga 383 00:25:58,285 --> 00:26:01,925 Speaker 1: to show this double life that my parents led. I 384 00:26:02,045 --> 00:26:04,125 Speaker 1: was born in nineteen seventy four on a dark and 385 00:26:04,245 --> 00:26:07,845 Speaker 1: stormy night in West Marin, California. We're gonna start. It 386 00:26:07,925 --> 00:26:11,365 Speaker 1: was a dark and stormy night. Well, but yeah, the 387 00:26:11,805 --> 00:26:14,765 Speaker 1: arm and hit. Yeah, it was just daring and raining 388 00:26:14,805 --> 00:26:18,085 Speaker 1: and raining and dark and mary. Well it was dark 389 00:26:18,165 --> 00:26:21,325 Speaker 1: and stormy. Yes, it was quite a storm. And that 390 00:26:21,525 --> 00:26:24,405 Speaker 1: night my young parents, my dad and his twenties, my 391 00:26:24,485 --> 00:26:27,725 Speaker 1: mom in her early thirties, lost their life savings in 392 00:26:27,805 --> 00:26:31,525 Speaker 1: a smuggling trip gone wrong. Now, their life savings was 393 00:26:31,525 --> 00:26:34,645 Speaker 1: about thirty six thousand dollars in nineteen seventy four, which 394 00:26:34,805 --> 00:26:37,525 Speaker 1: is one hundred and ninety five thousand dollars today. I 395 00:26:37,645 --> 00:26:43,045 Speaker 1: just figured that's what you cost. So in nineteen seventy four, 396 00:26:43,165 --> 00:26:46,045 Speaker 1: my parents were living in a handmaid hippie hobbit house 397 00:26:46,125 --> 00:26:49,645 Speaker 1: in West Merin, California. It had a long winding staircase 398 00:26:49,725 --> 00:26:53,005 Speaker 1: up to the circular door. My very pregnant mom would 399 00:26:53,045 --> 00:26:55,845 Speaker 1: tend to my sister the Japanese gardens and her herd 400 00:26:55,965 --> 00:26:59,645 Speaker 1: of animals. She hated the goose. My dad was enjoying 401 00:26:59,805 --> 00:27:02,565 Speaker 1: the country life of chickens and his first chainsaw for 402 00:27:02,725 --> 00:27:06,165 Speaker 1: firewood in this tiny rural town in westmore in California, 403 00:27:06,365 --> 00:27:10,245 Speaker 1: near Point Raise National Seashore. But among the hanging plants 404 00:27:10,325 --> 00:27:13,085 Speaker 1: hippi embroidery and art that adorned the inside of the house. 405 00:27:13,645 --> 00:27:17,405 Speaker 1: My parents had a custom built secret room which at 406 00:27:17,485 --> 00:27:19,925 Speaker 1: any given point could stash up to four thousand pounds 407 00:27:19,965 --> 00:27:22,845 Speaker 1: of pot. They couldn't the movies. It was. Yeah, there's 408 00:27:22,845 --> 00:27:24,885 Speaker 1: a real sacred room where if you picked out a book, 409 00:27:24,925 --> 00:27:27,885 Speaker 1: when you took out a screwdriver, and then there was 410 00:27:27,925 --> 00:27:31,925 Speaker 1: a bookshelf, and you had to remove the bookshelf first, 411 00:27:32,325 --> 00:27:36,605 Speaker 1: and then the book the books you took the books 412 00:27:36,605 --> 00:27:41,045 Speaker 1: off in the bookshelf off, and then the things that 413 00:27:41,205 --> 00:27:44,405 Speaker 1: held up the shelf had screws into the wall, and 414 00:27:44,525 --> 00:27:46,965 Speaker 1: one of those screws was a key to open the door. 415 00:27:51,605 --> 00:27:53,405 Speaker 1: Right before I was born, my dad was at the 416 00:27:53,445 --> 00:27:57,285 Speaker 1: tail end of a big trip smugglers lingo a trip 417 00:27:57,605 --> 00:28:00,845 Speaker 1: is a business deal from start to finish. The entire 418 00:28:00,965 --> 00:28:04,405 Speaker 1: deal is a trip for our purposes. Trips are pot 419 00:28:04,525 --> 00:28:07,405 Speaker 1: deals from risk saving the load to delivering it to 420 00:28:07,485 --> 00:28:11,765 Speaker 1: the next location. Slash buyer trips last anywhere from a 421 00:28:11,805 --> 00:28:15,085 Speaker 1: few weeks to months to a year. Trips include the 422 00:28:15,125 --> 00:28:17,445 Speaker 1: journey of the product from its point of origin places 423 00:28:17,445 --> 00:28:21,685 Speaker 1: like Mexico, Columbia, Thailand, Lebanon, to its final destination, in 424 00:28:21,805 --> 00:28:25,125 Speaker 1: my dad's case, northern California, or his hometown, New York City. 425 00:28:26,245 --> 00:28:29,765 Speaker 1: My dad's entire career in pot smuggling was as a middleman. 426 00:28:30,285 --> 00:28:33,405 Speaker 1: He was a pot distributor. He's never a small time 427 00:28:33,485 --> 00:28:36,085 Speaker 1: street dealer in a sketchy alleyway. He never sold ounces. 428 00:28:36,645 --> 00:28:38,765 Speaker 1: He actually laughed in my face when I asked if 429 00:28:38,765 --> 00:28:41,285 Speaker 1: he ever sold just one pound at a time. He 430 00:28:41,325 --> 00:28:44,445 Speaker 1: would get hundreds or thousands of pounds a pot from 431 00:28:44,445 --> 00:28:46,485 Speaker 1: the smugglers who took it off the boats that came 432 00:28:46,525 --> 00:28:49,405 Speaker 1: into San Francisco Bay. This pot would go to my 433 00:28:49,525 --> 00:28:53,405 Speaker 1: dad's secure location. He would then transport the pot to 434 00:28:53,485 --> 00:28:56,085 Speaker 1: a few of his trusted associates, who would in turn 435 00:28:56,245 --> 00:28:58,885 Speaker 1: sell it in smaller and smaller amounts down the smuggling 436 00:28:58,925 --> 00:29:01,845 Speaker 1: food chain. If the pot came into San Francisco Bay 437 00:29:02,125 --> 00:29:05,045 Speaker 1: usually from South America or South Asia, my dad would 438 00:29:05,085 --> 00:29:09,405 Speaker 1: transport or to his guy in New York City. Alternatively, 439 00:29:09,525 --> 00:29:11,845 Speaker 1: if my dad's supplier in New York City his code 440 00:29:11,885 --> 00:29:14,325 Speaker 1: name is Blondie, had a load come into the New 441 00:29:14,405 --> 00:29:17,685 Speaker 1: York City Harbor, usually from the Middle East, my dad 442 00:29:17,725 --> 00:29:20,005 Speaker 1: would get a ton or more. By the way, a 443 00:29:20,045 --> 00:29:22,125 Speaker 1: ton is two thousand pounds, and he would move it 444 00:29:22,165 --> 00:29:24,245 Speaker 1: across country and distribute it to the people in San 445 00:29:24,285 --> 00:29:28,325 Speaker 1: Francisco Bay area. However, it wasn't organized. Remember this is 446 00:29:28,365 --> 00:29:31,925 Speaker 1: disorganized crime. Loads just sort of came in and people 447 00:29:31,965 --> 00:29:35,245 Speaker 1: found out, and it was very loose. Now, my dad 448 00:29:35,285 --> 00:29:38,445 Speaker 1: didn't work with groups, just a handful of lifelong trusted 449 00:29:38,525 --> 00:29:43,845 Speaker 1: friends who are still lifelong trusted friends. The relationships formed 450 00:29:43,885 --> 00:29:46,525 Speaker 1: were similar to the bonds formed by soldiers in war. 451 00:29:47,725 --> 00:29:51,085 Speaker 1: My dad and his associates trusted each other implicitly, and 452 00:29:51,245 --> 00:29:59,845 Speaker 1: integrity was everything. You were as good as your word. Now. 453 00:29:59,885 --> 00:30:02,485 Speaker 1: On the night of my birth, my dad made three 454 00:30:02,965 --> 00:30:07,325 Speaker 1: big mistakes. On this trip, known as the Second Panama 455 00:30:07,405 --> 00:30:10,005 Speaker 1: Red Trip. My dad handed off the pot he had 456 00:30:10,245 --> 00:30:11,685 Speaker 1: that he had stored in the secret room in the 457 00:30:11,765 --> 00:30:15,525 Speaker 1: hippie Hobbit House to three drivers known as the Brooklyn Boys, 458 00:30:16,005 --> 00:30:18,165 Speaker 1: who moved it from were In County to New York City. 459 00:30:18,965 --> 00:30:23,645 Speaker 1: That was the first mistake. Just you stupid kids from Yeah, 460 00:30:23,965 --> 00:30:28,885 Speaker 1: young stupid kids from Brooklyn, who vegetarians, who like getting high, 461 00:30:29,005 --> 00:30:34,805 Speaker 1: and we're real psychedelicized vegetarian kids. Okay, it's fine that 462 00:30:34,805 --> 00:30:37,045 Speaker 1: they're vegetarians, but what we're getting at is that these 463 00:30:37,085 --> 00:30:41,805 Speaker 1: were young, inexperienced kids who didn't take extra precautions when 464 00:30:41,925 --> 00:30:45,565 Speaker 1: hauling loads of pot across the country. Like when my 465 00:30:45,685 --> 00:30:48,565 Speaker 1: dad was more established, he would never get high while working. 466 00:30:49,045 --> 00:30:52,365 Speaker 1: That was reserved for after if the trip was successful. Well, 467 00:30:52,405 --> 00:30:54,885 Speaker 1: these kids, they wanted to have fun on the job. 468 00:30:56,245 --> 00:30:59,565 Speaker 1: The next mistake was the flashy spank a new vehicle 469 00:30:59,685 --> 00:31:02,725 Speaker 1: my dad provided for transporting the loads across the country. 470 00:31:03,085 --> 00:31:07,525 Speaker 1: That was really a stupid of errors because the truck 471 00:31:07,645 --> 00:31:11,165 Speaker 1: I bought to do this, we decided we got a 472 00:31:11,485 --> 00:31:19,405 Speaker 1: new the fanciest big four wheels h GMC pickup. It 473 00:31:19,645 --> 00:31:23,605 Speaker 1: was like right off the lot, remember that white and 474 00:31:24,445 --> 00:31:28,325 Speaker 1: yellow orange? Yet what was it? White and gold? Oh? 475 00:31:28,445 --> 00:31:31,685 Speaker 1: I remember it very clearly. The way I looked at 476 00:31:31,765 --> 00:31:35,365 Speaker 1: things you wanted to have the best of everything the bed. 477 00:31:35,485 --> 00:31:38,285 Speaker 1: But that was really part of the stupid thing, because 478 00:31:38,365 --> 00:31:42,685 Speaker 1: we had right, We had kids who looked like hippies, 479 00:31:42,765 --> 00:31:45,805 Speaker 1: smoking pot all through it, and the whole fucking bed 480 00:31:46,045 --> 00:31:49,205 Speaker 1: was filled. That we built a bed, and we put 481 00:31:49,325 --> 00:31:52,245 Speaker 1: in three hundred and fifty pounds under this bed that 482 00:31:52,365 --> 00:31:55,245 Speaker 1: we had built in the U in the back of 483 00:31:55,365 --> 00:31:58,525 Speaker 1: the truck, in the pick in the pickup bed. It 484 00:31:58,605 --> 00:32:02,005 Speaker 1: shouldn't have been a new truck. It was too flashy 485 00:32:02,085 --> 00:32:06,565 Speaker 1: a truck for these scrunky looking twice four year olds. 486 00:32:06,845 --> 00:32:09,045 Speaker 1: I shouldn't have done that, and I shouldn't have given 487 00:32:09,125 --> 00:32:11,365 Speaker 1: him my profit. I should have just taken my profit, 488 00:32:11,485 --> 00:32:14,245 Speaker 1: kept it safe, and sold it off as I would 489 00:32:14,285 --> 00:32:17,565 Speaker 1: sell it. The third mistake, and the most critical, was 490 00:32:17,645 --> 00:32:20,805 Speaker 1: that my dad fronted all of his profits in this 491 00:32:21,005 --> 00:32:25,205 Speaker 1: last truck load. Basically, the Brooklyn Boys had already transported 492 00:32:25,245 --> 00:32:27,925 Speaker 1: several loads of pot from arine New York City, but 493 00:32:28,045 --> 00:32:30,765 Speaker 1: all of my dad's profits from this trip were dependent 494 00:32:30,925 --> 00:32:33,245 Speaker 1: on that last truck load. I let these guys talk 495 00:32:33,365 --> 00:32:36,685 Speaker 1: me into fronting all of my profits in their last truck, 496 00:32:37,125 --> 00:32:41,485 Speaker 1: which was about his damastic instead of just taking our 497 00:32:41,525 --> 00:32:50,445 Speaker 1: winnings and packing up and going, and greed is right. 498 00:32:51,445 --> 00:32:54,525 Speaker 1: I mean I wanted however more, I wanted more. It 499 00:32:54,645 --> 00:32:58,885 Speaker 1: wasn't enough that we've made like fifty grand in in 500 00:32:59,205 --> 00:33:01,725 Speaker 1: two months. My dad thought that fronting his money would 501 00:33:01,765 --> 00:33:05,285 Speaker 1: increase his profits, but in fact, good old fashioned greed 502 00:33:05,485 --> 00:33:07,645 Speaker 1: reared its ugly head and bit my dad in the ass. 503 00:33:09,005 --> 00:33:11,845 Speaker 1: Because that dark, stormy night that the Brooklyn boys set 504 00:33:11,885 --> 00:33:16,245 Speaker 1: off with this last potload, they get busted. But before 505 00:33:16,285 --> 00:33:18,925 Speaker 1: my dad hears anything about this, my very pregnant mom 506 00:33:19,005 --> 00:33:21,725 Speaker 1: goes into libor and all the focus goes from the 507 00:33:21,805 --> 00:33:24,805 Speaker 1: trip to having a baby, and then off goes to 508 00:33:24,845 --> 00:33:28,325 Speaker 1: the truck and she goes into labor and just mind on, 509 00:33:28,485 --> 00:33:30,725 Speaker 1: I lost my mind. I was born at home and 510 00:33:30,845 --> 00:33:33,485 Speaker 1: my dad, always a camera enthusiast, videotaped the event with 511 00:33:33,525 --> 00:33:35,725 Speaker 1: a brand new camera, one of the first of its 512 00:33:35,805 --> 00:33:39,525 Speaker 1: kind for home video. We got the tape digitized. My 513 00:33:39,605 --> 00:33:42,245 Speaker 1: poor mother. My mom is surrounded by my dad, the 514 00:33:42,285 --> 00:33:44,885 Speaker 1: midwife of some family friends, my five year old sister, Vertica, 515 00:33:45,005 --> 00:33:47,485 Speaker 1: the cats, our family dog. Is we're paying us the 516 00:33:47,525 --> 00:33:51,365 Speaker 1: picture of what mom's upstairs. No, we're well, there are 517 00:33:51,405 --> 00:33:54,165 Speaker 1: several level No, we're down in the in the middle 518 00:33:54,285 --> 00:34:01,285 Speaker 1: section in a water bed, a water bed by the 519 00:34:01,405 --> 00:34:06,125 Speaker 1: fireplace at two thirty. I mean, after this this incredibly 520 00:34:06,205 --> 00:34:11,285 Speaker 1: intense storm for twenty four hours or more, the storm 521 00:34:11,365 --> 00:34:21,285 Speaker 1: breaks and boom out you pop, girl, girl. So I 522 00:34:21,725 --> 00:34:25,645 Speaker 1: swaped you up, and then the doctor combs, and so 523 00:34:26,205 --> 00:34:30,165 Speaker 1: we gave we gave an instant replay because we had 524 00:34:30,285 --> 00:34:33,005 Speaker 1: video taped the whole thing. Well, you know, so we're 525 00:34:33,085 --> 00:34:40,245 Speaker 1: the first of instant replay and a home birth. Then 526 00:34:40,325 --> 00:34:42,405 Speaker 1: I get the news. I mean, so we've been up 527 00:34:42,445 --> 00:34:45,685 Speaker 1: for forever, for two days or whatever it is, because 528 00:34:46,245 --> 00:34:51,845 Speaker 1: how long labors are the wasted wasted. The next morning, 529 00:34:51,965 --> 00:34:54,805 Speaker 1: one of the guys comes by and says, oh, the 530 00:34:54,885 --> 00:34:58,525 Speaker 1: truck I busted in Indiana. So apparently the Brooklyn Boys 531 00:34:58,565 --> 00:35:02,005 Speaker 1: got pulled over in Indiana and being young stoned in 532 00:35:02,125 --> 00:35:06,205 Speaker 1: a fancy new truck with California plates. The cop suspected 533 00:35:06,285 --> 00:35:10,045 Speaker 1: something was amiss, so busted. The Brooklyn Boys call my 534 00:35:10,165 --> 00:35:12,685 Speaker 1: dad with bad news the next day, which is also 535 00:35:12,765 --> 00:35:15,645 Speaker 1: the first morning I spent outside the womb on planet Earth. 536 00:35:16,325 --> 00:35:18,325 Speaker 1: So my dad leaves town and heads to New York 537 00:35:18,405 --> 00:35:20,005 Speaker 1: City to try and get some of his money back 538 00:35:20,045 --> 00:35:23,565 Speaker 1: from the Brooklyn Boys. My dad finds the Brooklyn Boys 539 00:35:23,645 --> 00:35:25,165 Speaker 1: peeps and he gets a little bit of money back, 540 00:35:25,205 --> 00:35:27,805 Speaker 1: a couple of thousand dollars, but to this day he 541 00:35:27,885 --> 00:35:30,685 Speaker 1: regrets not being bolsy enough to demand the entire amount 542 00:35:31,005 --> 00:35:34,045 Speaker 1: thirty six thousand dollars, which is roughly one hundred and 543 00:35:34,205 --> 00:35:38,525 Speaker 1: ninety five thousand dollars in today's money. My dad returns 544 00:35:38,565 --> 00:35:40,605 Speaker 1: to California with a fraction of the money he lost, 545 00:35:41,085 --> 00:35:42,965 Speaker 1: and then he and my mom and my sister and me, 546 00:35:43,205 --> 00:35:45,205 Speaker 1: just a few days old, moved to another house in 547 00:35:45,325 --> 00:35:49,965 Speaker 1: West Morin And then after doing that, we split from 548 00:35:50,045 --> 00:35:53,525 Speaker 1: that house because we were concerned, oh, because we thought 549 00:35:53,725 --> 00:35:58,445 Speaker 1: that's when the battalion chief came to be my bodyguard, 550 00:35:58,565 --> 00:36:01,525 Speaker 1: because we thought they would send people after us, So 551 00:36:01,725 --> 00:36:09,165 Speaker 1: we had to leave and moved abruptly. My parents are 552 00:36:09,205 --> 00:36:11,765 Speaker 1: scared that someone might come for them, someone from the 553 00:36:11,805 --> 00:36:14,605 Speaker 1: Brooklyn Boys network who might want revenge or retaliation in 554 00:36:14,725 --> 00:36:18,605 Speaker 1: some form or another. Luckily that never happened, but the 555 00:36:18,725 --> 00:36:21,765 Speaker 1: trip definitely had gone wrong and my parents' money was gone. 556 00:36:22,325 --> 00:36:26,765 Speaker 1: Tensions were running high, and my fledgling smuggler parents were scared. 557 00:36:27,605 --> 00:36:30,325 Speaker 1: My parents have two daughters. They need to protect themselves 558 00:36:30,365 --> 00:36:33,405 Speaker 1: from arrest from losing their kids and the cedier parts 559 00:36:33,445 --> 00:36:36,645 Speaker 1: of the industry. So after moving, my parents put their 560 00:36:36,685 --> 00:36:40,245 Speaker 1: heads down and try to leave the smuggling business. Try 561 00:36:40,565 --> 00:36:46,045 Speaker 1: being the keyword. I'm Rambo Valentine. You're listening to disorganized Crime. 562 00:36:46,325 --> 00:36:54,765 Speaker 1: We'll be right back. One thing that blows me away 563 00:36:54,805 --> 00:36:57,525 Speaker 1: with my parents is that they always see the glass 564 00:36:57,685 --> 00:37:02,405 Speaker 1: is half full. Their work was critically dangerous. But when 565 00:37:02,485 --> 00:37:05,285 Speaker 1: my parents were telling me my birth story after he 566 00:37:05,525 --> 00:37:07,885 Speaker 1: found out they lost all their money, my dad went 567 00:37:07,965 --> 00:37:11,005 Speaker 1: into the backyard to think, I'm wandering in the garden 568 00:37:12,205 --> 00:37:16,525 Speaker 1: and I'm looking at our fruit trees and I'm just 569 00:37:16,765 --> 00:37:19,765 Speaker 1: philosophica because I remember the same thoughts, you know, And 570 00:37:19,845 --> 00:37:26,365 Speaker 1: it was like, well, I guess it's a pruning because 571 00:37:26,445 --> 00:37:30,565 Speaker 1: that's that's how I always looked at it. And I 572 00:37:30,645 --> 00:37:33,165 Speaker 1: mean that's the only way I could look at it. Yeah, 573 00:37:33,205 --> 00:37:34,925 Speaker 1: that is always how fuld of you guys, which I 574 00:37:35,045 --> 00:37:38,165 Speaker 1: love me too, But that's us. That's who we are, 575 00:37:38,605 --> 00:37:47,405 Speaker 1: you know. Like my dad's trips smuggling pot across the country, 576 00:37:47,765 --> 00:37:50,685 Speaker 1: I've been on a long, strange trip myself. Thank you 577 00:37:50,845 --> 00:37:55,365 Speaker 1: Robert Hunter for that iconic sentence, unraveling a web of secrets. 578 00:37:56,645 --> 00:37:59,445 Speaker 1: This long, strange journey is a first hand look at 579 00:37:59,485 --> 00:38:06,085 Speaker 1: the extraordinary, unique, disorganized drug smuggling industry in Marine County, California, which, 580 00:38:06,485 --> 00:38:10,045 Speaker 1: while today is home to tech billionaires, was once home 581 00:38:10,165 --> 00:38:13,325 Speaker 1: to the rock stars drug smugglers of San Francisco's nineteen 582 00:38:13,405 --> 00:38:18,165 Speaker 1: sixties counterculture. They risked their lives to smuggle pot in 583 00:38:18,245 --> 00:38:22,325 Speaker 1: the most dangerous time for pot in history. I was 584 00:38:22,485 --> 00:38:26,165 Speaker 1: born in a unique location and situation, right in the 585 00:38:26,285 --> 00:38:30,285 Speaker 1: middle of the battle between the counterculture, psychedelic smugglers and 586 00:38:30,445 --> 00:38:34,125 Speaker 1: the War on drugs, which would ultimately end my dad's 587 00:38:34,125 --> 00:38:38,565 Speaker 1: smuggling career forever. Dad made and lost millions of dollars 588 00:38:38,925 --> 00:38:43,885 Speaker 1: more than once. And I, Rainbow Valentine, of tax paying, 589 00:38:44,165 --> 00:38:47,605 Speaker 1: regularish job having non pot smoker but total hippie at heart, 590 00:38:48,085 --> 00:38:52,125 Speaker 1: was there obliviously in the middle of it all. I 591 00:38:52,245 --> 00:38:55,085 Speaker 1: wanted to find out what in the world was going 592 00:38:55,125 --> 00:38:57,325 Speaker 1: on at home while I was playing Smurfs under the 593 00:38:57,405 --> 00:39:02,205 Speaker 1: olive tree. Listener, you and I are both going back 594 00:39:02,365 --> 00:39:06,685 Speaker 1: in time to find out how did my dad smuggle 595 00:39:06,925 --> 00:39:10,725 Speaker 1: thousands of pounds upot across the country for over twenty 596 00:39:10,805 --> 00:39:14,565 Speaker 1: two years. Some people I will talk to spent years 597 00:39:14,605 --> 00:39:18,765 Speaker 1: in prison. Some lost all their money, some lost their minds, 598 00:39:19,325 --> 00:39:23,165 Speaker 1: a few flew under the radar. But for all of them, 599 00:39:23,645 --> 00:39:27,485 Speaker 1: this podcast is the first time they have told their stories, 600 00:39:27,565 --> 00:39:34,725 Speaker 1: allowed to anyone ever. So now it is time for 601 00:39:34,845 --> 00:39:40,005 Speaker 1: the smugglers to speak and we get to listen. I'm 602 00:39:40,085 --> 00:39:47,005 Speaker 1: Rainbow Valentine and this is Disorganized Crime. Disorganized Crime. Smuggler's 603 00:39:47,085 --> 00:39:50,965 Speaker 1: Daughter is written and recorded by Me, Rainbow Valentine. Our 604 00:39:51,005 --> 00:39:55,205 Speaker 1: producers are Gabby Watts and Taylor Church. Executive producers are 605 00:39:55,285 --> 00:39:59,085 Speaker 1: Brandon Barr, Brian Lavin, Elsie Crowley and Me at School 606 00:39:59,125 --> 00:40:02,125 Speaker 1: of Humans and Connell Burn and Charles Bryant at iHeartRadio. 607 00:40:02,445 --> 00:40:04,845 Speaker 1: Our music is by Gabby Lala and Claire Campbell, with 608 00:40:04,965 --> 00:40:08,085 Speaker 1: original them by Mark, Karen and Me. You can find 609 00:40:08,165 --> 00:40:19,965 Speaker 1: us online at iHeart dot com slash Podcasts Right novel 610 00:40:20,325 --> 00:40:26,445 Speaker 1: the story Do It as with Me tamble by Steeping 611 00:40:26,525 --> 00:40:31,965 Speaker 1: Princess of the red Wood Dreams. She helps us keep 612 00:40:32,045 --> 00:40:39,365 Speaker 1: it real. Handshake seals the deal, Wrap the stack, sealed, meal, 613 00:40:40,005 --> 00:40:46,525 Speaker 1: Road up these all breads, rolling a Doobe, young, rich 614 00:40:46,645 --> 00:40:55,085 Speaker 1: and groovy, making it up. We roll along, Rolling along, 615 00:40:56,165 --> 00:41:07,125 Speaker 1: Far Country, Roll Rolling along Far Country, Roll Rolling low 616 00:41:08,165 --> 00:41:10,285 Speaker 1: Floria Country low