1 00:00:08,245 --> 00:00:14,165 Speaker 1: School of Humans a mere story. Once upon a time, 2 00:00:14,965 --> 00:00:19,005 Speaker 1: I thought my parents were real estate moguls. Oh you 3 00:00:19,045 --> 00:00:22,285 Speaker 1: know what, actually, are you stoned right now or just tired? 4 00:00:22,605 --> 00:00:27,445 Speaker 1: Just start? Just a quick reminder. I was unwittingly born 5 00:00:27,485 --> 00:00:30,725 Speaker 1: into a Northern California pot smuggling family and didn't find 6 00:00:30,765 --> 00:00:33,485 Speaker 1: out until I was well into my teens that my 7 00:00:33,845 --> 00:00:36,885 Speaker 1: entire world could have come crashing down at any point 8 00:00:37,325 --> 00:00:40,925 Speaker 1: because my seemingly straight parents were the kind of outlaws 9 00:00:40,965 --> 00:00:43,445 Speaker 1: that Nixons were on drugs, and Nancy Reagan's just Say 10 00:00:43,525 --> 00:00:47,885 Speaker 1: No anti drug campaign would sentence to twenty plus years 11 00:00:48,165 --> 00:00:52,765 Speaker 1: in prison if they were coughed. So the vilification of 12 00:00:52,805 --> 00:00:56,205 Speaker 1: pot has a long American history, and my dad's journey 13 00:00:56,285 --> 00:00:59,485 Speaker 1: from LSD loving college kid in Brooklyn to an epic 14 00:00:59,725 --> 00:01:05,165 Speaker 1: bicoastal pot smuggler is because of my mom. So let's 15 00:01:05,205 --> 00:01:08,125 Speaker 1: start with my mom's story and her pioneering life in 16 00:01:08,165 --> 00:01:13,805 Speaker 1: San Francisco's early nineteen sixties counterculture scene. I'm Rainbow Valentine 17 00:01:13,925 --> 00:01:25,125 Speaker 1: and this is disorganized crime smuggler's daughter, want to do young, 18 00:01:25,285 --> 00:01:33,525 Speaker 1: free and groovy, making it up. We rolled along, rolling 19 00:01:33,645 --> 00:01:44,685 Speaker 1: along country. He didn't rain in the Golden gag York State, 20 00:01:46,005 --> 00:02:00,605 Speaker 1: making it up as we roll. Born in Oakland, my 21 00:02:00,685 --> 00:02:03,325 Speaker 1: mom grew up in LA in the nineteen forties and fifties. 22 00:02:03,525 --> 00:02:06,325 Speaker 1: She remembers all her Japanese neighbors just hearing during World 23 00:02:06,325 --> 00:02:10,445 Speaker 1: War two me was scarce and better we're scarce. I 24 00:02:10,525 --> 00:02:13,885 Speaker 1: never had better until I was in the shifty somewhere. 25 00:02:14,005 --> 00:02:17,965 Speaker 1: Everybody wore gloves when you were now, and everybody were 26 00:02:18,045 --> 00:02:23,085 Speaker 1: stockings girdles. It was like the whole society was constrained. 27 00:02:25,725 --> 00:02:29,045 Speaker 1: My mom's family moved from mar Vista, a beach neighborhood 28 00:02:29,085 --> 00:02:33,485 Speaker 1: along LA's Prohibition rum Runner Road, a ka Venice Boulevard, 29 00:02:34,045 --> 00:02:38,005 Speaker 1: to the San Fernando Valley in the fifties. San Fernando Valley, 30 00:02:38,045 --> 00:02:41,325 Speaker 1: full of orange groves, was stifling for anyone who thought 31 00:02:41,445 --> 00:02:44,325 Speaker 1: outside the box, and my mom has never fit in 32 00:02:44,405 --> 00:02:48,805 Speaker 1: anyone's box, even though she is tiny. She lived a 33 00:02:48,845 --> 00:02:52,765 Speaker 1: double life as a socially acceptable cheerleader and prom princess, 34 00:02:53,125 --> 00:02:56,045 Speaker 1: but also did modern dance and shockingly at the time, 35 00:02:56,445 --> 00:03:00,885 Speaker 1: was friends with non white kids, including Richie Valens. Her 36 00:03:00,965 --> 00:03:04,285 Speaker 1: mom a Bay Area native from a family of mostly 37 00:03:04,405 --> 00:03:08,725 Speaker 1: little people. They were perfectly proportioned adults, but everyone was 38 00:03:08,765 --> 00:03:11,325 Speaker 1: super tiny, like you know, under five feet tall. They 39 00:03:11,325 --> 00:03:15,245 Speaker 1: were little people. So my grandma was a discontent, repressed 40 00:03:15,285 --> 00:03:20,485 Speaker 1: housewife into astrology and esoterica like theology, and her dad, 41 00:03:20,845 --> 00:03:24,485 Speaker 1: a Jewish orphan adopted by Jesuit fur trapper priests in 42 00:03:24,525 --> 00:03:28,445 Speaker 1: French Canada, owned diners. One was called the Teepee and 43 00:03:28,525 --> 00:03:32,165 Speaker 1: located in a concrete teepee shaped building in Long Beach, California. 44 00:03:32,245 --> 00:03:34,725 Speaker 1: The other was the ground roundup on Van Ey's Boulevard 45 00:03:34,725 --> 00:03:37,925 Speaker 1: and San Fernando. Money was tight for my mom's family. 46 00:03:38,085 --> 00:03:40,365 Speaker 1: Times were tough. You grew up in poverty. You didn't 47 00:03:40,365 --> 00:03:42,525 Speaker 1: have it. You said you didn't have a doll. I 48 00:03:42,605 --> 00:03:45,925 Speaker 1: had dolls. I didn't have shoes. Who socks? I to 49 00:03:45,925 --> 00:03:48,645 Speaker 1: wear my brother's old socks, and my shoes had holes 50 00:03:48,765 --> 00:03:51,525 Speaker 1: in them, and I put cardboard in the shoes. I 51 00:03:51,605 --> 00:03:54,485 Speaker 1: made all my own clothes as a kid, and my 52 00:03:54,565 --> 00:03:58,765 Speaker 1: mother shot me to so by eleven. In nineteen fifty nine, 53 00:03:58,765 --> 00:04:02,245 Speaker 1: there was a nuclear meltdown at the Rocketdye nuclear facility 54 00:04:02,245 --> 00:04:05,365 Speaker 1: in Santa Susiana, California, a few miles from where my 55 00:04:05,525 --> 00:04:09,245 Speaker 1: mom and her family lived in Granada Hills. For two weeks, 56 00:04:09,485 --> 00:04:14,565 Speaker 1: radiation poured over the San Fernando Valley. Now this meltdown 57 00:04:14,925 --> 00:04:16,885 Speaker 1: was covered up, it was never cleaned up. It's still 58 00:04:16,885 --> 00:04:20,765 Speaker 1: sitting there, and it was overseen by former Nazi scientist 59 00:04:20,885 --> 00:04:23,805 Speaker 1: Werner von Braun, who was brought to the US by 60 00:04:23,805 --> 00:04:27,285 Speaker 1: the government in the covert operation paper Clip in nineteen 61 00:04:27,325 --> 00:04:30,325 Speaker 1: forty five. So when this happened, my mom was young, 62 00:04:30,405 --> 00:04:33,325 Speaker 1: she was eighteen, and she had married her childhood's sweetheart 63 00:04:33,365 --> 00:04:36,845 Speaker 1: because she was pregnant, and the radiation caused my mom 64 00:04:36,965 --> 00:04:44,085 Speaker 1: to have a stillborn baby. So my mom was totally traumatized. 65 00:04:44,085 --> 00:04:47,645 Speaker 1: It's nineteen fifty nine, and she was completely shamed for 66 00:04:47,725 --> 00:04:50,925 Speaker 1: having this stillborn baby. It was a time when women 67 00:04:51,005 --> 00:04:53,685 Speaker 1: were blamed for anything that went wrong or explained for 68 00:04:53,685 --> 00:04:56,405 Speaker 1: everything that was the fifties. My mom was bursting with 69 00:04:56,525 --> 00:05:01,165 Speaker 1: artistic tendencies. So she fled the oppressive San Fernando Valley. 70 00:05:01,205 --> 00:05:03,765 Speaker 1: Just left. This eighteen year old husband left, her family, 71 00:05:04,325 --> 00:05:09,045 Speaker 1: left the shame, and she took a bus up to Berkeley, California, 72 00:05:09,045 --> 00:05:11,805 Speaker 1: where her best friend was going to college UC Berkeley, 73 00:05:12,125 --> 00:05:14,605 Speaker 1: and they went over to North Beach. It's nineteen sixty 74 00:05:14,805 --> 00:05:17,685 Speaker 1: It's ground zero for the beatnecks who would create the 75 00:05:17,725 --> 00:05:22,645 Speaker 1: world famous historic San Francisco counterculture and the iconic Hate Ashbury. 76 00:05:25,165 --> 00:05:27,445 Speaker 1: Now at this point we are going to leave Golden 77 00:05:27,485 --> 00:05:31,325 Speaker 1: Gate Park to go in to I. I guess light 78 00:05:31,405 --> 00:05:38,725 Speaker 1: sojourned through the Hate Ashbury district of San Francisco. So 79 00:05:38,805 --> 00:05:41,925 Speaker 1: in order to understand why and how my parents are 80 00:05:41,965 --> 00:05:44,445 Speaker 1: who they are, it's important for us to understand the 81 00:05:44,485 --> 00:05:48,685 Speaker 1: political and societal culture of the nineteen sixties. And who 82 00:05:48,765 --> 00:05:52,125 Speaker 1: better to explain it other than my bff's dad. Dennis 83 00:05:52,245 --> 00:05:55,885 Speaker 1: McNally is an author, historian, and the former publicist for 84 00:05:55,965 --> 00:06:00,565 Speaker 1: The Grateful Dead Well. San Francisco has always been a 85 00:06:00,725 --> 00:06:06,685 Speaker 1: place that was hospitable to the weird, to rangeness, going 86 00:06:06,765 --> 00:06:09,445 Speaker 1: back to the way it started, which was not in 87 00:06:09,485 --> 00:06:12,725 Speaker 1: any conventional way but because of a gold rush. So 88 00:06:13,325 --> 00:06:17,285 Speaker 1: by nineteen sixty it was politically still a relative the conservative, 89 00:06:17,845 --> 00:06:21,325 Speaker 1: a bunch of Republicans, but for instance, it had become 90 00:06:21,685 --> 00:06:25,925 Speaker 1: the home of the beat scene, where Alan Getsbrook had 91 00:06:25,925 --> 00:06:28,605 Speaker 1: read Howell for the first time, and the beat scene, 92 00:06:29,245 --> 00:06:31,845 Speaker 1: what they were doing was basically opting out of the 93 00:06:31,885 --> 00:06:35,605 Speaker 1: American value system by sort of going in a sense, 94 00:06:35,645 --> 00:06:38,925 Speaker 1: going underground, and they smoke pot and they listened to jazz, 95 00:06:38,925 --> 00:06:41,165 Speaker 1: and they you know, thought their thoughts. There was just 96 00:06:41,285 --> 00:06:45,805 Speaker 1: this bubbling cauldron, frankly of avant garde arts groups. There 97 00:06:45,885 --> 00:06:49,165 Speaker 1: was room for cultural strangeness. At the center of this 98 00:06:49,285 --> 00:06:53,445 Speaker 1: bubbling cauldron of the nineteen sixties San Francisco was my bohemian, 99 00:06:53,525 --> 00:07:01,885 Speaker 1: beatnick artistic mom. So she says that the scene of 100 00:07:01,925 --> 00:07:05,165 Speaker 1: the counterculture of bohemians, the people who formed the counterculture, 101 00:07:05,605 --> 00:07:08,325 Speaker 1: was small. It was about two hundred people. My mom 102 00:07:08,405 --> 00:07:12,565 Speaker 1: was friends with everyone who became someone. She's My mom's 103 00:07:12,565 --> 00:07:14,965 Speaker 1: the kind of person who will just casually mention Oh 104 00:07:15,085 --> 00:07:18,485 Speaker 1: the time Jack Nicholson came over for Thanksgiving and you're like, wait, 105 00:07:18,525 --> 00:07:22,005 Speaker 1: what what. My mom dated pig Pen, who was part 106 00:07:22,005 --> 00:07:25,325 Speaker 1: of the Grateful Dead. She chauffeured Mimi Farina to Vallet class. 107 00:07:25,765 --> 00:07:29,285 Speaker 1: She also provided Janis Joplin with her signature for hat. 108 00:07:28,765 --> 00:07:32,925 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, well, I don't know Janice, who was at 109 00:07:32,925 --> 00:07:37,645 Speaker 1: a North Point house. And Janice floated in with an 110 00:07:37,845 --> 00:07:41,125 Speaker 1: entourage and said, I don't know what I'm gonna wear. 111 00:07:41,885 --> 00:07:47,325 Speaker 1: So I always wore a rabbit for her hat, and 112 00:07:47,445 --> 00:07:51,525 Speaker 1: so I said, hey, where's this She's photographed to treat 113 00:07:51,605 --> 00:07:54,565 Speaker 1: her hat? Oh I know, So Now that my parents 114 00:07:54,605 --> 00:07:58,365 Speaker 1: are older, I've become the appreciative and surprised audience at 115 00:07:58,405 --> 00:08:02,005 Speaker 1: these little anecdotes. My parents will drop about major historic 116 00:08:02,045 --> 00:08:05,405 Speaker 1: events they were part of. Oh like my mom dropping 117 00:08:05,605 --> 00:08:08,205 Speaker 1: the random fact that in nineteen sixty four she was 118 00:08:08,245 --> 00:08:11,605 Speaker 1: in the second row at the Beatles Cow Palace show. 119 00:08:11,845 --> 00:08:14,965 Speaker 1: That was opening night for the Beatles first ever concert 120 00:08:14,965 --> 00:08:17,405 Speaker 1: tour of North America. Oh, and there's my mom in 121 00:08:17,405 --> 00:08:20,085 Speaker 1: the second row. No big deal, Like, wait what Mom? 122 00:08:20,325 --> 00:08:23,925 Speaker 1: They only sang halfway through one song and then there 123 00:08:24,085 --> 00:08:30,125 Speaker 1: was like complete insanity. The audience started pushing forward and 124 00:08:30,205 --> 00:08:37,485 Speaker 1: the seat started bending and scary. It was. So when 125 00:08:37,525 --> 00:08:40,445 Speaker 1: my mom arrived in North Beach, she quickly met her 126 00:08:40,445 --> 00:08:44,245 Speaker 1: second husband. He sheltered her in her college trum from 127 00:08:44,245 --> 00:08:47,125 Speaker 1: a creepy junkie who wanted to you know, who's hassling them. 128 00:08:47,645 --> 00:08:50,485 Speaker 1: My mom's second husband was a fairly well known mid 129 00:08:50,485 --> 00:08:55,845 Speaker 1: century modern jeweler and beatnick. Cohabitating couples were totally frowned 130 00:08:55,885 --> 00:08:58,725 Speaker 1: upon in the sixties, so my mom married him. He 131 00:08:58,885 --> 00:09:03,285 Speaker 1: had lots of friends in the jazz world, playing at 132 00:09:03,325 --> 00:09:05,365 Speaker 1: the jazz clubs. So we will go to the Black 133 00:09:05,525 --> 00:09:10,965 Speaker 1: Cook Jazz Club of Jazz Workshop. That's so cool, that 134 00:09:11,165 --> 00:09:19,405 Speaker 1: was cool. Like pioneers, oddballs and innovators. Jazz came out 135 00:09:19,405 --> 00:09:22,365 Speaker 1: West as well. It arrived in San Francisco, becoming a 136 00:09:22,525 --> 00:09:27,165 Speaker 1: thing sometime after San Francisco's nineteen thirty four waterfront labor 137 00:09:27,245 --> 00:09:31,285 Speaker 1: strike called Bloody Thursday, when DOC workers became the first 138 00:09:31,485 --> 00:09:35,805 Speaker 1: union to reluctantly integrate. Because of blue collar jobs on 139 00:09:35,845 --> 00:09:39,565 Speaker 1: San Francisco's waterfront and a shift from banking to industry 140 00:09:39,645 --> 00:09:42,725 Speaker 1: during World War Two, there was a massive migration of 141 00:09:42,805 --> 00:09:47,725 Speaker 1: African Americans to San Francisco, over six hundred percent population 142 00:09:47,765 --> 00:09:52,525 Speaker 1: increase between nineteen forty and nineteen forty five. By nineteen fifty, 143 00:09:52,805 --> 00:09:55,845 Speaker 1: over forty three thousand African Americans lived in the city, 144 00:09:55,965 --> 00:10:00,125 Speaker 1: and the jazz clubs boomed. The Jazz Workshop, located in 145 00:10:00,245 --> 00:10:02,965 Speaker 1: North Beach, my mom's neighborhood, was central to the action. 146 00:10:03,445 --> 00:10:06,645 Speaker 1: Between nineteen sixty one and sixty for a number of 147 00:10:06,765 --> 00:10:10,325 Speaker 1: live at the Jazz Workshop albums were produced. My mom's 148 00:10:10,325 --> 00:10:12,725 Speaker 1: other hangout, the Black Hawk, was a famous jazz club 149 00:10:12,805 --> 00:10:15,845 Speaker 1: located and was now the Tenderloin District. A short but 150 00:10:16,165 --> 00:10:20,045 Speaker 1: calf strengtheningly hilly walk from North Beach tell us about Dizzy. 151 00:10:20,325 --> 00:10:24,285 Speaker 1: Dizzy Gilleski Jessey was, you know, his Jessy would come 152 00:10:24,285 --> 00:10:29,165 Speaker 1: over and make us. He made us breakfast once and 153 00:10:29,205 --> 00:10:32,605 Speaker 1: then I saw the recipe in the Lincoln Center recipe book, 154 00:10:33,525 --> 00:10:37,045 Speaker 1: the same recipe. It was very odd. You know, it's 155 00:10:37,045 --> 00:10:40,725 Speaker 1: a very Southern like scrambled egg recipe with sam and 156 00:10:40,845 --> 00:10:46,245 Speaker 1: green pepper and grits. So it was something I had 157 00:10:46,245 --> 00:10:49,845 Speaker 1: never eaten, and you know, I just we went every 158 00:10:49,965 --> 00:10:54,005 Speaker 1: night to see Dissey. It was amazing, and he was 159 00:10:54,085 --> 00:10:58,605 Speaker 1: just really jolly. He was Catholic, so he was trying 160 00:10:58,645 --> 00:11:01,165 Speaker 1: to be really good with his wife and not get 161 00:11:01,165 --> 00:11:13,285 Speaker 1: in trouble because it was a funny guy. Yeah, oh yeah. 162 00:11:13,325 --> 00:11:15,285 Speaker 1: My mom and her second husband, the jeweler, would go 163 00:11:15,325 --> 00:11:17,925 Speaker 1: to the Jazz Greats hotel rooms and they would fashion 164 00:11:18,085 --> 00:11:20,805 Speaker 1: ornate rings for them and they would also smoke pot. 165 00:11:21,845 --> 00:11:24,045 Speaker 1: My mom says that at the beginning of the sixties, 166 00:11:24,205 --> 00:11:26,525 Speaker 1: everyone in the beat scene was smoking pot, but it 167 00:11:26,565 --> 00:11:30,205 Speaker 1: was pretty underground. Everybody was really afraid to turn anybody 168 00:11:30,285 --> 00:11:33,085 Speaker 1: on or show anybody what they were doing. Was who 169 00:11:33,125 --> 00:11:37,445 Speaker 1: cloaked in fear. It changed with the music. When the 170 00:11:37,565 --> 00:11:41,125 Speaker 1: music changed and got people got dancing and it got 171 00:11:41,205 --> 00:11:44,885 Speaker 1: a lot looser, you know, because the culture of the 172 00:11:44,965 --> 00:11:49,285 Speaker 1: fifties and before that it was all about suffering and 173 00:11:49,365 --> 00:11:52,525 Speaker 1: you have to suffer. And then we decided in the 174 00:11:52,645 --> 00:11:55,845 Speaker 1: sixties that actually life should be beautiful and I should 175 00:11:55,845 --> 00:11:59,445 Speaker 1: be laughing and dancing and you know, so here, you guys, 176 00:12:00,005 --> 00:12:03,725 Speaker 1: we're just gonna be like, go on our own path 177 00:12:03,845 --> 00:12:06,605 Speaker 1: and have a good time. The jeweler taught my mom 178 00:12:06,645 --> 00:12:10,565 Speaker 1: how to make her own jewelry. Her best selling piece 179 00:12:10,725 --> 00:12:13,925 Speaker 1: was a Jesus on a cross with a giant erection. 180 00:12:14,685 --> 00:12:19,325 Speaker 1: That's my mom. Before she was able to make money 181 00:12:19,325 --> 00:12:22,725 Speaker 1: with her jewelry, she had a lot of other weird jobs, 182 00:12:22,765 --> 00:12:25,605 Speaker 1: lots of little odd jobs. She was a belly dancer 183 00:12:25,645 --> 00:12:29,605 Speaker 1: for a gay Gypsy refugee from the Holocaust who was 184 00:12:29,685 --> 00:12:33,445 Speaker 1: a sword swallower okay, and together they would perform at 185 00:12:33,445 --> 00:12:36,805 Speaker 1: galas for the wealthy. Another one of her gigs, my favorite, 186 00:12:36,885 --> 00:12:39,845 Speaker 1: was at the Domino Club on Kearney Street in San Francisco. 187 00:12:40,405 --> 00:12:43,125 Speaker 1: She posed nude on a chez lounge and a famous 188 00:12:43,205 --> 00:12:47,245 Speaker 1: artist painted her on black velvet and auctioned the painting 189 00:12:47,245 --> 00:12:52,725 Speaker 1: off to the gentleman crowd. She loved this job because Strangely, 190 00:12:52,925 --> 00:12:56,845 Speaker 1: no one ever hit on her. Later she realized that 191 00:12:56,925 --> 00:12:59,765 Speaker 1: the nude models were a cover for a gate club. 192 00:13:00,205 --> 00:13:02,725 Speaker 1: My mom was also an engineer at KMPX, which was 193 00:13:02,765 --> 00:13:06,285 Speaker 1: the country's first rock radio station and by Big Daddy 194 00:13:06,325 --> 00:13:09,405 Speaker 1: Tom Donahue. Big Daddy Tom Donahue had all the men 195 00:13:09,525 --> 00:13:12,765 Speaker 1: be the DJ's and all the women were behind the 196 00:13:12,805 --> 00:13:16,005 Speaker 1: scenes as the engineers running the show because the women 197 00:13:16,005 --> 00:13:18,965 Speaker 1: weren't totally stoned and they could keep their ship together. Now, 198 00:13:19,005 --> 00:13:21,365 Speaker 1: because my mom was from la she knew how to 199 00:13:21,485 --> 00:13:24,365 Speaker 1: drive and she would show for the rock stars from 200 00:13:24,365 --> 00:13:27,725 Speaker 1: the airports to their crash pad. Now, that job also 201 00:13:27,805 --> 00:13:30,805 Speaker 1: came with a task of delivering pot to the rock stars, 202 00:13:31,245 --> 00:13:33,845 Speaker 1: as the performers all got a big satchel of weed 203 00:13:33,925 --> 00:13:36,165 Speaker 1: with their payment. Here's your crash pad in your pot, 204 00:13:36,165 --> 00:13:40,445 Speaker 1: we'll see out the show. Oh ridiculous. Did you ever 205 00:13:40,525 --> 00:13:45,565 Speaker 1: sell pot in the sixties? Did I? Yeah? Oh? No? Hash? 206 00:13:45,565 --> 00:13:49,485 Speaker 1: Oh so hash? Where'd you get it? You know? I 207 00:13:50,005 --> 00:13:52,245 Speaker 1: started bringing up all the stuff I had when I 208 00:13:52,325 --> 00:13:54,885 Speaker 1: was a kid. I had a stamp collection, So I 209 00:13:55,085 --> 00:14:00,765 Speaker 1: traded my stamp collection for a couple of pounds. I hash, 210 00:14:00,845 --> 00:14:03,285 Speaker 1: how come you only did it once? I didn't have 211 00:14:03,285 --> 00:14:07,165 Speaker 1: any more stamp collections. My mom was deeply involved with 212 00:14:07,165 --> 00:14:10,445 Speaker 1: a San Francisco improv comedy scene in the early sixties 213 00:14:11,245 --> 00:14:13,765 Speaker 1: because she was a whiz typist. She was the secretary 214 00:14:13,805 --> 00:14:16,645 Speaker 1: for the Committee Comedy Troupe. She was also the secretary 215 00:14:16,645 --> 00:14:19,485 Speaker 1: for the Family Dog, which was the rival production company 216 00:14:19,565 --> 00:14:22,845 Speaker 1: to Bill Graham Presents. My mom even helped the legendary 217 00:14:22,845 --> 00:14:26,765 Speaker 1: comedian Lenny Bruce slog through his obscenity trial in the 218 00:14:26,765 --> 00:14:30,005 Speaker 1: early sixties. Lenny Bruce was arrested multiple times for his 219 00:14:30,125 --> 00:14:35,005 Speaker 1: vulgar and sexual material. He used words like cocksucker onstage, 220 00:14:35,485 --> 00:14:38,925 Speaker 1: shocking at the time, you guys. So Lenny Bruce hired 221 00:14:38,965 --> 00:14:41,565 Speaker 1: my mom to type up his notes, which were handwritten 222 00:14:41,565 --> 00:14:43,485 Speaker 1: while he was on the toilet because he was a 223 00:14:43,565 --> 00:14:47,085 Speaker 1: junkie and junkies spend a lot of time in the bathroom, 224 00:14:47,805 --> 00:14:50,165 Speaker 1: So Lenny Bruce would be on the toilet and writing 225 00:14:50,165 --> 00:14:53,205 Speaker 1: his obscenity trial. Stuffed the toilet paper under the door 226 00:14:53,525 --> 00:14:56,845 Speaker 1: for my mom to transcribe. Yeah, and he kept saying, 227 00:14:56,885 --> 00:15:02,725 Speaker 1: you know in his records that I was typing for him. 228 00:15:02,885 --> 00:15:08,845 Speaker 1: Words can't hurt anybody you set up a story about, 229 00:15:09,165 --> 00:15:12,845 Speaker 1: you know, So if you call somebody a count, or 230 00:15:12,925 --> 00:15:16,045 Speaker 1: you call them a cock sucker, they're not really. You're 231 00:15:16,085 --> 00:15:20,045 Speaker 1: just using words or just words. And the judge wouldn't 232 00:15:20,045 --> 00:15:22,925 Speaker 1: buy it. They wouldn't buy it. They're still sent him 233 00:15:22,965 --> 00:15:26,285 Speaker 1: to cheil. You mentioned you told me once that after 234 00:15:26,445 --> 00:15:29,285 Speaker 1: that trial of Sutday trial, people started saying the word 235 00:15:29,325 --> 00:15:35,485 Speaker 1: fuck in normal day right. Never set up right, never 236 00:15:35,525 --> 00:15:38,605 Speaker 1: said up, wouldn't even say God, damn it. So my 237 00:15:38,685 --> 00:15:42,325 Speaker 1: mom's relationship with her second husband, the jeweler, was volatile, 238 00:15:43,045 --> 00:15:45,045 Speaker 1: and she left him and fell in love with an 239 00:15:45,045 --> 00:15:48,485 Speaker 1: actor who later became a well known TV star. My 240 00:15:48,565 --> 00:15:51,605 Speaker 1: mom's third husband, the actor, was an extrovert. He invited 241 00:15:51,685 --> 00:15:55,205 Speaker 1: everyone to their little Telegraph Hill apartment after the comedy shows. 242 00:15:55,645 --> 00:15:59,405 Speaker 1: My mom would cook and everyone would dance. They play records. 243 00:15:59,405 --> 00:16:02,845 Speaker 1: It was like the height of this amazing music revolution 244 00:16:02,965 --> 00:16:07,005 Speaker 1: in San Francisco. While her husband, the actor, was on 245 00:16:07,005 --> 00:16:09,445 Speaker 1: the road with the Rolling Stones in their groupies, she 246 00:16:09,565 --> 00:16:13,285 Speaker 1: retaliated by having an affair that resulted in a surprising pregnancy. 247 00:16:14,565 --> 00:16:18,565 Speaker 1: She'd been sterile for eight years. Since he's stillborn, my 248 00:16:18,645 --> 00:16:22,205 Speaker 1: sister's biological father abandoned my mom and she settled down 249 00:16:22,205 --> 00:16:24,885 Speaker 1: with her baby, my future big sister in a fisherman's 250 00:16:24,885 --> 00:16:28,445 Speaker 1: cottage North Point, a neighborhood known for the famed Garadeli Square. 251 00:16:31,125 --> 00:16:35,245 Speaker 1: I'm Ramo Valentine. You're listening to disorganized crime. We'll be 252 00:16:35,325 --> 00:16:48,485 Speaker 1: right back now. The mid sixties were a volatile, transformative 253 00:16:48,525 --> 00:16:52,525 Speaker 1: time in the world, particularly the US. Nineteen sixty five, 254 00:16:52,605 --> 00:16:55,765 Speaker 1: the Vietnam War is in full swing, drafting thirty five 255 00:16:56,005 --> 00:16:59,525 Speaker 1: thousand kids a month in La the Watts Race. Riots 256 00:16:59,525 --> 00:17:03,325 Speaker 1: explode between police and African American neighborhoods, and in nineteen 257 00:17:03,405 --> 00:17:07,325 Speaker 1: sixty six, US troops and m are four hundred thousand. 258 00:17:07,685 --> 00:17:11,005 Speaker 1: Anti war protests are growing, The Black Panthers are founded, 259 00:17:11,445 --> 00:17:15,885 Speaker 1: and West Coast Acid manufacturing King Owsley is busted for 260 00:17:15,885 --> 00:17:20,045 Speaker 1: the first time. Nineteen sixty seven is the Monterey Pops Festival, 261 00:17:20,125 --> 00:17:24,245 Speaker 1: The Detroit rece riots, and huge Vietnam War protests occur 262 00:17:24,285 --> 00:17:28,645 Speaker 1: in San Francisco, New York, and DC. Nineteen sixty eight, 263 00:17:28,845 --> 00:17:33,925 Speaker 1: Nixon wins the presidency. Martin Luther King Junior is assassinated. 264 00:17:34,285 --> 00:17:36,845 Speaker 1: The rock musical Hair All about the Vietnam War and 265 00:17:36,925 --> 00:17:40,965 Speaker 1: Hippies opens on Broadway. This is a long way from 266 00:17:40,965 --> 00:17:44,205 Speaker 1: the nineteen fifties era of repression saw cops and Elvis. 267 00:17:46,965 --> 00:17:50,725 Speaker 1: The last eighteen was as seeing a tremendous increase of 268 00:17:50,965 --> 00:17:55,245 Speaker 1: the so called hippies. It is the belief of the 269 00:17:55,245 --> 00:18:00,085 Speaker 1: people who live within the area that we the middle 270 00:18:00,125 --> 00:18:02,085 Speaker 1: class or in the Upper franss, I've done a very 271 00:18:02,165 --> 00:18:07,365 Speaker 1: very poor job running our government and our way of life. 272 00:18:08,365 --> 00:18:11,245 Speaker 1: Thousands of young people are pouring into San Francisco, into 273 00:18:11,245 --> 00:18:14,165 Speaker 1: the hate Ashbury neighborhood, and the press called these young 274 00:18:14,205 --> 00:18:18,885 Speaker 1: people the hippies. Here's our historian, Dennis McNally. The people 275 00:18:18,925 --> 00:18:21,205 Speaker 1: who lived in the hate Ashbury did not call themselves hippies. 276 00:18:21,245 --> 00:18:24,005 Speaker 1: They called themselves freaks. Hippie was a word created by 277 00:18:24,045 --> 00:18:27,965 Speaker 1: the newspapers because freak it had edges to it, and 278 00:18:28,125 --> 00:18:31,205 Speaker 1: the newspapers just didn't like it. You know, it wasn't 279 00:18:31,285 --> 00:18:33,965 Speaker 1: it wasn't a word they like to use, whereas hippie 280 00:18:34,205 --> 00:18:37,565 Speaker 1: sounded sort of soft and adorable. And so they made 281 00:18:37,565 --> 00:18:40,605 Speaker 1: that up and and it worked, and everybody used it 282 00:18:40,645 --> 00:18:44,405 Speaker 1: as he has used it ever since. Hippy seen frequently 283 00:18:44,485 --> 00:18:47,525 Speaker 1: gathered together in large groups, and you know, going up 284 00:18:47,565 --> 00:18:51,925 Speaker 1: to Woodstock and you name it. They gathered around rock 285 00:18:51,965 --> 00:18:57,645 Speaker 1: and roll and they used LSD instead of just smoking 286 00:18:57,685 --> 00:19:01,645 Speaker 1: pot and the LSD. There's some kind of connection between 287 00:19:01,845 --> 00:19:05,045 Speaker 1: LSD and rock and roll, which is to say, it 288 00:19:05,085 --> 00:19:09,645 Speaker 1: makes you sensitive to that incredible sensory overload that you 289 00:19:09,685 --> 00:19:12,925 Speaker 1: can get from really loud music, and you know, it 290 00:19:13,045 --> 00:19:16,085 Speaker 1: just sort of it takes you somewhere. And there was 291 00:19:16,125 --> 00:19:19,645 Speaker 1: this guy named Owsley in the San Francisco Bay area 292 00:19:19,925 --> 00:19:26,125 Speaker 1: who was really obsessive and in the end he produced 293 00:19:26,125 --> 00:19:29,285 Speaker 1: what was probably the purest and strongest LSD ever made. 294 00:19:29,725 --> 00:19:34,845 Speaker 1: And he had lots of very interesting and slightly strange 295 00:19:34,925 --> 00:19:37,965 Speaker 1: theories about what he was doing and why, you know, 296 00:19:38,285 --> 00:19:40,605 Speaker 1: you had to do certain things, but the end result 297 00:19:40,765 --> 00:19:51,045 Speaker 1: was he produced literally millions of hits of LSD. LSD 298 00:19:51,845 --> 00:19:55,685 Speaker 1: no nineteen sixties counterculture stories complete without it. Along with 299 00:19:55,805 --> 00:20:01,085 Speaker 1: notable acid manufacturers like Owsley, Stanford University is manufacturing acid 300 00:20:01,165 --> 00:20:03,405 Speaker 1: in the early sixth season in the late fifties to 301 00:20:03,405 --> 00:20:06,325 Speaker 1: test out. They have no idea what it does. Stanford 302 00:20:06,365 --> 00:20:08,605 Speaker 1: University is located in Palo Alto, which is the home 303 00:20:08,645 --> 00:20:12,285 Speaker 1: of many of the nineteen sixties musicians, So somehow this 304 00:20:12,365 --> 00:20:15,085 Speaker 1: acid is making it up to North Beach and my 305 00:20:15,125 --> 00:20:18,485 Speaker 1: mom's second husband, the jeweler has a hook up. He 306 00:20:18,605 --> 00:20:21,565 Speaker 1: gets Stanford acid, and what people are supposed to do 307 00:20:21,645 --> 00:20:24,165 Speaker 1: is take the Stanford acid and then write a trip 308 00:20:24,205 --> 00:20:26,885 Speaker 1: report and return it to Stanford so they can find 309 00:20:26,885 --> 00:20:29,725 Speaker 1: out what happens when you take acid. That's how my 310 00:20:29,725 --> 00:20:32,285 Speaker 1: mom started taking acid in the early sixties. It was 311 00:20:32,285 --> 00:20:35,085 Speaker 1: Stanford acid, so you know, probably pretty great. I mean 312 00:20:35,125 --> 00:20:38,285 Speaker 1: that's some Ivy league acid. He got me a dose 313 00:20:38,405 --> 00:20:42,685 Speaker 1: or gave me dose and then he went to sleep. Yeah, 314 00:20:42,805 --> 00:20:47,445 Speaker 1: So this my first ASCID in just little Fisherman's house 315 00:20:47,525 --> 00:20:52,005 Speaker 1: in North Beach. But it was great because I assumed 316 00:20:52,085 --> 00:20:55,245 Speaker 1: back to when I was three and four years old 317 00:20:55,365 --> 00:20:59,005 Speaker 1: and my father was super abusive to my brother and 318 00:20:59,645 --> 00:21:03,405 Speaker 1: I was terrified. So I went through the experience, but 319 00:21:03,565 --> 00:21:07,485 Speaker 1: as an older person, so I wasn't so terrified. So 320 00:21:07,565 --> 00:21:13,765 Speaker 1: it helped peeled me reliving those experiences of fear and 321 00:21:14,285 --> 00:21:17,245 Speaker 1: saying I couldn't deal with us. Now I'm in my 322 00:21:17,325 --> 00:21:23,325 Speaker 1: adult body instead of my child body. And that was 323 00:21:23,405 --> 00:21:40,325 Speaker 1: my first acid experience. While my mom was being radiated 324 00:21:40,445 --> 00:21:44,365 Speaker 1: in LA's never cleaned up nuclear meltdown, running away to 325 00:21:44,365 --> 00:21:47,285 Speaker 1: San Francisco and nude modeling for gay men, my dad 326 00:21:47,365 --> 00:21:52,245 Speaker 1: was growing up in Brooklyn in a middle class, intellectual, atheist, Jewish, communist, 327 00:21:52,325 --> 00:21:57,605 Speaker 1: art loving family. Throughout the nineteen sixties, a new wave 328 00:21:57,645 --> 00:22:00,245 Speaker 1: of immigrants was starting to move into New York City. 329 00:22:00,685 --> 00:22:04,405 Speaker 1: As American immigration laws relaxed and white residents moved out 330 00:22:04,445 --> 00:22:06,885 Speaker 1: to the suburbs. New York City was turning into a 331 00:22:06,965 --> 00:22:12,925 Speaker 1: multicultural metropolis unlike the world had ever seen. Across the decade, 332 00:22:12,925 --> 00:22:15,565 Speaker 1: as a whole, people all over New York, like the 333 00:22:15,605 --> 00:22:19,365 Speaker 1: rest of the country, were fighting for change. New York 334 00:22:19,405 --> 00:22:22,885 Speaker 1: City in the sixties saw countless strikes and protests, sometimes 335 00:22:22,925 --> 00:22:26,765 Speaker 1: boiling over into violence. Now, let's also remember the nineteen 336 00:22:26,885 --> 00:22:30,525 Speaker 1: sixties are fifteen to twenty years after World War Two. 337 00:22:31,405 --> 00:22:34,805 Speaker 1: Every adult had gone through World War Two in some way, 338 00:22:35,725 --> 00:22:39,285 Speaker 1: New York City is full of refugees and survivors. My 339 00:22:39,405 --> 00:22:42,765 Speaker 1: dad's mom fled the Ukrainian Pograms from the thirties and 340 00:22:42,805 --> 00:22:46,085 Speaker 1: her siblings were murdered in the Holocaust. So New York 341 00:22:46,125 --> 00:22:49,645 Speaker 1: City is full of humans with what today we call PTSD. 342 00:22:53,045 --> 00:22:55,805 Speaker 1: My dad was the youngest of three children. His dad 343 00:22:55,845 --> 00:22:59,405 Speaker 1: was a Rembrandt scholar, a book designer, and his Russian 344 00:22:59,445 --> 00:23:02,365 Speaker 1: immigrant mom stayed at home, although later in life. She 345 00:23:02,405 --> 00:23:05,085 Speaker 1: had her own art gallery in the Berkshires near Tanglewood 346 00:23:05,085 --> 00:23:08,405 Speaker 1: in Massa. She sits. My dad's family lived in Brooklyn 347 00:23:08,605 --> 00:23:10,965 Speaker 1: and my whip smart Dad was skipped a few grades, 348 00:23:11,325 --> 00:23:13,805 Speaker 1: causing him to be the smallest kid in high school, 349 00:23:13,925 --> 00:23:17,565 Speaker 1: an easy target for bullies. His grandparents, my great grandparents, 350 00:23:17,645 --> 00:23:19,685 Speaker 1: lived upstairs, and he played in the streets with his cousins. 351 00:23:20,125 --> 00:23:22,405 Speaker 1: He went to summer camp on the Berkshires, he had 352 00:23:22,445 --> 00:23:24,245 Speaker 1: a dog, and well, he was, for the most part, 353 00:23:24,245 --> 00:23:28,445 Speaker 1: a happy kid. According to my dad, life was uneventful 354 00:23:29,045 --> 00:23:32,245 Speaker 1: until nineteen sixty three when he started at Brooklyn College, 355 00:23:32,805 --> 00:23:35,445 Speaker 1: because that's when he met the Sugar Bowl Man. The 356 00:23:35,565 --> 00:23:40,205 Speaker 1: Sugar Bowl Man, he completely changed the direction of my life. 357 00:23:41,485 --> 00:23:44,045 Speaker 1: And there I am, and I pull up this giant 358 00:23:44,885 --> 00:23:48,765 Speaker 1: BSA lightning rocket already parked there as a Triumph single 359 00:23:48,805 --> 00:23:52,685 Speaker 1: cylinder five D. My dad is really into motorcycles at 360 00:23:52,685 --> 00:23:55,765 Speaker 1: this point in his life. And there's this guy leaning 361 00:23:55,805 --> 00:23:59,405 Speaker 1: on this bike and he's six foot five, and I 362 00:23:59,565 --> 00:24:03,245 Speaker 1: pull up in my big time bike and I'm five 363 00:24:03,245 --> 00:24:10,365 Speaker 1: foot eight, and he nods at me, says, hm, nice bike. 364 00:24:11,245 --> 00:24:13,365 Speaker 1: I want to come over to my place and Smolka Joint. 365 00:24:13,965 --> 00:24:16,725 Speaker 1: So The Sugar Bowl man is also a nice Jewish 366 00:24:16,765 --> 00:24:20,085 Speaker 1: Brooklyn boy. He's super tall, has a deep voice, and 367 00:24:20,165 --> 00:24:31,445 Speaker 1: he introduces my dad to a whole new world. So 368 00:24:31,565 --> 00:24:35,365 Speaker 1: the Sugar Bowl I get over to his house and 369 00:24:35,765 --> 00:24:41,125 Speaker 1: the apartment was dark and had all sorts of hanging things, 370 00:24:41,165 --> 00:24:48,005 Speaker 1: hanging tapestries and little water lights and sort of cushions on. 371 00:24:49,605 --> 00:24:52,565 Speaker 1: What was more relaxing than a couch? You know, I 372 00:24:52,605 --> 00:24:57,605 Speaker 1: guess pillows guy. Basically he walked into the Brooklyn caspot 373 00:25:01,165 --> 00:25:04,765 Speaker 1: and the Sugar Bowl man. I mean he's got incredible 374 00:25:04,845 --> 00:25:09,325 Speaker 1: pot smoked anything like it, and he's got lots of it. 375 00:25:13,085 --> 00:25:19,085 Speaker 1: He tells me here, hey, man, you want to try DMT, 376 00:25:20,285 --> 00:25:24,765 Speaker 1: And sure, I mean, why not? Well, DMT diamens will 377 00:25:24,805 --> 00:25:29,085 Speaker 1: trip to me is the center of a five hundred 378 00:25:29,245 --> 00:25:32,685 Speaker 1: mic acid trip before you get the pipe out of 379 00:25:32,685 --> 00:25:37,965 Speaker 1: your mouth from a toog and man, just a rocket 380 00:25:37,965 --> 00:25:41,405 Speaker 1: ship ride and in fifteen minutes you're straight again, just 381 00:25:41,525 --> 00:25:45,805 Speaker 1: straight again. It's like where was Where was I? You know? 382 00:25:45,965 --> 00:25:49,325 Speaker 1: I went through the doors of perception so fast it 383 00:25:49,405 --> 00:25:59,645 Speaker 1: was like light speed anyway, But I was completely enamored 384 00:25:59,685 --> 00:26:03,405 Speaker 1: by psychedelics, and there I had the opportunity and so 385 00:26:03,565 --> 00:26:06,245 Speaker 1: what I started to do was, I mean, I realized 386 00:26:06,765 --> 00:26:10,685 Speaker 1: pretty quickly that fuck one, it costs money to do this, 387 00:26:11,205 --> 00:26:15,805 Speaker 1: and two if I bought two, If I got two joints, 388 00:26:15,845 --> 00:26:17,965 Speaker 1: I could sell one and pay for one to smoke 389 00:26:18,325 --> 00:26:21,765 Speaker 1: myself for free. That was sort of the initial concept 390 00:26:21,885 --> 00:26:24,885 Speaker 1: of it. And then the DMT and it costs money. 391 00:26:24,965 --> 00:26:29,845 Speaker 1: So I ended up sort of passing it out at 392 00:26:29,965 --> 00:26:34,325 Speaker 1: Brooklyn College. Were you living with your mom? Yeah, I 393 00:26:34,365 --> 00:26:37,085 Speaker 1: was living at home with my mom. I was bringing 394 00:26:37,165 --> 00:26:39,645 Speaker 1: all my friends over the trip. Would be up all 395 00:26:39,725 --> 00:26:42,405 Speaker 1: night and my mom would say, hey, I've got bagels 396 00:26:42,405 --> 00:26:45,005 Speaker 1: and locks for you here in the morning. You shod 397 00:26:45,005 --> 00:26:46,885 Speaker 1: wonder what the fuck we were doing. It's not like 398 00:26:46,925 --> 00:26:49,005 Speaker 1: we talked about it. Would just be up there listening 399 00:26:49,045 --> 00:26:53,205 Speaker 1: to music and tripping all night. All the time. It 400 00:26:53,285 --> 00:26:55,885 Speaker 1: was so great and so much fun, and so the 401 00:26:56,325 --> 00:26:59,885 Speaker 1: drugs were so amazing. They were so clean. I could 402 00:27:00,045 --> 00:27:03,685 Speaker 1: be able to pass them out to my friends and 403 00:27:03,725 --> 00:27:06,085 Speaker 1: it would pay for me to take whatever. And what 404 00:27:06,165 --> 00:27:09,965 Speaker 1: the fuck? I even made money, and all of a 405 00:27:10,085 --> 00:27:13,765 Speaker 1: sudden it was pretty good money. I mean, it just 406 00:27:13,965 --> 00:27:21,045 Speaker 1: servil happened. Organic clich the sugar bowl man is the supplier. 407 00:27:21,365 --> 00:27:24,205 Speaker 1: I mean, he had. The Sugar Bowl Man had the 408 00:27:24,365 --> 00:27:29,605 Speaker 1: best drugs I'd ever had, and the acid was made 409 00:27:29,885 --> 00:27:37,765 Speaker 1: by Nikky sand Mister Sunshine. Nikki Sand aka Nikki Sunshine 410 00:27:37,805 --> 00:27:41,845 Speaker 1: aka Mister Sunshine, childhood friend of the Sugar Bowl Man, 411 00:27:42,245 --> 00:27:46,045 Speaker 1: was another disciple of LSD and wanted to manufacture as 412 00:27:46,125 --> 00:27:50,165 Speaker 1: much as possible to enlighten the world. And Nikky Sunshine's 413 00:27:50,245 --> 00:27:57,445 Speaker 1: extensive LSD operation was funded by trustafarian Billy Hitchcock, a 414 00:27:57,445 --> 00:28:01,525 Speaker 1: descendant of the Robber Baron family, the Melons as in 415 00:28:01,565 --> 00:28:06,165 Speaker 1: Carnegie Melon. Now Nikki Sunshine's patron. Billy hitch Talk had 416 00:28:06,205 --> 00:28:09,605 Speaker 1: a mansion in Millbrook, New York. This was the site 417 00:28:09,605 --> 00:28:13,725 Speaker 1: of world famous acid tests and mega hippie rangers lord 418 00:28:13,805 --> 00:28:17,445 Speaker 1: it over by none other than doctor Timothy Leary, former 419 00:28:17,485 --> 00:28:21,685 Speaker 1: Harvard professor and pioneering acid tester. R What I understand 420 00:28:21,685 --> 00:28:26,605 Speaker 1: from our signature historian Dennis McNally Millbrook was insane. Leary 421 00:28:26,885 --> 00:28:30,125 Speaker 1: got booted out of Harvard and he connected with a 422 00:28:30,205 --> 00:28:34,045 Speaker 1: fabulously wealthy guy by the name of Billy Hitchcock. Anyway, 423 00:28:34,085 --> 00:28:38,485 Speaker 1: he was a stunningly wealthy guy, and Billy Hitchcock really 424 00:28:38,565 --> 00:28:43,445 Speaker 1: liked decidedly, he really liked LLSD, and when Leary got 425 00:28:43,445 --> 00:28:49,485 Speaker 1: booted out of Harvard, he ended up at their mansion, 426 00:28:49,605 --> 00:28:53,005 Speaker 1: at the mansion that Billy owned in Millbrook, New York, 427 00:28:53,285 --> 00:28:56,805 Speaker 1: and people started going there. At first day it was 428 00:28:56,805 --> 00:29:01,005 Speaker 1: like so esoteric jazz musicians. They decided they would find 429 00:29:01,125 --> 00:29:04,725 Speaker 1: artists to share the cellist with, and then it became, 430 00:29:04,805 --> 00:29:08,085 Speaker 1: you know, sort of more and more people, and eventually 431 00:29:08,165 --> 00:29:12,285 Speaker 1: they got started getting harassed by the guy named Gordon Liddy, 432 00:29:12,565 --> 00:29:16,205 Speaker 1: who was a local investigator for the for the DA 433 00:29:16,205 --> 00:29:19,525 Speaker 1: of that county. And of course Gordon Liddy later became 434 00:29:19,565 --> 00:29:23,045 Speaker 1: part of the Watergate conspiracy. But that whole side story, 435 00:29:23,445 --> 00:29:29,125 Speaker 1: and they they again they talked about LSD and they 436 00:29:29,125 --> 00:29:32,885 Speaker 1: gave it a lot of publicity. You mentioned Nikki San 437 00:29:33,005 --> 00:29:36,165 Speaker 1: Niki sand although also known as Niki Sunshine. He was 438 00:29:36,205 --> 00:29:38,925 Speaker 1: a true believer in LSD and he created what was 439 00:29:38,925 --> 00:29:43,485 Speaker 1: called Orange Sun Sunshine and made lots and lots and 440 00:29:43,525 --> 00:29:47,005 Speaker 1: lots of that, and then when the police went after him, 441 00:29:47,085 --> 00:29:50,565 Speaker 1: he did a very successful vanishing act and got away 442 00:29:50,565 --> 00:29:52,445 Speaker 1: with it for but I think twenty five years, and 443 00:29:52,485 --> 00:29:55,405 Speaker 1: eventually they caught up with him. There's a whole amazing 444 00:29:55,485 --> 00:30:01,245 Speaker 1: pattern of people deciding that a that they liked LSD 445 00:30:01,365 --> 00:30:05,365 Speaker 1: and they found it a useful thing, and then be 446 00:30:05,925 --> 00:30:10,405 Speaker 1: people rising up to meet that demand. It's American capitalism 447 00:30:10,405 --> 00:30:13,245 Speaker 1: at its finest. My dad never got caught up in Millbrook, 448 00:30:13,405 --> 00:30:16,085 Speaker 1: but through the Sugar Bowl Man, he did enjoy Nikki 449 00:30:16,165 --> 00:30:20,445 Speaker 1: Sand's premier acid Orange Sunshine, and he enjoyed a lot 450 00:30:20,445 --> 00:30:22,725 Speaker 1: of it. He was running around New York with his chums, 451 00:30:23,045 --> 00:30:25,605 Speaker 1: a guy were calling the cameraman and the jazz man 452 00:30:25,725 --> 00:30:28,165 Speaker 1: and this guy named Nome. I mean, all I knew 453 00:30:28,245 --> 00:30:30,205 Speaker 1: was it was fucking great and we were having a 454 00:30:30,285 --> 00:30:33,045 Speaker 1: grand time, and we were listening to great music all 455 00:30:33,245 --> 00:30:36,565 Speaker 1: the time. I mean, we were just tripping out everywhere where. 456 00:30:36,685 --> 00:30:42,885 Speaker 1: Bagel traps, He's just the streets. And the cameraman says, oh, 457 00:30:42,965 --> 00:30:48,965 Speaker 1: let's go up to my dad's house in Woodstock. One 458 00:30:49,045 --> 00:30:51,445 Speaker 1: weekend in the middle of the winter. There was I 459 00:30:51,525 --> 00:30:56,165 Speaker 1: don't know, January February of sixty seven, was me, the 460 00:30:56,205 --> 00:31:02,085 Speaker 1: cameraman's house, his dad's house, Gnome and this other crazy guy, Steve. 461 00:31:03,285 --> 00:31:06,365 Speaker 1: But he was really nuts and loved to drip out, 462 00:31:06,405 --> 00:31:10,165 Speaker 1: and he had broken his leg and we all went 463 00:31:10,245 --> 00:31:11,965 Speaker 1: up there and he went up with the broken legs 464 00:31:11,965 --> 00:31:16,125 Speaker 1: the middle of the winter, the snow everywhere, and I've naturally, 465 00:31:16,165 --> 00:31:20,005 Speaker 1: I've got the acid. But it was fucking fabulous shit. 466 00:31:20,685 --> 00:31:26,645 Speaker 1: And these were five hundred mic tabs, beautiful little purple berries. 467 00:31:27,405 --> 00:31:31,045 Speaker 1: And so the four of us drop a tab and 468 00:31:31,765 --> 00:31:35,805 Speaker 1: really strong, but absolutely clean and wonderful in you know, 469 00:31:35,845 --> 00:31:38,125 Speaker 1: I mean so strong you couldn't do anything to put 470 00:31:38,125 --> 00:31:40,565 Speaker 1: your head in a pillow. And I would just watch 471 00:31:41,045 --> 00:31:44,485 Speaker 1: blueberries float by. As the blueberry would float by, it 472 00:31:44,485 --> 00:31:53,205 Speaker 1: would say blueberry or strawberry. We went on the whole night, 473 00:31:53,285 --> 00:31:57,485 Speaker 1: you know, and and we're tripping out through the morning. Naturally, 474 00:31:57,525 --> 00:32:04,125 Speaker 1: I said, so let's drop some more. Everybody said, okay, 475 00:32:04,165 --> 00:32:08,405 Speaker 1: that sounds cool, and I said, well, you know, we're 476 00:32:08,405 --> 00:32:12,285 Speaker 1: gonna have to drop two tabs this time because one 477 00:32:12,445 --> 00:32:18,445 Speaker 1: won't get us off. After last we all dropped two. No, 478 00:32:21,925 --> 00:32:39,205 Speaker 1: it was twice as blue beage. So by early by 479 00:32:39,685 --> 00:32:42,725 Speaker 1: late sixty six, I was taking acids, you know, in 480 00:32:42,765 --> 00:32:48,485 Speaker 1: psychedelics so often that I finally said, oh fuck school, 481 00:32:48,685 --> 00:32:51,445 Speaker 1: and I quit college and decided to major in acid. 482 00:32:51,565 --> 00:32:56,005 Speaker 1: One oh one. This is a big deal. My dad 483 00:32:56,045 --> 00:33:00,445 Speaker 1: was young fit ripe for the draft. A few months 484 00:33:00,485 --> 00:33:04,565 Speaker 1: after quitting school, he got the dreaded letter from Uncle Sam, 485 00:33:04,725 --> 00:33:07,685 Speaker 1: and he willed to comonstrators protest US involvement in the 486 00:33:07,765 --> 00:33:12,445 Speaker 1: Vietnam War in mass marches, rallies, and demonstrations. Central Park 487 00:33:12,565 --> 00:33:14,925 Speaker 1: is the starting point for the parade to the UN Building. 488 00:33:15,205 --> 00:33:19,205 Speaker 1: He estimated one hundred twenty five thousand Manhattan marchers include students, 489 00:33:19,485 --> 00:33:23,805 Speaker 1: pass wives, beat nick, poets, doctors, businessman, teachers, priests and nuns. 490 00:33:24,165 --> 00:33:29,965 Speaker 1: Makeup and costumes were bizarre. My dad had a plan. 491 00:33:31,525 --> 00:33:34,885 Speaker 1: The night before my dad's draft board interview. He took 492 00:33:34,925 --> 00:33:37,405 Speaker 1: acid and stayed up all night so he'd be really 493 00:33:37,485 --> 00:33:40,405 Speaker 1: spaced out for the draft board. At the draft interview, 494 00:33:40,445 --> 00:33:42,805 Speaker 1: my dad refused to disrobe or pe in a cup, 495 00:33:43,245 --> 00:33:46,085 Speaker 1: so they sent him to the psychiatrist, who declared my 496 00:33:46,165 --> 00:33:50,285 Speaker 1: dad one why, which is just above four f one 497 00:33:50,485 --> 00:33:54,365 Speaker 1: y means Uncle Sam may call again, but probably not. 498 00:33:55,085 --> 00:34:00,805 Speaker 1: My dad was free. I'm remo, Valentine, you're listening to 499 00:34:01,045 --> 00:34:17,685 Speaker 1: disorganized crime. We'll be right back. Many predicted that there 500 00:34:17,685 --> 00:34:20,485 Speaker 1: will be no beautiful summer for the hippies of San Francisco, 501 00:34:20,845 --> 00:34:24,205 Speaker 1: that the dreamy bohemia of hate Ashbridge will be destroyed 502 00:34:24,405 --> 00:34:27,925 Speaker 1: like the Big generation of the fifties by thrill seekers, tourists, 503 00:34:28,205 --> 00:34:32,885 Speaker 1: uncommercial exploits. The psychedelic love generation of the sixties may 504 00:34:32,925 --> 00:34:35,405 Speaker 1: find that it takes more than new words and new 505 00:34:35,485 --> 00:34:40,765 Speaker 1: drugs to conquer the old order. It's nineteen sixty seven. 506 00:34:41,045 --> 00:34:44,765 Speaker 1: The summer of love is in full swing. The summer 507 00:34:44,805 --> 00:34:49,965 Speaker 1: of sixty seven was madness. What happened to the Sugar 508 00:34:50,005 --> 00:34:53,725 Speaker 1: Bowl man was? I mean, he was just really easy 509 00:34:53,925 --> 00:34:57,605 Speaker 1: and loose, and he was really supplying I guess, a 510 00:34:57,605 --> 00:35:00,525 Speaker 1: lot of big stuff. And apparently one of his old 511 00:35:00,565 --> 00:35:05,605 Speaker 1: friends got busted and dropped a diamond him rad it 512 00:35:05,685 --> 00:35:09,165 Speaker 1: on him, and it scarce the shit out of him, 513 00:35:09,365 --> 00:35:15,685 Speaker 1: and he retires. Because everything changed, The CIA came well, 514 00:35:15,725 --> 00:35:18,245 Speaker 1: they had been in there, but they started fucking with 515 00:35:18,325 --> 00:35:21,605 Speaker 1: the acid all over the place. So they were putting 516 00:35:21,645 --> 00:35:26,125 Speaker 1: stryctine in the acid, and everybody was getting on bad trips. 517 00:35:26,325 --> 00:35:29,445 Speaker 1: But what we were getting in New York was just badassi, 518 00:35:30,325 --> 00:35:33,645 Speaker 1: and it was a tough It was a weird time. 519 00:35:33,845 --> 00:35:37,885 Speaker 1: By the late summer sixty seven, we were just making 520 00:35:37,925 --> 00:35:41,805 Speaker 1: a lot of noise and all sorts of political shit, right, 521 00:35:41,885 --> 00:35:47,085 Speaker 1: and the war in Vietnam. Music was changing, the changing 522 00:35:47,125 --> 00:35:50,845 Speaker 1: the world, and the basis for all of that was 523 00:35:50,885 --> 00:35:54,445 Speaker 1: the drugs that turned on the brilliant people who made 524 00:35:54,565 --> 00:35:57,485 Speaker 1: the music, who made the art, who created the stuff. 525 00:35:57,565 --> 00:36:03,045 Speaker 1: So those who were involved in that that they were 526 00:36:03,085 --> 00:36:13,205 Speaker 1: on a terror tear. Now did the CIA tamper with acid? 527 00:36:13,965 --> 00:36:16,645 Speaker 1: Whether true or not, there was plenty of propaganda circulating. 528 00:36:16,645 --> 00:36:22,925 Speaker 1: According to Dennis McNally, I've never seen any credible evidence 529 00:36:23,485 --> 00:36:29,205 Speaker 1: that the CIA literally poisoned psychedelics. There obviously were people 530 00:36:29,205 --> 00:36:33,925 Speaker 1: who made psychedelics without the care and attention of an ousley, 531 00:36:34,045 --> 00:36:37,805 Speaker 1: so that you get lesser stuff. But what the CIA 532 00:36:37,885 --> 00:36:44,045 Speaker 1: did very consciously is poisoned the atmosphere and nuts as 533 00:36:44,125 --> 00:36:48,005 Speaker 1: much of the CIA as the FBI poisoned the atmosphere 534 00:36:48,445 --> 00:36:51,525 Speaker 1: in which you were taking LSD, so that if you 535 00:36:52,365 --> 00:36:57,285 Speaker 1: planned us there were the two that I remember in 536 00:36:57,325 --> 00:37:01,485 Speaker 1: particular was of the person who took LSD and then 537 00:37:01,485 --> 00:37:04,005 Speaker 1: stared at the sun until they were blind. There were 538 00:37:04,405 --> 00:37:08,165 Speaker 1: rumors about people taking LSD and then jumping off, you know, 539 00:37:08,245 --> 00:37:11,085 Speaker 1: thinking they can fly, jumping out of windows and dying, 540 00:37:11,685 --> 00:37:15,445 Speaker 1: and you know, those those stories are almost you know 541 00:37:15,565 --> 00:37:17,805 Speaker 1: when when you ever you try to research that stuff, 542 00:37:17,965 --> 00:37:20,925 Speaker 1: you discover that most of it is fraud but it 543 00:37:21,005 --> 00:37:25,925 Speaker 1: was just definitely no question disseminated, uh and and put 544 00:37:25,965 --> 00:37:30,165 Speaker 1: out by the FBI. So they they they tried to 545 00:37:30,205 --> 00:37:33,445 Speaker 1: poison the well, at least metaphorically. Both of my parents 546 00:37:33,445 --> 00:37:36,125 Speaker 1: say that by the Summer of Love in nineteen sixty seven, 547 00:37:36,365 --> 00:37:41,405 Speaker 1: the true spirit of the psychedelic revolution was over. My 548 00:37:41,485 --> 00:37:43,365 Speaker 1: dad didn't want to live in the city anymore, and 549 00:37:43,445 --> 00:37:46,805 Speaker 1: he moves up to Stockbridge, Massachusetts. There he becomes a 550 00:37:46,885 --> 00:37:49,885 Speaker 1: humble candlemaker and burns down his house and he leaves 551 00:37:49,885 --> 00:37:53,925 Speaker 1: a pot of piping hot wax on the stovetop stone. 552 00:37:54,005 --> 00:37:56,725 Speaker 1: When you burn the house down, I mean we smoked 553 00:37:56,725 --> 00:38:00,365 Speaker 1: a lot of pot. At one point, I invented a 554 00:38:00,365 --> 00:38:07,565 Speaker 1: At that point, I invented the first electric pot bomb. 555 00:38:08,205 --> 00:38:18,645 Speaker 1: I had an a pipe that was heated electronically. Electrically 556 00:38:18,725 --> 00:38:23,365 Speaker 1: was something to cook the pot and then it went 557 00:38:23,485 --> 00:38:29,245 Speaker 1: through the air pump and into your mouth. In Stockbridge, Massachusetts, 558 00:38:29,285 --> 00:38:31,605 Speaker 1: my dad hung out with his friend the cameraman, and 559 00:38:31,725 --> 00:38:34,165 Speaker 1: through him, my dad ended up appearing as a featured 560 00:38:34,205 --> 00:38:37,365 Speaker 1: extra in the nineteen sixty nine hippie cult classic film 561 00:38:37,405 --> 00:38:40,365 Speaker 1: Alice's Restaurant with r Low Guthrie. This led to a 562 00:38:40,365 --> 00:38:42,525 Speaker 1: brief career as an assistant director in New York City 563 00:38:42,565 --> 00:38:48,005 Speaker 1: film and then his first hash trip opportunity arises in 564 00:38:48,085 --> 00:38:51,765 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty eight. The cameraman tells my dad about a 565 00:38:51,765 --> 00:38:55,125 Speaker 1: guy interested in trading a Lotus E Lawn, which is 566 00:38:55,165 --> 00:39:00,285 Speaker 1: a fancy sports car, for two pounds of Lebanese hash. 567 00:39:00,325 --> 00:39:04,445 Speaker 1: So my Dad goes to the hash guy tells him 568 00:39:04,565 --> 00:39:08,525 Speaker 1: the Lotus guy, I will trade three pounds of hash 569 00:39:08,645 --> 00:39:12,565 Speaker 1: for the car. The hashguy psyched, He agrees, and my 570 00:39:12,685 --> 00:39:17,885 Speaker 1: Dad clears one pound of hash for profit. It's a 571 00:39:17,965 --> 00:39:21,125 Speaker 1: winter snowstorm and my dad and his VW Bug is 572 00:39:21,245 --> 00:39:23,885 Speaker 1: smoking hash and driving the two pounds of hash to 573 00:39:23,965 --> 00:39:27,005 Speaker 1: the Lotus guy. When the pipe falls in my dad's lap. 574 00:39:27,765 --> 00:39:30,445 Speaker 1: In the skirmish to put out the burning embers, my 575 00:39:30,565 --> 00:39:37,045 Speaker 1: dad fears off the road into a snow bank, and 576 00:39:37,165 --> 00:39:42,965 Speaker 1: the state police appear. My dad is quietly freaking out. 577 00:39:43,045 --> 00:39:46,005 Speaker 1: His VW Bug, stashed with two pounds of hash, is 578 00:39:46,045 --> 00:39:48,605 Speaker 1: stuck in the snow bank in a blizzard. My dad 579 00:39:48,685 --> 00:39:52,565 Speaker 1: is totally stoned. His crutch is burning. Not an ideal 580 00:39:52,605 --> 00:39:59,565 Speaker 1: situation for a drug smuggling draftable, young, dark, olive colored man. Luckily, 581 00:39:59,965 --> 00:40:02,485 Speaker 1: the police want to get out of the snowstorm as 582 00:40:02,565 --> 00:40:07,285 Speaker 1: fast as possible, and incredibly, my dad for his VW 583 00:40:07,325 --> 00:40:10,405 Speaker 1: from the snow bank and unaware of the illegal drugs, 584 00:40:10,925 --> 00:40:14,645 Speaker 1: send him on his merry away. This is just the 585 00:40:14,685 --> 00:40:18,205 Speaker 1: start of my dad's good luck in the smuggling industry. 586 00:40:18,805 --> 00:40:21,605 Speaker 1: So this is your first big deal? How do I 587 00:40:21,645 --> 00:40:24,645 Speaker 1: make you feel? Are you kidding? It was so great? 588 00:40:24,685 --> 00:40:26,685 Speaker 1: It was really exciting, and we had a pile of 589 00:40:26,725 --> 00:40:30,205 Speaker 1: money again, and you know, and it was cool, you know, 590 00:40:30,325 --> 00:40:33,365 Speaker 1: and fuck, you know, I'm selling candles for three dollars 591 00:40:33,365 --> 00:40:36,125 Speaker 1: a candle or whatever. The fuck. I'm living like a pauper, 592 00:40:37,205 --> 00:40:40,485 Speaker 1: you know. And then here I was, you know, I'm 593 00:40:40,525 --> 00:40:46,165 Speaker 1: back to back to being cool again and free. I mean, 594 00:40:46,245 --> 00:40:51,525 Speaker 1: money is freedom. In nineteen seventy, my dad decides to 595 00:40:51,605 --> 00:40:55,405 Speaker 1: head out west, where the action is. After dropping off 596 00:40:55,445 --> 00:40:58,805 Speaker 1: five hitchhikers on Berkeley's University Avenue, my dad heads to 597 00:40:58,845 --> 00:41:01,525 Speaker 1: Marin County, where he crashes on the porch of some 598 00:41:01,565 --> 00:41:04,085 Speaker 1: grateful dead roadies for a couple of weeks. Then he 599 00:41:04,125 --> 00:41:05,485 Speaker 1: had a buddy decided to go on a road trip 600 00:41:05,605 --> 00:41:08,085 Speaker 1: to Big Sir to get some redwood burl slabs. That 601 00:41:08,165 --> 00:41:12,365 Speaker 1: buddy was my mom's brother. My dad, ever an art 602 00:41:12,445 --> 00:41:15,405 Speaker 1: enthusiast visionary, wants to make redwood tables to sell to 603 00:41:15,445 --> 00:41:19,205 Speaker 1: the high end New York City store Hammocker Schlemmer, apparently 604 00:41:19,245 --> 00:41:22,125 Speaker 1: the fanciest store in New York. In Big Sir, my 605 00:41:22,205 --> 00:41:27,565 Speaker 1: dad exchanges some nicky Sunshine acid for eight burl slabs. Anyway, 606 00:41:27,605 --> 00:41:30,645 Speaker 1: I can't say the most hippy thing. You're treating acid 607 00:41:30,805 --> 00:41:38,245 Speaker 1: for a VW bus redwood slab? Right, well, that is hilarious. 608 00:41:38,285 --> 00:41:41,725 Speaker 1: The redwood burl guy named Crazy Richard gives my dad 609 00:41:41,845 --> 00:41:44,645 Speaker 1: some of his own acid, and my dad trips his 610 00:41:44,725 --> 00:41:48,965 Speaker 1: balls off, as he says, So I started getting really high, 611 00:41:49,005 --> 00:41:51,165 Speaker 1: and it was great. I mean it was not uptight. 612 00:41:51,245 --> 00:41:56,725 Speaker 1: I wasn't It wasn't physical. It was strictly phenomenally hallucinatory 613 00:41:57,125 --> 00:42:02,965 Speaker 1: and not uptight, not not stressful, not speedy, not any 614 00:42:03,005 --> 00:42:06,005 Speaker 1: of that stuff, but just so high all you could 615 00:42:06,045 --> 00:42:09,325 Speaker 1: do is watch and there you are. You could understand 616 00:42:09,485 --> 00:42:12,765 Speaker 1: people talking, but you were so high you couldn't speak. 617 00:42:13,085 --> 00:42:15,925 Speaker 1: Instead of leaving my dad at SF's General Yar, my 618 00:42:16,005 --> 00:42:18,405 Speaker 1: uncle chooses to leave the New York Filmmaker as my 619 00:42:18,485 --> 00:42:21,565 Speaker 1: dad is reputed to be at his sister's house to recover. 620 00:42:22,605 --> 00:42:25,085 Speaker 1: My mom has a history of helping people come down 621 00:42:25,125 --> 00:42:28,765 Speaker 1: from bad trips throughout the sixties and seventies. Brother says, hey, 622 00:42:28,885 --> 00:42:31,165 Speaker 1: he can you take care of him or something? Do 623 00:42:31,205 --> 00:42:35,445 Speaker 1: you remember any of that here you take care of 624 00:42:36,525 --> 00:42:39,845 Speaker 1: and would you say okay, yeah, but you must have 625 00:42:39,845 --> 00:42:44,205 Speaker 1: said something earlier about how how oh the filmmaker's pretty 626 00:42:45,405 --> 00:42:48,445 Speaker 1: cute or something? Did you think the filmmaker was cute? 627 00:42:48,765 --> 00:42:56,005 Speaker 1: You made? I must have, you must have. My mom 628 00:42:56,045 --> 00:42:59,085 Speaker 1: says he was catatonic for two months. My dad says 629 00:42:59,245 --> 00:43:01,405 Speaker 1: two days. You didn't have to help him go to 630 00:43:01,405 --> 00:43:05,125 Speaker 1: the bathrooms. No, nothing like that. I just couldn't. I 631 00:43:05,165 --> 00:43:10,685 Speaker 1: could and speak. And for how long? No? No, no, no, no, 632 00:43:11,045 --> 00:43:15,005 Speaker 1: he just remember how long it was out? How long? 633 00:43:15,365 --> 00:43:17,765 Speaker 1: Long term? She like, a couple of weeks or a 634 00:43:17,805 --> 00:43:21,965 Speaker 1: couple of months. Yeah, those are two different things. Regardless. 635 00:43:22,245 --> 00:43:25,645 Speaker 1: My dad was psychedelically plopped at my mom's Fisherman's cottage, 636 00:43:25,645 --> 00:43:28,245 Speaker 1: where she lived with her one year old my big sister, Vertica. 637 00:43:29,165 --> 00:43:44,245 Speaker 1: My dad never left, and since he had a family, 638 00:43:44,725 --> 00:43:48,725 Speaker 1: my dad needed to make money. On one hand, his friend, 639 00:43:48,805 --> 00:43:51,885 Speaker 1: an Academy Award winning director, invited my dad to La 640 00:43:51,965 --> 00:43:53,805 Speaker 1: to work with him. And on the other hand, he 641 00:43:53,885 --> 00:43:56,725 Speaker 1: was enchanted by my mom, his family, and the inner 642 00:43:56,765 --> 00:44:00,365 Speaker 1: circle of West Coast psychedelic pioneers and rock and roll. 643 00:44:01,205 --> 00:44:03,285 Speaker 1: He could move his hippie family from the rock and 644 00:44:03,405 --> 00:44:07,005 Speaker 1: roll counterculture country living county the hustle and bustle of Hollywood, 645 00:44:08,245 --> 00:44:10,765 Speaker 1: or he could stay in Moran and make big money 646 00:44:10,925 --> 00:44:15,085 Speaker 1: being his own boss film or rock and roll outlaw. 647 00:44:15,765 --> 00:44:19,525 Speaker 1: It's Sophie's choice for dudes in their twenties, right, So 648 00:44:19,605 --> 00:44:23,325 Speaker 1: my dad chose smuggling, and my adrenaline loving parents began 649 00:44:23,365 --> 00:44:27,965 Speaker 1: a dangerous double life of extremeize and lows, truly living 650 00:44:27,965 --> 00:44:30,365 Speaker 1: in a house of cards that could fall apart at 651 00:44:30,405 --> 00:44:34,525 Speaker 1: any moment. And I was in that house of cards 652 00:44:35,125 --> 00:44:40,965 Speaker 1: playing pretend. Little did I know my parents were also 653 00:44:41,205 --> 00:44:45,685 Speaker 1: playing pretend. Theirs was a far more dangerous game though. 654 00:44:48,045 --> 00:44:51,045 Speaker 1: In the next episode, my Dad's first big trip, his 655 00:44:51,125 --> 00:44:55,125 Speaker 1: first big deal. It involves seven hundred pounds of Colombian pot, 656 00:44:55,405 --> 00:44:59,205 Speaker 1: police blackmail, and the Redwood City Jail. We'll dive into 657 00:44:59,245 --> 00:45:03,045 Speaker 1: that next, plus some esclin a nutcracker in the outregeous 658 00:45:03,125 --> 00:45:07,485 Speaker 1: history of reefer Madness. I'm Rainbow Valentine and this is 659 00:45:07,525 --> 00:45:13,685 Speaker 1: disorganized Crime Disorganized Crime. Smuggler's Daughter is written and recorded 660 00:45:13,685 --> 00:45:17,765 Speaker 1: by Me Rainbow Valentine. Our producers are Gabby Watts and 661 00:45:17,925 --> 00:45:22,485 Speaker 1: Taylor Church. Executive producers are Brandon Barr, Brian Lavin, Elsie 662 00:45:22,485 --> 00:45:25,685 Speaker 1: Crowley and Me at School of Humans and Connel Burn 663 00:45:25,765 --> 00:45:28,765 Speaker 1: and Charles Bryant at iHeartRadio. Our music is by Gabby, 664 00:45:28,845 --> 00:45:31,645 Speaker 1: Lala and Claire Campbell, with original theme by Mark Karen 665 00:45:31,765 --> 00:45:35,685 Speaker 1: and Me. You can find us online at iHeart dot 666 00:45:35,725 --> 00:45:38,085 Speaker 1: com slash Podcasts