1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:03,600 Speaker 1: In the last episode, I played you the tape of 2 00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: when I found out that Chicken Man was alive. In 3 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:10,360 Speaker 1: my years of research, I'd come to understand the Chicken 4 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 1: Man had been blamed for the million dollar heist that 5 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:16,079 Speaker 1: happened the night of the Oli Quarry fight, and that 6 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:19,760 Speaker 1: he'd been killed as payback. But the press had it wrong. 7 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:24,520 Speaker 1: Not only was Chicken Man alive, he was still in Atlanta. 8 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:28,160 Speaker 1: I had so many questions. If there was really a 9 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 1: hit put on this man, how did he survive? If 10 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: he didn't set up the robbery, who did Why didn't 11 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:37,760 Speaker 1: he ever follow up with the police or the press 12 00:00:38,159 --> 00:00:41,199 Speaker 1: to let them know that they'd gotten it wrong. I 13 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 1: had to find Chicken Man and get the answers. No more. 14 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 1: He was the repretation was on the line most definitely, 15 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 1: because everybody had faith in him to pull it off. 16 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:03,639 Speaker 1: The gamblers and the jewelry and the minks and the 17 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 1: diamonds in the cash, it's all going to converge at 18 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 1: Chicken Man's house where he's putting the Twitter five up 19 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:14,360 Speaker 1: to the face. You know there was I was standing there, 20 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 1: nervous because there's two guys behind me, nervous because of 21 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:21,760 Speaker 1: this man in front of me, and nervous because I 22 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:25,039 Speaker 1: was in a setting where I had no reason to be. 23 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:31,200 Speaker 1: Every hustler, drug dealer, thief, number runner, bootlegger. You can 24 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 1: think of all these people came in for this party. 25 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 1: Party from my heart radio and doghouse pictures. This is 26 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 1: fight night. I'm Jeff Keating. After a few weeks, I 27 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 1: was able to track down Gordon William's number and I 28 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:52,560 Speaker 1: called him on the phone and I said, Hey, my 29 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 1: name is Jeff Keating. I don't want to bring up 30 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 1: any bad memories. What are you the chicken man? And 31 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 1: the phone goes dead for literally like five to ten seconds, 32 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:11,760 Speaker 1: and he says, so, oh, jee man, I'm just bad 33 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:15,160 Speaker 1: to have story my last time when I will call 34 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: it a hustler. Who Yeah, we're the we're running the moon, 35 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:25,679 Speaker 1: try and whisker the numbers in violation, I guess, saying 36 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:28,919 Speaker 1: the first ground put me in prison was the lottery. 37 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:32,560 Speaker 1: I will what's called the pickup bar. I'm just so 38 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:36,120 Speaker 1: shocked and excited to meet this man. And he greets 39 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:38,919 Speaker 1: me at the door and he's just kind of this 40 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 1: soft spoken, quiet man and just greets me, say hey, hey, 41 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 1: how you doing. Oh, Jeff you know, it's nice to 42 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:47,800 Speaker 1: reach you. I tell him, you know a little bit 43 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:50,640 Speaker 1: about myself, and we talk family at first, and I'm 44 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:55,080 Speaker 1: just excited that I finally have this guy alive and 45 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 1: in front of me, and we get into the discussions 46 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 1: about the raw bringing that night, and he tells me 47 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:05,720 Speaker 1: his whole story. B name, school guys and money in 48 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 1: the pockets. Okay, I'll be able to buy the little 49 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: thing in the communities that I wanted to buy. Okay, 50 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:13,520 Speaker 1: that real quickly going. And when you get to that, 51 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:16,480 Speaker 1: tell me how you met Short Papa. I met self proper, 52 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 1: self proper. We're living in the problems, self problems coming 53 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 1: up and connect from people in the probity. Okay, so 54 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:29,399 Speaker 1: I got cancer medium because they're about me. The guy 55 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:32,519 Speaker 1: he's talking about here is Short Papa, real name Robert 56 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 1: Van Brose. He was Chicken Man's earliest connection to running 57 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 1: the lottery in the Life and Crime. Chicken Man and 58 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 1: Short Papa could have easily met at Wesley Merritt Pool Hall, 59 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 1: and Short Papa was a hustler that tussled with Mr 60 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 1: Hudson early in his career. For Short Papa was the 61 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 1: first opportunity you got to buy and do some of 62 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,600 Speaker 1: the nice things you wanted to do. Dude. I started 63 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:58,040 Speaker 1: driving from on the weekend and then mom sing upset back. 64 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 1: So I was fashion and running a droll and so 65 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:06,200 Speaker 1: rest she said out without money whatever she said, well, 66 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: I'm going to a subce. She sees the money that 67 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 1: I would go to working to bu gest delivering goes 68 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:20,159 Speaker 1: the barbershop. Then of course he was both money like that, no, 69 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 1: not money love. So then you becomes hydra make more money. 70 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 1: So you're working for short POPA and you're doing that stuff. 71 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: What comes after short pop? Had you kind of move 72 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 1: up after self prop and I wanted to work for 73 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:39,520 Speaker 1: brother Mirk, I thought chicken Man moved on from Short 74 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:42,600 Speaker 1: Pop Up and started working for a guy named Buttermilk. 75 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:47,560 Speaker 1: He began selling moonshine and picking up numbers. But I 76 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 1: didn't realize the kind of money we were talking about. 77 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:53,480 Speaker 1: For a high school kid in the late nineteen forties, 78 00:04:55,279 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 1: what kind of money could you have made? You know, 79 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:01,800 Speaker 1: a couple of about a couple of times we wait, 80 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:04,120 Speaker 1: a couple of hundred dollars a couple of times a 81 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 1: week in high school back in those days, that's a 82 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:09,800 Speaker 1: lot of money. We could have been making more than 83 00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:14,479 Speaker 1: your dad. Well at one point you were pulling in 84 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 1: a couple of all the weeks. Just to be clear, 85 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:22,760 Speaker 1: a hundred dollars back in the late forties early fifties 86 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:25,720 Speaker 1: would have been worth a round a thousand dollars today. 87 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:29,120 Speaker 1: So Chicken Man was a high school kid bringing in 88 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 1: around a thousand to two thousand dollars a week, no 89 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:35,360 Speaker 1: wonder he wanted to be a hustler. Chicken Man then 90 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 1: moved up to his next lucrative venture, drug dealing. So 91 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:44,520 Speaker 1: the mare water came about. There was small I guess 92 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 1: you were two dollars bags and that kind of thing. 93 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:53,279 Speaker 1: You know. My dream always uh from the wholesale side. 94 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:56,240 Speaker 1: So I was there to meet people to get it 95 00:05:56,279 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 1: into the cross was number one product and Mason League 96 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 1: League or whatever. I guess you would say. It's like 97 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:07,920 Speaker 1: all the ice crime. There was a part of it 98 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 1: became like I was a number one, you know, I 99 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:18,080 Speaker 1: was a guy man going away. Yeah, I got and 100 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:20,280 Speaker 1: he slowly built up a little mesday. You know what, 101 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:23,040 Speaker 1: do you got a business and you got houses and 102 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 1: all that. I'm a man one time, what would you 103 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 1: do with yeah? Right right, Chicken Man was the embodiment 104 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 1: of the hustler culture from Miami and Atlanta all the 105 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:44,520 Speaker 1: way to New York City. Chicken Man was the hustler's hustler, 106 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:47,280 Speaker 1: so it really wasn't surprising at all that he was 107 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:51,279 Speaker 1: asked to host this party. And again, the dichotomy of 108 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:53,680 Speaker 1: this man in front of me at the time was 109 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:57,600 Speaker 1: just hard for me to grasp because I've been reading 110 00:06:57,720 --> 00:07:01,480 Speaker 1: so much and hearing some uch about the hustler's world. 111 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 1: But now I was talking to this man, quiet, soft spoken, 112 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:08,200 Speaker 1: but I will say I do remember occasionally as we 113 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 1: start talking about the old life, you get a little 114 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:14,600 Speaker 1: glint in his eye, or a little smile out of 115 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:18,200 Speaker 1: the corner of his mouth, or just a little twinkle 116 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 1: as he was remembering some of the different stuff that happens. 117 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:25,960 Speaker 1: So there was still some connection to Chicken Man, and 118 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:27,920 Speaker 1: that's what I was really trying to grab hold of. 119 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:31,640 Speaker 1: One of the things that they have them we haven't 120 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:36,800 Speaker 1: been children to decide to have. The party was in 121 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:39,840 Speaker 1: New York, and here's something about the fight. I thought 122 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:43,600 Speaker 1: it was an opportunity for me to host a pot 123 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 1: and make some money too. People come. This party was 124 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 1: the one the Chicken Man hosted for all the hustlers 125 00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:55,760 Speaker 1: and gangsters in town following the Muhammad Ali Jerry Corey fight. 126 00:07:56,760 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 1: And then somebody can live in New York told me 127 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:06,040 Speaker 1: to was passing invitations out in New York, invited anybody. 128 00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:09,679 Speaker 1: Here's Gordon Williams Jr. He was access to the party. 129 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:13,440 Speaker 1: The reputation was on the line most definitely, because everybody 130 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:16,560 Speaker 1: had faith in him to pull it off. When the 131 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:18,840 Speaker 1: party was getting real to happen, he stayed there more 132 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:21,520 Speaker 1: than he stayed at home because he wanted everything to 133 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:23,960 Speaker 1: be so perfect. A few days prior to the party, 134 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 1: he started getting really, really nervous about things and he 135 00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 1: wanted everything to go so good. He wanted to be 136 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:34,040 Speaker 1: just like Vegas. And I was like, wow, this is incredible. 137 00:08:34,920 --> 00:08:37,520 Speaker 1: I had no idea that he was gonna get it serious, 138 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:43,680 Speaker 1: and it had gotten every hustler, drug dealer, the number runner, 139 00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:47,240 Speaker 1: blue legger you can think of across the country, checked 140 00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:49,760 Speaker 1: the motels and stuff like that. But as they were 141 00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:52,440 Speaker 1: coming in, I could hear the excitement in his voice. 142 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:56,040 Speaker 1: They were coming from everywhere because this was a big event. 143 00:08:56,200 --> 00:09:00,360 Speaker 1: They were coming from Chicago, Detroit, louis Ville. Remember my 144 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 1: guy from Louisville. They called him Big Daddy. He was 145 00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:06,520 Speaker 1: a drug dealer too, And all these people came in 146 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:10,880 Speaker 1: for this party, and my dad was really really excited. 147 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:16,760 Speaker 1: Think about this. All this money is coming into Atlanta now, 148 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:20,319 Speaker 1: the gamblers and the jewelry and the means and the 149 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:23,920 Speaker 1: diamonds and the cash, it's all going to converge on Atlanta, 150 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 1: and it's all going to converge at Chicken Man's house. 151 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:30,280 Speaker 1: When you've got that kind of money and those type 152 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:34,040 Speaker 1: of people and that type of invitation on the streets, 153 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:37,120 Speaker 1: somebody's gonna get winded this, and somebody's gonna jump on 154 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:40,439 Speaker 1: that opportunity. And who would dare try to stick up 155 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:47,800 Speaker 1: these gangsters anyway, But in the shadows, underneath everyone's noses, 156 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:51,200 Speaker 1: somebody is planning a heist that's going to be talked 157 00:09:51,200 --> 00:10:10,439 Speaker 1: about for the next fifty years. There was engraved invitations 158 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:14,199 Speaker 1: being printed in Harlem. These invitations stated that the party 159 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:16,719 Speaker 1: was gonna last for days. And we know with these 160 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:19,600 Speaker 1: invitations that are being sent out all across New York 161 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:21,800 Speaker 1: and down in Atlanta, that one of these got in 162 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:26,840 Speaker 1: the wrong hands. My dad was really excited about this. 163 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:28,920 Speaker 1: This was the cream of the crop. This is the 164 00:10:29,440 --> 00:10:32,440 Speaker 1: most excited I've ever seen him. And he said that 165 00:10:32,559 --> 00:10:35,120 Speaker 1: this is gonna be. This right here is gonna you know, 166 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:38,160 Speaker 1: we're gonna live good forever after this. He figured that 167 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:43,640 Speaker 1: this right here will take care of us forever. But 168 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:47,440 Speaker 1: they don't told me. And listen to people get in 169 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:50,559 Speaker 1: a lot of we don't want to know where to party. 170 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:54,360 Speaker 1: One of them better remember, Buddy Gloss was one of 171 00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:57,720 Speaker 1: Chicken Man's competitors that Gordon Williams Jr. Told us about 172 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:00,679 Speaker 1: in episode one. He owned a sir verstation right here, 173 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:03,720 Speaker 1: a little five points and we used to take so 174 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:09,040 Speaker 1: much drugs and hot clothes. And that service station was 175 00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:12,480 Speaker 1: just like the hub for everybody to go to. If 176 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:14,800 Speaker 1: you had something you want to get rid of, anything 177 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:18,000 Speaker 1: you want to get rid of that was hot or stolen, 178 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:20,800 Speaker 1: you go right there, buddy what I don't care what 179 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:23,600 Speaker 1: it was? Come by hot and you don't never know, 180 00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:26,400 Speaker 1: So we don't need to know, and we don't want 181 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:28,319 Speaker 1: We didn't don't want him to know. I don't know been. 182 00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:31,320 Speaker 1: They never explained to me why you need it, but 183 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:34,280 Speaker 1: they told me, don't tell nobody in a line. And 184 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:38,080 Speaker 1: after they explained Chicken Man is talking about Buddy Gloss, 185 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:41,440 Speaker 1: one of his competitors, who the gangsters in New York 186 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:45,480 Speaker 1: told him not to tell about the after hours party. Dude, 187 00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:48,600 Speaker 1: I hadn't told no about because that was my old 188 00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:54,840 Speaker 1: It's chicken man was getting this house set up. Another 189 00:11:54,880 --> 00:12:03,800 Speaker 1: guy right down the street is buying a shotgun. Whoever 190 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:07,040 Speaker 1: is trying to pull this off. They got to be arrogant. 191 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:10,160 Speaker 1: They got to be able to navigate the world of 192 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:12,960 Speaker 1: these hustles. They are these hustlers. They got to be 193 00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:15,920 Speaker 1: able to fit in right under the noses of these 194 00:12:15,960 --> 00:12:20,040 Speaker 1: gangsters without them even knowing it. Maybe these gangsters just 195 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:23,479 Speaker 1: never considered that anyone would have the balls to rob them. 196 00:12:23,559 --> 00:12:26,480 Speaker 1: But if you think about it, something was bound to happen. 197 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:29,400 Speaker 1: There were just too many riches being flaunted in one place, 198 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:32,719 Speaker 1: one community, at one time, in the hands of people celebrating, 199 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:35,640 Speaker 1: people with their guards down. For they're not to be 200 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:38,439 Speaker 1: opportunists who would try to take advantage of this window. 201 00:12:38,840 --> 00:12:43,760 Speaker 1: Not to mention a criminal mastermindy have a by championship 202 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:49,520 Speaker 1: fan always attracts the superstars rich in the famous Here's J. D. Hudson, 203 00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:53,079 Speaker 1: the lead investigator on the case. That's just the way 204 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:57,320 Speaker 1: they just always have historically. And with Muhammad Ali, with 205 00:12:57,480 --> 00:13:00,800 Speaker 1: the controversty of his refusing the goodness everything, all that 206 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 1: legal propecy he had had his Chile taken from him, 207 00:13:03,679 --> 00:13:09,319 Speaker 1: that just generated more interest. But they were throwing big parties, 208 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:15,760 Speaker 1: you know, no money limit. They were playing coca and 209 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:21,440 Speaker 1: shooting dice, no for and back in the those years 210 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 1: three and four and five thousand dollars a roll and 211 00:13:24,920 --> 00:13:28,600 Speaker 1: stuff like that, and they had that body guards entire 212 00:13:28,679 --> 00:13:33,439 Speaker 1: rages with them, and it was just a very festive 213 00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:41,920 Speaker 1: I went to the trains and all everything where he 214 00:13:42,040 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 1: trained at and everything he had, made a public appearance 215 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:48,280 Speaker 1: or something, because that was kind of like a Hustle 216 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:55,000 Speaker 1: World series. Here's Dr Hobson. Muhammad Ali's exhibitions and training 217 00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:58,760 Speaker 1: at Morehouse College was done so by design. Morehouse College 218 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:02,040 Speaker 1: means so much to the Atlantic community. It is the 219 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:06,679 Speaker 1: institution of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Dr Benjamin Elijah Mays, 220 00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 1: Dr Samuel Archer. It was also kind of a safe haven. 221 00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:11,760 Speaker 1: It was one of those places to where he was 222 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:14,760 Speaker 1: tucked away, he was protected, and it was in the 223 00:14:14,800 --> 00:14:19,080 Speaker 1: heart the skull and Bones of Black Atlanta. Here's J. D. 224 00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:21,480 Speaker 1: Telling me about the amount of money coming in to 225 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:28,240 Speaker 1: Atlanta from Muhammad Ali's comeback fight. These hustlers who flew 226 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:34,040 Speaker 1: in the Rose Ross Is driven to Atlanta. These people 227 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:37,480 Speaker 1: had money, a lot of a lot of money that 228 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:40,560 Speaker 1: must have been editing Rose Ross is a kind of 229 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:45,800 Speaker 1: because and hustlers and camp stress, okay in front of 230 00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:56,640 Speaker 1: the So the Highatt Regency Hotel being this new, chic, 231 00:14:56,920 --> 00:15:00,280 Speaker 1: modern hotel, was particular to the black community, and it 232 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:03,880 Speaker 1: was even made to be the headquarters for the Ali fight, 233 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:07,320 Speaker 1: and it filled up with droves of black people wanting 234 00:15:07,400 --> 00:15:09,960 Speaker 1: to see the champ come back in this black city. 235 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:12,440 Speaker 1: So if you were anybody coming to Atlanta, you better 236 00:15:12,520 --> 00:15:14,280 Speaker 1: believe you rode in your finest car, you had on 237 00:15:14,320 --> 00:15:16,640 Speaker 1: your finest clothes, and you'll stand in the finest hotel downtown. 238 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 1: The Regency Hyatt was very prominent in the news because 239 00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:26,600 Speaker 1: it opened on May one, nineteen sixty seven. This is 240 00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:29,480 Speaker 1: my mom. She and my dad met at the Regency 241 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:33,600 Speaker 1: Hyatt and had recently gotten married. And it created quite 242 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:37,040 Speaker 1: a frenzy in the world because it was the first 243 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:45,560 Speaker 1: atrium hotel. Atlanta in nineteen seventy was a city evolving 244 00:15:45,720 --> 00:15:52,480 Speaker 1: into a contemporary cosmopolitan city. The Regency wasn't just a 245 00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:55,880 Speaker 1: hotel in downtown when it first opened in nineteen sixty seven. 246 00:15:56,520 --> 00:15:59,600 Speaker 1: It actually had a deep connection with Atlanta's black population 247 00:15:59,880 --> 00:16:03,120 Speaker 1: in its culture. And here's my dad again. Tom Keating 248 00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:06,440 Speaker 1: had been in the Regency the Sunday before or even 249 00:16:06,520 --> 00:16:09,000 Speaker 1: the day of the fight. And I had seen all 250 00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:13,320 Speaker 1: the regality of all the black elite and also the 251 00:16:13,400 --> 00:16:17,240 Speaker 1: black criminal elites. And so I had seen things I 252 00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:20,200 Speaker 1: had never seen before. And I would have been out 253 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:22,960 Speaker 1: of my element. I would have been saying to myself, 254 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:25,840 Speaker 1: Oh my goodness. And then the next thing I would see, 255 00:16:25,880 --> 00:16:28,680 Speaker 1: I would have said, oh my goodness, even bigger. And 256 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:31,040 Speaker 1: the third thing I would have seen, I would have said, 257 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:37,200 Speaker 1: oh my God. People coming to Atlanta, visitors from out 258 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:42,360 Speaker 1: of town were fascinated with this hotel. A wreath of Franklin, 259 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:47,120 Speaker 1: Jesse Jackson, John Wayne, all the presidents from Nixon to 260 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:51,640 Speaker 1: Clinton actually stayed at that hotel. It had a lounge 261 00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:55,320 Speaker 1: called the Little Parasol Lounge. It was a cocktail lounge 262 00:16:55,440 --> 00:16:58,560 Speaker 1: that hung in the air by a wire, and it 263 00:16:58,720 --> 00:17:03,080 Speaker 1: had a three story avery with live exotic birds in it. 264 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:06,240 Speaker 1: The because and parents and cocky the rock, which is 265 00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:10,760 Speaker 1: tropical bird, and it was constantly filling the air with 266 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:15,920 Speaker 1: native sounds. Martin Luther King and the Southern Christian Leadership 267 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:21,000 Speaker 1: Conference tried to get their first annual meeting at a 268 00:17:21,080 --> 00:17:25,359 Speaker 1: hotel in Atlanta, and it was the only hotel that 269 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:29,080 Speaker 1: would allow them to be hosted there. King called the 270 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:33,040 Speaker 1: Hyatt Regency the Hotel of Hope. The latest iteration of 271 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:35,600 Speaker 1: Atlanta is the Black Mecca. Is black expressive culture. It 272 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:39,840 Speaker 1: is a young, sexy, active kind of city. And why 273 00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:42,600 Speaker 1: not wrapped it around Muhammad Ali, who's fighting at the 274 00:17:42,600 --> 00:17:46,840 Speaker 1: age of eight, and hey, let's come down here, let's stunt, hey, 275 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:48,800 Speaker 1: let's show the world what we're made of and have 276 00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:54,040 Speaker 1: a good time. Not only was the Regency Hotel the 277 00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:57,480 Speaker 1: place where all the celebrating and parties took place, it 278 00:17:57,640 --> 00:18:00,560 Speaker 1: was also where Muhammad Ali and his entourage were staying. 279 00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:04,879 Speaker 1: My dad, who was a teacher across the street at St. Joe's, 280 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:07,720 Speaker 1: got up the nerve to track down his room number 281 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:10,920 Speaker 1: with the intention of asking Ali to speak to his students. 282 00:18:11,840 --> 00:18:15,200 Speaker 1: Here's my mom describing the scene my dad encountered as 283 00:18:15,240 --> 00:18:19,280 Speaker 1: he walked into the lobby. It had a twenty two 284 00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:25,240 Speaker 1: story Florida's ceiling atrium. The elevators were all glass, and 285 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:29,240 Speaker 1: they raced up and down the atrium at a speed 286 00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:32,840 Speaker 1: of seven and ten ft a minute. It had sparkling 287 00:18:33,040 --> 00:18:43,240 Speaker 1: lights in each elevator. So I went up and knocked 288 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:49,440 Speaker 1: on the door and two of the largest black guards 289 00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:53,080 Speaker 1: who were protecting him came to the door. Maybe one 290 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:57,359 Speaker 1: had that gout out, remember too very tall, certainly to 291 00:18:57,480 --> 00:19:03,399 Speaker 1: me overwhelming side guards came and I told them who 292 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:07,119 Speaker 1: I was, and I asked them if I could please 293 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:10,320 Speaker 1: ask Mr Ali that I was hoping he would meet 294 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:15,719 Speaker 1: children at St. Joe's. I was feeling anxious and determined 295 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:19,440 Speaker 1: to get to where I could ask him to come 296 00:19:19,520 --> 00:19:22,440 Speaker 1: talk to students. And for some reason, they let me 297 00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:26,560 Speaker 1: buy that little alcove area. When I stepped into the room, 298 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:31,159 Speaker 1: he was in bed with sheets up to his just 299 00:19:31,359 --> 00:19:35,359 Speaker 1: flow his chest. I was standing there, nervous because of 300 00:19:35,359 --> 00:19:39,080 Speaker 1: the two guys behind me, nervous because of this man 301 00:19:39,320 --> 00:19:42,320 Speaker 1: in front of me, Nervous because I was in a 302 00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:46,320 Speaker 1: setting where I had no reason to be. But I 303 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:51,520 Speaker 1: plunged on. I asked if he would consider motivating the 304 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:55,840 Speaker 1: students at St. Joe's and we had some quick discussion 305 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:58,720 Speaker 1: about the fee he would receive, and I think he 306 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:02,760 Speaker 1: mentioned it he would he was used to five hundred dollars, 307 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:06,920 Speaker 1: and I volunteered that the best I could do would 308 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:09,840 Speaker 1: be too hot dogs and a coke. He said that 309 00:20:09,960 --> 00:20:12,280 Speaker 1: he'd get back to me when he got back from 310 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:15,160 Speaker 1: his next venture, which was to go to Hawaii, if 311 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:18,399 Speaker 1: I remember. And so I'm kind of the way you 312 00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:22,240 Speaker 1: do with royalty back down of the room, I'm sure 313 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:27,720 Speaker 1: stuttering or being nervous, and left the floor and went 314 00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:31,560 Speaker 1: downstairs with some confidence that at least I had gotten 315 00:20:31,640 --> 00:20:34,639 Speaker 1: through the experience and had asked him to do something 316 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:42,719 Speaker 1: to help the kids. You have all of these different 317 00:20:42,840 --> 00:20:46,320 Speaker 1: forces coming together at the Regency. You have j D 318 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:50,480 Speaker 1: and his policeman and his security detail for Ali. You've 319 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:53,680 Speaker 1: got Ali and his entourage. You've got chicken men and 320 00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:56,040 Speaker 1: all the hustlers that were coming back from the fight 321 00:20:56,119 --> 00:20:58,399 Speaker 1: that we're about to be prepared to go to the party. 322 00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:01,239 Speaker 1: You've got celebrities that are in town party. You've got 323 00:21:01,359 --> 00:21:04,320 Speaker 1: journalists from all over the world that are there. Everybody 324 00:21:04,480 --> 00:21:07,720 Speaker 1: is coming in to one spot. The Regency was just 325 00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:11,400 Speaker 1: like the central location of Atlanta, and the whole time 326 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:14,520 Speaker 1: this is happening in the background. You have a mastermind 327 00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:29,200 Speaker 1: at work preparing for the biggest heights in history, and 328 00:21:29,359 --> 00:21:33,440 Speaker 1: people just converged into Atlanta. All the hotels were sold out. 329 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:37,080 Speaker 1: But one guy thought the whole tense Florida GA. My 330 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:42,080 Speaker 1: hotel Blue about out paid for to be relocated. So 331 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:46,160 Speaker 1: but what Apple was Now, we got it all set 332 00:21:46,640 --> 00:21:49,960 Speaker 1: and the day that the people started arriving into a Lanta. 333 00:21:50,080 --> 00:21:52,600 Speaker 1: So when I get to the Apple and we get out, 334 00:21:52,640 --> 00:21:54,800 Speaker 1: we runned up that people coming into Alantic with the 335 00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:58,240 Speaker 1: fire I mean, the Apple was busy. That's when the 336 00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:01,000 Speaker 1: Apple was sitting back up on the man. When I 337 00:22:01,119 --> 00:22:04,840 Speaker 1: get there to pick up JB, I meet Fireball. So 338 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:08,840 Speaker 1: Fireball introduced me to this guy. He said, listen, when 339 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:12,800 Speaker 1: you brought us by the hotel, Chicken Man is picking 340 00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:15,800 Speaker 1: up JB, his friend from New York, and he meets Fireball, 341 00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:18,480 Speaker 1: who we already knew from his earlier years in Atlanta 342 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:21,840 Speaker 1: and Fireballs friends. He greas to take them to Atlanta's 343 00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:24,480 Speaker 1: built more hotel and then he'll run JB to the 344 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:28,240 Speaker 1: Regency where all the action is going on. So we're 345 00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:30,680 Speaker 1: getting the car Fireball and the fellow that were with 346 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:36,480 Speaker 1: fire Ball. We're talking about Atlanta's bosses having better hot 347 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:40,159 Speaker 1: dogs than having New York and the little car. So 348 00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:44,040 Speaker 1: that was a conversation between them. Here's Dr Hobson. The 349 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:49,359 Speaker 1: Varsity is an establishment in downtown Atlanta that borders Georgia 350 00:22:49,359 --> 00:22:53,520 Speaker 1: Institute of Technology. It's off of North Avenue. So as 351 00:22:53,600 --> 00:22:57,600 Speaker 1: a result of this, the Varsity also becomes a place 352 00:22:57,760 --> 00:23:01,480 Speaker 1: where some young people black and white, had an opportunity 353 00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:04,440 Speaker 1: to get jobs. So they wanted to go to the 354 00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:08,240 Speaker 1: build my hotel. Fireball, being from the line, knew where 355 00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:11,199 Speaker 1: the boss was, you know, the dvosity was there at 356 00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:13,840 Speaker 1: the Bill Moses and so he wanted me to care 357 00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:20,040 Speaker 1: by Advisor to get some hot dogs. Chicken Man just 358 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:23,399 Speaker 1: picked up two of his friends from the airport, Fireball 359 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:27,040 Speaker 1: and another guy from New York. These are dangerous guys 360 00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:31,360 Speaker 1: who've committed violent crimes and they're headed to the Varsity, 361 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:36,719 Speaker 1: which is cash heavy. The Varsity was able to serve 362 00:23:37,119 --> 00:23:39,360 Speaker 1: massive amounts of people in very short period of time, 363 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:41,960 Speaker 1: and so we all know that there was serious exchange 364 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:46,000 Speaker 1: of cash. That the managers that be were cash heavy. 365 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:47,959 Speaker 1: I mean they had a lot of cash on them 366 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:50,320 Speaker 1: because it was, you know, a fast transaction. So when 367 00:23:50,359 --> 00:23:53,520 Speaker 1: we get to the visitor, the boy was with fireballs. 368 00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:57,760 Speaker 1: That man him placed the rob So he said that 369 00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:03,280 Speaker 1: de b my friend, he's really didn't matther time about 370 00:24:03,359 --> 00:24:08,080 Speaker 1: rob somebody. So I said, well that's five balls, friend, 371 00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:12,560 Speaker 1: I don't know. He upset. The guy who says this 372 00:24:12,720 --> 00:24:15,000 Speaker 1: would be a hell of a place to rob, we 373 00:24:15,160 --> 00:24:19,360 Speaker 1: believe is Richard Wheeler. Chicken men and his friends are piste. 374 00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:22,720 Speaker 1: This guy is talking about sticking up the Varsity, one 375 00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:26,119 Speaker 1: of the hotspots in their town. However, this is nothing 376 00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:28,960 Speaker 1: compared to what Richard Wheeler has in store for them. 377 00:24:29,359 --> 00:24:31,040 Speaker 1: So we took five ball of them on to the 378 00:24:31,119 --> 00:24:34,520 Speaker 1: build mo. So we go to the regions then, so 379 00:24:35,920 --> 00:24:39,720 Speaker 1: you know, he's still upset about it by what about 380 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:42,360 Speaker 1: the robbery car? But when I get to the hotel, 381 00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:45,440 Speaker 1: we read the route we're going. They got a renovation, 382 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:49,399 Speaker 1: but they want credit card, right, so he ain't got 383 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:52,399 Speaker 1: no credit card. So I say, he put up like 384 00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:55,959 Speaker 1: twenty five thousand, so they give us. They get right, 385 00:24:56,960 --> 00:25:00,040 Speaker 1: he get all the room, his victim right on that 386 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:03,560 Speaker 1: floor right, well, he put the twenty up and to 387 00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:07,400 Speaker 1: say it, the uh, you know, they were to talk 388 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:11,000 Speaker 1: of business dead. So now is the night before the fight. 389 00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:14,240 Speaker 1: I wouldn't got my wife and went checked in the hotel. 390 00:25:15,640 --> 00:25:18,280 Speaker 1: I knew this thing was told me to go out 391 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:20,800 Speaker 1: some serious dudes in his house. I have been one 392 00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:25,359 Speaker 1: of the guys who got robbed. The Chicken Man has 393 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:28,760 Speaker 1: checked his wife into a hotel, we assumed to keep 394 00:25:28,760 --> 00:25:31,640 Speaker 1: her away from the action and the girls that he's entertaining. 395 00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:35,639 Speaker 1: One of his buddies just dropped twenty grand for a 396 00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:40,920 Speaker 1: whole floor at the Biltmore Hotel. And another guy, Richard Wheeler, 397 00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:43,359 Speaker 1: who wanted to rob the Varsity right when he got 398 00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:46,760 Speaker 1: into town, we believe, is casing Chicken Man's house for 399 00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:51,520 Speaker 1: a huge score. And one of Chicken Man's girls recognizes 400 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:55,680 Speaker 1: there are some serious gangsters at their house party. Looking back, 401 00:25:55,760 --> 00:25:57,680 Speaker 1: he knows that one of these guys set up the 402 00:25:57,800 --> 00:26:10,880 Speaker 1: robbery at his house and changed his life forever. Fight 403 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:13,360 Speaker 1: Night is a joint production from My Heart Radio, Will 404 00:26:13,440 --> 00:26:17,520 Speaker 1: Packer Media and Doghouse Pictures in association with Psychopia Pictures, 405 00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:21,720 Speaker 1: produced and hosted by Jeff Keating. Executive producers are Will Packer, 406 00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:26,840 Speaker 1: James Lopez, Kenny Burns, Dan Bush, Lars Jacobson, and Noel Brown. 407 00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:31,640 Speaker 1: Supervising producer is Taylor Scoyne. Story editors are Noel Brown 408 00:26:31,720 --> 00:26:35,040 Speaker 1: and Dan Bush. Written by Jeff Keating and Jim Roberts. 409 00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:39,040 Speaker 1: Edited by Matt Owen. Mixing and sound designed by Jeremiah 410 00:26:39,119 --> 00:26:43,159 Speaker 1: Kolonnie Prescott. Music written and performed by the Diamond Street Players. 411 00:26:43,359 --> 00:26:48,160 Speaker 1: Additional music by Ben Lovett. Audio archives courtesy of WSB 412 00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:52,159 Speaker 1: News Film and Videotape Collection, Brown Media Archives, University of 413 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:56,240 Speaker 1: Georgia Libraries. Special thanks to Dr Maurice Hobson and David 414 00:26:56,320 --> 00:26:56,679 Speaker 1: Davis