1 00:00:15,411 --> 00:00:23,091 Speaker 1: Pushkin previously on the Chinatown stand. 2 00:00:24,731 --> 00:00:27,691 Speaker 2: First of all, you didn't think of nothing back then. 3 00:00:28,211 --> 00:00:31,290 Speaker 2: You're just thinking, oh, seize it to make money. 4 00:00:31,811 --> 00:00:32,451 Speaker 1: That was it. 5 00:00:33,731 --> 00:00:36,730 Speaker 3: There were a lot of dangerous gangsters out there in 6 00:00:36,771 --> 00:00:39,291 Speaker 3: the Asian on the world who made a name for themselves, 7 00:00:39,771 --> 00:00:43,131 Speaker 3: and Onion Head wasn't one of them. 8 00:00:43,331 --> 00:00:46,131 Speaker 4: This is therefore to command you, the said members of 9 00:00:46,171 --> 00:00:49,330 Speaker 4: the Royal Hong Kong Police, to deliver the body of 10 00:00:49,371 --> 00:00:53,491 Speaker 4: the said Johnny Ang known as Sweet Hung Eng Chung 11 00:00:53,611 --> 00:00:57,331 Speaker 4: Tau and Onion Head, into the custody of the Commissioners 12 00:00:57,331 --> 00:01:00,491 Speaker 4: of the Correctional Services and be there safely kept. 13 00:01:04,731 --> 00:01:08,291 Speaker 1: After spending over two years fighting extradition from Hong Kong, 14 00:01:08,771 --> 00:01:10,970 Speaker 1: Johnny Angle flown back to New York City in the 15 00:01:11,011 --> 00:01:16,731 Speaker 1: company of US marshalls. It was November one, nineteen ninety one. 16 00:01:17,011 --> 00:01:20,170 Speaker 1: They took him to the MCC that's the Imposing Jail, 17 00:01:20,291 --> 00:01:23,011 Speaker 1: not too far from Chinatown. He would be held there 18 00:01:23,171 --> 00:01:26,371 Speaker 1: while he awaited his trial. It had taken a lot 19 00:01:26,411 --> 00:01:28,691 Speaker 1: of time and money to get Johnny Ng back to 20 00:01:28,691 --> 00:01:32,170 Speaker 1: the States. It looked like a victory in the country's 21 00:01:32,211 --> 00:01:34,691 Speaker 1: war on drugs, an effort that had been in the 22 00:01:34,731 --> 00:01:38,771 Speaker 1: works for years. The week Johnny was flown back to 23 00:01:38,811 --> 00:01:43,451 Speaker 1: the US, Congress held yet another hearing on Asian organized 24 00:01:43,491 --> 00:01:45,971 Speaker 1: crime and noted Johnny's return. 25 00:01:47,091 --> 00:01:51,011 Speaker 4: The hip Sing controls the Flying Dragons gang, located on 26 00:01:51,091 --> 00:01:56,371 Speaker 4: Pell and Doyle Streets. Johnny Aang aka Onion Head was 27 00:01:56,371 --> 00:01:59,011 Speaker 4: the main leader until two years ago when he fled 28 00:01:59,051 --> 00:02:01,851 Speaker 4: to Hong Kong. As a result of federal narcotics charges, 29 00:02:02,531 --> 00:02:05,531 Speaker 4: onion Head was extradited to the US. 30 00:02:06,451 --> 00:02:08,331 Speaker 1: But the reason this hearing stood out to me is 31 00:02:08,370 --> 00:02:11,971 Speaker 1: because of two wisinesses who testified at it. They both 32 00:02:12,011 --> 00:02:16,291 Speaker 1: owned or ran small businesses in Manhattan's Chinatown. They're among 33 00:02:16,331 --> 00:02:18,211 Speaker 1: the few figures I've been able to find from this 34 00:02:18,291 --> 00:02:21,651 Speaker 1: time who dared to make any public statements against the gangs, 35 00:02:22,531 --> 00:02:25,411 Speaker 1: and reading over their testimony, it doesn't seem like the 36 00:02:25,491 --> 00:02:28,691 Speaker 1: arrests of people like Onionhead made them feel much safer. 37 00:02:30,131 --> 00:02:31,851 Speaker 5: So this is from witness number one. 38 00:02:32,971 --> 00:02:35,771 Speaker 1: I went over the transcripts of my co reporter Shi Yuang. 39 00:02:36,491 --> 00:02:39,931 Speaker 1: This witness testified not only using a false name, but 40 00:02:39,931 --> 00:02:43,131 Speaker 1: from behind a screen because he was so worried about retaliation. 41 00:02:44,291 --> 00:02:47,331 Speaker 5: I am a Chinese businessman who has owned two businesses 42 00:02:47,371 --> 00:02:50,171 Speaker 5: in New York city in a Chinatown area, I have 43 00:02:50,291 --> 00:02:53,571 Speaker 5: had the experience of being victimized by more than one gang. 44 00:02:54,050 --> 00:02:57,451 Speaker 5: I reported the incident to the police. Very few merchants 45 00:02:57,451 --> 00:03:00,891 Speaker 5: in Chinatown ever do this because they fear retaliation against 46 00:03:00,931 --> 00:03:04,891 Speaker 5: themselves and their families. Many also feared the police because 47 00:03:04,931 --> 00:03:08,051 Speaker 5: they are in the country illegally and they're hesitant to 48 00:03:08,091 --> 00:03:11,651 Speaker 5: have any contact with the author. The gang scared us, 49 00:03:12,050 --> 00:03:14,411 Speaker 5: and we always pay because we know that they have 50 00:03:14,491 --> 00:03:18,210 Speaker 5: the ability to ruin our businesses. I am testifying here 51 00:03:18,251 --> 00:03:21,451 Speaker 5: today under a false name and behind a screen because 52 00:03:21,491 --> 00:03:24,210 Speaker 5: I will likely be injured or killed if the gangs 53 00:03:24,251 --> 00:03:25,331 Speaker 5: find out I am here. 54 00:03:26,091 --> 00:03:28,090 Speaker 1: I was really shocked at the end when he said 55 00:03:28,131 --> 00:03:30,771 Speaker 1: that he's testifying behind like not only is he's using 56 00:03:30,811 --> 00:03:33,930 Speaker 1: a false name, he's also testifying behind a screen because 57 00:03:33,931 --> 00:03:35,491 Speaker 1: he's so worried about retaliation. 58 00:03:36,411 --> 00:03:39,771 Speaker 5: As a very small community rate like back then, Chinatown 59 00:03:39,851 --> 00:03:43,371 Speaker 5: was only a few blocks, so by testifying, the business 60 00:03:43,371 --> 00:03:46,011 Speaker 5: owners basically put themselves at hetre risk. 61 00:03:46,651 --> 00:03:50,331 Speaker 1: Yeah. The second witness also testified behind a screen. He said, 62 00:03:50,811 --> 00:03:53,171 Speaker 1: I'm a manager at a restaurant located at the heart 63 00:03:53,171 --> 00:03:56,651 Speaker 1: of Chinatown, New York City. Because my business location is 64 00:03:56,691 --> 00:04:00,051 Speaker 1: controlled by a gang named the Flying Dragons. I'm constantly 65 00:04:00,091 --> 00:04:03,451 Speaker 1: threatened and intimidated by them. As a manager, I have 66 00:04:03,491 --> 00:04:06,531 Speaker 1: to try to show them a very respectful manner, otherwise 67 00:04:06,611 --> 00:04:07,851 Speaker 1: I put myself in danger. 68 00:04:08,291 --> 00:04:10,411 Speaker 5: Yeah, the leak for people to really try to settle 69 00:04:10,451 --> 00:04:14,571 Speaker 5: down and support your family, just to earn himself a life, 70 00:04:14,611 --> 00:04:18,251 Speaker 5: like a safe life to live around the area. It's like, 71 00:04:18,291 --> 00:04:20,330 Speaker 5: you don't know what will happen to you to your family, 72 00:04:20,371 --> 00:04:23,371 Speaker 5: true business. You don't even know what mistake quote unquote 73 00:04:23,371 --> 00:04:26,450 Speaker 5: mistake that you would make when you were interacting with 74 00:04:26,891 --> 00:04:27,771 Speaker 5: these gang people. 75 00:04:28,011 --> 00:04:31,371 Speaker 1: And that's why I think going to Washington and speaking 76 00:04:31,371 --> 00:04:34,331 Speaker 1: out about what was going on was like a huge 77 00:04:34,411 --> 00:04:36,210 Speaker 1: leap of faith, right right. 78 00:04:36,611 --> 00:04:38,971 Speaker 5: But would that lead to real safety? They don't know, 79 00:04:39,011 --> 00:04:41,890 Speaker 5: But they choose to take the step and just try 80 00:04:41,891 --> 00:04:46,051 Speaker 5: to break the cycle that the gangs have created in Chinatown. 81 00:04:49,491 --> 00:04:51,771 Speaker 1: Congress clearly wanted to put a stop to the gangs, 82 00:04:52,411 --> 00:04:55,451 Speaker 1: and so did people like Beryl Howell, the prosecutor who 83 00:04:55,491 --> 00:04:58,411 Speaker 1: had been working on the Johnny In case for four years, 84 00:04:58,931 --> 00:05:01,291 Speaker 1: and when he finally came to the US to stand trial, 85 00:05:01,891 --> 00:05:05,811 Speaker 1: the moment of truth had arrived. Beryl was now preparing 86 00:05:06,011 --> 00:05:08,931 Speaker 1: to bring down Johnny the head of the powerful Flying 87 00:05:09,011 --> 00:05:17,171 Speaker 1: Dragons Gang for good. I'm Litty Jane Cott, and this 88 00:05:17,251 --> 00:05:33,051 Speaker 1: is the Chinatown Sting, Episode five, The Mastermind. As it happens, 89 00:05:33,411 --> 00:05:36,651 Speaker 1: Beryl wasn't the only prosecutor trying to bring Johnny Yang 90 00:05:36,731 --> 00:05:40,171 Speaker 1: to justice. The prosecutor in another part of the city 91 00:05:40,491 --> 00:05:44,251 Speaker 1: had been doing the same thing. Her name is Karen Seymour. 92 00:05:45,131 --> 00:05:48,091 Speaker 6: I had flown to Hong Kong for extradition hearings, and 93 00:05:48,171 --> 00:05:51,291 Speaker 6: so this was the case I really really cared about, 94 00:05:51,331 --> 00:05:53,931 Speaker 6: and I wasn't about to give it away for someone 95 00:05:53,931 --> 00:05:54,650 Speaker 6: else to try. 96 00:05:55,451 --> 00:05:58,851 Speaker 1: Karen had been pursuing a separate case against Johnny based 97 00:05:58,851 --> 00:06:01,291 Speaker 1: on events that happened in the spring of nineteen eighty 98 00:06:01,371 --> 00:06:04,931 Speaker 1: eight after federal authorities had disrupted the mail package scheme. 99 00:06:05,531 --> 00:06:11,010 Speaker 1: Johnny did not lie low. Instead, he responded, allegedly by 100 00:06:11,051 --> 00:06:13,571 Speaker 1: looking for new ways to bring drugs into the country. 101 00:06:14,611 --> 00:06:16,131 Speaker 1: And this is where we need to take a side 102 00:06:16,171 --> 00:06:21,451 Speaker 1: journey into the world of restaurant equipment. According to the government, 103 00:06:21,771 --> 00:06:24,411 Speaker 1: Johnny had asked a friend of his, a guy nicknamed 104 00:06:24,451 --> 00:06:27,570 Speaker 1: Fat Qualk, if he had any ideas for smuggling heroin, 105 00:06:28,411 --> 00:06:31,811 Speaker 1: and Fat Quok did he had a cousin named six 106 00:06:31,851 --> 00:06:34,570 Speaker 1: finger Loo, who had six fingers on one hand and 107 00:06:34,611 --> 00:06:38,131 Speaker 1: a noodle shop in Boston. Six Fingerlo said he had 108 00:06:38,211 --> 00:06:41,291 Speaker 1: ordered bean sprout washers from Hong Kong and the machines 109 00:06:41,331 --> 00:06:44,931 Speaker 1: had arrived without being searched by customs, so why not 110 00:06:45,011 --> 00:06:46,330 Speaker 1: just had heroin in one of those. 111 00:06:47,491 --> 00:06:51,171 Speaker 6: And so that was what Johnny Ing was approached, and 112 00:06:51,171 --> 00:06:54,051 Speaker 6: he said, okay, yeah, let's use it. Let's load up heroin. 113 00:06:55,331 --> 00:06:58,491 Speaker 1: Courtdox would later say, Fat Quock and six finger Loo 114 00:06:58,811 --> 00:07:01,691 Speaker 1: flew to Hong Kong. Once they got there, they procured 115 00:07:01,690 --> 00:07:04,931 Speaker 1: a bean sprout washing machine. It's about the size of 116 00:07:04,971 --> 00:07:08,851 Speaker 1: a large and narrow bathtub. Inside it has these spinning 117 00:07:08,851 --> 00:07:12,171 Speaker 1: cylinders that moved the water around to remove the debris 118 00:07:12,171 --> 00:07:16,171 Speaker 1: from the bean sprouts. Six Fingerloo spent all night welding 119 00:07:16,211 --> 00:07:19,011 Speaker 1: these cylinders so he could hide one hundred and seventy 120 00:07:19,011 --> 00:07:21,131 Speaker 1: pounds of heroin inside of them. 121 00:07:22,051 --> 00:07:25,331 Speaker 6: So what Johnny Ing was able to do on like 122 00:07:25,411 --> 00:07:28,211 Speaker 6: before where he was sending small packages, is do this 123 00:07:28,291 --> 00:07:33,891 Speaker 6: sort of mother load shipment of this Southeast Asian heroin, 124 00:07:33,971 --> 00:07:35,491 Speaker 6: which was very, very valuable. 125 00:07:36,691 --> 00:07:39,891 Speaker 1: This shipment worth millions of dollars made it out of 126 00:07:39,891 --> 00:07:42,731 Speaker 1: Hong Kong all the way to Logan Airport in Boston, 127 00:07:43,291 --> 00:07:43,851 Speaker 1: but then. 128 00:07:44,491 --> 00:07:51,651 Speaker 6: The DEA intercepts it. They replace the heroin with you know, 129 00:07:51,811 --> 00:07:55,571 Speaker 6: a fake, and they deliver it. It goes to this guy, 130 00:07:55,731 --> 00:08:00,651 Speaker 6: six finger Lou. He picks up the machine and they 131 00:08:01,011 --> 00:08:04,971 Speaker 6: arrest him. But they didn't really want just to get 132 00:08:05,131 --> 00:08:08,211 Speaker 6: six finger looed because they knew that he's the lowest 133 00:08:08,251 --> 00:08:11,291 Speaker 6: to blow the real goals to get up the chain, 134 00:08:11,851 --> 00:08:15,451 Speaker 6: and so they flipped him, so to speak. They basically 135 00:08:15,571 --> 00:08:17,811 Speaker 6: cut a deal with him immediately. 136 00:08:18,971 --> 00:08:21,531 Speaker 1: The plan had been for six Fingerloo to drive from 137 00:08:21,571 --> 00:08:24,451 Speaker 1: Boston to Newark to deliver the bean sprout washing machine 138 00:08:24,571 --> 00:08:27,731 Speaker 1: to his cousin fat Quock, and that trip went ahead, 139 00:08:28,131 --> 00:08:31,571 Speaker 1: except now six Fingerloo was escorted on this drive by 140 00:08:31,691 --> 00:08:35,931 Speaker 1: undercovered DEA agents. When Lou arrived in mid tam Manhattan, 141 00:08:36,290 --> 00:08:38,331 Speaker 1: he met up with his cousin and this other guy 142 00:08:38,331 --> 00:08:41,931 Speaker 1: who was also involved in the scheme. Six Fingerloo claimed 143 00:08:41,930 --> 00:08:44,450 Speaker 1: he was too tired to take the bean sprout machine 144 00:08:44,450 --> 00:08:47,491 Speaker 1: out of his car, so they did, or began to, 145 00:08:48,090 --> 00:08:50,251 Speaker 1: because as soon as they touched the machine, they were 146 00:08:50,290 --> 00:08:52,891 Speaker 1: ambushed by DEA agents. 147 00:08:52,810 --> 00:08:55,850 Speaker 6: And then that led to the case against Johnny A. 148 00:08:57,930 --> 00:09:00,811 Speaker 1: Karen was a prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, 149 00:09:01,570 --> 00:09:05,050 Speaker 1: a federal prosecutor's office in Manhattan. She was working on 150 00:09:05,090 --> 00:09:07,851 Speaker 1: the sprout washer case because that's where the bust happened. 151 00:09:09,450 --> 00:09:12,491 Speaker 1: Howell was a prosecutor in the Eastern District of New York, 152 00:09:13,170 --> 00:09:16,690 Speaker 1: a federal prosecutor's office in Brooklyn. She was working on 153 00:09:16,731 --> 00:09:20,011 Speaker 1: the mail package case because the successful bust by federal 154 00:09:20,050 --> 00:09:24,170 Speaker 1: authorities on that scheme happened in Brooklyn. But now Judge 155 00:09:24,210 --> 00:09:27,371 Speaker 1: hold both prosecutors that since these cases were against the 156 00:09:27,371 --> 00:09:31,850 Speaker 1: same defendant, they should combine their efforts. All cases against 157 00:09:31,930 --> 00:09:35,290 Speaker 1: Johnnyang would be tried together in the Eastern District of 158 00:09:35,330 --> 00:09:38,771 Speaker 1: New York, which seems logical except for one thing. 159 00:09:40,251 --> 00:09:42,330 Speaker 7: I mean, you know, because the Eastern and Southern District 160 00:09:42,410 --> 00:09:45,210 Speaker 7: New Yorker were, you know, great rivals. 161 00:09:45,810 --> 00:09:49,011 Speaker 1: The rivalry between the Eastern District and the Southern District 162 00:09:49,450 --> 00:09:53,571 Speaker 1: is sometimes compared to another rivalry between the Mets and 163 00:09:53,611 --> 00:09:57,971 Speaker 1: the Yankees. The Southern District in Manhattan is like the Yankees. 164 00:09:58,450 --> 00:10:03,410 Speaker 1: It was created first under President George Washington. Many famous 165 00:10:03,450 --> 00:10:07,131 Speaker 1: financial fraud cases are tried in the SDN Y The 166 00:10:07,170 --> 00:10:11,011 Speaker 1: Eastern District in Brooklyn is like the It was founded 167 00:10:11,090 --> 00:10:15,811 Speaker 1: later under President Lincoln's administration. To this day, the ED 168 00:10:15,930 --> 00:10:18,450 Speaker 1: and Y is still perceived to be the scrappier office. 169 00:10:19,690 --> 00:10:22,570 Speaker 1: Now the Yankees and Mets were being asked to play 170 00:10:22,731 --> 00:10:27,971 Speaker 1: on the same team on the Mets home turf. Beryl 171 00:10:28,011 --> 00:10:30,731 Speaker 1: remembers hearing that they're going to be working together, and 172 00:10:30,771 --> 00:10:33,331 Speaker 1: she wondered how her rival prosecutor would take it. 173 00:10:34,210 --> 00:10:37,371 Speaker 7: Probably a fight Ben and Karen's shoes. She probably wouldn't 174 00:10:37,371 --> 00:10:40,090 Speaker 7: be a little bit nervous, you know, like trying. 175 00:10:39,771 --> 00:10:40,771 Speaker 5: A case in photo Dutchess. 176 00:10:40,851 --> 00:10:42,611 Speaker 7: She didn't know in a courthouse, she didn't know. 177 00:10:43,530 --> 00:10:46,811 Speaker 1: Beryl had partnered with Kathy Palmer, another prosecutor in the 178 00:10:46,810 --> 00:10:49,731 Speaker 1: Eastern District of New York, and Karen Seymour says she 179 00:10:49,810 --> 00:10:51,971 Speaker 1: had no idea how this was going to work out. 180 00:10:52,611 --> 00:10:56,290 Speaker 6: But they couldn't have been more fun and more lovely, 181 00:10:56,651 --> 00:11:00,971 Speaker 6: and we all became very fast friends, and we together, 182 00:11:01,930 --> 00:11:05,450 Speaker 6: you know, not knowing each other very well before, just 183 00:11:05,570 --> 00:11:10,131 Speaker 6: joined forces. And it was three women against Johnny Ang. 184 00:11:11,210 --> 00:11:16,450 Speaker 1: Johnny Yng's lead defense attorney was Gerald Chargell. Chargell was 185 00:11:16,491 --> 00:11:19,170 Speaker 1: a big deal in New York City. He'd been the 186 00:11:19,251 --> 00:11:24,050 Speaker 1: lawyer of Italian American mobster John Goudie, nicknamed the Teflon 187 00:11:24,170 --> 00:11:27,851 Speaker 1: Dawn because no criminal charges ever seemed to stick to him, 188 00:11:28,491 --> 00:11:32,451 Speaker 1: at least for a while. After multiple high profile trials, 189 00:11:32,810 --> 00:11:36,731 Speaker 1: he did eventually get life in prison. Chargell has since died, 190 00:11:37,050 --> 00:11:41,210 Speaker 1: but he's interviewed in the documentary America's Most Evil Machine Gun, Johnny. 191 00:11:42,290 --> 00:11:45,370 Speaker 5: You're smart, privileged to represent Johnny Yng when you're fighting 192 00:11:45,410 --> 00:11:47,891 Speaker 5: for someone's liberty or for someone's life. 193 00:11:48,011 --> 00:11:51,210 Speaker 6: A very weighty and heavy responsibility, but one that I welcome. 194 00:11:55,170 --> 00:12:00,011 Speaker 1: While Chargell welcomed his new client, three women prosecutors prepared 195 00:12:00,011 --> 00:12:06,891 Speaker 1: their case. They'd surmounted international boarders, institutional rivalries, and reluctant 196 00:12:06,930 --> 00:12:10,611 Speaker 1: witnesses to build an argument that Johnny was a major 197 00:12:10,611 --> 00:12:16,370 Speaker 1: heroin smuggler and a mastermind. Still, the prosecutors knew their 198 00:12:16,371 --> 00:12:19,251 Speaker 1: case had one major weakness and it was going to 199 00:12:19,251 --> 00:12:37,491 Speaker 1: be the hardest obstacle of all to overcome. Before in 200 00:12:37,491 --> 00:12:40,850 Speaker 1: a trial, there are pre trial motions. In Johnnyng's case, 201 00:12:41,170 --> 00:12:45,730 Speaker 1: the pre trial phase dragged on and on. I was 202 00:12:45,771 --> 00:12:48,611 Speaker 1: able to reach two defense lawyers on Johnny's team about 203 00:12:48,611 --> 00:12:51,490 Speaker 1: what it was like to work for him. One didn't 204 00:12:51,491 --> 00:12:52,931 Speaker 1: want to talk to me on the phone, but she 205 00:12:52,970 --> 00:12:56,690 Speaker 1: sent me an email saying, quote, he was a nice guy. 206 00:12:57,210 --> 00:12:59,691 Speaker 1: Something I remember because I'm a dog person, is that 207 00:12:59,731 --> 00:13:02,211 Speaker 1: he trained his two Kane Corso dogs to meet his 208 00:13:02,330 --> 00:13:04,891 Speaker 1: kids at the school bus stop and accompany them home. 209 00:13:06,491 --> 00:13:08,930 Speaker 1: Johnny's other attorneys said she didn't want to be recorded 210 00:13:08,930 --> 00:13:11,731 Speaker 1: because she like how defense lawyers are usually represented in 211 00:13:11,731 --> 00:13:14,451 Speaker 1: the media. But she told me that Johnny paid for 212 00:13:14,491 --> 00:13:17,331 Speaker 1: his defense team in cash. He told her that the 213 00:13:17,330 --> 00:13:20,530 Speaker 1: money came directly from gatherings in Chinatown to support his defense. 214 00:13:21,330 --> 00:13:24,131 Speaker 1: It was in small, crumpled bills. She had to spend 215 00:13:24,170 --> 00:13:28,851 Speaker 1: hours counting them. He was either very loved or very feared. 216 00:13:29,050 --> 00:13:32,610 Speaker 1: She said. I told Beryl about that. 217 00:13:33,410 --> 00:13:36,290 Speaker 7: Was it in five tens and twenties? Yeah, And he 218 00:13:36,491 --> 00:13:39,170 Speaker 7: told them that it was not drug proceed money, but 219 00:13:39,251 --> 00:13:42,530 Speaker 7: it was instead five tens in twenties that he'd collected 220 00:13:42,530 --> 00:13:45,131 Speaker 7: at parties from friends who believed in him. 221 00:13:46,330 --> 00:13:47,811 Speaker 5: And that's what she told you. 222 00:13:49,090 --> 00:13:52,811 Speaker 1: Beryl looked at me skeptically, her eyebrows raised, and I 223 00:13:52,851 --> 00:13:55,251 Speaker 1: got a sense of how intense this pre trial back 224 00:13:55,251 --> 00:13:58,450 Speaker 1: and forth might have been between the prosecution and the defense. 225 00:14:00,810 --> 00:14:03,930 Speaker 1: Beryl thinks that at one court appearance or another, Johnny 226 00:14:03,970 --> 00:14:07,131 Speaker 1: may have noticed something about her she was pregnant. 227 00:14:07,731 --> 00:14:12,891 Speaker 3: It just seemed like he was, you know, seeing my 228 00:14:13,050 --> 00:14:17,050 Speaker 3: shape change as time went on and thinking, hmmm, yes, 229 00:14:17,050 --> 00:14:20,451 Speaker 3: this might be very helpful if the prosecutor who'd been 230 00:14:20,451 --> 00:14:22,691 Speaker 3: living with this case for a number of years wasn't 231 00:14:22,891 --> 00:14:24,370 Speaker 3: able to try this case. 232 00:14:25,571 --> 00:14:28,131 Speaker 1: Beryl thought Johnny and his team might be creating delays 233 00:14:28,131 --> 00:14:32,091 Speaker 1: on purpose. All told, Johnny spent almost a year in 234 00:14:32,171 --> 00:14:36,251 Speaker 1: pre trial attention. His trial was finally scheduled to begin 235 00:14:36,731 --> 00:14:41,330 Speaker 1: on November sixteenth, nineteen ninety two, and for Beryl. 236 00:14:41,931 --> 00:14:44,210 Speaker 7: It was sort of a race against time. 237 00:14:45,851 --> 00:14:48,251 Speaker 1: This was going to be a big trial. It was 238 00:14:48,291 --> 00:14:51,971 Speaker 1: expected to last a few weeks, and Beryl's baby was 239 00:14:52,011 --> 00:14:58,251 Speaker 1: expected in a few weeks as well. Have you been 240 00:14:58,251 --> 00:14:59,210 Speaker 1: to the crehouse in Brooklyn? 241 00:14:59,371 --> 00:15:01,331 Speaker 5: Yeah, I made super close to office. 242 00:15:01,531 --> 00:15:04,851 Speaker 1: My impression was like wood everywhere, like it had like yeah, 243 00:15:04,851 --> 00:15:09,291 Speaker 1: like wood paneled ceilings and like a wood floor, and 244 00:15:09,411 --> 00:15:10,970 Speaker 1: and then you know there was like also. 245 00:15:10,691 --> 00:15:13,211 Speaker 5: Fully, you're doing a trial within the cabinet. 246 00:15:14,330 --> 00:15:17,691 Speaker 1: Yeah, it was like within a small cabinet, Like there's 247 00:15:17,731 --> 00:15:21,811 Speaker 1: not even that many seats for people to watch the trial. 248 00:15:22,491 --> 00:15:25,571 Speaker 1: But I talked to this one reporter, Gerald Posner, who 249 00:15:25,611 --> 00:15:26,370 Speaker 1: was there at the time. 250 00:15:27,131 --> 00:15:30,171 Speaker 8: I was only there for like three probably three days, 251 00:15:30,171 --> 00:15:32,571 Speaker 8: but it was packed. It was a great New York 252 00:15:32,571 --> 00:15:33,171 Speaker 8: City trial. 253 00:15:33,851 --> 00:15:37,291 Speaker 1: He had written a book about the international heroin trade, 254 00:15:37,891 --> 00:15:40,211 Speaker 1: so that's why he was at this trial. And he 255 00:15:40,291 --> 00:15:43,651 Speaker 1: was particularly interested in what Johnny looked like because he 256 00:15:43,651 --> 00:15:45,811 Speaker 1: could see Johnny sitting at the defense table. 257 00:15:46,611 --> 00:15:49,051 Speaker 8: One of the things that was so amazing to me 258 00:15:49,171 --> 00:15:54,211 Speaker 8: about Johnny, and he looks so young. You know, we've 259 00:15:54,251 --> 00:15:57,131 Speaker 8: seen pictures of him and everything else, but until you 260 00:15:57,171 --> 00:16:00,891 Speaker 8: seem in person, you forget what a baby faced gangster 261 00:16:01,491 --> 00:16:04,051 Speaker 8: could look like. I expect him to come back from 262 00:16:04,090 --> 00:16:06,451 Speaker 8: this extradition battle of three years. 263 00:16:06,210 --> 00:16:07,211 Speaker 6: And having run. 264 00:16:09,131 --> 00:16:11,371 Speaker 8: This is one of the largest hair when rings around 265 00:16:11,411 --> 00:16:13,531 Speaker 8: and becoming a leader of the Fine Dragons and everything 266 00:16:13,531 --> 00:16:15,250 Speaker 8: else is going to prematurely age him. 267 00:16:15,291 --> 00:16:16,171 Speaker 5: But it didn't. 268 00:16:17,210 --> 00:16:21,291 Speaker 1: So Yeah, So Johnny was thirty six years old, very young. Oo, 269 00:16:21,411 --> 00:16:23,291 Speaker 1: he was actually young at the time of the trial. 270 00:16:23,731 --> 00:16:26,571 Speaker 1: And I have a photo of him from the time. 271 00:16:26,891 --> 00:16:31,011 Speaker 5: Okay, his mugshot. Yeah, like people could mistaken him as 272 00:16:31,051 --> 00:16:34,371 Speaker 5: like a like a late twenty year old in this photo. 273 00:16:34,811 --> 00:16:37,291 Speaker 1: Yeah, he has like a little mustache and a goateee. 274 00:16:37,531 --> 00:16:42,171 Speaker 1: He's wearing these big, like gold rimmed aviator glasses. And 275 00:16:42,851 --> 00:16:44,411 Speaker 1: what stood out to me is he does have a 276 00:16:44,451 --> 00:16:47,691 Speaker 1: little puff of hair. He's just looking straight ahead. It's 277 00:16:47,731 --> 00:16:50,691 Speaker 1: kind of like driver's licensed photo vibes. But that was 278 00:16:50,731 --> 00:16:54,051 Speaker 1: not his vibe in court during the trial. He didn't 279 00:16:54,090 --> 00:16:56,931 Speaker 1: take the stand. It's usually not smart to do that 280 00:16:57,051 --> 00:16:59,171 Speaker 1: as a defendant, and Johnny seems like he was a 281 00:16:59,210 --> 00:17:02,491 Speaker 1: pretty smart guy. But he was apparently pretty expressive during 282 00:17:02,491 --> 00:17:04,811 Speaker 1: the trial. Yeah, I heard that, you know, according to 283 00:17:05,011 --> 00:17:08,011 Speaker 1: newspaper articles and stuff at the time, he was smiling 284 00:17:08,051 --> 00:17:12,130 Speaker 1: all throughout. Johnny's actually known for always smiling. But his 285 00:17:12,211 --> 00:17:14,571 Speaker 1: smile it's kind of hard to tell whether it's like 286 00:17:14,651 --> 00:17:18,171 Speaker 1: a friendly smile or like the passive aggressive smile, like 287 00:17:18,211 --> 00:17:19,011 Speaker 1: a threatening smile. 288 00:17:19,571 --> 00:17:22,691 Speaker 5: Yeah, so we're in a trial. What was the opening statement? Like, 289 00:17:22,731 --> 00:17:24,051 Speaker 5: how did they start the case? 290 00:17:24,531 --> 00:17:28,090 Speaker 1: Like the mail package trial, Beryl started this one, and 291 00:17:28,131 --> 00:17:32,171 Speaker 1: she began by talking about these mail packages that had 292 00:17:32,251 --> 00:17:36,611 Speaker 1: tea and stuffed animals and also heroin. Then she described 293 00:17:36,651 --> 00:17:39,411 Speaker 1: how the bean sprout washing machine was intercepted by a 294 00:17:39,451 --> 00:17:43,291 Speaker 1: customs agent in Boston, and then this is what she 295 00:17:43,331 --> 00:17:44,090 Speaker 1: said to the jury. 296 00:17:45,771 --> 00:17:50,291 Speaker 7: Now, these two huge shipments of heroin were discovered months apart, 297 00:17:50,971 --> 00:17:54,891 Speaker 7: opposite ends of the country by two different customs inspectors. 298 00:17:55,451 --> 00:17:57,491 Speaker 7: But you were going to learn during the trial that 299 00:17:57,611 --> 00:18:02,291 Speaker 7: these schemes had one thing in common. The mastermind behind 300 00:18:02,371 --> 00:18:06,211 Speaker 7: both of these heroin shipments was one man, the defendant, 301 00:18:06,411 --> 00:18:09,251 Speaker 7: Johnny Yang, the man sitting at the defense table. 302 00:18:11,171 --> 00:18:13,731 Speaker 1: I have Beryl's notes from the trial and on one 303 00:18:13,771 --> 00:18:16,931 Speaker 1: page she has the word mastermind. It's written in all caps. 304 00:18:17,571 --> 00:18:21,811 Speaker 1: She wanted to prove that Johnny was the quote principal, administrator, 305 00:18:22,211 --> 00:18:26,090 Speaker 1: organizer or leader of the enterprise, right right. This was 306 00:18:26,131 --> 00:18:28,051 Speaker 1: the first charge against him, and it was also the 307 00:18:28,091 --> 00:18:31,771 Speaker 1: most serious charge because you know, if Johnny was found 308 00:18:31,771 --> 00:18:34,411 Speaker 1: guilty of this, he was facing a lifetime in prison 309 00:18:34,851 --> 00:18:35,571 Speaker 1: without parole. 310 00:18:35,891 --> 00:18:39,651 Speaker 5: I mean, she spent years obviously investigating and collecting evidence 311 00:18:39,691 --> 00:18:43,691 Speaker 5: and information, talking to witnesses, trying to get them to 312 00:18:43,731 --> 00:18:45,411 Speaker 5: turn their back against Johnny. 313 00:18:45,611 --> 00:18:48,131 Speaker 1: Well, the truth is, the case was going to be 314 00:18:48,171 --> 00:18:52,411 Speaker 1: tough because Johnny was so good at insulating himself from 315 00:18:52,411 --> 00:18:56,411 Speaker 1: both of these schemes. So there's very little material evidence. 316 00:18:56,731 --> 00:18:58,931 Speaker 1: They had some and some of it they were saving 317 00:18:59,051 --> 00:19:01,611 Speaker 1: till the end of the trial. But really the whole 318 00:19:01,651 --> 00:19:04,890 Speaker 1: trial depended on the testimony of these cooperating witnesses, right. 319 00:19:05,251 --> 00:19:07,491 Speaker 1: And one of the prosecutors, the one from the Southern 320 00:19:07,531 --> 00:19:09,971 Speaker 1: District of New York, Karen Seymour, she talked to me 321 00:19:10,011 --> 00:19:10,451 Speaker 1: about this. 322 00:19:11,251 --> 00:19:14,531 Speaker 6: It was so cooperat or dependent. This is a case 323 00:19:14,571 --> 00:19:17,811 Speaker 6: where there was very clear evidence about the drug deals, 324 00:19:18,131 --> 00:19:23,131 Speaker 6: but it wasn't so clearly linked to Johnny Ing, And 325 00:19:23,211 --> 00:19:26,571 Speaker 6: so it was a case that truly if you didn't 326 00:19:26,611 --> 00:19:30,171 Speaker 6: believe the cooperators, you didn't have enough evidence to convict 327 00:19:30,171 --> 00:19:30,851 Speaker 6: the defendants. 328 00:19:31,571 --> 00:19:34,531 Speaker 1: Tina Wong wasn't testifying at this trial right after she 329 00:19:34,611 --> 00:19:36,931 Speaker 1: was shot. Beryl felt like she was hiding something and 330 00:19:36,971 --> 00:19:38,811 Speaker 1: she didn't trust her enough to put her on the stand. 331 00:19:39,251 --> 00:19:43,211 Speaker 1: So Beryl had two main cooperating witnesses, Waw and Michael 332 00:19:43,331 --> 00:19:46,971 Speaker 1: u are Fox. They had been in jail for years now, 333 00:19:47,171 --> 00:19:51,131 Speaker 1: waiting for their own trial, waiting for Johnny's extradition, and 334 00:19:51,171 --> 00:19:55,011 Speaker 1: then waiting for Johnny's trial to start. They really didn't 335 00:19:55,051 --> 00:19:58,531 Speaker 1: want to testify against him, but doing so was their 336 00:19:58,571 --> 00:19:59,211 Speaker 1: only way out. 337 00:19:59,531 --> 00:20:00,011 Speaker 5: True. 338 00:20:00,251 --> 00:20:03,330 Speaker 1: Remember, Waugh told us that even now she's still worried 339 00:20:03,411 --> 00:20:04,811 Speaker 1: about being viewed as a snitch. 340 00:20:05,811 --> 00:20:08,051 Speaker 2: I will you come out to the street. People know 341 00:20:08,211 --> 00:20:11,571 Speaker 2: you Smith, you know you talked about you gave him mouth. 342 00:20:11,931 --> 00:20:13,171 Speaker 5: Uh huh, would be bad. 343 00:20:13,771 --> 00:20:17,451 Speaker 2: It's like you're gonna have people that don't like you, 344 00:20:17,451 --> 00:20:19,211 Speaker 2: you know what I'm saying, And you don't want that. 345 00:20:19,931 --> 00:20:23,491 Speaker 2: So that's what I'm saying, in fact, is something would honor. Okay, 346 00:20:23,531 --> 00:20:25,171 Speaker 2: come on, come on interview with me. 347 00:20:25,411 --> 00:20:28,931 Speaker 5: That it sounds like a very difficult decision to make 348 00:20:28,971 --> 00:20:31,091 Speaker 5: in face of something that's so huge that's going to 349 00:20:31,171 --> 00:20:33,611 Speaker 5: change your life. Where do you choose to protect yourself 350 00:20:34,251 --> 00:20:38,291 Speaker 5: or to honor something that you hold high values of, 351 00:20:38,691 --> 00:20:40,890 Speaker 5: like your friendship, like your connection with other people. 352 00:20:41,371 --> 00:20:45,251 Speaker 1: Yeah, and Foxbolt the same way. He wrote a letter 353 00:20:45,291 --> 00:20:48,211 Speaker 1: to Beryl, literally begging not to have to take the stand. 354 00:20:48,931 --> 00:20:51,811 Speaker 1: I asked Beryl to read a little bit of what 355 00:20:51,811 --> 00:20:52,491 Speaker 1: that letter said. 356 00:20:54,331 --> 00:20:57,491 Speaker 7: I'm writing to you because I started having panic and 357 00:20:57,571 --> 00:21:01,531 Speaker 7: feel the pressure is coming from both inside and outside. 358 00:21:01,691 --> 00:21:05,691 Speaker 7: So if it's possible, please exclude me from testifying at 359 00:21:05,731 --> 00:21:09,610 Speaker 7: Johnny Ng's trial because I'm just a small figure in 360 00:21:09,651 --> 00:21:15,131 Speaker 7: his case was the one. I'm only her puppet from 361 00:21:15,131 --> 00:21:18,451 Speaker 7: the beginning to the end. I have to run and 362 00:21:18,651 --> 00:21:22,090 Speaker 7: hide from place to place, just like a wreck to 363 00:21:22,171 --> 00:21:26,211 Speaker 7: stay alive. So please do a little consideration for me. 364 00:21:27,891 --> 00:21:30,891 Speaker 1: So, yeah, this whole case, it basically rested on these 365 00:21:30,931 --> 00:21:34,571 Speaker 1: witnesses who really did not want to be testifying, and 366 00:21:34,611 --> 00:21:37,411 Speaker 1: you know, they'd also been convicted of crimes. And so 367 00:21:37,451 --> 00:21:41,011 Speaker 1: that meant that Johnny's lawyer, Gerald Chargell, he only had 368 00:21:41,011 --> 00:21:43,171 Speaker 1: to do one thing. He had one simple task. 369 00:21:43,451 --> 00:21:46,771 Speaker 5: To attack the testimonies, like their credibility. 370 00:21:46,291 --> 00:21:49,531 Speaker 1: Exactly, because all you need is reasonable doubt, right. 371 00:21:49,811 --> 00:21:54,051 Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean that's true, because jury they're all humans. 372 00:21:54,331 --> 00:21:56,531 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I feel like people love to think they're 373 00:21:56,611 --> 00:21:58,931 Speaker 1: very good at like catching liars. 374 00:21:58,891 --> 00:22:01,091 Speaker 5: Yeah, being like a true detective. 375 00:22:02,651 --> 00:22:05,090 Speaker 1: So one of the first witnesses to take the stand 376 00:22:05,291 --> 00:22:07,971 Speaker 1: was one of the women who received the heroine packages 377 00:22:07,971 --> 00:22:10,971 Speaker 1: for Johnny, So some one pretty low down in the scheme. 378 00:22:11,811 --> 00:22:17,091 Speaker 6: I think those women largely who testified who received packages 379 00:22:18,011 --> 00:22:20,611 Speaker 6: didn't really most of them have that much to say 380 00:22:20,651 --> 00:22:23,411 Speaker 6: about Johnny ing. But they set the stage really well 381 00:22:23,571 --> 00:22:25,811 Speaker 6: and I thought they had a lot of credibility. 382 00:22:27,051 --> 00:22:28,291 Speaker 5: And then who came next. 383 00:22:28,651 --> 00:22:32,890 Speaker 1: Waw, she took the stand and on direct you know, 384 00:22:32,931 --> 00:22:36,811 Speaker 1: Beryl asked her questions and she said that she gave 385 00:22:36,891 --> 00:22:40,651 Speaker 1: these women's addresses to Johnny, and she did the scene 386 00:22:40,691 --> 00:22:43,610 Speaker 1: in Johnny's direction, and john even was pressuring her to 387 00:22:43,931 --> 00:22:47,251 Speaker 1: get him more and more addresses. And he was the 388 00:22:47,331 --> 00:22:50,251 Speaker 1: quote boss of this heroin ring. And I spoke to 389 00:22:50,291 --> 00:22:52,331 Speaker 1: another reporter who was there at the trial. His name 390 00:22:52,371 --> 00:22:55,291 Speaker 1: is Frederick Dannon, and he was writing for the New Yorker. 391 00:22:55,771 --> 00:22:58,771 Speaker 1: He actually still remembers law's cross examination. 392 00:22:59,411 --> 00:23:02,610 Speaker 9: The moment cross would begin, Chargao would start projecting his 393 00:23:02,771 --> 00:23:05,291 Speaker 9: question before he even left the defense table. And he 394 00:23:05,531 --> 00:23:07,971 Speaker 9: used the tall guy and he used his body. It 395 00:23:08,011 --> 00:23:11,291 Speaker 9: was almost like a charging line. It's like a boxer 396 00:23:11,451 --> 00:23:15,691 Speaker 9: coming out of ringsight, like the round begins and he's 397 00:23:15,731 --> 00:23:17,931 Speaker 9: already on his feet. He wants to get into the fight. 398 00:23:19,091 --> 00:23:22,451 Speaker 1: Here is a little segment of how it went. Do 399 00:23:22,491 --> 00:23:25,251 Speaker 1: you want to play sharkeel because you're a. 400 00:23:25,291 --> 00:23:28,091 Speaker 5: Lawyer, Sure, I will try to be as intimidating as poise. 401 00:23:28,171 --> 00:23:30,291 Speaker 1: Yeah, try and leap at me across the table like 402 00:23:30,331 --> 00:23:30,731 Speaker 1: a lion. 403 00:23:32,411 --> 00:23:33,411 Speaker 5: You so drugs, right? 404 00:23:33,531 --> 00:23:33,850 Speaker 1: Yes? 405 00:23:34,131 --> 00:23:38,411 Speaker 5: And you did drugs? Yes? You work in the gambling parlors. Yes, 406 00:23:38,571 --> 00:23:41,811 Speaker 5: you cheated on your texas didn't you probably did? Yes? 407 00:23:42,011 --> 00:23:43,411 Speaker 5: Would you lie to get out of jail? 408 00:23:43,731 --> 00:23:43,971 Speaker 1: No? 409 00:23:44,611 --> 00:23:48,091 Speaker 5: Never no, because you wouldn't stoop to something like that, 410 00:23:48,131 --> 00:23:52,771 Speaker 5: would you. No, no further questions. He didn't even give 411 00:23:52,811 --> 00:23:54,931 Speaker 5: her any time to think. 412 00:23:55,651 --> 00:23:57,451 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, it's like bang bang bang bing bang. 413 00:23:57,811 --> 00:24:00,171 Speaker 5: I've seen that before. It's kind of like the defense 414 00:24:00,371 --> 00:24:02,571 Speaker 5: they would be like just answer yes or no. I'm 415 00:24:02,611 --> 00:24:05,211 Speaker 5: not asking for more. But like in that way, they're 416 00:24:05,291 --> 00:24:08,411 Speaker 5: leading the witness to say something that they might not 417 00:24:08,851 --> 00:24:09,291 Speaker 5: admit to. 418 00:24:10,491 --> 00:24:15,331 Speaker 9: Chargelle definitely rattled her. I mean you could see from 419 00:24:15,371 --> 00:24:18,971 Speaker 9: her body language that like he unnerved her a little bit. 420 00:24:20,171 --> 00:24:25,491 Speaker 1: It's crazy to think about WAW going through this while 421 00:24:25,851 --> 00:24:29,051 Speaker 1: Johnny is sitting at the defense table. Here she was 422 00:24:29,731 --> 00:24:33,330 Speaker 1: betraying him and then being attacked by this lawyer. 423 00:24:34,051 --> 00:24:37,411 Speaker 5: So that was bad for a while. Then who's next 424 00:24:37,531 --> 00:24:38,571 Speaker 5: to get put on the stand? 425 00:24:38,811 --> 00:24:42,850 Speaker 1: Her ex boyfriend Michael Yu Fox, even though he begged 426 00:24:42,851 --> 00:24:44,891 Speaker 1: not to do this, he did have to take the stand, 427 00:24:46,251 --> 00:24:49,931 Speaker 1: and that DA agent Peter Mattesser. She remembers things going 428 00:24:49,971 --> 00:24:52,131 Speaker 1: even worse for Fox than they did for Wall. 429 00:24:53,451 --> 00:24:56,411 Speaker 5: I think, Michael, you really took a meeting from Chargo. 430 00:24:57,851 --> 00:25:01,411 Speaker 1: So the trial took some time, right, yeah, like three weeks. 431 00:25:01,691 --> 00:25:04,611 Speaker 5: Do we know anything about people outside of trial? Reacting 432 00:25:04,651 --> 00:25:07,011 Speaker 5: to it like from the gangs from Chinatown. 433 00:25:07,371 --> 00:25:10,491 Speaker 1: According to the trial transcript, there was a guy who 434 00:25:10,651 --> 00:25:13,011 Speaker 1: was sought to be Johnny's brother, and he approached one 435 00:25:13,051 --> 00:25:14,850 Speaker 1: of the jurors when they were walking out of the 436 00:25:14,851 --> 00:25:18,811 Speaker 1: courtroom and he said, do you believe in the witnesses? 437 00:25:19,611 --> 00:25:20,611 Speaker 5: Oh? 438 00:25:20,691 --> 00:25:22,011 Speaker 1: And then he said, God bless you. 439 00:25:22,571 --> 00:25:25,691 Speaker 5: Oh, I feel like there's like some violations. 440 00:25:25,731 --> 00:25:27,131 Speaker 1: It's like you shouldn't really do that. 441 00:25:27,451 --> 00:25:30,610 Speaker 5: Yeah, you shouldn't do that. What was the part that 442 00:25:30,651 --> 00:25:33,051 Speaker 5: Beryl remembered most from all of this? 443 00:25:33,971 --> 00:25:37,451 Speaker 1: So for her, the most memorable part is actually like 444 00:25:37,491 --> 00:25:41,171 Speaker 1: an administrative part of the trial, the charging conference. You 445 00:25:41,211 --> 00:25:43,451 Speaker 1: probably know it comes after all the evidence has been 446 00:25:43,811 --> 00:25:47,291 Speaker 1: presented and it's before the summations and the verdict. So 447 00:25:47,331 --> 00:25:50,451 Speaker 1: basically the to you know, posing sides meet with the 448 00:25:50,531 --> 00:25:53,691 Speaker 1: judge and they go through the language for every single 449 00:25:53,851 --> 00:25:56,051 Speaker 1: charge and the instructions that they're going to give to 450 00:25:56,091 --> 00:25:58,731 Speaker 1: the jury. And Beryl was the one who was going 451 00:25:58,771 --> 00:26:02,971 Speaker 1: to present at this charging conference, and she was nine 452 00:26:03,011 --> 00:26:07,051 Speaker 1: months pregnant at the time, and there were seventeen charges 453 00:26:07,091 --> 00:26:07,771 Speaker 1: against Johnny. 454 00:26:08,251 --> 00:26:13,491 Speaker 7: So this charging conference was very long. In my recollection, 455 00:26:13,611 --> 00:26:19,491 Speaker 7: it was about three to four hours and I stood 456 00:26:19,771 --> 00:26:24,811 Speaker 7: for the whole time well low heels, and when you're 457 00:26:24,931 --> 00:26:28,931 Speaker 7: nine months pregnant, you've got so much compression on your lungs. 458 00:26:30,051 --> 00:26:32,851 Speaker 7: It's hard to do public speaking in the normal way 459 00:26:32,931 --> 00:26:38,531 Speaker 7: because you can't fill your lungs with enough air to 460 00:26:38,571 --> 00:26:40,731 Speaker 7: give your normal delivery. 461 00:26:40,931 --> 00:26:43,091 Speaker 5: So it was hard to catch my breath. 462 00:26:46,011 --> 00:26:50,611 Speaker 7: And I stood through the whole charging conference in questions 463 00:26:50,611 --> 00:26:52,771 Speaker 7: that Judge Reggie had for me, and she never invited 464 00:26:52,771 --> 00:26:56,811 Speaker 7: me to be seated to respond to her questions. And 465 00:26:57,731 --> 00:27:00,491 Speaker 7: I went into labor that night. 466 00:27:02,411 --> 00:27:04,811 Speaker 1: When we come back, the jury gets to hear about 467 00:27:04,811 --> 00:27:08,371 Speaker 1: a piece of material evidence and it relates to Tina Wong. 468 00:27:22,451 --> 00:27:26,531 Speaker 1: Right before Johnny Ying's trial ended, Beryl gave birth to 469 00:27:26,611 --> 00:27:31,651 Speaker 1: a baby girl. She weighed seven pounds twelve ounces, so 470 00:27:31,691 --> 00:27:34,171 Speaker 1: she wasn't there when the prosecution gave its final bit 471 00:27:34,171 --> 00:27:36,691 Speaker 1: of evidence to the jury, and it had to do 472 00:27:36,771 --> 00:27:40,531 Speaker 1: with Tina Wong. When she and I interviewed Tina, she 473 00:27:40,611 --> 00:27:42,371 Speaker 1: told us a lot about that trip she took in 474 00:27:42,451 --> 00:27:45,331 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty eight to Asia. It was with her childhood 475 00:27:45,331 --> 00:27:49,691 Speaker 1: friend Wah and WA's boyfriend Fox, among others. She told 476 00:27:49,771 --> 00:27:51,931 Speaker 1: us about visiting Indonesia and how they. 477 00:27:51,851 --> 00:27:56,211 Speaker 10: Went to the beach and see these little crabs. There's 478 00:27:56,251 --> 00:27:57,811 Speaker 10: like a thousand in them, so it looked like the 479 00:27:57,971 --> 00:28:00,931 Speaker 10: rock is black. But when you go there, it's white. 480 00:28:00,971 --> 00:28:03,891 Speaker 10: Because all the crabs look white. Walk away, it's like thousands. 481 00:28:05,611 --> 00:28:07,651 Speaker 1: But Tina had spent the first part of this vacation 482 00:28:07,811 --> 00:28:12,571 Speaker 1: in Hong Kong. That portion of the trip, she was vague. 483 00:28:13,011 --> 00:28:17,491 Speaker 11: Me and this other girl, we go shopping and while 484 00:28:17,451 --> 00:28:20,051 Speaker 11: we'll go off, So I don't know what she was doing, 485 00:28:20,291 --> 00:28:21,251 Speaker 11: and I didn't want to know. 486 00:28:22,611 --> 00:28:25,211 Speaker 1: That trip to Asia it turned out to be very 487 00:28:25,251 --> 00:28:30,251 Speaker 1: important for the government's case. Kathy Palmer, the other prosecutor 488 00:28:30,291 --> 00:28:32,890 Speaker 1: from the Eastern District of New York, talked about it 489 00:28:33,011 --> 00:28:37,171 Speaker 1: during her closing arguments. Remember, this case hinged on the 490 00:28:37,211 --> 00:28:41,011 Speaker 1: testimony of cooperating witnesses, and Johnny's lawyer had done a 491 00:28:41,051 --> 00:28:45,171 Speaker 1: pretty good job of making those witnesses seem untrustworthy. Johnny 492 00:28:45,211 --> 00:28:47,291 Speaker 1: had been very careful to work through a web of 493 00:28:47,331 --> 00:28:51,491 Speaker 1: intermediaries so no one could trace anything directly back to him, 494 00:28:52,131 --> 00:28:56,571 Speaker 1: but he'd made a slip. Federal authorities had phone records 495 00:28:56,931 --> 00:28:59,651 Speaker 1: of calls in and out of Johnnyng's Hong Kong apartment, 496 00:29:01,011 --> 00:29:03,331 Speaker 1: and one of those phone calls from way back in 497 00:29:03,411 --> 00:29:06,891 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty eight went from that apartment to the New 498 00:29:07,011 --> 00:29:11,571 Speaker 1: York home of someone associated with the trade, Tina Wong. 499 00:29:14,291 --> 00:29:16,571 Speaker 1: The call happened on Tina and WA's last day in 500 00:29:16,571 --> 00:29:19,971 Speaker 1: Hong Kong before they all went to Indonesia. It was 501 00:29:20,011 --> 00:29:23,691 Speaker 1: a two minute phone call. The prosecutor speculated that maybe 502 00:29:23,691 --> 00:29:26,531 Speaker 1: Tina was in Johnny's apartment and made that call to 503 00:29:26,531 --> 00:29:29,491 Speaker 1: tell her husband that they were going to Indonesia. Who knows. 504 00:29:30,251 --> 00:29:34,611 Speaker 1: But what's important is this, that phone call was material 505 00:29:34,651 --> 00:29:38,851 Speaker 1: evidence linking Johnny directly to Tina, and therefore to Wall 506 00:29:38,891 --> 00:29:43,651 Speaker 1: and Fox, who are all convicted of heroin smuggling. The 507 00:29:43,651 --> 00:29:46,411 Speaker 1: prosecution presented this evidence at the end of the trial. 508 00:29:47,211 --> 00:29:50,291 Speaker 1: Take a look at the records, the prosecutor told the jurors, 509 00:29:51,091 --> 00:29:52,931 Speaker 1: and that was close to the last thing they heard 510 00:29:53,651 --> 00:29:56,451 Speaker 1: other than the jury instructions before they filed out to 511 00:29:56,491 --> 00:30:03,211 Speaker 1: begin deliberating. Tina Wong wasn't at Johnny's trial, but she 512 00:30:03,331 --> 00:30:07,691 Speaker 1: still played a role. Unwittingly. She said she doesn't remember 513 00:30:07,811 --> 00:30:10,571 Speaker 1: either being in Johnny's apartment or calling home. 514 00:30:11,771 --> 00:30:17,571 Speaker 11: I don't remember any phone call, so now I kind 515 00:30:17,571 --> 00:30:21,731 Speaker 11: of feel bad that I get somebody in trouble. You do, yeah, 516 00:30:21,891 --> 00:30:23,251 Speaker 11: I mean, if you want to get in trouble, get 517 00:30:23,251 --> 00:30:24,091 Speaker 11: in trouble on your own. 518 00:30:24,491 --> 00:30:25,811 Speaker 10: I don't want to be the close of it. 519 00:30:27,891 --> 00:30:28,971 Speaker 5: Would he get in trouble. 520 00:30:29,851 --> 00:30:32,451 Speaker 1: The jury went off to deliberate all the counts against 521 00:30:32,531 --> 00:30:37,291 Speaker 1: Johnny Yng, including the biggest one, whether or not he 522 00:30:37,411 --> 00:30:40,571 Speaker 1: was the mastermind of these schemes to smuggle in millions 523 00:30:40,611 --> 00:30:45,731 Speaker 1: of dollars worth of heroin from Asia. But Beryl, after 524 00:30:45,891 --> 00:30:48,931 Speaker 1: years of fighting to get to this moment, was beyond reach. 525 00:30:49,811 --> 00:30:52,931 Speaker 1: She was still in the hospital with her new baby. 526 00:30:53,451 --> 00:30:55,691 Speaker 7: We both came down with a fever, and that's very 527 00:30:55,811 --> 00:31:00,051 Speaker 7: very serious for a newborn. And so that next week, 528 00:31:00,731 --> 00:31:05,131 Speaker 7: when the verdict was coming in and the summations and 529 00:31:05,211 --> 00:31:10,171 Speaker 7: rebuttals were happening, I was in intensive care with the 530 00:31:10,211 --> 00:31:14,171 Speaker 7: new baby. So I had my mind done very very 531 00:31:14,171 --> 00:31:16,051 Speaker 7: different things from the outcome of the trial. 532 00:31:19,291 --> 00:31:22,611 Speaker 1: While Beryla was with her baby in intensive care, the 533 00:31:22,651 --> 00:31:25,331 Speaker 1: rest of the prosecution team and the defense team hung 534 00:31:25,331 --> 00:31:29,771 Speaker 1: around the courthouse waiting. The hours turned into days, and 535 00:31:29,851 --> 00:31:36,131 Speaker 1: the days dragged on. At some point, prosecutor Karen Seymour says, 536 00:31:36,131 --> 00:31:37,771 Speaker 1: she started to get nervous. 537 00:31:38,571 --> 00:31:41,251 Speaker 6: We felt good about our case. We believed it. We 538 00:31:41,331 --> 00:31:43,811 Speaker 6: believed our witnesses, but you just never know when it 539 00:31:43,851 --> 00:31:46,011 Speaker 6: comes to the jury way. It was a little bit 540 00:31:46,051 --> 00:31:50,131 Speaker 6: of a millbiter. Johnny Ing and his counsel, they were very, 541 00:31:50,211 --> 00:31:55,051 Speaker 6: very cocky. We had learned that Johnny Ing had booked 542 00:31:55,851 --> 00:31:59,731 Speaker 6: the Peaking Duckhouse in Chinatown for a big party and 543 00:31:59,771 --> 00:32:03,051 Speaker 6: a big celebration, and he invited all of his Flying 544 00:32:03,211 --> 00:32:07,451 Speaker 6: Dragon buddies to join him. They thought they were winning 545 00:32:07,451 --> 00:32:07,971 Speaker 6: this case. 546 00:32:17,811 --> 00:32:21,211 Speaker 1: Coming up on the final episode of The Chinatown Sting. 547 00:32:22,651 --> 00:32:25,731 Speaker 12: We're talking about each camp. The big thing that caused 548 00:32:26,171 --> 00:32:31,651 Speaker 12: the most conversation, the most deliberation, was he the mastermind. 549 00:32:35,651 --> 00:32:38,851 Speaker 1: The Chinatown Stang is written and produced by Me, Buddy 550 00:32:38,851 --> 00:32:43,451 Speaker 1: Eugenekott and reported by me and Shu Yu Wang. Our 551 00:32:43,491 --> 00:32:48,411 Speaker 1: senior producer is Emily Martinez. Additional production by Sonya Gerwit. 552 00:32:49,451 --> 00:32:53,851 Speaker 1: Our editor is Julia Barton, with additional editing by Karen Schakerji. 553 00:32:54,931 --> 00:32:59,331 Speaker 1: Our story consultant is wrong shau Ching. Our executive producer 554 00:32:59,491 --> 00:33:03,131 Speaker 1: is Jacob Smith. Our music was composed by John Sung, 555 00:33:03,891 --> 00:33:07,891 Speaker 1: sound design and additional music by Jake Gorski. Our fact 556 00:33:07,971 --> 00:33:11,531 Speaker 1: checker is Kate Furby and Our show art was designed 557 00:33:11,531 --> 00:33:16,291 Speaker 1: by Sean Karney, all voiceover work by Telly Leong. For 558 00:33:16,411 --> 00:33:19,491 Speaker 1: more information about this episode, check out our show notes 559 00:33:19,851 --> 00:33:24,411 Speaker 1: or visit pushkin dot fm, slash Chinatown to find more 560 00:33:24,451 --> 00:33:29,331 Speaker 1: Pushkin podcasts. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 561 00:33:29,371 --> 00:33:40,131 Speaker 1: wherever you like to listen to podcasts. Binge the entire 562 00:33:40,171 --> 00:33:43,411 Speaker 1: season of The Chinatown Staying ad free by subscribing to 563 00:33:43,451 --> 00:33:47,131 Speaker 1: Pushkin Plus. Sign up on the show page on Apple Podcasts, 564 00:33:47,451 --> 00:33:51,851 Speaker 1: or at Pushkin dot fm, slash Plus. Pushkin Plus subscribers 565 00:33:51,891 --> 00:33:56,851 Speaker 1: can access ad free episodes, full audiobooks, and exclusive binges 566 00:33:56,891 --> 00:33:59,451 Speaker 1: of other true crime podcasts throughout the year.