1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:04,640 Speaker 1: Previously on Once Upon a Con he has a hedge 2 00:00:04,680 --> 00:00:05,800 Speaker 1: fund in London. 3 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:08,320 Speaker 2: Buy my whole block of shares of twenty six foot 4 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:13,400 Speaker 2: quarter actually, Randaz, yes, you'll have a wire transfer. 5 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:17,080 Speaker 1: My business partners and I started recording David Bloom's phone 6 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:21,400 Speaker 1: calls as evidence for police, listening to him psychopath saying 7 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:22,120 Speaker 1: yeah stuff. 8 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:25,960 Speaker 2: I mean, basically, he's just confirmed everything he's done on 9 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 2: that call that. 10 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:31,000 Speaker 1: We've recorded, and his history of using bogus IPOs to 11 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:35,240 Speaker 1: con people is long, and David Bloom does not discriminate. 12 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 2: He in the eighties took over one hundred people for 13 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 2: over fifteen million dollars. One of the victims was his 14 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:41,840 Speaker 2: own grandmother. 15 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:44,839 Speaker 1: And then I discover as bad as he might have 16 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: scammed me, the woman who was married to him lost 17 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: so much more. 18 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:53,360 Speaker 2: It's kind of like a cult. That's what I'd liken 19 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 2: it too. He brainwashed me. He made me feel like 20 00:00:57,400 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 2: the world hated me, and he was the only person 21 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 2: that under stood me and loved me. And I could 22 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 2: not live without him, is what you boys. 23 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: I'm Caroline de Morig and this is Once Upon a 24 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:28,280 Speaker 1: Con Episode five. He loves me so much. 25 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:39,680 Speaker 2: I met David in a wine bar in the West 26 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 2: Village in New York in the summer of two thousand 27 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 2: and eight. 28 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 1: That's David Bloom's ex wife, Nancy Osias. She was married 29 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 1: to David for almost ten years, and being associated with 30 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 1: David Bloom even to this day has cost her jobs 31 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 1: and friendships, and it's cast a permanent cloud of suspicion 32 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 1: around her. Some of David's victims have even come to 33 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:06,680 Speaker 1: her demanding she returned their quote investments they made with him. 34 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 2: You know, I would say, I understand why you want 35 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:12,800 Speaker 2: your money back. I'd like my money back too, you know. 36 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:18,080 Speaker 2: So as frustrating, hurtful, and devastating it was to be 37 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 2: accused of working with David, you know, when you're desperate 38 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:28,040 Speaker 2: and you want your money back, particularly if you've taken 39 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:31,239 Speaker 2: money from your friends. He's good at working friend networks 40 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:35,680 Speaker 2: and local networks. You now feel responsibile to them. I 41 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:38,080 Speaker 2: can't fault people for trying to get their money back. 42 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:41,760 Speaker 2: I'm sorry that they thought that I was involved. 43 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:46,880 Speaker 1: Nancy emphatically insists she had nothing to do with any 44 00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 1: of David's scams, and she is, in fact one of 45 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:54,959 Speaker 1: his biggest victims. David actually stole her identity to scam 46 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: people for years, and she's lost a couple hundred thousand 47 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 1: dollars because of his lies and manipulations, But what she 48 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:05,600 Speaker 1: lost most of all, you can't even begin to put 49 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:09,799 Speaker 1: a price on ten years of her life. She thought 50 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:13,600 Speaker 1: she knew who David Bloom was. She truly loved him, 51 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:18,320 Speaker 1: and she thought he loved her. But she was dead wrong. 52 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:22,760 Speaker 1: And now years later, she's sifting through the wreckage that 53 00:03:22,919 --> 00:03:25,800 Speaker 1: David left in his wake, trying to put her life 54 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:26,680 Speaker 1: back together again. 55 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 2: As I had freely admit, and I am embarrassed about. 56 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:36,200 Speaker 2: I was not my most elegant self. You know. I 57 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 2: was left very damaged and I was angry, and I 58 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 2: have carried some of that on with me to this day. 59 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:53,120 Speaker 2: And I'm trying to understand my anger, my hurt, and 60 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 2: I think it's when I feel like I'm being taken 61 00:03:56,480 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 2: advantage of I snapped. 62 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 1: I really feel for this woman. God knows, I've cried 63 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:05,840 Speaker 1: my own tears over what David Bloom did to me. 64 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:09,240 Speaker 2: He's a predator and he needs to be stopped. 65 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 1: Nancy's Nightmare with David Bloom starts back in two thousand 66 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:18,680 Speaker 1: and eight in New York City, She's forty four years 67 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 1: old with long, dark hair and tailored business suits, working 68 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:25,839 Speaker 1: in politics at the time. She gets set up on 69 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 1: a blind date and ends up having zero chemistry with 70 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 1: the guy. We've all been there, so the date ends 71 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:36,760 Speaker 1: really early, but Nancy isn't ready to go home, not yet. 72 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:39,039 Speaker 2: Oh. I was just feeling like I put all the 73 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 2: effort into getting dressed up, I might as well take 74 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 2: advantage of it. You know. I'm right by this wine 75 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:45,159 Speaker 2: bar I love, so I'm going to stop in inn 76 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 2: Apple bus And when I was walking in, David was 77 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:53,240 Speaker 2: walking out with one of the owners. He saw me. 78 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:56,680 Speaker 2: I went in and was sitting by myself. He came 79 00:04:56,760 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 2: back in, sat beside me, and that was it. 80 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:06,239 Speaker 1: Yep, David's trap had been set, and it springs fast 81 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 1: with razor sharp teeth that dig in deep. 82 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:13,200 Speaker 2: So he starts sizing you up from the minute he 83 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:18,040 Speaker 2: sees you. He's a fantastic listener. He's really engaging. You know. 84 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:21,120 Speaker 2: We started talking about the wine they had, and he 85 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:24,920 Speaker 2: said he knew the owners because he knows everybody. Then 86 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:27,440 Speaker 2: just he knows everything about New York City. He grew 87 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:31,240 Speaker 2: up there, and so he's just a wonderful conversationalist. He 88 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 2: knows food, he knows wine. He's just charming, smart, intuitive, 89 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:45,440 Speaker 2: seemingly empathetic. He's so well read. He has a photographic memory. 90 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:50,080 Speaker 2: He can remember every name, every property, they own, their business, 91 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 2: their net worth, you know, other people they know. He 92 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 2: knows everyone. He does his homework, which makes so much 93 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 2: of what he says sound viable because he actually knows 94 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:04,040 Speaker 2: what he's talking about. 95 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 1: So Nancy sits in that West Village wine bar for 96 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:11,839 Speaker 1: hours that night, having a really good time with David Bloom. 97 00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:15,839 Speaker 1: She's so impressed with him. By the time they say 98 00:06:15,839 --> 00:06:18,960 Speaker 1: their goodbyes, they make plans to get together again. 99 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:24,560 Speaker 2: We exchanged information and he told me he was going 100 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:29,520 Speaker 2: to the Hamptons for the weekend to stay at Tommy Hillfriggers. 101 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:33,520 Speaker 2: I was like, wow, how cool is that? You know? 102 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:37,279 Speaker 2: And I remember I was going to the US Open 103 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 2: with my friends over the weekend, and so we had 104 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:45,000 Speaker 2: planned to get together when he got back from the Hamptons. 105 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:47,960 Speaker 2: But I remember texting him all week, and you know, 106 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:50,599 Speaker 2: we were just excited to see each other. And I 107 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:53,640 Speaker 2: was telling my friends about this amazing man that I met. 108 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:55,800 Speaker 2: But he was in the Hamptons and I couldn't wait 109 00:06:55,839 --> 00:06:56,840 Speaker 2: to see him. 110 00:06:57,279 --> 00:07:01,040 Speaker 1: Days later, they have a second date, a third, and 111 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:06,160 Speaker 1: then a fourth. Always fancy restaurants, always a phenomenal time. 112 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:10,720 Speaker 2: David and I you know, got serious right away, right, 113 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:14,960 Speaker 2: So he's spending more and more time at my apartment. 114 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 2: I lived near Penn Station at the time, and he 115 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 2: was not clear about where he lived initially, but he 116 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:26,240 Speaker 2: said he lived in somewhere in the West Village too, 117 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 2: But he was going to be buying this house. And 118 00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 2: it's this beautiful, pinkish house and it was Richard Gear's 119 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:35,160 Speaker 2: old house. 120 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:41,080 Speaker 1: Uh huh, Richard Gear's old house. Dropping celebrity names is 121 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:45,280 Speaker 1: just classic David Bloom. Eventually, Nancy introduces David to some 122 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:46,040 Speaker 1: of her friends. 123 00:07:47,080 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 2: So I had one friend who met him, and she 124 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:54,760 Speaker 2: was like, I don't get it. She goes, his nails 125 00:07:54,760 --> 00:07:59,400 Speaker 2: aren't clean and his teeth are weird. If he has 126 00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 2: all that money, why would his hands look like that. 127 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:09,239 Speaker 2: So we met and we walked around and we looked 128 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:12,440 Speaker 2: at this apartment that he said he owned, and it 129 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:15,120 Speaker 2: didn't seem like he lived there. And then we kind 130 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:17,720 Speaker 2: of walked around and looked at the Richard geerhouse and 131 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:22,000 Speaker 2: it didn't seem to be on sale, and so we 132 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:27,160 Speaker 2: were a bit skeptical, and we googled him and found 133 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:30,760 Speaker 2: out about his past, and I met him back at 134 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:34,800 Speaker 2: that wine bar and confronted him. 135 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:39,760 Speaker 1: At this point, David's past consists of those two criminal convictions, 136 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:43,040 Speaker 1: for the Ponzi scheme he ran in the nineteen eighties 137 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 1: and for those bartenders he scammed out of fifty thousand 138 00:08:46,320 --> 00:08:49,679 Speaker 1: dollars in the late nineties. And here now is Nancy 139 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:53,760 Speaker 1: ten years later confronting him about both of those crimes. 140 00:08:55,160 --> 00:09:00,280 Speaker 2: And he caught to it and said that, you know, 141 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:04,319 Speaker 2: done this in the past. He made some poor decisions, 142 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 2: you know, kind of started connecting it to his family 143 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:13,400 Speaker 2: growing up. His parents always wanted to be a part 144 00:09:13,559 --> 00:09:20,280 Speaker 2: of a more affluent crowd, and when David came out 145 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:23,520 Speaker 2: and started making money, he was able to provide that 146 00:09:23,679 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 2: for them, and they were proud of him for the 147 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:33,760 Speaker 2: first time in his life. And he started, honestly, he said, 148 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:38,800 Speaker 2: investing money for his parents' friends. So he knew most 149 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:40,960 Speaker 2: of these a lot of these people. And he said, 150 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:45,160 Speaker 2: initially he was successful and he was actually making money 151 00:09:45,280 --> 00:09:49,640 Speaker 2: the real way, and then as he started losing some money, 152 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 2: he panicked and then it turned into a Ponzi scheme. 153 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:57,679 Speaker 2: His family ultimately lost all their money and moved out 154 00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:00,960 Speaker 2: of the city out of humiliation. But you know, he 155 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:05,520 Speaker 2: insisted that that was behind him, that he was actually 156 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:10,760 Speaker 2: living with his aunt in Union Square, and that I 157 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:14,600 Speaker 2: was so important to him. You know, this was motivating 158 00:10:14,679 --> 00:10:17,720 Speaker 2: him to go on and lead this honest life, and 159 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:21,240 Speaker 2: that he really hoped that I would give him another chance. 160 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:23,679 Speaker 2: And I remember leaving and I had to think about 161 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:29,120 Speaker 2: it because it was obviously a lot. And somehow, over 162 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:34,960 Speaker 2: the you know, following weeks, he worked cond wormed his 163 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:38,040 Speaker 2: way back into my life and convinced me he was 164 00:10:38,080 --> 00:10:39,560 Speaker 2: on the straight and arrow. 165 00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:42,520 Speaker 1: So Nancy takes him back, and like a lot of 166 00:10:42,559 --> 00:10:45,880 Speaker 1: women who fall in love with a troubled man, myself included, 167 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:48,160 Speaker 1: she believes she can fix him. 168 00:10:49,040 --> 00:10:53,360 Speaker 2: David, you know, confessed his love to me, and you know, 169 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:58,679 Speaker 2: even credited me, as did his family, as the person 170 00:10:59,559 --> 00:11:11,640 Speaker 2: that they all felt could help him go straight. I 171 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:14,400 Speaker 2: was this person in his life. He had never really 172 00:11:14,480 --> 00:11:17,560 Speaker 2: loved anyone the way he had loved me before, and 173 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:19,800 Speaker 2: the way he spoke about me, and the things we 174 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:22,400 Speaker 2: did and the times we spent, and I was from, 175 00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:26,160 Speaker 2: you know, this kind of good, honest, working class family. 176 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:31,440 Speaker 2: They really all believed and hoped that this would be 177 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:34,880 Speaker 2: the time and the relationship that would be meaningful enough 178 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:38,760 Speaker 2: to David to help him change his life. You know, 179 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:41,480 Speaker 2: I felt joyful. I felt you know, I'm from a 180 00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:45,800 Speaker 2: family of nurtures, and I felt like this is my purpose. 181 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:49,320 Speaker 2: David gives him me and takes care of me, and 182 00:11:49,360 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 2: I'm his rock. You know, I'm the one that believed 183 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:55,200 Speaker 2: in him, and if I believe in him, together we 184 00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:55,880 Speaker 2: can do this. 185 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:00,679 Speaker 1: At the time, David convinces Nancy that her her love 186 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:03,840 Speaker 1: is enabling him to turn over a new leaf and 187 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:07,920 Speaker 1: live an honest life. He says he's working in legitimate 188 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:11,760 Speaker 1: investments now making good money, and she's falling deeper and 189 00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:15,880 Speaker 1: deeper in love with him with each passing day. She's 190 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:19,560 Speaker 1: happier than she's ever been in her entire life. 191 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:27,720 Speaker 2: I was interested, infatuated, you know, high from the experience 192 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:31,640 Speaker 2: of meeting this wonderful person who cared about me and 193 00:12:31,679 --> 00:12:33,880 Speaker 2: wanted to take care of me and doted on me, 194 00:12:34,040 --> 00:12:38,120 Speaker 2: and was you know, David. I laugh and it's not funny, 195 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:43,040 Speaker 2: but David never missed a phone call, never missed a date, 196 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:46,439 Speaker 2: was always on time. He's like your soul mate, he's 197 00:12:46,520 --> 00:12:50,880 Speaker 2: your best friend. He's an adventurer. He loves to walk, 198 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:55,680 Speaker 2: he loves to explore, he loves to read and talk 199 00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:59,680 Speaker 2: and learn about whatever. Whatever I was doing, he'd learn 200 00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:02,480 Speaker 2: all about it, so he could be like the best 201 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:06,440 Speaker 2: conversationalist and help me in any way that he, you know, 202 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:10,920 Speaker 2: thought would be helpful to me. He convinced me that 203 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:15,600 Speaker 2: he was the only one who really knew me, who 204 00:13:15,679 --> 00:13:19,360 Speaker 2: loved me like no one else had, the only one 205 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:24,160 Speaker 2: that truly understood me. And then, you know, how could 206 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:28,360 Speaker 2: I be without him. I finally found this person, and 207 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:34,880 Speaker 2: he was able to identify kind of my insecurities and 208 00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:40,320 Speaker 2: basically played them. You know, I wanted to be taken 209 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:42,280 Speaker 2: care of, so he took care of me. I was 210 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 2: always a bit insecure, but he understood me, and he 211 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:49,559 Speaker 2: thought I was fantastic, you know. So he was all 212 00:13:49,679 --> 00:13:54,760 Speaker 2: those things that I had always wanted, but at the 213 00:13:54,800 --> 00:14:00,320 Speaker 2: same time continuing to undermine and make me more and 214 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:03,520 Speaker 2: more dependent upon him. I think he may have been 215 00:14:03,559 --> 00:14:06,280 Speaker 2: seeing another woman before he met me, but of course 216 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:09,560 Speaker 2: he dumped her because he just found me, and he 217 00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:11,520 Speaker 2: just didn't want to be with anyone but me. 218 00:14:12,679 --> 00:14:16,959 Speaker 1: Not surprisingly, Nancy's relationship with David Bloom moves lightning fast. 219 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:25,520 Speaker 2: So we met in September, and then around probably November, 220 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:30,320 Speaker 2: we start planning to travel to California for the holidays 221 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:34,040 Speaker 2: so he could meet my family and then we could 222 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:37,800 Speaker 2: go meet David's family, his parents who were living in 223 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:43,560 Speaker 2: northern California, as well as his sister. So we're planning 224 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:46,560 Speaker 2: this trip. It's wonderful. We're going to fly out to 225 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:53,240 Speaker 2: California together. And then somehow the day or as we're 226 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:56,760 Speaker 2: going to the airport, he can't leave that day and 227 00:14:56,840 --> 00:14:59,480 Speaker 2: he's got to either stay in the city to take 228 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 2: care of his say, or to take care of a client, 229 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:03,640 Speaker 2: or you know. He said he was doing working with 230 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:08,440 Speaker 2: a couple individual clients. So I went to the airport, 231 00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:11,720 Speaker 2: I fly to California, and then he tells me, you know, 232 00:15:11,840 --> 00:15:15,280 Speaker 2: the real thing is is I'm afraid to fly because 233 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:17,720 Speaker 2: I don't, you know, I have this record. I don't 234 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:20,520 Speaker 2: want to be arrested. And I was like, they arrest 235 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:22,400 Speaker 2: people just because they had a record. I didn't know. 236 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:23,960 Speaker 2: I was like, Okay, he goes, but I'm going to 237 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:27,960 Speaker 2: take a bus, and I'll meet you in California. So 238 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:32,800 Speaker 2: David takes a Greyhound across the country and I pick 239 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:35,760 Speaker 2: him up at the bus depot in downtown Los Angeles, 240 00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 2: and must love me right. He just traveled across the 241 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:44,760 Speaker 2: country on a bus to meet my family. Must love 242 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:50,840 Speaker 2: me right. So we have a wonderful time with my family. 243 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:53,640 Speaker 2: I mean, you know, obviously there are a little trepidationous 244 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 2: you know, he's a former criminal con but my family 245 00:15:57,720 --> 00:16:00,600 Speaker 2: always wants to support me, and so there's supporting me. 246 00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:03,440 Speaker 2: I'd say to this day, my brother never liked him. 247 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:06,600 Speaker 2: I guess the other thing that I have to say 248 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:10,440 Speaker 2: is when everybody tells you you're doing the wrong thing, 249 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:12,880 Speaker 2: you're probably doing the wrong thing. But I was sure 250 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:16,960 Speaker 2: I was right. We drove north, we visited his family, 251 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:21,760 Speaker 2: and they were, you know, delirious with joy, look at 252 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:27,880 Speaker 2: their son. Finally, David was happy. He had a normal girlfriend, 253 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:32,840 Speaker 2: and he was you know, he was working and you know, 254 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:35,160 Speaker 2: see and still taking care of the aunt. I remember 255 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:38,520 Speaker 2: them talking about his aunt, who I think, you know, 256 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:43,960 Speaker 2: had some psychological issues, as did her son, who I 257 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:48,200 Speaker 2: think was institutionalized. And his sister and her husband came 258 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:51,560 Speaker 2: over and they had a bit of an awkward relationship, 259 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:56,520 Speaker 2: but everybody really was making an effort and it was 260 00:16:56,560 --> 00:17:01,000 Speaker 2: a lovely time, you know. When we went to fly home, 261 00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:03,800 Speaker 2: David said, I think I'd better take a bus. I 262 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:06,399 Speaker 2: flew home, he took a bus back. 263 00:17:07,840 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 1: And when Nancy and David get back to New York, 264 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:12,280 Speaker 1: things suddenly take a turn. 265 00:17:13,320 --> 00:17:18,919 Speaker 2: After getting home, I was looking for some jewelry that 266 00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:22,760 Speaker 2: my mother had given me. It was a diamond necklace 267 00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:25,960 Speaker 2: and a gold coin ring from my father who died 268 00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:28,359 Speaker 2: when I was five, and his name was Leon and 269 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:31,800 Speaker 2: he was Latvian, and these were two very important keepsakes 270 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:33,680 Speaker 2: to me, and I kept them hidden in the back 271 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:36,480 Speaker 2: of a closet. So I went to get them and 272 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 2: they were gone. And I was like, where's the jewelry, 273 00:17:39,280 --> 00:17:42,240 Speaker 2: where's the jo And David, of course, I have no idea. 274 00:17:42,359 --> 00:17:46,000 Speaker 2: Let's look through everything. You couldn't have misplaced them. Let's 275 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:49,480 Speaker 2: tear that closet apart. Let's look through everything. So we did. 276 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:55,160 Speaker 2: Finally he said, cleaning lady must have stolen I was like, ugh, 277 00:17:56,760 --> 00:17:59,680 Speaker 2: how would she know to be looking in the back 278 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:02,000 Speaker 2: of my closet in a pocket? And was it? You know? 279 00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:07,160 Speaker 2: But he kind of convinced me that long enough, and 280 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:10,360 Speaker 2: talking to my friends, I was like, this just doesn't 281 00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:11,040 Speaker 2: feel right. 282 00:18:12,359 --> 00:18:15,560 Speaker 1: At that time, in early two thousand and nine, Nancy 283 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:18,000 Speaker 1: is working in politics in New York City and she 284 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:20,040 Speaker 1: has powerful connections. 285 00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:26,080 Speaker 2: So I contacted some private investigators through some contacts I 286 00:18:26,119 --> 00:18:31,080 Speaker 2: had had, and they did some searching. They found the 287 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:35,800 Speaker 2: jewelry had been sold to a local pawnbroker who had 288 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:37,840 Speaker 2: by now sold them or melded them or whatever. 289 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:42,160 Speaker 1: They were gone, and Nancy is shocked to discover according 290 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:46,760 Speaker 1: to her pis, David Bloom is the culprit. She is 291 00:18:47,080 --> 00:18:50,159 Speaker 1: furious and she gets the authorities. 292 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:56,080 Speaker 2: Involved, and we staged something in my house like kind 293 00:18:56,119 --> 00:18:59,960 Speaker 2: of an arrest. I honestly can't remember if they arrest 294 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:06,120 Speaker 2: did him then, for they knew cops who arrested had 295 00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:10,600 Speaker 2: him arrested, but he ended up back in prison in 296 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:16,560 Speaker 2: the Tombs, which is in Lower Manhattan, and David was 297 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:17,159 Speaker 2: in jail. 298 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:22,360 Speaker 1: The jewelry David allegedly stole from the back of Nancy's 299 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:26,000 Speaker 1: closet was valued at around eleven thousand dollars. 300 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:29,720 Speaker 2: At that time. They arrested David and were able to 301 00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:33,919 Speaker 2: put him in prison because he had violated parole, which 302 00:19:34,119 --> 00:19:38,000 Speaker 2: was why he wouldn't fly, because he would have been caught. 303 00:19:38,800 --> 00:19:41,880 Speaker 2: So that all makes sense. And then you know an 304 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:46,680 Speaker 2: example of how absolutely brazen David was. The Pearol office 305 00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:51,960 Speaker 2: that he had absconded from was literally on street level 306 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:54,399 Speaker 2: next to the building where I lived, and he walked 307 00:19:54,440 --> 00:19:58,320 Speaker 2: by the parole officers who were looking for him every day. 308 00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:03,440 Speaker 1: And they never noticed him, not once. At this point 309 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:06,440 Speaker 1: in the story, if Nancy had not been romantically involved 310 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:09,840 Speaker 1: with David Bloom, she would have been done with him forever. 311 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:14,040 Speaker 1: But tragically, she really did love him, and loves not 312 00:20:14,119 --> 00:20:16,720 Speaker 1: something you can just turn off and on like a faucet. 313 00:20:17,320 --> 00:20:21,440 Speaker 1: So as Nancy's criminal case against David Bloom starts moving forward, 314 00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:25,919 Speaker 1: she begins to feel guilty, and David seizes on her 315 00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:30,359 Speaker 1: guilt and starts doing what he does best, explaining everything away. 316 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:33,440 Speaker 2: But at this point, my head spinning. You know, I've 317 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:36,639 Speaker 2: never been involved in anything like this before in my life. 318 00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:45,679 Speaker 2: This is the person I felt loved me. You know, 319 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:48,560 Speaker 2: I've never been involved in anything like this before in 320 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:50,960 Speaker 2: my life. This is the person I thought loved me. 321 00:20:51,840 --> 00:20:54,080 Speaker 2: We just had this trip, and of course, you know 322 00:20:54,400 --> 00:20:57,640 Speaker 2: he stole. He did that because it was a trip 323 00:20:57,680 --> 00:21:01,240 Speaker 2: that was so important to me. He wanted to make 324 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:03,960 Speaker 2: sure he had the money to take me and to 325 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:06,080 Speaker 2: go on a big trip so we could meet our families. 326 00:21:06,119 --> 00:21:08,200 Speaker 2: He really just did it for me because he loved 327 00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:11,439 Speaker 2: me so much. So here I am. I go in 328 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:15,080 Speaker 2: and they decide they're going to file charges, and so 329 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:20,399 Speaker 2: they hold him in prison, and I don't talk to 330 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:24,679 Speaker 2: him for a while, and then he starts calling me 331 00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:30,080 Speaker 2: from prison, and I start feeling terrible. There's a three 332 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:33,000 Speaker 2: strikes law in New York. He's already been in prison. 333 00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:36,000 Speaker 2: I could just have sent David back to prison for 334 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:38,719 Speaker 2: a significant amount of time. It's not the rest of 335 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:41,840 Speaker 2: his life. And all he really wanted to do was 336 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:44,120 Speaker 2: take me on a trip because he loves me so much. 337 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:48,320 Speaker 2: He took a bus across the country, and so he 338 00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:49,639 Speaker 2: worked his way back in. 339 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:53,879 Speaker 1: Now, before you judge Nancy too harshly, think back to 340 00:21:53,920 --> 00:21:57,520 Speaker 1: when your best friend, or your brother or your sister 341 00:21:57,720 --> 00:22:01,520 Speaker 1: was in a really bad relationship with an abuser, or 342 00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:04,960 Speaker 1: a cheater, or a drug addict or all of the above, 343 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:09,800 Speaker 1: and then you hear they finally left them. You are thrilled. 344 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:13,880 Speaker 1: Then later you find out that they actually took them back, 345 00:22:14,119 --> 00:22:17,800 Speaker 1: and your heart breaks. Being in love with a bad 346 00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:22,000 Speaker 1: person can really destroy your life, and Nancy is about 347 00:22:22,040 --> 00:22:24,000 Speaker 1: to learn that lesson the hard way. 348 00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:30,720 Speaker 2: I started visiting him in prison. Twice a week. I 349 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:34,400 Speaker 2: would go to the tombs and go through the rigmarole 350 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:38,000 Speaker 2: that you have to to visit someone in prison, which 351 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:43,679 Speaker 2: is quite interesting, and it takes about five hours to 352 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:48,560 Speaker 2: go through all the waiting and the clearance and the abuse. Basically, 353 00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:51,760 Speaker 2: you get sitting with all the other people who are 354 00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:57,960 Speaker 2: visiting their friends, relatives, other convicts, and you go into 355 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:01,000 Speaker 2: a room. You sit across a table from someone. They 356 00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:06,479 Speaker 2: walk in the prisoners in their fatigues, and you have 357 00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:11,359 Speaker 2: probably twenty minutes to a half an hour to visit. 358 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:16,320 Speaker 2: You don't touch, you know, you're out in public. Then 359 00:23:16,359 --> 00:23:19,000 Speaker 2: they marched them out. I did not look like most 360 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:21,240 Speaker 2: of the other people in there. I kind of stood 361 00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:27,119 Speaker 2: out and it was an interesting learning time. But here 362 00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:31,400 Speaker 2: I had worked in government and I was really kind 363 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:35,119 Speaker 2: of shocked and horrified at how this really goes down. 364 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:38,280 Speaker 2: And I thought, you know, government's supposed to be on 365 00:23:38,600 --> 00:23:41,840 Speaker 2: our side, but look at what they're doing to people. 366 00:23:41,840 --> 00:23:45,240 Speaker 2: It was really unfair, and to see these generations of 367 00:23:45,359 --> 00:23:48,560 Speaker 2: people who you know, the son was in jail because 368 00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:50,560 Speaker 2: the father had been in jail, and the brother was 369 00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:53,000 Speaker 2: in jail, and you were like, these people don't have 370 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:55,679 Speaker 2: a chance. So it started to really mess with me. 371 00:23:55,800 --> 00:23:58,239 Speaker 2: There is this is kind of an injustice. And I 372 00:23:58,280 --> 00:24:00,800 Speaker 2: saw the way David was treated and when he'd have 373 00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:04,320 Speaker 2: his kind of hearings, and it was just so dysfunctional. 374 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:07,919 Speaker 2: And then David got a job in prison because of course, 375 00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:12,080 Speaker 2: and he was allowed to stay up all night and 376 00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:16,800 Speaker 2: do like rounds, hourly rounds to check on everybody's safety, 377 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:21,239 Speaker 2: which means he was not locked up at night. And 378 00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:25,560 Speaker 2: then he would kind of sleep during the day, read books, 379 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:29,159 Speaker 2: read newspapers, and that's kind of how he entertained himself. 380 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:35,679 Speaker 2: David after being in jail, I think about twelve years 381 00:24:35,920 --> 00:24:39,080 Speaker 2: before he met me, and then this time he knows 382 00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:43,080 Speaker 2: how to maneuver in jail. He is a little person, 383 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:48,240 Speaker 2: but he knew how to use his brains to survive, 384 00:24:49,359 --> 00:24:51,840 Speaker 2: and that's what he did whether he was in jail 385 00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:53,120 Speaker 2: or out of jail. 386 00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:58,280 Speaker 1: After reconnecting with David in jail and rekindling their romance, 387 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:01,960 Speaker 1: Nancy's guilt for putting him back in there becomes too 388 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:06,239 Speaker 1: much and she moves heaven and earth to undo what 389 00:25:06,359 --> 00:25:06,800 Speaker 1: she did. 390 00:25:07,520 --> 00:25:11,520 Speaker 2: Well, I get him out of jail. I go back 391 00:25:11,520 --> 00:25:14,520 Speaker 2: to an attorney that had represented David when he was younger, 392 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:18,439 Speaker 2: plead my case, my love, what can I do? I 393 00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:20,960 Speaker 2: want to get him out. I feel terribly I can't 394 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:23,520 Speaker 2: send him to prison for the rest of his life. 395 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:28,600 Speaker 2: Basically says how much money do you have? And I 396 00:25:28,640 --> 00:25:31,680 Speaker 2: didn't have much at that point. He said, okay, I'll 397 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:35,120 Speaker 2: help you. He helped me get David out of prison 398 00:25:35,359 --> 00:25:39,600 Speaker 2: and into kind of a rehab or an intermediary place 399 00:25:39,640 --> 00:25:43,560 Speaker 2: in the Bronx. So David went from the tunes to 400 00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:47,400 Speaker 2: one of these places in the Bronx where everyone went 401 00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:51,280 Speaker 2: after prison, and got a job when he was there 402 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:55,879 Speaker 2: as part of their work program, so he lived there. 403 00:25:56,400 --> 00:26:00,440 Speaker 2: I probably forgot one important little detail. I marry David 404 00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:06,240 Speaker 2: in prison. Yeah, kind of hard to admit, but yes. 405 00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:10,600 Speaker 2: So after visiting him and he just loved me, was 406 00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:13,639 Speaker 2: so appreciative that I was standing by him, and we 407 00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:16,800 Speaker 2: just fell more deeply in love. He was going to 408 00:26:16,840 --> 00:26:18,919 Speaker 2: go straight this time. He only did that for me 409 00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:22,840 Speaker 2: and I got married in prison in the tombs in 410 00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:27,119 Speaker 2: New York. I laughed. Probably not every mother's dream. I 411 00:26:27,359 --> 00:26:30,200 Speaker 2: had a cousin who was a minister in New York. 412 00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:33,520 Speaker 2: He was my guest. We were allowed to bring one 413 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:37,600 Speaker 2: person in with us. My cousin, Bob, came with me. 414 00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:41,080 Speaker 2: It was fifty dollars cash to get married in prison. 415 00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:47,120 Speaker 2: A former inmate had found God when he was released 416 00:26:47,119 --> 00:26:51,360 Speaker 2: from prison, became a minister and now performed prison marriages 417 00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:57,720 Speaker 2: for fifty bucks cash. We went to the dilapidated chapel 418 00:26:58,200 --> 00:27:00,840 Speaker 2: in the tombs. We waited for them to bring our 419 00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:07,800 Speaker 2: inmate fiances in, and my cousin who was there, helped 420 00:27:08,040 --> 00:27:12,960 Speaker 2: with our ceremony. And I just saw him in the 421 00:27:13,040 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 2: last year and you know, jokingly said, I still blame 422 00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:20,840 Speaker 2: you for this marriage. And he told me, you know, 423 00:27:20,960 --> 00:27:24,119 Speaker 2: he thought very seriously about whether he should do it. 424 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:28,240 Speaker 2: He consulted with a fellow minister who said, Bob, she's 425 00:27:28,280 --> 00:27:30,159 Speaker 2: going to do this with or without you, so you 426 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:33,679 Speaker 2: should go and support her. And he said, but you know, 427 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:37,520 Speaker 2: it's been a burden my whole life. And we just 428 00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:40,639 Speaker 2: kind of laughed about it. I mean, sometimes you just 429 00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:43,439 Speaker 2: have to laugh about it. So by the time David 430 00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:45,720 Speaker 2: gets out of prison and he's living in the Bronx. 431 00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:50,639 Speaker 2: We're married. David's working at Paragon Sporting Goods in Union 432 00:27:50,680 --> 00:27:55,760 Speaker 2: Square selling tennis rackets, and of course David is the 433 00:27:56,040 --> 00:28:02,359 Speaker 2: highest grossing tennis racket seller in the country. Showing up 434 00:28:02,359 --> 00:28:05,720 Speaker 2: to work on time. He's got OCD. So he's just, 435 00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:11,760 Speaker 2: you know, punctual, put together, fastidious, And we lived together 436 00:28:11,840 --> 00:28:16,560 Speaker 2: for the first time as a married couple. Living together 437 00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:19,120 Speaker 2: was great. I mean, obviously it took a little bit 438 00:28:19,119 --> 00:28:23,280 Speaker 2: of getting used to, and he actually adapts pretty quickly 439 00:28:23,320 --> 00:28:26,760 Speaker 2: to whatever environment he's in. That's a skill he's developed. 440 00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:30,560 Speaker 2: You know, he could live in a multimillion dollar mansion 441 00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:33,160 Speaker 2: and he could live on a street corner and a store. 442 00:28:33,400 --> 00:28:36,800 Speaker 2: I mean, it just doesn't seem to penetrate him for 443 00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:40,760 Speaker 2: whatever reason. So he had a wife, he had a job, 444 00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:45,240 Speaker 2: and he was on Pearl and we adhere to Pearl. 445 00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:47,720 Speaker 2: We were in by whatever it was nine o'clock. Every 446 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:50,880 Speaker 2: night Pearl came to visit at the house. They do 447 00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:54,080 Speaker 2: surprise checks kind of on you to see if you're there. 448 00:28:54,280 --> 00:28:58,240 Speaker 2: We were always there. He went to his Pearl meetings, 449 00:28:58,680 --> 00:29:02,120 Speaker 2: and you know, we seem to be doing pretty well. 450 00:29:02,760 --> 00:29:06,320 Speaker 2: We were happy. He's a great partner. 451 00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:09,320 Speaker 1: But that happy life in New York is not without 452 00:29:09,360 --> 00:29:10,000 Speaker 1: a iccups. 453 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:13,240 Speaker 2: Every once in a while we would run into someone 454 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:17,680 Speaker 2: from his past. It was obviously always uncomfortable, and I 455 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:21,760 Speaker 2: really hated cold winters, and so I think it was 456 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:24,240 Speaker 2: November or December. I was like, we got to get 457 00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:26,280 Speaker 2: out of here. I can't do this again. You know, 458 00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:29,040 Speaker 2: why don't we go to California. I had lived there before, 459 00:29:30,120 --> 00:29:33,640 Speaker 2: and it just seemed like a place for a fresh start. 460 00:29:33,840 --> 00:29:36,040 Speaker 2: And I think, you know, in California, there are all 461 00:29:36,120 --> 00:29:38,440 Speaker 2: kinds of people out here. It seemed like a good 462 00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:40,320 Speaker 2: place for us to start a new life together. 463 00:29:41,520 --> 00:29:45,840 Speaker 1: So in early twenty ten, the newlyweds moved cross country 464 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:47,560 Speaker 1: to Los Angeles. 465 00:29:48,120 --> 00:29:52,400 Speaker 2: And we're living in Santa Monica. He completes his parol 466 00:29:52,440 --> 00:29:55,360 Speaker 2: while we're here, but he's out trying to get a 467 00:29:55,400 --> 00:29:59,400 Speaker 2: job and he can't get a job. So he's getting frustrated, 468 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:03,280 Speaker 2: and he ended up going to a local organization that 469 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:11,360 Speaker 2: works with formerly incarcerated population, housing challenge population formally addicted 470 00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:16,960 Speaker 2: population to help provide job training, job skills, resume building. 471 00:30:17,200 --> 00:30:22,360 Speaker 2: The organization of is called Chrysalis, and then there are 472 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:26,720 Speaker 2: people that come to them employers who understand that they 473 00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:30,840 Speaker 2: are hiring out of a challenge population, a population with 474 00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:36,240 Speaker 2: a past. And David got a sales job selling advertising 475 00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:39,840 Speaker 2: on bus benches in Los Angeles, and he sold the 476 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:44,760 Speaker 2: hell out of those bus benches. He brought in new customers, 477 00:30:45,320 --> 00:30:50,960 Speaker 2: he increased the buys from existing customers. He was thriving, 478 00:30:51,800 --> 00:30:56,360 Speaker 2: and so he was making very good money. We were 479 00:30:56,920 --> 00:30:58,760 Speaker 2: doing well. I had a good job. He had a 480 00:30:58,760 --> 00:30:59,320 Speaker 2: good job. 481 00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:02,600 Speaker 1: And with all that happiness and money, they begin to 482 00:31:02,600 --> 00:31:06,240 Speaker 1: feel an altruistic urge to do something to help people 483 00:31:06,440 --> 00:31:08,360 Speaker 1: less fortunate than themselves. 484 00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:11,000 Speaker 2: And so we were working with a number of different 485 00:31:11,120 --> 00:31:15,960 Speaker 2: organizations and we were just trying to think about how 486 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:19,040 Speaker 2: to use our experience to give back and to do 487 00:31:19,120 --> 00:31:23,720 Speaker 2: good for others. So we came up with an initiative 488 00:31:24,360 --> 00:31:27,760 Speaker 2: that we would take back a contract that had formerly 489 00:31:27,800 --> 00:31:31,120 Speaker 2: been a city contract to clean the bus benches and 490 00:31:31,200 --> 00:31:35,880 Speaker 2: empty the adjacent garbage cans, and worked with some local 491 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:39,760 Speaker 2: organizations who worked with formally incarcerated men and hired those 492 00:31:39,800 --> 00:31:43,040 Speaker 2: men to do those jobs. It's really hard to get 493 00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:45,720 Speaker 2: a job when you get out of prison, and that's 494 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:51,280 Speaker 2: really a key to your stability. So we were helping 495 00:31:51,360 --> 00:31:55,040 Speaker 2: employ people who David could talk their language. And it 496 00:31:55,240 --> 00:32:01,200 Speaker 2: currently seemed like that high he had gotten from committing 497 00:32:01,280 --> 00:32:06,320 Speaker 2: crimes he was now getting from helping people and from 498 00:32:06,360 --> 00:32:10,680 Speaker 2: being my husband and from working with me to do that, 499 00:32:11,120 --> 00:32:17,600 Speaker 2: and kind of from the credit or the acceptance or 500 00:32:17,680 --> 00:32:21,640 Speaker 2: praise he was getting from people who said, wow, David 501 00:32:21,720 --> 00:32:26,120 Speaker 2: really turned his life around, and now he's actually doing 502 00:32:26,200 --> 00:32:31,480 Speaker 2: good and he's earning an honest living. And for several 503 00:32:31,600 --> 00:32:36,960 Speaker 2: years it seemed like we had done it. I was 504 00:32:37,040 --> 00:32:40,600 Speaker 2: so happy. I was like, this is something I believed 505 00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:44,920 Speaker 2: could happen. I believed there was goodness in David. You 506 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:48,080 Speaker 2: know that he had made some poor decisions and you 507 00:32:48,120 --> 00:32:54,760 Speaker 2: know who knows why, low self worth, you know, dysfunctional family, 508 00:32:55,360 --> 00:32:59,080 Speaker 2: you know, whatever it was. But I really felt like 509 00:32:59,800 --> 00:33:02,760 Speaker 2: we have created this environment in this new place. He 510 00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:05,760 Speaker 2: had a fresh start, and he's really determined to make 511 00:33:05,800 --> 00:33:07,880 Speaker 2: the most of it, and it seemed like it was working. 512 00:33:09,120 --> 00:33:13,840 Speaker 1: Of course, it wasn't really working, but Nancy has no idea. 513 00:33:13,960 --> 00:33:17,640 Speaker 1: She's in the throes of one of David's most elaborate scams. 514 00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:21,280 Speaker 2: Yet it was insane. The stuff he was doing was 515 00:33:21,320 --> 00:33:24,120 Speaker 2: insane and I was trying to make sense of something 516 00:33:24,120 --> 00:33:29,760 Speaker 2: that doesn't make any sense, or to understand things that 517 00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:32,960 Speaker 2: I could not have thought of in my wildest dreams 518 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:36,480 Speaker 2: to do. So, how could we understand what he's doing? 519 00:33:36,760 --> 00:33:40,240 Speaker 2: We would never think about doing it ever. 520 00:33:43,080 --> 00:33:46,440 Speaker 1: Next time on Once Upon a Con like you called 521 00:33:46,520 --> 00:33:50,320 Speaker 1: me in the week when we came back from France 522 00:33:50,600 --> 00:33:52,600 Speaker 1: and you asked me, I think, did you give him money? 523 00:33:52,800 --> 00:33:54,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, That's what I asked you. 524 00:33:54,400 --> 00:33:58,760 Speaker 1: And then I said yes. I make a shocking realization 525 00:33:59,120 --> 00:34:03,720 Speaker 1: that everyone David ever introduced me to he also scammed. 526 00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:07,280 Speaker 1: They just had no idea. Can I ask you, did 527 00:34:07,400 --> 00:34:09,960 Speaker 1: I blow this up for you guys? Or was it 528 00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:13,640 Speaker 1: already blown up? I mean you did blow it up 529 00:34:13,680 --> 00:34:22,600 Speaker 1: for us. This podcast is dedicated to the memory of 530 00:34:22,640 --> 00:34:26,960 Speaker 1: my amazing mother, Bonnie Major, who would be super proud 531 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:31,239 Speaker 1: of me standing up for myself. Once Upon a Con 532 00:34:31,360 --> 00:34:34,759 Speaker 1: is a production of AYR Media and thirty two Flavors, 533 00:34:35,239 --> 00:34:40,320 Speaker 1: hosted by Me Caroline de Morey. Executive producers Eliza Rosen 534 00:34:40,440 --> 00:34:44,880 Speaker 1: for AYR Media, Alex Baskin for thirty two Flavors, and 535 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:50,480 Speaker 1: Jonathan Walton for Jonathan Walton Productions. Written by Jonathan Walton 536 00:34:51,080 --> 00:34:56,960 Speaker 1: producer Caroline de Morey, Senior Associate producer Joe Pushesnik, Coordinator 537 00:34:57,280 --> 00:35:02,440 Speaker 1: Molena Kroyevsky. Sound designed by Tim Mulhern, edited and mixed 538 00:35:02,520 --> 00:35:08,640 Speaker 1: by Tim Mulhern, Supervising editor Victoria Chang, Mastered by Victoria Chang. 539 00:35:09,200 --> 00:35:15,360 Speaker 1: Engineering by Justin Longerbeam Legal counsel for AYR Media Gianni Douglas. 540 00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:19,640 Speaker 1: Our theme song, Freshly Served, was written and performed by 541 00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:23,520 Speaker 1: the incredibly talented Mattie Noise and is available on her 542 00:35:23,560 --> 00:35:24,200 Speaker 1: SoundCloud