The durham mob, p.33
The Durham Mob, page 33
CHAPTER 61
A part of the new governor’s get tough on drug dealers was a new conspiracy law. They no longer had to catch the dealer with drugs, they could get his workers and subordinates to testify that they sold drugs for the dealer, and that would be sufficient to put them away. That was unfortunate for all drug dealers, including Swazy. He was still living the good life, and spending money as though there would never be an end. Once, William tried to speak to him about the future and he responded, “When you’re making the kind of money I’m making, come and talk to me.”
All drug dealers thought they could go on forever making big money and spending the same way. Swazy was leasing an apartment in Fort Lee, New Jersey with Susan. He still kept the luxury apartment downtown where they spent some nights, and where they had their orgies. He had moved to Jersey just to temporarily get away. Bob and Lauren had an apartment in the same building. By this time, Swazy had spent, according to him, about two hundred and fifty thousand dollars on Susan, and he believed she was worth every penny.
Once, when Swazy had gone home to North Carolina for a visit, he met a college student with whom he was impressed. He told the kid to come to New York and he would give him a job. The kid came to New York and called Swazy. Swazy got his lieutenant to give him a job at “The Table,” where the heroin was cut and packaged. The kid worked there for a while making more money than he could have made on any job, but he got greedy. Since he was of the Muslim faith, he reached out to some of his Muslim friends in Philadelphia who were not known in New York, to come and kidnap Swazy to extort money from him. One night, Swazy and “Big Tony” were coming out of the Midway bar. Tony was about six feet, six inches tall and weighed about two hundred and sixty pounds. He wasn’t into drugs; he had a good job but he liked to hang out with Swazy and Bob. They were approached by three tough guys. They tried to grab Swazy, but Big Tony was beating them up. A fourth one saw Bob, who had heard the commotion and had turned around to see what was happening. He ran towards Bob to try to grab him too, but Bob took out his gun and the guy backed off. As hard as Tony fought, he couldn’t stop the guys from kidnapping Swazy. Bob ran over as they drove away. Tony was bleeding, so Bob drove him to the hospital. The kidnappers took Swazy to this apartment where one of the Muslim brothers was staying, tied him up, blindfolded him and put him in the bathtub. They told Swazy they wanted six hundred thousand dollars. Swazy told them he didn’t have that kind of money. “What about your friends, those guys who hang out at that Garage?”
“You can call them if you want, but they are not going to pay that kind of money for me.” They got the number from Swazy and called the garage. Roy answered the phone. “Bob, somebody wants to speak to you.”
“Yeah, who’s this?”
“We have Swazy and we want six hundred thousand dollars for him or we will kill him.”
“I don’t give a damn! You must be out of your fucking mind! Go ahead and kill him!” Bob hung up and told Roy and the other guys in the garage. “Do you think this is real?” asked Roy. “I don’t give a shit if it is real, I wouldn’t pay six hundred thousand dollars for my father.” No dealer was going to pay that kind of money for anyone. If they had asked for ten thousand, they might have paid that because they knew they could get it back from Swazy, but six hundred thousand?
Bob called Susan and told her. Susan called Francis’ brother who had become a judge in New Jersey, and another brother who worked for the CIA. They advised Francis to call the police and she did. The police knew who Swazy was and had a file on him. They didn’t really care that he was kidnapped. One officer said, “We’ll look into it.” He didn’t even ask for any details. How were they going to look into it?”
The kidnappers roughed Swazy up a bit. Swazy was only five feet seven and weighed about 135 pounds. He couldn’t stand the whipping they were giving him. He told them he could possibly raise three hundred thousand. “That’s a start,” one of them said. Swazy asked for a phone. He called Nuke, his home-boy and one of his best friends and told him to contact Danny, a young Jewish guy who loved Swazy like a brother. Danny was affiliated with The Mob, so he borrowed the money from them and guaranteed them that Swazy would pay them back with interest. Danny made arrangements for the Muslims to pick up the money at Yankee Stadium so there would be no funny business.
In the meantime, the Muslims had a list of thirty-four names of drug dealers. They asked Swazy to tell them how to find these guys. Swazy said he didn’t know. They burned cigarettes on him. He tried to hold out. He didn’t want to get out of this frying pan and into the fire with thirty-four dealers with money enough to have him killed. They roughed him up some more so he gave them information on twenty-one of the dealers. They knew Swazy wasn’t going to report the kidnapping.
What these Muslims had done and what they were planning got back to the higher up Muslims in Chicago. They sent an emissary to New York to tell those guys to stop their actions immediately. That saved the dealers on the list who could have had the same fate.
Three weeks later, Swazy and Bob were arrested and charged with selling drugs that he had been buying from Frank Lucas. The judge called Swazy into his chambers to talk to him. “We have a file on you. We know that you graduated from college, cum laude. You can change your life. You have an education, not like most of the drug dealers who are incorrigibles. We want to give you a break. Plead guilty and cooperate with us and when you come before me, I will give you a light sentence.”
Frail Swazy feared prison almost as much as he feared being kidnapped again.
Swazy was sentenced to only six months in prison with lifetime probation. That probation was later dropped because it was found to be unconstitutional. The judge and the FBI didn’t realize how much Swazy loved his lifestyle and what it provided and that he would not, could not stop selling drugs. In fact, his lieutenant continued running his business while he was doing his time.
Swazy did his six months at Rikers Island, got out and took charge. He moved from his apartment in New Jersey back to his swank apartment at 2 Lincoln Plaza where he continued his parties with his ladies. During the time he was serving his time, Frank Lucas was arrested. He was facing life in prison. The DA was putting pressure on him to give the name all of the dealers he supplied and to tell where all of his money was hidden. Most dealers would never give this much information because they feared for their lives. But Frank was the big dog, he feared no one. They also wouldn’t want to tell where their money was hidden because they knew they would need money when they got out of prison. Frank knew very well that most drug dealers were completely broke after doing their time. He wanted to keep his money hidden. Six months later, Frank Lucas was indicted and he told on more than one hundred associates, including Swazy, Bob, Roy and his partner Joe. They were all arrested along with many other drug dealers. He also fingered many police officers who had been on the take from him and many of his associates. These cops were all arrested. Frank Lucas had cooperated as a part of a deal so he wouldn’t’ spend the rest of his life in prison.
Swazy didn’t know it, but he was one of the hundreds who were identified by Frank Lucas. He was arrested again. There was no leniency this time. He and Bob were sentenced to five years in prison.
The night before Swazy went to prison, he had a party and invited an acquaintance, Jerome, over so they both could freak off with Susan. That would be his going away party. He had no choice but to accept his inevitable future. He just wanted one last memory to take with him.
After the first week in prison, he was allowed to make a phone call. He called Susan. His acquaintance, Jerome answered the phone. “Who the hell is this?” Swazy asked.
“It’s Jerome, man.”
“What the hell are you still doing in my apartment?”
“Susan asked me to stay. She didn’t want to be by herself.”
“I want you out of my apartment today! You got it? Now, put Susan on the phone.”
“Yeah, man, I’m leaving. Susan, Swazy’s on the phone.”
“What’s that Nigger still doing in my apartment?”
“I asked him to stay for a few days. I didn’t want to be by myself.”
“Why didn’t you call Francis or one of your girl–friends?”
“He was already here.”
“I told him to leave! I put your name on the visitors list so you can come to visit me. I want you to come up Wednesday and bring some money to put in the commissary for me. You can’t have cash up here, so they keep it for you so you can buy stuff. Only bring three or four hundred.”
“Okay, I’ll be there.”
Susan only visited Swazy for three months. She had started screwing a lawyer. Then, she discovered that she was pregnant by him. On her last visit, she told Swazy, “I’m not coming back any more I’m pregnant and I’m going to move in with the father of my baby. Swazy was very disappointed. She had thousands of dollars of his money and she was staying in his apartment, in which he wanted to return. There was no pleading from him. He knew it was coming. He was doing eight years. He didn’t expect she would wait for him. He knew what she liked and that she would eventually be screwing someone for pleasure instead of just for money. Susan never really liked Swazy. She was there because of the money. He gave her so much that she wasn’t strong enough to give up that life. She liked cute guys whom she used to sneak and screw. That life was over. Susan started a new life and Swazy never saw her again.
At least, he had Francis, the only woman he really trusted. She was holding more of his money than Susan, in spite of the fact that Susan had been number one for several years. She had a much longer history with him and always loved him. She was the only woman who ever loved him. Now, she was asked to step up to the plate and support him. Francis visited him until he got out, took him money for the commissary, and took care of the money she was holding for him.
One of Swazy’s biggest mistakes, like Coy, was that he never made a friend of any of the ladies. Nuke and Wakefield and Bob were his only real male friends. Swazy grew up without love, and never learned how to love. He never had a girlfriend until he got to college. Francis was his first and only girlfriend, and stuck by him after all the rest had gone. Of course, all of the rest were only there for the money anyway. After Swazy was sent to prison, Wake returned to North Carolina where he got a job and returned to a “normal life.” That other life and world were behind him. He was fortunate to escape, since he had been so involved with the embezzlement and as a lieutenant to Swazy in the drug business. Like the others, he had spent all of his money.
CHAPTER 62
Roy was sentenced to fifteen years in prison and served eight. His partner, Joe was sentenced to eight years and served five. Phyllis, Roy’s last main lady who had lived with him in his house in New jersey, had followed William’s advice about saving her money, was wealthy. She had a Mercedes, several mink coats, diamonds and expensive watches, as well as a room full of expensive clothes. She put her past behind her like several of the women who had lived the fast life, and moved on. Roy never saw her again. New York is a big city where one can hide, even when one is not trying.
When Roy and Joe got out, they were still rich, but New York City had changed
They still had a lot of legitimate income; He had sold the garage but they still had four buildings on the Concourse. All of Roy’s other women had moved on, mostly married with babies. Joe was married and his wife waited for him. Most of their close acquaintances had also gone to prison and had gotten out with no money. The lifestyle that Roy led and loved was over. He could not recreate the past as wonderful as it was. He had everything a man could want but like most drug dealers, never retired on their own volition. He sold his house in New Jersey which made him even richer
He returned to North Carolina where he had a big house; but North Carolina was no New York City, and life was boring for a man used to excitement. He was no longer welcomed in New York City. As the DA told him, “If we catch you again with an ounce of any drug, you will spend the rest of your life in prison.” Just for something to do, he started hauling cigarettes and corn whisky, sometimes called “White Lightning,” from North Carolina to New York City, where the taxes on cigarettes were much greater, which made them more expensive. He didn’t need the money; he needed the action. It was too quiet in North Carolina. In the years before prison, every day was exciting. He had stayed in contact with many of his buddies in New York City, most of whom didn’t smoke, but occasionally like a drink of the whisky. He used to sell the whiskey and cigarettes out of the trunk of his Lincoln Navigator. He had been warned never to sell drugs, but he was still breaking the law. On one of his trips, he had a heart attack and died on the empty highway, rich and alone.
Joe got out before Roy and retired from the drug business but unlike most drug dealers, he and Roy were in the minority to get out and still be rich. Joe went on to lead a quiet, comfortable life, managing his properties.
POST SCRIPT
Red drove to work in New York City every day. He and Leslie had been divorced for a few years and he had a good life, but he was still using cocaine. He became so addicted to coke that it was interfering with his job. He always went to work on time, but he was often out of control. His uncle tried to cover for him. His uncle finally sent for his brother who was a doctor in North Carolina. The situation was so serious that the doctor took time from his practice to come to New York to try to save him. He examined Red and told him he had to stop with the coke immediately or it was going to kill him. Red promised he would work hard at it, but with Leslie gone, he was alone, lonely and addicted. After the brother left, Red made no effort to try to stop. One day at work, he had a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital, but his heart was so damaged that they couldn’t save him. He died in the emergency room.
Charley Red was so well liked by so many people that they had his funeral in New York, rather than take the body back to North Carolina. Several of his home- boys attended the funeral as well as a hundred other friends and acquaintances. Leslie was there too.
Swazy got out of prison and returned to his apartment on 2 Lincoln Plaza. All the women had moved on except Francis. Life moved so fast in New York City that if one went away, it was difficult to get back into the rhythm of the city. It was always easier if you had a lot of money. But your friends move on and you have to start all over. Swazy had a lot of money. He began to go to clubs and he found some new talent. He was spending a lot of money with none coming in. After a while, a lawyer in the building who knew about Swazy’s past, spoke to the management and suggested that Swazy was an undesirable. The manager could not evict Swazy but she told him, “There are a lot of nice buildings in New York. You should think about relocating.” He got the message but he knew he didn’t have to move, but he felt the pressure they could bring and he didn’t want the headache or for the police to get involved. He moved out of the apartment and moved in with Francis.
Swazy never drank or used any drugs before he went to prison, but now he was using coke. Before, he bought the coke for the girls and watched the show. He began to use coke on a regular basis. Francis used to snort a lot of coke, but not enough to cause her problems on her job, but after Swazy went to prison, she stopped. He wasn’t there to buy it and she wasn’t going to spend her money or his for it. It was too expensive a habit for a working person, although she put some money away for the days when Swazy trusted her with a few hundred thousand dollars. She was not going to let Swazy get his hands on that money. She felt he owed it to her for putting up with all of his bullshit and all of the girls for so many years. That was her money! So, now that Swazy was bringing coke in and getting high, she had moved on past that life. He began to annoy her. “I want you to leave and get your own place. I don’t want that stuff around me anymore.” In a short time, he had spent thousands of dollars. He was spending like he did before prison when the money was replenished each week. Since he no longer had any income, he called Big George, one of his ex-lieutenants who had managed to stay out of jail, and asked him if he could to put him up for a while. Big George obliged. After all, he had made a lot of money working for Swazy and had managed to keep a few dollars and a decent apartment.
Swazy had very little money left because he never learned the simple accounting rule, that Coy also forgot, that if you were spending more than you were earning, your money would run out. Now, Swazy was about broke. He could not get a job with his degree because he had been to prison for drugs. Many places would hire ex-cons, in fact, many businesses like to help them but they frowned on ex drug dealers. and he didn’t dare try to sell drugs again, so he was becoming destitute. The guy who had been making close to a million dollars per year for almost ten years was now practically destitute. He contacted a friend in Atlanta whom he had bailed out of jail several years earlier. He had done well in real estate and had a contract with a huge parking lot near one of the stadiums. He sent Swazy the money he owed him, and told him to come to Atlanta. He gave him a place to stay in his house and gave him a job in his parking lot. How he had fallen! A guy who used to live at 2 Lincoln Plaza, who used to walk around with thousands in his pockets was now working at a parking lot!
A few years later, he had a stroke but was still ambulatory. He was now a broken man and the only income he had was a small disability payment from when he was briefly in the army and was discharged for health reasons. His friend had lost the parking lot contract, and his house was in foreclosure. Swazy was just hanging on. Because he was a vet, he was able to get a room in a senior complex. Francis had money, but that chain had been broken completely.
There he was, living just a few miles from his sister’s house and she would have nothing to do with him. She had been hurt badly by him and frightened by the F.B.I. because of him. Her husband had tried to give Swazy advice years earlier about putting some money in places that were safe, like other countries. But, as usual, he wouldn’t listen. Now, he had nothing. He would occasionally call his brother in Oakland for money which he would often send. But after a while, his brother had had enough, just like his sister. The last time he heard from Swazy, he wrote to his sister, “I am very disappointed in Swazy. He called me a few weeks ago asking for money. I don’t want to get into the habit of feeding his bad habits. I gave him a lap top computer a couple of years ago and he did not even try to learn how to use it, so maybe, he could get a job. After all, he does have a college education. He keeps hoping for some miracle. He keeps thinking he will live that old life again. He’s stuck in the past. He’s hopeless!” He is the last of “The Durham Mob.”
