Orlando (Ori) Spado was born on December 17,1944 in Rome New York where he attended high school at Rome Free Academy and at the age of 18, he joined the U.S. Army and served his country proudly and was discharged honorably in 1966. He returned to Rome and had various jobs until he sold insurance for the Prudential Ins Company and was a leading agent. After a marriage and three children Ori moved to San Francisco where he married his second wife … [Read more...]
UNDERWORLD Author Roman Martín on Dispelling the Hollywood Myth About Mickey Cohen
Bonjourno, amici nostra! Welcome to UNDERWORLD, my spanking new blog about organized crime (“OC”) and the Italian-American Mafia, coupled with helpful hints about how to improve your own budding criminal career. Rather than waste time about my motivations for doing so, or about my bonafides as a self-proclaimed expert, let’s just get right to it. Today’s topic is all about debunking the Tinsel Town-perpetuated myth that Mickey Cohen … [Read more...]
Roman Martín
Roman Martín was born the youngest of five quintuplets in Scottsdale, Arizona to a wealthy used-furniture manufacturer and his homemaker wife. Roman’s fascination with crime began shortly after his birth when an ex-con climbed a ladder to the second-story of his home, crawled into the nursery, and snatched him from his crib. As the kidnapper later told the local press after his arrest, “He was the best one of the litter. You could tell he … [Read more...]
Rother Looks Back on the Career-long Coverage of a Murder Case
As a professional journalist for the past 32 years, I’ve published thousands of news and feature articles for newspapers and magazines. I’ve also written and coauthored 13 books since 2005, penned countless blog posts, and I’m working on two new books as we speak. But now that I’m looking back over my career, I realize that I’ve been researching and writing about the case of the transgender killer, Skylar Deleon, and the murder of Tom and … [Read more...]
DEAD RECKONING Photo Gallery
PLAYING DEAD: A Memoir Of Terror And Survival
Winner of multiple literary awards! Monique, the daughter of San Diego Charger’s football great Earl Faison, married her high school sweetheart soon after she discovered she was pregnant with his child. Her relationship with Chris was shaky from the start, but turned tumultuous as he became verbally and physically abusive. When she could no longer put up with the abuse, she left him with their children. That was when the stalking and genuine … [Read more...]
PLAYING DEAD Photo Gallery
LEGION RISING, A Soldier’s Story
Not everyone has pulled shards of another man's skull from the palm of their hand. Not everyone has stood over the bodies of friends whose lives were lost in an instant. Not everyone has struggled to face their own reflection for years on end. But anyone who has experienced trauma or adversity will resonate with Legion Rising, the unflinchingly honest account of an army officer's journey through combat in the Iraq War and rising beyond the … [Read more...]
GABACHO: Drugs Landed Me In Mexican Prison, Theater Saved Me
Gabacho is the true tale of youthful angst, crime, misunderstandings, love, friendship and redemption. Over Christmas break of his senior year, a University of Utah theatre student disenchanted with his conservative Mormon upbringing, took off for Mexico with a college friend seeking a wild adventure. If the adventure hadn’t included smuggling drugs it might have been another college road trip. But after a disastrous encounter with a drug … [Read more...]
Captain Jeff Morris
I am an accomplished leader and speaker who is incredibly passionate about making a difference in the lives of others. Currently, I am employed as a senior leader with the McKesson Corporation, a Fortune 6 company. I am also a highly recognized and decorated former United States Army Infantry Officer with an impeccable record of leadership in the most demanding of environments. I served our great country in the United States Army … [Read more...]
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