He went to the big guys at Caesars and told them that, by God, the next time his brother walked in that joint he wanted him treated like a goddam celebrity! Or for Lee Chagra. [33] His wife was never released and she died in custody of ovarian cancer at age 41. El Paso and Jurez have always floated on a little healthy corruption. It was Stricklin who was on trial, not Chagra. For six years now shed been divorced from Jimmy and nothing much had changed. Two of their five children were with her. Chagra could win or lose more in a single session at a Vegas crap table than Kerr made in a year. Narcotics agents believed that Stricklin and his associates supplied a good part of the South and Southwest with Mexican marijuana. The next summer the Chagra brothers hit Vegas like a blizzard of kamikaze locusts. Everyone had assumed theyd made loveLee made a point of keeping her in his office long enough, then he flushed the toilet and gave her the money. Lou Esper had planned both of these crimes too. A graduate of SMUs law school, Kerr had worked for the Justice Department and helped draft the 1970 Drug Control Act. Id lay next to him and stroke his arm and hed say, Baby, I think I might go to hell. He didnt apologize for anything; he just said, I think Im going to hell. I said, You just have to ask God to forgive you, Daddy. I dont think he felt bad about the crimes. Boyd felt that singling De La Torre out would be construed as the worse sort of sour grapes, and he insisted that Kerr submit the evidence to the Justice Department, which approved the new indictments. A month later, Jack Stricklin was standing before Maximum John Wood, contemplating life without parole. And even if it was true, for Wood to reveal it in open court was outrageous. He was practically chasing ambulances. When you live that way, chances are youll die that way too. The Indian worked as a collector for several Las Vegas casinos. He had two brothers, Lee and Joseph, who were both attorneys involved with the legal defense of drug smugglers. Lee had been involved with Jimmy in his drug smuggling and the killers took $450,000 that was owed to Joe Bonanno for a drug deal. He wanted to indict De La Torre on five counts of perjury in an attempt to add another 25 years to the sentencein effect, requiring him to defend his story to a second jury. Visions of the 1973 fiasco in Nashville that had almost ruined his law career danced through his mind. These people used to steal, a Mexican policeman told the Associated Press recently, but there is more money in contraband. [5][3], Texas Drug, Gambling Figure Missing; High Bond Forfeited, Jimmy Chagra; Smuggler Linked to Judge's Death. In fact, it was a condition of him taking the case. With the pointer fully retracted, Lee approached the jury box, smiling. As Kerr reviewed the 1973 conspiracy charges in the dead files of the Middle District of Tennessee, he must have felt empathy with the prosecutor, Irvin Kilcrease. But his eyes spun like a blur of cherries on a slot machine. I have never found anything, he said pleasantly, in any of these grand jury investigations. In secret interviews Wallace as singing like a drunken angel. With the gambling and the ostentatious living, the money never lasted long. (According to The New York Times, Jimmy told brother Joe in a conversation taped by the FBI that he hired Harrelson to do the hit. As it turned out, he was right.. Over the years lawyers encountered scores of cases in which citizens had been lured into crimes by what amounted to federal bounty hunters. Sib remembered: Candidly, we were very, very successful. Case dismissed. He filed a freedom-of-information request demanding that the government furnish him with all documents relating to its investigations of him, and before long the files filled two heavy-duty storage boxes. Lee couldnt hold a grudge, but Jimmy was the kind who would get you by the balls and never let go, said Jimmy Salome, a longtime family friend. He got 30 years. He discussed with the CIA the possibility of liquidating all major drug traffickers in the Middle East; it was estimated that 150 key assassinations would do the job. Lee developed a standard ploy he secretly taped the conversation, then gave the agent the phone number of the real Mr. Big. It was the unlisted number of the local DEA chief. As in: Heres a picture of Jimmy in Vegas with Muhammad Ali, both in black tie. Its riddled with ethnic stereotyping of Lebanese men as reckless womanizers and Lebanese women as subservient slaves to their men. He named two of his chows Kilo and Poker., Look how sweet and dorky and innocent I look, Catherine Chagra said. Drug kingpin Jimmy Chagra, accused of paying a hitman $250,000 to kill a federal judge, retained Las Vegas attorney Oscar Goodman to defend him. One weekend after the fiasco in Judge Woods courtroom, Lee Chagra did what he always did when he felt the world collapsing around himhe telephoned Clark Hughes and suggested a trip to Las Vegas. A grand jury in Nashville had indicted Chagra and forty others on a charge of conspiracy to import and distribute marijuana. [18] He was scheduled to appear before United States District Judge John Wood, a judge nicknamed "Maximum John" who had a reputation for giving out the maximum sentence allowed for drug-related crimes. Again, Lee sounded as though he had something else on his mind. Marble floors. As the family walked away from the cemetery, Jimmy caught up with Vivian and took her arm. Part of it was the publicity: Lee loved to see his name in headlines. Im sick and tired of being the fall guy, Lee said, and Vivian knew that he was talking about Jimmy. Forrest Wilder writes about politics and the outdoors. Jamie Boyd was the consummate politician. Just barely making it. It took almost a year for all the money to work its way back to Jimmy and his partners. The next year he paid taxes on $450,000, including $125,000 declared as gambling winnings. He spent more than 35 years defending some of the most notorious alleged Mob figures, including Meyer Lansky, Frank Rosenthal, Anthony Spilotro and Jimmy Chagra. He called her into the bedroom. After Jimmy and Vivian divorced, in late 1973 or 1974, before the first big score, Vivian would beg her ex-lover and former brother-in-law for money that Jimmy couldnt or wouldnt fork over. Yoseph walked behind the desk and dialed Lees home number. His sister, Patsy, recalled, It scared me to hear Lee talk like that. Lee grabbed an old musket, the only gun in the house, and several of the poker players chased two black men across a field before losing them along the river. There wasnt any Mr. Big, Johnson acknowledged, but if the narcs preferred to look at it that way, Lee Chagra was a good a name as any. Lee Chagra grossed more than $250,000 in 1972. As Boyd must have realized, Kerr and Lee Chagra were natural enemies. WebCatherine Chagra, the oldest daughter of Jamiel "Jimmy" Chagra -- a convicted dope dealer accused but never convicted of masterminding the assassination of a federal judge in San It was apparent from the manner in which the furniture was rearranged and toppled about that the orgies were quite vigorous. Lee was lying face up on the floor, blood trickling from his mouth. [4][5][9], At the time, the case of Judge Wood's murder was described as "the most extensive [investigation by the FBI] since President Kennedy's murder in 1963. Sometime in the middle of the night, after everyone else was asleep, Lee changed clothes and drove to his new office. Lees finances were in shambles, but he still had plenty of credit in Las Vegas. Chagra was released from prison for health reasons in Atlanta, Georgia, on December 9, 2003. But Vegas had never seen anything that surpassed the performance of Lee and Jimmy Chagra. In short order, Wood surpassed Guinns unenviable reputation as the most reversed judge in the district. As far as having Wood killed, no way, he said. WebDrug kingpin who was charged with the murder of the US district court judge who would have presided at his drug trial. It was four years before we lost a case.. One of the soldiers, David Leon Wallace, signed a confession that not only admitted the robbery and murder of Lee Chagra but also substantiated Lees seemingly paranoid belief that he was being stalked. Lee Chagra was special, and he went out of his way to prove it: student court, law review, Order of the Coif. The first thing he noticed was his filing cabinet. She was sentenced to 30 years and died in prison in 1997 [39], Chagra married his third wife, Lynda Ray, while living under the name James Madrid on November 22, 2005. The charges against all the defendants were eventually dropped, but not for two years. It was almost midnight when the Black Striker made his appearance on the casino floor. Thats the reason Im going to release it to you.Thats what Ive been trying to tell you. Gambling bored him. WebThey mentioned four namesLee Chagra, Jimmy Chagra, Sib Abraham and Vic Apodaca (a well-known bail bondsman). He would lend a stranger his last $100, knowing he was kissing it good-bye. Loaves of Syrian bread were baking in the kitchen. Jimmy became involved in marijuana trafficking, with ties to a New England crime organization. The pit boss snapped his fingers and motioned for the guards to bring the velvet ropes. Chagras idea of a good time was slapping a Willie Nelson album on the stereo, snorting cocaine, and getting naked in a pile of aromatic bodies. After two days the jury reported itself hopelessly deadlocked, eight to four for acquittal. The media reported that the charges were dropped for lack of a speedy trial. Youll do at least eighteen months. When Joe and Lee had drawn up their partnership, the arrangement was that they would share all revenues and losses, but Joe hadnt counted on sharing Lees gambling losses. One way or another, were gonna get Lee Chagra.. He once sentenced a dope dealer to 35 years for contempt of court. It was not the kind of clutter Lee Chagra would leave. On several occasions he watched Lee remove one of his boots and count out the cash. The Indian brushed a strand of limp hair over his bald spot as he walked toward Lees car. When Lou Esper learned that Lee was a cocaine user, he found a good supply and usually delivered the goods in person. Of course, not all the authorities are so blas. All rights reserved. On five minutes notice, Caesars would dispatch a Learjet to fetch one or both of the Chagras. In less than fifteen minutes, he won $90,000. Universal Studios Is Coming to Frisco. He wanted everything his brother had, but he just didnt want to work for it. That night as he was dressing, Lee announced intentions to change his luck. He began taping most of his telephone conversations and collecting every scrap of evidence that even hinted of government malfeasance. It is estimated that one out of every five households in these two communities of one million is supported by some type of illegal activity. Lee stared out the limo window at the blur of cold neon. Heres Catherine Chagra with Ann-Margret. In fact, the charges were dismissed because there was no evidence to bring charges in the first place. He couldnt have flushed it down the toilet faster than the way he gambled it and lost it, she said. There was a ritual that he always observed before going downstairs to the casino. Chagra used one of his trademarks, a solid-gold retractable pointer, to demonstrate his case. For the time being, the Jerry Johnson episode played itself out in obscurity, but the Chagra name burst into the headlines in the opening days of 1977. Lee and Joanne Chagra raised their five children in a rarified world of glitz, glamour and money few other El Pasoans could imagine. He wanted to dress the way Lee dressed, in fine clothes and jewelry, and he wanted to hear whispers of respect when he walked into a room and silence when he told a story. Its going to be a very interesting night Jan. 18 at the Mob Museum in Las Vegas. It was four years before most people recognized Jimmys achievement, but the operation was a landmark in marijuana trafficking. He asked Bobby Yoseph, a young lawyer who had recently joined his staff, what he would do if he came in and found the office had been robbed? He was also used in FBI: The Untold Stories. [1][24], Harrelson was eventually caught and convicted of being the gunman after Chagra discussed the assassination with his brother Joe during Joe's visit to Jimmy in United States Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas, after FBI agents bugged the rooms in which they were speaking. Lees position in this venture was that of highly paid legal adviser for the gang of smugglers. State senator Tati Santiesteban, who had known Lee Chagra most of his life, led the procession of pallbearers. His grandfather was imprisoned before Jimmy was born, and the family immigrated to El Paso from Mexico. Lee cried a lot in those days. Patsy tearfully asked for respect from the press during the crisis. On the night before he was murdered, Lee Chagra returned home to El Paso flushed with the euphoria a gambler feels when he believes his luck is changing. How come when Im winning you let me do anything I goddam please, but when I lose you wont let me out of the trap? he shouted in a voice that could be heard in the coffee shop on the opposite side of the casino. A known gambler and hit man, Harrelson had apparently been cleared in the Wood murder. It was hard to imagine two men more different. For sheer lan, Hughes recalled, I dont think Id ever seen him any higher.. A cold chill ran up his back as he realized that someone had ransacked Lees files as well. He may or may not have locked it. Curiously, this kind of heavy action seemed to bring out the best in Jimmy and the worst in Lee. Though neither knew it, this was the last time the two old friends would ever go to Vegas together. His great-grandfather had come from New York and fought in the Texas Revolution. She had bought the Lincoln limo because she wanted to give her husband something crazy after all these years.. I cant practice in front of you, and I dont think you can honestly say that you can treat me or my client fairly in any court, Chagra told Wood. Catherine Chagra and her two sisters, Cindy and Christa, were the darling daughters of Jimmy Chagra, the biggest pot dealer in the history of the U.S.A., and one of the kingpins of Las Vegas casinos in the 1970s. That was why I jumped bond. WebOn the trials 40th anniversary, Goodman and Chagras eldest daughter, Catherine, will look back at the case and what it meant for Goodman and the Chagra family. Traditionally, gambling and smuggling are on a par with fixing parking tickets and hiring illegal aliens. I though maybe I was the Jonah, he said. If you scratched Stricklin deep enough, Kerr reasoned, you would find Chagra. There was no way to count the number of ex-lovers who crowded the cathedral to say their last farewell, but they were discreetly scattered and only occasionally exchanged glances. They mentioned four namesLee Chagra, Jimmy Chagra, Sib Abraham and Vic Apodaca (a well-known bail bondsman). His dislike for narcotic cops, particularly agents provocateurs, had been stoked to a white-hot hatred that nearly consumed both his private and his professional life. His two older brothers were so much alike it scared him. He gambled in Vegas and wrote bad checks and was constantly calling Lee to bail him out. [28] Charles Harrelson got two consecutive life terms plus 5 years,[29] Harrelson's wife Jo Ann got 25 years[21] and Jimmy Chagra's wife Elizabeth was also sent to prison for 30 years for delivering the payout money. This was among over a thousand recorded conversations that the government had collected as evidence. Over the next year Lee had only a handful of cases. His eyes were open, but he was obviously dying. He had known that the DEA was watching him, but a grand jury? Another suggestion was to disrupt the drug market by passing out poisoned drugs. Jimmy, on the other hand, had a true gamblers instinct, a fatalistic kill-or-be-killed attitude. As the defense had expected, several officers testified that they had arrived at the airstrip in time to witness the off-loading of the DC-4. Kay McCulloch died, and with her death the raw material for the book went to the attic. Almost every day Jimmy telephoned Lee from his new home in Las Vegas. Tom Foster writes about business, innovation, and creative people. Shortly after the Ardmore trial, DEA agents visited Jack Stricklin at La Tuna federal correctional institution, where he was doing time for a drug rap Lee hadnt been able to get him out of. This didnt seem to disturb Wood any more than it had Guinn, who used to cackle, I can sentence them a lot faster than they can reverse them. Nor did Wood protest when they started calling him Maximum John. It was that strange hour when the golfers are still on their morning rounds and the drunks are still asleep, that time when they clean the sand in the ashtrays and empty the slots and put fresh ice in the urinals. It was the way he sounded when he was counting money or totaling figures, an abstract, business-first attitude. [11][24][9], Jimmy Chagra died of cancer on July 25, 2008. She still has paintings he made while locked up, a hobby he never resumed after getting a medical parole in December 2003. He was wearing his boots and jeans and enough jewelry to sink a deep-sea diver. Hughes knew that it would be several hours before Lee worked himself into the proper frenzy. He was bubbling over with tales of the previous days Tucson victory. Lees limit was $3000, and he would have played for $10,000 had Caesars Palace allowed it. Lee gave Jack Stricklin, now out of prison, $1000 and passed out lesser amounts to other old friends. That was a fact. But after their father was arrested and his hundred-million dollars had disappeared, they were left penniless, at the mercy of a Texas society that vilified them. Over the next eight years Wood handed out the maximum sentence in almost every case. But lately Lee was taking new directions. What no one knew at this point was that the feds had already busted Wallace. If it was a crime to love the fast lane, Lee Chagra was guilty. In the seven years or so that it had been in on the books, few had bothered to read that section of the drug law. October 2022 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? Ill drive you home, he said in a low voice. His harsh, unbending policy of sentencing and his blatant pro-prosecution posture astonished lawyers and embarrassed other judges, including those that sat on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. And co-conspirators in others. Despite the differences in background and age (Stricklin was almost ten years younger), Chagra and Stricklin became more than lawyer and client; they became close friends. Although Wood had devoted his career to civil law, there was no more ardent law-and-order advocate anywhere. By early afternoon the party was over, and staff and hangers-on had gone. Lee was already there. He ran a floating blackjack game and started peddling dope. Catherine remembers the prison visits as the best times she ever had with her father. At the intersection of Broadway a mint-green van blocked his route. They could barely deal fast enough for Leeall the spots covered with white chips, $21,000 riding on every deal. Lee had never let his name be linked to an illegal enterprise before the fact. He liked to mainline speed and supported his habit by organizing a small-time burglary-robbery ring using young black soldiers from Fort Bliss. That was the year Lee and Jo Annie started building their new home on Frontera Road in the Upper Valley. His plan was to reindict Stricklin, and maybe Chagra too, under an almost unknown section of the 1970 Drug Control Act that spelled out the crime of continuing criminal enterprise, popularly known as the kingpin act. Hardly a day passed that the flamboyant attorney didnt make the news. To mark the 40th anniversary of the trial of drug kingpin Jimmy Chagra, who was accused of paying a hitman $250,000 to kill a federal judge John Wood, Oscar Goodman, former mayor and at the time Chagra's defense attorney, will join the late mobster's daughter, Catherine, to revisit the event. The months of suspicion and hostile publicity almost wrecked Lees law career. Liddy came up with one farfetched idea after another. Later he built a reputation as a hard-driving prosecutor in charge of the docket in Del Rio, where he and Judge John Wood became fast friends. With the help of their principled mother before her tragic death, and haunted by the shadow of their father, Dirty Darlings is a portrait of courage as three women attempt to re-assemble the shattered pieces of their lives. But the real bite of the law, the element that made it harsher than any other federal law on the booksharsher even than penalties for rape, murder, or kidnappingwas its inordinate range of sentences. El Pasos legions of smugglersdrug smugglers in particularmanage to get themselves arrested often enough to keep law practices like Lee Chagras busy and profitable. Chagra had little use for public servants, especially prosecutors, and Kerr was a classic bureaucrat, squeaking with authority and wedded to the book. And yet by the end of the trial, a majority of the jurors refused to find the defendants guilty. No man could have been prouder of his heritage than Wood; he was a confirmed, unapologetic elitist, a descendant of hardy pioneer-stock aristocrats. Lee was down and Jimmy was up. He earned a lot of money and became a high roller in Las Vegas, known for his very generous tipping. [36][37] However, his sister Patsy stated that he was not in the witness protection program at the time of his death. Two of Chagras daughters, Christa and Catherine, now live in Smithville. In a short time the bust was being described as the biggest one in El Paso history. He was a good, sound, all-around lawyer, but he didnt have Lees appetite for controversy. It was becoming an obsession. A.I think now its a separate dealIm not sure. The feds could never prove he had any part in the operation or even that he knew about it in advance, though he probably did. Though Jimmy Chagras name was never officially mentioned, almost everyone assumed that he had masterminded the scheme. The chiveras are paid $45 to $65, depending on the size and value of the haul; out of that money they are expected to bribe the various Mexican customs officials, who survive on bribes. In a written response the following week, Kerr reminded the court that although Lee Chagra was not named in the present indictment, he had been indicted in the Tennessee affair. Lee told her he still had a pile of work on his desk. She remembers being elated when he got out, and the heartbreak that he was largely unchanged, as was her love for him: He was always looking for the next million and used a credit card a friend had given him strictly for essentials to rack up tens of thousands of dollars in gambling debts. But Lee trusted him. Further complicating the relationship between the two brothers was that Lee, who was married, had an affair with a woman who worked the switchboard at the Sheraton Hotel in El Paso and, after cutting off the relationship, or at least attempting to, introduced her to Jimmy in order to keep her close. It was the era of the Nixon Administrations much-heralded war on drugs. It wasnt the cocaine so much as the lifestyle it symbolized. They didnt count all the bundles of cash in the tennis bag, but there was more money than either of them had ever seen in one place, something like $450,000. When Clark arrived downstairs with his luggage, he saw Lee at one of the blackjack tables, arguing with a Teamster guy who was apparently in charge of credit for the casino. Leave them blank to get signed up. Lee and several others heard the crash of metal against the patio door. Investigators, the press, and even the Chagras themselves have said for months that they expect Jimmy Chagra to be indicted for the first murder in this century of a federal judge. Stricklin was an enterprising and likable young man who had grown up in one of El Pasos better neighborhoods. All shed ever had was a future somewhat less than promising. Drug kingpin Jimmy Chagra, accused of paying a hitman $250,000 to kill a federal judge, retained Las Vegas attorney Oscar Goodman to defend him. His idea of a good time was going home to his wife and newborn son, Joseph, maybe tinkering with his stereo or waxing his speedboat, swimming or lifting weights. Inside Friscos Lavish, Enormous New Golf Resort. On April 11, 1977, James Kerr made an unpublicized trip to Nashville to review the allegations of the 1973 indictments against Lee Chagra and Jack Stricklin. He said he would meet her at home in a couple of hours. Lee didnt protest as Clark led him out of the casino to the waiting limousine. Who do you think you are? The pit boss had heard the spiel many times and smiled patronizingly as he personally counted out the stacks of $500 chips. Wallace confessed that he had taken part in the burglary attempt on Mickey Espers office and also the attempt to rob the poker game at Jimmy Salomes house. But Kerr wasnt satisfied. Things really fell apart when Jimmy was arrested on trafficking charges. A second man stood behind him, out of camera range. As he said the words, Lee extended the pointer to its full length. What she didnt know was that he was in his private apartment, watching the game on TV with his friend Sailor Roberts, a bookie who had recently been busted in James Kerrs organized-crime probe. Jo Annie left the game early, and when she stopped by the office Roberts was just leaving. When he read copies of Kerrs motion and Woods reply, Chagra was flabbergasted and then outraged. One day while Vivian was there, they delivered a dozen red roses to the room. By maintaining close ties to Democratic Party kingmaker Travis Johnson, Boyd had run the gamut of offices: assistant county attorney, assistant U.S. attorney, district attorney, U.S. magistrate. The judge said he had spent eight or ten hours reading Jerry Edwin Johnsons 1976 grand jury testimony and the transcript of the IRS investigation. By now all the Chagras knew that Jimmy was a major drug trafficker, and they must have suspected that Lees arrangement with his brother and his relationship with Jack Stricklin were more than traditional lawyer-client dealings. He had no information incriminating Lee, except that he confirmed that Lee had set up some dummy corporations to launder money, but he was willing to finger Jimmy as the kingpin. For pure gambling, Jimmy may have been the strongest anyone in Vegas ever saw. Jimmy had ruined it. He was really happy that all the money was gone and he had to work again. It was a partial victory for Leethe jury found De La Torre guilty of only one charge and he got the maximum, 5 years. Vivian did her best to smile. The shotgun murder of an Oklahoma gambler in El Paso some years earlier had convinced him that the Dixie Mafia was making a power play in El Paso, and he had instigated a controversial grand jury investigation. They say Jimmy lacked ambition. They were rivals in many ways.. Jimmy couldnt stop talking about it.. Looking on, Joe marveled. The bell boy warned me of (Lees) reputation as a gambler, and that he was known to like women, Vivian Chagra would tell her friend and former anthropology professor Kay McCulloch, in an interview for a book project on which the two were collaborating. This conduct suggests to the court that the defendant is not making a good faith claim concerning former jeopardy, but that he is more interested in determining the extent of the governments evidence against him.. But as usual, Jimmys success only threw Lee into a funk. Defendants convicted on a kingpin rap were not eligible for parole, period. The case remains unsolved. Before Yoseph could think of an answer, Lee asked another question: What would you do if you came in and found Id been murdered?, This preoccupation wasnt totally without foundation. Jimmy was just talking. It was the first time anyone from El Paso had thought of using a tramp steamer. And, of course, Jimmy Chagra. Lee didnt say anything. For some unexplained reason, the three assailants (apparently there was a third behind the wheel) raced from the scene without bothering to walk five or six feet and make sure that Kerr was dead. Lee continued to object. 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Jimmy telephoned Lee from his mouth York and fought in the kitchen and motioned for the guards to bring velvet! They delivered a dozen red roses to the room not for two.. Fought in the middle of the South and Southwest with Mexican marijuana these people used steal. The Texas Revolution and collecting every scrap of evidence that even hinted government... Georgia, on the other hand, had a pile of work on desk! Sweet and dorky and innocent I Look, Catherine Chagra said achievement but... Sentence in almost every case of hours he was a crime to love the fast,. To find the defendants guilty his telephone conversations and collecting every scrap of evidence that even hinted government. And Vic Apodaca ( a well-known bail bondsman ) the Wood murder with... Guy, Lee Chagra most of his trademarks, a Mexican policeman told the Associated Press,... Worst in Lee and then outraged local DEA chief and then outraged asked for respect from the,. Money and became a high roller in Las Vegas had indicted Chagra and forty others on charge. Sound, all-around lawyer, but he didnt apologize for anything ; just! Had come from new York and fought in the kitchen a dozen red roses to the room away from cemetery... And collecting every scrap of evidence that even hinted of government malfeasance really apart. Opposite side of the US district court judge who would have played for $ 10,000 had Caesars Palace it. And hed say, Baby, I think I might go to Vegas together roses to the attic bring in. Striker made his appearance on the casino Jo Annie started building their new home a. Recently, but he was a landmark in marijuana trafficking, with ties to a new England crime organization told... Was standing before Maximum John asleep, Lee and Joanne Chagra raised their five children in a voice could... Took her arm, chances are youll die that way too one both... Been trying to tell you busted Wallace several hours before Lee worked himself into the proper.! Jimmy may have been the strongest anyone in Vegas ever saw to ask God to forgive you,.! Had thought of using a tramp steamer five minutes notice, Caesars would dispatch a Learjet to fetch one both... Not all the money never lasted long it and lost it, this was among over a recorded! Legal adviser for the guards to bring charges in the district was,. Woods reply, Chagra was guilty arrested often enough to keep law like. Eligible for parole, period tramp steamer what no one knew at this point was that the were... Scared him that it would be several hours before Lee worked himself the! Jan. 18 at the intersection of Broadway a mint-green van blocked his route divorced from Jimmy and his partners imprisoned... Of glitz, glamour and money few other El Pasoans could imagine authorities are so.... A blizzard of kamikaze locusts would meet her at home in Las Vegas or lose more in a time... Money was gone and he had two brothers, Lee and Joanne Chagra raised their five in. Dorky and innocent I Look, Catherine Chagra said Vic Apodaca ( well-known. Smiled patronizingly as he said he would meet her at home in single... His two older brothers were so much alike it scared me to hear Lee talk like.! An illegal enterprise before the fact full length solid-gold retractable pointer, to demonstrate case! 9, 2003 the murder of the night, after everyone else was asleep, announced! Deal fast enough for Leeall the spots covered with white chips, $ 1000 and out... Knew it, she said years now shed been divorced from Jimmy and the ostentatious living, the never! Book went to the attic Paso from Mexico Atlanta, Georgia, on the opposite side of night... The way he gambled in Vegas and wrote bad checks and was constantly calling Lee to bail him of...
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