The fencing started small, then grew to where it got to be my main thing. Guys I knew—other burglars—are coming into my shop at first just to kill time. This goes way back to a year or two after I came to American City. Then this or that one started bringing antiques and guns to me, to see if I could get rid of them. These were pretty decent burglars who knew me from being in prison and from being hooked up with Jesse. Now, in the meantime, I am running to antique shows and to the auctions fairly regular, maybe two or three times a week. I would sell chairs, furniture and that, which I had upholstered. This led to meeting different antique dealers and different ones asking me to work on their antiques, repair them and doctor them up. It got to where I’m starting to buy and sell antiques with these dealers, and I’d mix in some of the stuff from my burglar buddies.
It is funny how this all started—in a way from renting this room when I first hit American City and upholstering those chairs from the rescue mission. Saw I could peddle them, so opened up my first shop. Which was a good front for the burglary, too. Later on I moved to a larger place and took on lamps, end tables, sofas, and other kinds of furniture. And the antique side keeps growing. I am learning more, feeling more comfortable with what they are worth. Eventually I am operating a used furniture and secondhand shop that would handle almost any goddamn thing. Hire a woman looking for work or have somebody like Chubby mind the store and wait on customers. That way I was free to come and go. But I still spent a lot of time at the shop—mostly working in the back ‘cause that’s where you’d find me if I wasn’t scouting or clipping with Jesse, or if I wasn’t running to the auctions.
Jesse and Louie were the two main contacts that helped get the ball rolling in American City. Jesse with the burglary, Louie with the fencing. Both had heard of me, that I was solid. See, the name carries, from prison and that. You might say my name hit American City first, before I did.
There’s like three periods with the fencing. The first period was in the sixties, right before Jesse and me got popped for the antique burglary. I was rolling pretty good in the fencing, but nothing like later on. The first period I am pretty careful who I bought from. Mostly I am buying from the better thieves and I pretty much stayed with guns, coins, antiques. Small pieces, mostly—like figurines, cut glass, porcelain dolls. I was more into burglary than fencing. I was leery of dealing, and I was learning. Let me tell you, it’s a helluva education.
The second period is after I did the bit for the antique burglary. Then the fencing really takes off. It becomes a main thing for me. I’m in all the way. Guys pushing on me, but I’m pulling, too. Really, I am buying anything and just about from anybody. Even doper thieves and asshole thieves. It is very wide open. Most things I was covered on but on a lotta stuff I wasn’t covered. If you brought me shit wrapped in paper, and I thought I could make a buck, I’d buy. More or less thought I had a license to steal.
Then I got popped for dealing stolen goods and ended up at the Midstate Penitentiary. Where I met you. That was my last fall. Some close calls but was the last time I did time.
The third period is the last twelve to fifteen years, after I get out of the Mid-state Penitentiary. First on I settled in Boonesboro and set up shop there. Then I moved to a bigger place in Tylers ville. I did buy warm stuff and peddle it. But not like the way I was before. This time [in Tylersville vs. American City] it was off and on. Nickel and dime, really. It never got to be big thing.
In the cop’s eye—yes, I was a fence this last period. On account of I am dealing in hot goods. But not in my eye. To me, the dealing has to be more an all-the-time thing [to say someone is a “fence”], that one is doing it regular and is making a good dollar. May lay low if the heat is on but otherwise it has to be more than off and on, more than just the nickel and dime stuff. Say, a couple of your students are stealing computers from the college—you buy them, peddle them to your daughter and her friends. That don’t make you a fence. The cops are very loose with that term.
Calvary Harry, you know about him. I always get a kick out of telling this. It shows what I mean about cops thinking everyone who touches warm stuff is a fence. In the cop’s eye he was a big fence, but they are only blowing wind outta their ass. Harry wound up with a bunch of World War II guns one time that were hot as hell. Harry wasn’t a fence at all. He was just a half-assed hustler and gambler. He got the guns from a couple of guys in a crap game who ran short of money and unloaded the guns on Harry. Remember, they’re hot as hell. Harry stores them in an old garage. Meantime, the cops find out about this, on account of the whole fucking world knows about it. They confiscate the guns, but couldn’t pin it on Harry. But he got taken so fucking bad on them guns he got the name, “Calvary Harry.” He was the laughingstock of the town. The cops always thought Harry was this big fence. He was a fucking joke. That was about the only hot stuff he ever bought and he couldn’t unload it.
A lotta guys that run secondhand shops will buy off and on, when the coast is clear. That is mainly what I did this last period. I’m pissing around but not taking a full leak. Off and on the fencing might shoot up, but mostly it was smalltime. Geez, nothing like before—I had burglars then that were bringing in stuff every week. Guys driving truck or working on the docks knew I would pretty much handle whatever they brought.
The same with a guy who runs a store, legit now, but he buys from a dealer like me—who is buying direct from the thieves. He is keeping a layer between himself and the thief, so the chances of hassles with the police are small. And he doesn’t have to put up with the thieves. To me, this store guy is a businessman looking for an easy buck. Nothing more than that. He ain’t a fence.
That don’t mean you always have to deal direct with the thieves, with the ones stealing the stuff. Someone like an Angelo in American City or an Amato here in Tylersville will deal with regular fences, like with me. If I came across cigarettes, liquor, guns—I would contact Angelo and he would tell me where to drop it. A person on that end would take care of it. A few times Angelo would have the guy contact me to make the arrangements. Angelo’s hands would never touch it. He had the connections for unloading. Or he might deal with a good thief like Jesse or Bowie. But always stay in the background. This was a regular way for Angelo, to be the contact man, the go-between. More or less be the referral.
In my eye Angelo is a fence ‘cause this is pretty regular and is on a pretty big scale. Ain’t nickel and dime shit. But normally a fence is someone who is dealing direct with the thieves. I guess you could call someone like an Angelo a “go-between” or a “referral” fence, but no, I don’t think I’ve heard those terms used.
A main thing is, can the thief depend on you to take whatever it is you are handling? Can he count on unloading what he steals? Someone like Rosen—if you’re hooked up with him and bring him jewelry, he will buy. Same with the foundry guy. Jesse and me would bring him copper or nickel, he would buy. Louie was pretty wide open—not just the thieves he regularly dealt with but many times he would buy from the walk-in trade. And whatever they were bringing in. Silas, Ben Silas, is Lebanese or something like that. Big operator here in Tylersville. Is a big fence. He can handle truckloads, he is that big. If you’re tied up with him, he is an outlet you can depend on. That is what the thief means when he says so-and-so is my “offman,” that he can unload what he steals.
I don’t know what you’d call someone like Willie, Willie Swopes. Is the main pimp in Tylers ville. Is a piece of work. Has like five or six brothers, a couple of sisters. Part of a black family that is well-known for being into dif-ferent things. Willie’s uncles were involved at one time. The one is still alive. Willie is the main one now. Will buy warm stuff and pretty regular, too. Doesn’t have the good outlets, so peddles the stuff in the bars or right on the street— mostly to the ordinary joe blow. May peddle to dealers like me if we’ll buy or maybe even go to someone like Silas. In my eye, ones like Willie are more hustlers than anything ‘cause they’re dealing in dope and in girls, too, and other hustling bullshit. That is their main thing, the fencing is just sideline.
It’s hard to be fence and not be known to the police. Maybe if you just buy from a handful of thieves, not many will know. But if you’re at all wide open, the police will know. This or that.thief is gonna give them a name—”Tell us where you’re unloading the stuff, and we’ll let you go.” Myself, it was very widely known I was buying hot things back in American City. But not this last period. A couple of cops may have had an inkling but, no, it really wasn’t known that I was dealing. The cops are seeing me as similar to most secondhand dealers or pawnshop guys, as somebody who may buy warm stuff off and on but not regular.
The fences I’ve known in my life were more or less like me. Not that they were into burglary at one time or that they had done time. A lot of them haven’t done time, or very little time. But they were shady in one way or another. If not into crime, on the edge of it. Most will own a legit business. Would be hard to be fence and not have the legit side. ‘Cause if you’re han-dling much stuff, your chances of getting popped and the charges sticking are more, whole lot more, without that cover.
It goes both ways—the legit helps the fencing, and vice versa. The two go hand in hand. Your equipment, your trucks, the guys working for you, the warehouse. Your overhead expenses, really. Like the trucks and the storage I had with the legit business helped to make the fencing go. And the contacts— the contacts from one can help the other. The money you are making from one can help build the other side. It would be hard to be a fence and not have the legit side. It’s covering your back, but more that.
What it comes down to [being a fence means]—there is turnover, there is doing it regular. There is dealing with the thief, there is dealing with the guy who is an outlet, and dealing with the cops. The dealing in warm stuff is a main part of what the guy is about. Hustling and making contacts, and dealing with people from all walks of life, not just the illegit side. Before in American City, yes, I was a fence, a dealer all the way.
I just fell into fencing, you might say. See, I was never just into burglary. I was always working, too. Running my shop. The shop at first was a front for the burglary, but still was doing okay. I always hired somebody to look after the store, and I was free to come and go. But I spent a lot of time in the store when I wasn’t clipping or scouting or running to auctions.
A big boost came from Brubaker, local guy who was very big in antiques. I am running to the auctions and elsewhere to find old chairs and sofas—to recover and doctor them up. Sell them in my shop or peddle them at this or that auction or even at some antique shows. Brubaker sees my work ‘cause by now I am moving into other furniture pieces like old chests and kitchen tables. He buys a rolltop desk I’d done repairs on. Then asks if I would do his antiques. Now other dealers are seeing my work, that I was good at repairing, at doctoring antiques. This led to my buying and selling antiques with these dealers, and I’d mix in some of the warm stuff from my burglar buddies.
But Scottie was my first really big contact as far as the fencing goes. Contact came from Brubaker, who recommended my work to Scottie. Very big secondhand dealer from Oceantown [a large city several hours away]. Lived in American City at one time and now comes back to buy and sell with the local dealers. We hit it off. He knew about my background and I am knowing from the grapevine that Scottie was on the shady side. Two peas in a pod. Scottie is legit but pretty heavy into the fencing too. First on, he’s bringing antiques to me that are warm—antique furniture, sofas, chairs, rolltop desks—to upholster and to doctor up so they’d sell better. And to cover his back. He tells me, “If you run into anything, Sam, pick it up and ship it on up to me.” So I said, “Solid.” Now I could buy more and different things. I could buy local stuff that was warm and sell it out of the area. Meant, too, Jesse and I had another outlet if I came across good antiques or if I got a tip on place that was waiting to be cleaned out.
Louie was the main fence in town at that time. Really, he was into a lot of things—gambling, shylock loans, a big used-car dealership, and was a slum landlord. Off and on, he’d run a flea market. He was very well connected. Not a member of the mafia but ties with them. He was my main outlet for stolen goods until I got rolling. Louie and me palled a lot yet we was always trying to outdo each other, too. Louie put me in touch with a lot of people, especially the local clique that more or less ran American City. Being hooked up with Jesse and palling with Louie put out the message that one could do business with Goodman.
The other big fence was Angelo, whose old man, Mario, was very high up in the mafia. Angelo was a big spoke. Angelo was big, very big in the “rackets”— that is your [Steffensmeier’ s] term now—until he got popped a couple of years ago. Angelo had a helluva spider web, could put in you touch with a lotta different people. As a favor for you but then you owe him back.
The other two main fences were Ray Weinstein, a Jew tied up with the Jew mob and the Italians. At that time, the Italians and Jews worked together more. Still do, but not as much. Weinstein dealt with the better thieves. Then Weinstein packs it in and Rosen becomes a main one, especially for the jewelry. Rosen and his dad had a lot of connections with the police and the good lawyers, and with the Italians. Dealt with the better thieves or with dealers like me.
There were other big spokes—Phil and Grasso. Cooper, the auctioneer guy. And Woody later on ‘cause he had a big auction house in Southstate where I could unload almost anything. Duggan was a big help, who was a helluva corrupt cop. Would be quite a few that could make the list. But Angelo, Louie, and Jesse were the biggest. You need a few good spokes to get the wheel rolling. To get a decent spider web. Then can lose a spoke here and there but no big deal.
All the time now I’m getting a helluva education, from dealing with Scottie and the other dealers, from palling with Louie, and just from running to the auctions. I always thought I had a head for business and getting over on somebody but now I am seeing for myself and getting the confidence I can handle whatever needs to be done.
The big change in the fencing comes when I get out of the penitentiary for the antique burglary with Jesse. Before that, the fencing is building and building but in a way I am holding back. The burglary and my legit business are what I ‘ m mainly into.
Is still hard for me to believe how the fencing takes off. For one thing, Jesse decided to pack it in—get out of the burglary altogether. And in some ways I am thinking, too, that I am getting too old for crawling in windows. Maybe it’s time to have somebody crawl in windows for me.
Another thing, the local clique in American City is more and more opening its doors. I am pulling but in many ways they are pushing on me. Angelo and me is doing a lot of business. He doesn’t want to be out front anymore, so I’m handling the warm stuff for him. I would deal with the thieves or whomever and have the stuff taken to such and such a place. I am a layer in between ‘cause Angelo wants to stay in the background. A lot of Angelo’s connections came from his old man who was in the mafia. I mean really “in.” Angelo was always someone I could go to if I needed a contact or for quick cash if I was short.
The local clique was a clique of guys who each has his fingers into something. Like a gambling club. Get together to play cards and craps every week or so. You have to be invited in. Nicky Moretti was the main organizer. Was mafia, always came with a bodyguard. Charlie Ciletti came, Angelo, Phil, and that whole crew. Different businessmen would be there. The two main pimps in town, Stokes and Cain, were usually there. Would blow their money and run out, round up their girls, come back in, and blow their money again.
Another strange one was Jerry Gucci. Ran the vending machine business in town, big drug dealer, too. Jerry wasn’t in the mafia really, but was connected with them. He’d show up, say, at 9:00. Then it was bang, bang, a couple hundred bucks a roll. Go around the table once, maybe twice, then he’d leave. If he won, he won, if he lost, fuck it. He did it quick. We all got a kick out of that.
For a crap game there would be as many as thirty or forty guys, but sometimes they’d bring in fresh money from the outside, say a salesman or a businessman that was visiting town. We’d start around 7:00 and if it was poker, there were times some of us played till morning. It was a friendly game but we wanted to beat each other. It was a way of relaxing for me and finding out what was going on. Just by listening and watching you could get a good notion of what was going on. It more or less put me in touch with a lotta people and helped me get hooked up with the police, too.
In my eye, the local clique and different ones have more confidence in me. On account of me doing very little time for the antique burglary. With my record and then “bang,” I’m back on the streets. That, and nobody went down with us. Knew I was solid but even more they are feeling they can do business with me. That I could handle my end of things.
The fencing just goes “swoosh.” It gets to where I am buying from anybody and everybody. Carried it too far. Was getting careless. Too many people knew my business. I got too greedy. It got harder and harder to walk away from a deal. I got to liking being the center of things, people knowing who I was, coming to me for deals—the local clique, the better thieves, this or that businessman. Even some of the local cops were coming to my shop for good deals. I thought I couldn’t be touched, that I had a license to steal.
My bread and butter was always the in-between thief, between the good burglar and the walk-in thief. Off and on I might buy from the penny-ante thief or a doper thief but I was leery and didn’t want the hassle that comes from dealing with them. The good thief was my preference and there was always some of that but they have other outlets. I seldom—very seldom—bought from kids.
I always did a lotta business with this or that guy that works in a store, in a warehouse, or drives a truck—who clips off and on. This is a surprise to the public ‘cause in their eye a “thief” is the shoplifter or the burglar or the doper thief.
Here’s another thing, quite a few times I have bought from your ordinary joe blow. Isn’t really a thief, but runs out of money and clips somebody he knows. His girlfriend or his neighbor or somebody he pals with. Checks me out to unload. Not just guys now ‘cause I’ve had women come into my shop wanting to sell furniture or jewelry that’s in their apartment. Turns out they are living with a guy and want to split.
In fencing the general rule is, the thief gets paid on the spot. Then and there. But there’s a lotta leeway. I usually paid the thief right away. But many times I would pay them after I unloaded, especially this last period and especially with the Beck brothers. It all depended on who I was dealing with. If the thief has faith in you, he’ll wait.
I always carried a lot of cash in my pocket but if it was something half-big, I would need a little time to raise the money and I didn’t want to be empty-handed in case another deal came my way. So, I would tell the guy, here’s what I’ll pay but I got to unload it first or I need a little time to get the money. Many times a regular thief would call ahead if he has items that are worth a good dollar. That way, I have an idea of the dollar amount and will have the bread there for him. Or, I’d say, “Hey, I’m a little low on cash—give you so much now, come back tomorrow for the rest.” This is not a big deal for many of your thieves, especially the better ones and the ones you’re dealing with regular. You work things out. With the walk-in thief, yes, he’ll more want his money then and there, and you will want to pay on the spot ‘cause the amount will be small and you don’t want the hassle of his coming back for his money.
It worked the same way when Jesse and I was clipping. The foundry guy that was our outlet for the copper or nickel was loaded, full of money. But a couple of times he didn’t have the money. Come back a day or so later and the money would be there. We had no problem with that. Knew his word was good. Oftentimes we called ahead, just to give him an idea of what he’d need. That way you didn’t have to make another trip ‘cause we’re talking about three-hour drive. Same with the jewelry guy and other ones, too, that we were doing business with fairly regular. There was no big rush if they were short of cash. But, say, we unloaded with a guy we didn’t know or we were a little shaky about, no, then we had to have our money right away.
Is a lotta bullshit you hear from the cops, and you see this on TV—that the fence pays the thief 10 percent of retail, maybe less. The thief isn’t going to steal for nothing. Say a thief steals three CD players, that is each retailed at two hundred dollars or six hundred dollars all together. He steals them, lugs them over, does all that and you pay him only sixty dollars? Maybe a doper thief would do that but a half decent thief? No way.
The ordinary thief is figuring like one-third of retail. Not that he gets it, but that’s his rule of thumb. Whereas the good thief is thinking about wholesale or about a percentage. That he should get half of wholesale or half of what the fence can unload the stuff for. Thereabouts. The fence wants to double his money or triple it. Or, at least make a decent dollar.
There’s a range in there that has to be worked out. Depends on what the merchandise is. Say it is a carat diamond. You tell me you want four thousand dollars for it, that’s what you have to have. There ain’t no flaws, no bubbles, no carbon, no nothing in it. If I am unsure what I can get, then I will want to bid low. But many times I would say, OK, leave it here, give me a day to see if I can peddle it. I would contact Rosen, see what he will pay. If I can get six thousand dollars, I might pay four thousand dollars. I want to make 50 percent or thereabouts. Now Rosen knows he can sell it for ten to twelve thousand dollars. Is a good profit for him—no record, no paying Uncle Sam. If someone like Steelbeams or Andy or Rocky went direct to Rosen and he was willing to deal with them, they are going to get more than what I’d pay. But still not that much more. On account of Rosen can buy the jewelry legit at a big discount and he will want to have a layer in between, which is where I would fit in.
The fence is gonna get it as cheap as he can so he can make more money, same as any businessman, but not be too greedy. Most thieves are not hard to satisfy. The better thief, yes. It’s more a business for him. But your ordinary thief has nothing but his time invested. He don’t wanna be caught peddling the stuff, does not want to shop around. But you got to be fair, can’t cut off the hand that is feeding you. My rule of thumb is to get it as cheap as I can but not beat the thief too bad. I am paying a fair price, in his eye. Am an okay guy.
Really, there ain’t no set rules for how much the fence will pay. Different things have to be figured in. What is the risk factor? How sure am I of my outlets? Does the thief know what he has? Can he peddle elsewhere? Do you want to do business with the thief again? What will keep him happy? How much hassle, how much work is there for me?
Most thieves are pretty sharp about prices and pretty much know what they have. Even your dopers and walk-in thieves will have a ballpark idea, just by checking the store prices and what they hear from street talk. Depends on what they have. The ordinary thief don’t know shit about the secondhand stuff and the antiques, so you can chop the price down on that. Same with jewelry—the knowledge the ordinary thief has is very superficial.
Take watches, if your ordinary burglar is grabbing jewelry, he may pick up a handful of watches. Chances are he doesn’t know what they are worth. Most of the time, they will be junk, penny ante. But, say, it’s a pocket watch that has an open dial face or is a hunting style with a covered dial face. A good watch like that is worth a hundred to two hundred dollars. Or take what is called the Dollar Watch. These go back fifty to seventy-five years when they were produced, at one time could be bought new for a couple bucks or even less. Today these are worth a hundred, couple hundred bucks depending on how many jewels it has. Another is the old Railroad Watches that can go back eighty, ninety years. They will bring a very good dollar today. It will depend on the engraving, how many jewels it has, what shape it is in—but pocket watches can bring a pretty good price. Your ordinary thief don’t know that, so you can beat him bad and in his eye you are still treating him right. So, I’d say, here, I’ll give you so much for the jewelry—say, five hundred dollars. Here’s another fifty dollars for those fucking watches. Next time he comes in, I might throw another fifty his way—to keep on his good side and encourage him to clip more of them.
I would usually want the thief, the ordinary thief, to tell me what he thinks he should be paid, what he has to have. That way I will know if they know what they have, what they think is a fair price. If the price is okay, we can deal. If not, and we can’t work it out, he has to peddle elsewhere. If he’s a regular thief, I might say: “Okay, let me unload, see what I can get.” If my price is off too far, then throw them a few extra bucks. They were happy with that.
With the better thief, you don’t play the head games. The bargaining is mainly with the ordinary thief. Even on antiques, the good thief will have a working knowledge of what they’re worth. You will pay him a fair price to begin with. If he don’t want to set a price, you will make an offer. I didn’t mind paying a fair price, especially if a man knew what he had. I respected that.
Most of your thieves can be reasoned with. Once you explain how you got to ship it out, how there has to be a cut for the next guy, and all that, most of your thieves will take that into account. Same with the warehouse thief and truck driver, once they get it through their heads how the fencing works, there is very little haggling about prices. Really, I had very few hassles about prices. My thing was, don’t cut off the hand that is feeding you. I would always come across as pretty decent guy.
A lot depends on who I’m doing business with. Does he know what he’s got, do I want to keep him in my pocket, how much hassle is there for me. Actually, I was the cheapest on prices I paid the thief this last period. I wasn’t thinking so much about keeping the thief in my pocket. Another thing, I didn’t have the places to unload. Nothing like before. Phew, it is hard to believe all the shit I was buying then ‘cause I knew if I made enough calls I could unload the stuff. So back then I’m going overboard, catering more to the thief, just to keep him in my pocket.
Take the Beck boys this time, and some other ones too. I would chop them pretty bad, especially on antiques and even jewelry ‘cause many times they didn’t know what they had. Not in their eyes now—they are still thinking that I am paying a fair price. I didn’t go for finagling. Well, maybe a little, ‘cause that is part of the enjoyment—for me and many times for the thief. They expected that, otherwise would think Goodman was getting soft. But mainly, if I could make a buck and not have any hassles, then, yeah, here’s what I can pay. I didn’t put up with the bullshit like I might have before. I didn’t wanna hear any fucking whining or crying about what I’m paying ‘cause then you and I can’t do business anymore. The fencing wasn’t a main thing this last period, so I could take it or leave it.
Really, my aim has always been to make a good dollar, and make it quick. From going to the auctions and knowing what this or that outlet would pay, I pretty much knew what I could get on something. Sometimes I would double or triple my money, but other times the percent would only be 50 percent or less. My cut was not that important. As long as there wasn’t much work or hassle on my part, I might buy even if I’m pocketing only a few hundred bucks. Now, if there is hassle or much risk on my part, then my edge will have to go up.
With someone like Angelo, my cut was like 25 percent. I was happy with that ‘cause, say, it is liquor—I’m still making three or four grand and very few hassles on my part. Call him up, “I’ve got such and such.” Would park my truck at this or that spot. His boys would unload it, take it from there. Go back and get my truck. Very little work on my part. Settle up later. Angelo pays me, I pay the thieves or the drivers that peddled it to me.
This goes way back. Bought a load of whiskey from Bowie and his partner, Rudy. Bowie was just getting into safes but mostly was into heavy stuff. Bulk. Take the whole truck. I gets this call. “Hey, Sam, we got a load for you.” From a whiskey factory. Drove off with the truck, a 16-footer. Took my two trucks—Chubby is driving one, I am driving the other. Put the cases right on my trucks. In touch with Angelo right away. Met his boys and they took the whole shebang. At that time, Angelo owned the Friday Club, a bar room. The rest of the cases I am guessing he peddled to other nightspots in town. I gave Bowie five thousand in cash and five thousand more the next day. I think I got twenty-two thousand from Angelo, so doubled my money easy. That load shoulda been worth around fifty-sixty thousand, so Angelo did all right too.
Especially with your truck driver or warehouse thief, I was content to make a decent dollar but not be greedy. See they’re safe, ‘cause the police don’t expect it. Just have to make sure they don’t grab too much or clip too often. It’s altogether different with most ordinary thieves. They are known to the police. If something goes down, they will be suspected. So, I have to make a better dollar.
I was cheapest with the joe citizen thief who is trying to sell something quick ‘cause I am knowing I will never see his face again. This happened a month or two before I went to the hospital [for the cancer]. A guy comes into my shop, has a station wagon stuffed with Walkman radios and cheap cameras. In boxes and paper bags. Said somebody owed him money, this was their way of paying him. I’m figuring these are stolen from a warehouse or a delivery truck, by him or somebody else. He was jittery, not a real thief. I’m asking “What do you have to have?” Says he isn’t sure but was figuring two, three thousand was reasonable. I mentioned a couple of auctions in the area and suggested he try selling them there, one at a time. Would take awhile but maybe get his money that way. Would take them off his hands, but best I could do was eight hundred bucks. Lotta nuisance for me to unload them. Pulled the bills out of my pocket. He gives me a blank look, then says my offer is too low. Walked out. Forty, fifty minutes later he is back. Yeah, he’d take the eight hundred dollars. Loaded the stuff on my truck. Could tell he felt very relieved. Never saw him again. Shot down to Southstate and got rid of them for like ten dollars apiece for the Walkman and twenty dollars for the camera. Sold like hotcakes. A couple hundred Walkmans and maybe fifty cameras, so I made a pretty nice dollar.
Even more so I would chisel your crybaby, your whiner, the hustler types. Set a price and they keep finagling. Come back later, cry about what you paid them. I would chop them bad or put a shoe in their ass. Never want to see their fucking face again. This last period I wouldn’t deal with them at all ‘cause I didn’t want the hassles.
Some things are easy to unload, some things are not. Guns and good jewelry are easy to peddle, so you are willing to pay a fair price for it. But what if it’s something unusual? One time in American City I got a load of canned mushrooms. Another time it was a van full of musical instruments. These are hard to get rid of. So you are going to pay a lot less and the guy you’re dealing with will accept that.
Razor blades, got a whole shitload one time. Lying loose in big boxes. Came out of a warehouse. Guy calls me, tells me what he has. I’m thinking, what the fuck would I do with them. So, I calls Louie and he says, “Yeah, go for it.” But even with Louie’s contacts we couldn’t peddle them. Stored them for a couple of years in an old school bus that Louie had. Then had them packaged and Louie was finally able to unload them. But it was a losing deal and a lotta hassle. A lesson, really.
Another thing, what if the stuff is really warm, hotter than hell? The thief knows he has to unload it quickly but you’re leery of touching it. Can be a lotta heat on some pieces, especially antiques or a piece that’s been in the family for a long time. So hot your outlets won’t touch it. The police will be feeling the pressure to do something and will be watching dealers like me. The temptation is to buy ‘cause it’s worth a good dollar and you can get it cheap. But there can be too many hassles.
One time I got some good antique pieces. Baby highchair, rocking cradle, and a couple of French baby cribs. Worth a very good dollar. But at that time I didn’t have the contact with guy down south who was more willing to handle the antiques that were really warm. Ran the stuff by Scottie but he wouldn’t touch it. Even contacted Angelo, thinking he could put me in touch with an outlet. But no play. Then I hear at this one auction that some insurance people are nosing around, are on the lookout for those cribs. I scooted back to where I had them stored, set a match to them. This still makes me cry.
How much I am getting for the stolen merchandise depends on different things. How covered is my back? Is it a very warm item? Do I have faith in the buyer? Will there be any hassles for me? Is it somebody I’ve been dealing with for some time? Do I want to do business with this guy again? Is there a big dollar involved or is it nickel and dime? Am I selling local or outside the area?
In my eye, the selling end of fencing, getting rid of the warm stuff, is more like the legit side of a business. More so than the buying part The thief and your drivers may not know what they have and may not have another outlet. Are anxious to unload. But the people the fence is selling to will know. Same with the guy who shops at my store, he wants a good price and a good product. If not, can go elsewhere. Same with this or that dealer, or this or that merchant. They will buy if they can get it more cheaply than buying elsewhere. Can’t get over on them like you can the ordinary thief.
Whether the guy is solid and can handle his end of things—sure, that is important to the people the fence is selling. But how solid is the fence? That’s a lot more important to the thief. On account of the risks are different, are greater for the one who does the stealing than the guy who buys the warm stuff from a dealer like me. Say it is a store customer, a merchant in town, or guy who runs an auction—I am a layer between him and the actual stealing. Maybe he knows or should surmise the stuff is warm, but the law will have a hard time proving that ‘cause how is he supposed to know.
I let go the cheapest on stuff I wasn’t covered on. Like batteries or razors or musical instruments. Or, if I was to handle laptop computers—that is a good item today. I’m not covered, so sell it cheap to unload quickly. Another one was food products. Make a profit and be content with that ‘cause you can get jammed up on that easier. Now these can turn out to be good deals ‘cause the thief has to unload too and I am paying less to get the stuff.
Same way with an item that is very warm, maybe an antique piece or a namesake piece that’s been in the family. These can be traced easier, may even be registered. You know the police will come looking. Will post different places—like antique shops and auction outlets—on what’s been stolen. They should be on the lookout for this or that item, this or that thief. Even this or that dealer. Those times, I’d unload real quick, wouldn’t even think about making top dollar. Make a quick dollar and be satisfied with that.
A lot would depend on the buyer. Do I have faith in him. If it was a fence I hadn’t dealt with or if he wasn’t recommended to me by somebody else, I covered my back more. Would offer a take-it-or-leave-it price. If he says no, be done with it. Move on to another contact. But if it’s somebody I’ve been dealing with and he’s an okay guy, we can dicker over the price.
You can’t be too greedy when you deal with another fence. Maybe he can’t run it through his store, and has to ship it out. Same with the local secondhand dealers. The more ways it has to be cut, then the less there is for each one. Has to be room for the other guy to make a dollar, too. It is that simple.
In the long run, now, many times you are coming out ahead when you deal with another fence. On account of you can turn it over fast and chances are I’m buying from him, too. I did a lot of buying and swapping with other dealers. Like Woody, Grasso, and Scottie. This last period with Ollie and Lennie. “Have you got anything for me?” “I’ll give you these pieces for that.” Or, it’d be so much for this and so much for that. Then total it all up at the end. We would both know what we had in it, what we could get at our end. Is good business, really, ‘cause some items I could move better and vice versa. Take Woody, ran a big auction in Southstate, he could move tools, lawnmowers, bicycles, shit like that. Furniture, antiques, and that I could move better. Even with the legit stuff we could help each out that way. Another thing, if I can come back with a load for myself, legit or shady, I’m making up for time and gas.
It was friendly business. We’d try to outdo the other, get over on each other. Then laugh about it afterwards. Have a cup of coffee, buy the other one dinner. We wouldn’t beat each other too bad. More or less helped each other. Price-wise, maybe I could make more if I peddled this or that elsewhere. But there are fewer hassles this way, fewer worries. We were content as long as we could both make a good dollar.
The warm stuff in my store I would sell a little cheaper than the regular merchandise. This is in American City now. You could bargain on prices in my store. Not just on what is warm but on the secondhand stuff and the new stuff as well. I always done business that way. Some people would bargain, others would pay the price on the tag. I would drop the price more on the warm stuff ‘cause I would rather get rid of it. But not too much ‘cause my prices were already low. The person shopping in my store got a good deal whether the stuff was hot or not.
At the auctions I was never sure what I’d get. The prices are very variable. Sometimes the prices are dirt cheap, other times I would do okay, and other times you can hit “auction fever.” Then you can really clip. It helps to have the auctioneer on your side ‘cause he can help keep the prices up and mix in the warm with the legit. If the auctioneer works the crowd, gets them going, they will pay top dollar for junk. Make a bundle by mixing in junk with this or that piece. All the more so if they think the stuff is a little shady. It would be same as you going to a flea market or wholesale place ‘cause you think the prices are cheap, and the price tags are showing big discounts, especially on some items. But, really, the prices aren’t any better than you’d get at a regular retail place. People are very funny that way and can get taken very easily.
With the guy running a store, your local businessman, I would sell for less than wholesale, maybe 25 or even 50 percent less, just so there is a good dollar in it for him and a good dollar for me. There’s a range there you both have to operate within. Keep in mind, his take will be greater than buying legit ‘cause many times there won’t be a record of the sale and he won’t have to pay tax. Uncle Sam doesn’t need to know. This can be a big savings. Take Burdette, big TV and appliance place in American City. I sold him a lotta TVs. Never any hassles. He would let me know, “Hey, I can take more of those TVs.” My price for him will be cheaper than for someone else ‘cause there are no hassles and I don’t have to ship them out.
If you know ahead what somebody needs, then you’re all set when the thief comes peddling. You’re got the outlet in place and know what price you’re gonna get. There were different ones, this or that dealer, this or that store owner, I would know what they were in the market for. Maybe they’d stop by my shop or we’d bump into each other over coffee. “Give me a call Sam, if you run across such and such.” Or I’d ask, “What are you running short of?” The prices were roughly understood.
It is a two-way street. The fence will want to know what the thief can get his hands on. Same as the thief will want to know what the fence will handle, what he will pay a decent price for. That’s only natural. Same with the businessman or another dealer, the fence wants to know what they are in the market for, what they need. Just easier for everybody.
You play it by ear. There are no hard and fast rules. I could make more money selling piecemeal, say, if I shopped around and sold to the one paying the best prices. On some things, like cameras, I had several places I could peddle. Most of them, like the smaller secondhand place or a camera shop, might buy a few but not twenty-five or fifty. Whereas, another secondhand place or another fence might buy the whole shebang. If I spread it around, I can get fifty dollars each but only forty dollars each if I sell them all at one shot. But I’m taking a chance on getting busted every time I’m selling to a different one. Usually, I’d unload it all on one person. I’m making a little less but you also got to figure the risks of peddling and your time. It depends, may want to spread the warm stuff around just to keep up your contacts.
There’s more competition in a legit business than there is in fencing. In a legit business, you’re gonna buy from whoever you get the best price and you’re gonna sell to whoever pays you the best price. That’s where the competition comes from. But it don’t work that way in fencing. Not as much anyway. The trust and how you carry yourself, what kind of guy you are, is more there with the fencing. Is the guy an asshole or not. The thieves knew I would treat them fair and the cops could never come to me to help them out. Once the goods were in my hands, it was my problem.
I bothered very little about whether the guy could peddle elsewhere or what other dealers were paying. I worked harder trying to outdo the other secondhand dealers on the legit side than I did on the fencing. Ask Jesse, he will tell you—if you like the guy and you trust him, that is more important than anything.
I wouldn’t go overboard just because another dealer was paying more. Now, if a decent thief comes my way and I’m thinking he is shopping around, I’d pay a better price than usual. Try to get him to give me a shot at what he’s stealing. Once he is coming regular, I wasn’t worried he’d go elsewhere ‘cause my prices are in the ballpark of what others are paying and he isn’t gonna go to somebody he doesn’t know or is leery of, just for a few extra bucks.
Not that I didn’t try to outdo Louie or some of the smaller secondhand dealers. There was some of that. But you also help each other, work together in some ways. Say I can’t handle something or need an outlet, I might send the guy to Louie or call him for a contact. Louie and me did play games with some thieves, the younger ones who hassled and hassled over price. I would bid low, figuring they’d go to Louie next. Call Louie, to chop down the price even more. Was more to put the thief in his place than anything. I’d laugh with Louie about it afterwards. I’ve done that a few times with other dealers, too, that he can buy it at a good price. That way he owes me a favor. Or, if it’s piece I really want, ask him to buy it for me.
But this very seldom happens. You ain’t gonna get one dealer to beat a thief or work against him ‘cause the other dealer sent him or calls ahead. The fence wants that thief’s business and isn’t gonna pass up a good deal or risk this guy’s not coming back on account of another dealer. They’re too greedy and there ain’t that kind of honor among fences. There’s more honor among thieves—well, among your better thieves anyway.
If you’re careful, do what needs to be done, it is hard to catch a burglar, even harder a fence. To pop him and then make it stick. To have the evidence to put a guy away. If you do your homework on a burglary, keep your head together, don’t get sloppy, and nobody snitches, even today your chances are good.
Even more so with the fencing. If you’re looking ahead, if you’re careful about covering your ass, it is hard to prove that someone is dealing stolen goods. Hard for the police and hard for the prosecution to get a conviction. They got to show the fence had them in his hands, that he actually handled them. Then, that he knew they were warm, were stolen. Not just surmising now, but proving it.
Main thing is, the less anybody knows about your business, the better. Actually knows now, not just surmising. That, and having the money to pay the lawyers when you get popped ‘cause the law of averages will work against you if you’re clipping regular. Be able to lean on somebody if it should come to that.
My legit business was always my best cover. My shop in American City handled damned near anything—not just secondhand stuff but a lotta new stuff too. Once I got into antiques, this was even a better cover ‘cause what the hell is an antique? Could be anything. I am learning about antiques and building an interest from going to the auctions and that, but I’m also doing it ‘cause I wanted a cover for the fencing. Once the legit side of antiques got going, it carried on by itself and became a main thing. It was enjoyable and good money, too.
In American City the legit and the warm was pushing each other. One was helping the other. Both kept getting bigger. If I was handling this or that warm stuff, then that became a bigger part of my legit business. Because I’m handling furniture, antiques, and that on the legit side, then naturally I am more likely to deal in that. It would be hard to find a better cover than the kind of legit business I had then. Very hard to know, to suspect the warm dealings from the legit ones, the hot goods from what’s clean.
This last time [in Tylers ville] I didn’t have as much cover. I am still handling antiques but the secondhand side of my shop is small. Mostly, I am doing upholstery work and handling used furniture and pissing around with small collectibles. I have some cover ‘cause even on goods that don’t match your legit line, it helps. Is loading and unloading, and different people coming and going, so there is less suspicion. Really, my best cover has been my being an antique dealer. Thirty some years now, I have been handling antiques.
Generally you don’t want to know if what you’re buying is warm or not. You can surmise it is warm but you prefer not to know. Same with many of the ones I sold to. They don’t want to know. Just as soon turn a blind eye. Don’t want that facing their conscience and are figuring what they don’t know won’t hurt them.
It will depend on how warm it is. What I am buying from another dealer isn’t really hot. Strictly speaking, yes, but the chances of getting caught are so small on account there’s a layer between me and the thief. It would be hard for the prosecution to prove there was knowledge on my part, to put the blame on me. Even what I am buying from outside the area is not as warm as my buying what is stolen from local places or from local thieves on account the risk is small. The chance of the police finding out and pinning it on you is a lot less. Isn’t that much cooperation or working together among the police, especially if goes across state lines.
If if s a thief or a driver I’m buying from pretty regular, then I would want to know where the stuff was coming from. What did come from local residences or from a burglary of a business where there was a pretty decent take, I would ship this out very quickly. Run it to one of my outlets or warehouse it. You can get jammed up on the local stuff very easily especially if you are dealing with a known thief, somebody the police is watching. Different ones over the years, I would tell them, “Let me know where it’s from, don’t fuck with me when it comes to telling me that.” If I find out they bullshitted me, then can’t do business again. Not the small stuff, now, that comes out of a department store or somebody’s car. Things like radios, lamps, CD players, cameras, binoculars. That you just put on the shelf or run to an auction.
Sometimes, too, you want to slow down the thief. Don’t clip so often or clip a different product, to keep the heat off. Not just your thief but the warehouse guy or the guy that works on the dock. Clip too much, it will be noticed and can lead to an inventory check. Like I would have to tell Danny, the tow fork guy getting me those grandfather clocks from the docks. “Danny, don’t break into the crates so often, will raise somebody’s eyebrows.” Same with the Beck boys for breaking into cars: “Take a rest, hit a different town.”
You want to get rid of the stuff quickly, not have it sitting around. But this depends on how much heat there is and on whether I could make more if I held it. If it is local stuff or something the police will suspect is coming to me, I would ship it out right away. Move it out real fast.
If there’s a lotta risk, the pieces are really warm, then you don’t even want to warehouse it. What if the police have a tail on you? Otherwise you can warehouse for a few days, or even longer, ‘cause the police don’t act that fast. What I’d do, say it is appliances or furniture or tools or maybe small antiques, I’d store it for a week or so, get enough for a load, maybe mix in some legit stuff. Then I’d make a trip to one of my outlets.
On some items there is no point to holding them ‘cause the price isn’t gonna change. Like liquor and cigarettes, I knew that was going to Angelo and what he’d pay. Would move that quickly. Call him, make the arrangement where to meet his boys. It was bang, bang. Louie was different. He would sit on things, even store them for a year or so, looking for a better price. I didn’t like to do that. I would take a lower price to get rid of it.
It depends on your cash flow, too, and how much protection you have from the cops, from the law. I needed to turn the merchandise over to keep the cash flow going. Louie didn’t need to do that. His pockets were a lot deeper than mine. And Louie was very connected. Had been operating a long time. Was popped a few times but he always walked. Louie didn’t fret about the extra risk from sitting on the warm stuff. Was cocky you might say.
Most of your bigger fences I am surmising will have a place to store things, a place where burglars and that can drop the warm stuff. Maybe have both. Myself, I have used garages, an old railroad car, a barn, even an old country schoolhouse. One guy I knew had a cabin with steel bars on the windows. Louie had an old school bus. That’s where we stored that shitload of razor blades—hell, for a couple of years, until we finally peddled them.
Another thing, I always had a place in my shop to hide things quickly. Small items like jewelry or small antique pieces. First shop I had in American City, I put in a fake ceiling in the John. The big shop later on, had a trap door that opened up into a stairway to the basement. Kept it covered with a rug and my desk on top of that. Has been some close calls. One time I had picked up a couple of rare guns. Very valuable. The police had a tail on me. I headed right for my shop, into the John, and shoved the guns into the fake ceiling. Another time, the police came into my shop with a search warrant, were after some coins that were stolen. Tore the store apart but never found them. All the time, the bag of coins is under the trap door, right under their noses. This last shop, Tylersville, is an elevator at the back. Goes to the second and third floor but will only go to the basement if you use a special key. Is the only way to get down there. Any jewelry, any guns, or good antique pieces I’d keep down there.
I always had a Doberman or a Shepherd, to guard the place at night. To scare away a thief but just in case the police come barging in, they would have to answer to him. This would give me a few minutes. Still hurts me I had to put my last Doberman to sleep on account Wanda and some of the help were afraid of him. He could get nasty. I don’t think you liked him very well either.
I never altered merchandise that much. Never bothered to change serial numbers. Who keeps track of them anyway? A few times I’d tear off a label or exchange backs on a TV or appliance. But didn’t really bother doing that. Never had any hassles either. Think about it. My shop in American City was so full you could hardly walk through it. F m buying and selling all the time, legit and illegit. F m running back and forth to the auctions. Somebody dies, I might buy out the house. This place goes out of business, F m buying from them. People are coming in off the streets, selling and buying. I’ve got new stuff and used stuff, this brand and that brand. Some of the stuff is junk, some isn’t. Who is gonna be able to tell what is warm and what isn’t?
I did try to have receipts on some items. I might buy junk at an auction— TVs, furniture, whatever. Buy it cheap, then get the receipts so I had this piece of paper in case I got jammed up. Maybe get the guy at the auction to give me blank slips, so I could fill them out whatever way I wanted.
Some merchandise I would alter, especially this last period. Take antiques that come out of private homes or from a dealer whose shop has been clipped. If I was leery, I would “doctor” them. Maybe break off a leg, or upholster part of a chair. Take the stain off and refinish it. On the wicker, I would usually repaint it. Put doubt in the person’s mind that this piece was theirs, and it had been stolen from them. Something like mountain bikes, switch the tires or change a fender. Make it harder for the cop who investigates and also give him some leeway if he wants to give you a break.
On things I was covered on, many times I would get a sales slip which says I bought this or that from so and so. If it was a thief, I might have him sign it. But more likely I’d write up a bill of sale and have somebody in the shop sign it, a hanger-on or one of the guys working for me. Didn’t care what name was put down. Just get a signature. Then, if somebody comes in my shop and can identify their property, I got that piece of paper. May lose the merchandise, but that will be it.
Keep in mind, the sales slip won’t help that much on stuff you’re not covered on. Take when I bought the van full of musical instruments, even with a sales slip I would still have a lot of explaining to do. Another thing, if you buy from a thief that is well known to the cops, the cops and a jury aren’t gonna believe that piece of paper. They will figure you know he’s a thief and know that what he’s peddling is warm, paper or no paper. Same as if you buy something that is a worth a good dollar or a truckload—the best cover is to get rid of it quick. Don’t bother with the sales slip.
In many ways you don’t want to keep good records. Know what I mean? Make them dig for whatever they get. My thing was to be contrite with the police. Tell them, yeah, I know I need to keep better records, take the time to write everything down, and keep a file on what I bought and from whom. But I was only blowing wind outta my ass.
If you’re buying regular, you got to face the law of averages, that somebody is gonna turn you in to save his ass. Especially if you’re buying from the ordinary thief. Even more so the doper thief. He will get popped and start talking. Police will have a patsy. The more times your name comes up, the more pressure on the police to do something. More chances for them to get something on you, to make a case against you. The fence has to be able to manage that. I had to pay more attention to this in this last period [in Tylersville] on account of I didn’t have the contacts with the police and the magistrates, and with the really good lawyers.
My thing was to limit the snitching by being a “nice guy” and their knowing you can get rough. The thief has to know you can play hardball. I was always a firm believer of that. If he snitches, then we can’t do business again. A shoe up his ass or kick in his nuts if you want to send a message to anybody that is watching. But whack him, no.
If you’re a dealer like I was in American City the police are gonna know. One way or another they will have to be taken care of. You can’t operate without getting some slack. Mostly, the fence needs a break now and then.
How much slack will depend on how wide open the dealer is, how regular he is dealing, who he is buying from. If he is buying regular from the ordinary thief, the walk-in trade, the police for sure are gonna know. If a fence is careful about who he deals with and has good outlets, the police may know but not know enough for doing much about it. Take the foundry guy Jesse and me sold the nickel and copper to, he dealt only with the better thief, with someone who had been vouched for. The police can surmise he is dealing but not really know.
Say a thief does snitch. Is he telling the truth? Can the cops get enough evidence to go after the fence? The cops can spend a lotta time for nothing-checking it out, then come up empty. Ordinary cop doesn’t have the time and doesn’t have the know-how “up here” [Sam points to his head]. Except for this or that detective, the police mostly don’t wanna be bothered.
It depends, too, on how shady the cops are, and the DA and the magistrates. Once I got in with the local clique [in American City], I had more leeway from the local police and the local magistrates than I really needed. American City has always been pretty loose. As far as the local cops and the district attorney go, and then throw in having a good lawyer go to bat for you, different ones have a license to operate. In gambling, in the fencing, in the higher-up drug dealing, in the shady land deals. It is all joined together. Are quite a few involved. There’s something in it for everybody.
Tylersville is pretty corrupt too. Cops aren’t as shady but the magistrates are just as bad, maybe worse. Has been a couple of investigations about magistrates taking kickbacks and one of them letting prostitutes go if they will blow him. Which there is a video of. The local clique, like Amato and the Lebanese guy, pretty much have a license to operate. State police might interfere but the local cops pretty much look the other way. Not with me, I’m not protected that way anymore. My attitude these past years in Tylersville has been—if you keep it small, watch who you deal with and cover your back, the risks aren’t that great the police will have anything that will stick.
It is hard to get a conviction for the fencing. Rosen, the jewelry guy, has been at it for long, long time. Now his son is involved too. They have been my outlet for jewelry all these years. But they are careful, very careful. Just deal with the better thief and with a dealer like me. Would have to get somebody like Bowie or a dealer like me agree to set Rosen up. Even then, the cops would have their hands full to get a conviction. Rosen isn’t in the gambling club but is hooked up with different ones in the local clique. Very shrewd, very connected.
From what Phil has told me, state police and the feds are putting a lotta heat on Rosen. Lotta surveillance, tapping the phones, bugs, the whole works. When Steelbeams got picked up last year, the state police were pumping him about Rosen. Are trying to build a case against him. But he has a good cover and is careful who he deals with. And has the bread to pay off, and he has Savelas, the best lawyer in the area. Don’t forget that. So, I don’t think they will nail him. Harass him, yes, but convict him, no.
There are different ways for a fence to get some slack from the police. My approach was to be good guy with the police. Give them good deals on merchandise in my shop. Not badmouth them, like Louie did, but show some respect. Appreciated they have a job to do. Maybe help them out in doing their job when that is possible, say, if they are really under the gun to track down stolen property that has led to a lot of fuss. Myself, I would help the cops on certain things. Not be a snitch like some fences will do. But if a detective came to me, “Hey, these people had a set of china stolen that’s been in the family for generations, give us a break on it if it comes your way or let us know if you hear anything.” The detectives appreciated that. If push comes to shove, then fall back on a payoff, mostly through your lawyer. Don’t make it easy for them— cover your back in little ways and take them to a trial if it comes down to that.
I had some slack in American City but nothing like an Angelo or a Phil or even Louie. Angelo and Phil had the local cops and the magistrates. And the DA wouldn’t buck them. Angelo is smooth, very smooth. Was connected something fierce. Even had some connections in the state police. Another thing, the good lawyers would take my case but they wouldn’t pull out all the stops, the way they would for Angelo or Phil. At one time, Louie had just as much in the way of protection but he made a lot of enemies that hurt him in the end.
I do know some fences, more than you’d think, who will snitch to give themselves some slack. Especially will snitch on a bottom-barrel thief or a doper. Are helping the police look good, keep their arrests up. This doesn’t mean the fence has to set the thief up or testify against him. Just identify whether this or that thief or burglar was involved or stole such and such. Then the police know they have the right guy and can turn the heat up. Or maybe the fence knows who is dealing drugs or is mugging people, ‘cause those are crimes the police want to solve. The fence can help the police out ‘cause he hears what’s going on in different areas.
Louie would snitch, especially on the penny-ante thief, the dopers, and the black thieves. The better thief was leery of Louie. But Louie’s slack just didn’t come from the snitching, now. Louie was very connected and he did favors for the police, same as me. Ran a used-car lot. Would give the police old cars for their driver training or sell a car dirt cheap, say, if the cop was buying a car for his kid. Louie’s place was kind of hangout. I would stop by and this or that cop would be there, having coffee, seeing what Louie had on his lot. Same thing with a flea market Louie would put on once in a while, different cops would drop by.
Another thing, Louie played dirty with some of the smaller dealers. It was well-known that he had tipped off the police about this or that secondhand guy who is buying and even that this or that thief would be coming in. Lot of the little dealers feared Louie that way, ‘cause they didn’t have the connections with the police. See, the police can give one fence the slack to operate and screw over another dealer so he can’t operate.
This last period I didn’t have the slack like before. Had a decent lawyer in Tylers ville but doubt he had the connections. If he did, I couldn’t count on him to pull out all the stops for me. I knew guys in the local clique but wasn’t part of it. Enough to say, “Hi,” and did a little business with some of them, but not much more. Same with the magistrates and the cops. Knew some of them, even did some upholstery work for this or that one. Can’t say if they’d give me a break or not, but they sure as hell wasn’t in my pocket.
A big help for me has always been that I made a good living from the legit business. If there is slack in the fencing, the legit side can pick you up. If the heat is on, you can’t always depend on the fencing. If I needed cash, I could always take on more upholstery work or run legit stuff to the auctions or run a sale in my store. Raise some extra bucks. And what if you get popped? Your legit business can be collateral and help you put up bail or pay the lawyers. Can help you ride it out if you have to shut down for awhile.