"Just six months before... George was a different man. Literally."
March 9, 2019 2:22 AM Subscribe
"On the morning of August 15, 1980, he sat in his security truck staring at several bags of money that contained over $7 million. He asked himself the same question again: 'Do I feel lucky?' [some photos NSFW]
"Yes, he thought. Today is different. Today I feel lucky.
"So George took as much money as he could carry, and he disappeared into thin air."
A fascinating longread about a security guard on the lam, and the making of the most expensive gay porno film of all time, Centurians [sic] of Rome.
"Yes, he thought. Today is different. Today I feel lucky.
"So George took as much money as he could carry, and he disappeared into thin air."
A fascinating longread about a security guard on the lam, and the making of the most expensive gay porno film of all time, Centurians [sic] of Rome.
Many other gay actors appeared in the film. We obtained the actor releases for this article and tried to track down 34 of the men who appeared in front of the camera: 22 of them died before their 45th birthdays, most of them ravaged by AIDS.Two-thirds of them died. Mostly of AIDS. That's a thing that happened.
Also: On the back seat is a large bag containing 10 pounds of blow. so that happened as well.
Is it any wonder the 80s produced so much great music?
posted by Combat Wombat at 4:02 AM on March 9, 2019 [19 favorites]
TedW: I’ll have to remember that line in case I ever win the lottery.
It is very unoriginal; a similar comment is often attributed to another George.
posted by James Scott-Brown at 4:42 AM on March 9, 2019 [6 favorites]
It is very unoriginal; a similar comment is often attributed to another George.
posted by James Scott-Brown at 4:42 AM on March 9, 2019 [6 favorites]
This post needs a #UnexpectedMueller hashtag.
Good story. It made me wonder if it's still possible to disappear like this in the modern Internet/surveillance age.
posted by spoobnooble II: electric bugaboo at 5:36 AM on March 9, 2019 [13 favorites]
Good story. It made me wonder if it's still possible to disappear like this in the modern Internet/surveillance age.
posted by spoobnooble II: electric bugaboo at 5:36 AM on March 9, 2019 [13 favorites]
I don’t care for pulling guns on people, but other than that I have to give him kudos for just going for it. The best time to be bored is after you’re dead.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 6:05 AM on March 9, 2019
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 6:05 AM on March 9, 2019
It is very unoriginal; a similar comment is often attributed to another George.
It's widely quoted (or riffed on) because it's funny.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 6:50 AM on March 9, 2019 [7 favorites]
It's widely quoted (or riffed on) because it's funny.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 6:50 AM on March 9, 2019 [7 favorites]
And what made it worse was that he was surrounded by the huge sums of cash that he had to guard. He fantasized about grabbing some of it one day and escaping to a new life where he could fulfill his dreams.
I always wonder about that when I see armored cars or when I am dealing with a bank teller. They all must get tempted from time to time, right? I know I would.
Clearly the police departments' application processes were working since he got rejected from every department he applied to. I wonder what was tripping him up, some kind of psych screening or maybe his references mentioning how weird he was?
The story is fascinating and very much worth reading. If one is going to steal money and go on the lam, he at least found a pretty good way to blow (ahem) the money and had fun for a while, though it sounds like he was relieved to finally be caught.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:56 AM on March 9, 2019
I always wonder about that when I see armored cars or when I am dealing with a bank teller. They all must get tempted from time to time, right? I know I would.
Clearly the police departments' application processes were working since he got rejected from every department he applied to. I wonder what was tripping him up, some kind of psych screening or maybe his references mentioning how weird he was?
The story is fascinating and very much worth reading. If one is going to steal money and go on the lam, he at least found a pretty good way to blow (ahem) the money and had fun for a while, though it sounds like he was relieved to finally be caught.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:56 AM on March 9, 2019
It seems strange to me that they didn't believe he could go through $1,850,000 in a year and a half. Shows a distinct lack of imagination on their part.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 7:29 AM on March 9, 2019 [16 favorites]
posted by The Underpants Monster at 7:29 AM on March 9, 2019 [16 favorites]
It seems strange to me that they didn't believe he could go through $1,850,000 in a year and a half. Shows a distinct lack of imagination on their part.
That's $5,637,714 in today's dollars or roughly $10,000 a day.
Spending that much without retaining any assets (no houses, no cars, no rare baseball cards) could be a challenge unless you were dedicated to giving it away.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 7:46 AM on March 9, 2019 [7 favorites]
That's $5,637,714 in today's dollars or roughly $10,000 a day.
Spending that much without retaining any assets (no houses, no cars, no rare baseball cards) could be a challenge unless you were dedicated to giving it away.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 7:46 AM on March 9, 2019 [7 favorites]
Spending that much without retaining any assets (no houses, no cars, no rare baseball cards) could be a challenge unless you were dedicated to giving it away.
Or sniffing it -- the answer to that question was almost certainly cocaine. To pick just one notable celebrity example of putting a fortune up their nose:
In time, Fleetwood came to be known backstage as “The King of Toot,” and an article about rock’s biggest spenders put him at No. 1 solely for the amount of cocaine he consumed. He and one of the band’s engineers once determined that if you stretched all the cocaine he’d ever done into one line, it would be “seven miles long,” and one publication estimated that he’d snorted over $60 million worth of the drug.
posted by Dip Flash at 7:52 AM on March 9, 2019 [7 favorites]
Or sniffing it -- the answer to that question was almost certainly cocaine. To pick just one notable celebrity example of putting a fortune up their nose:
In time, Fleetwood came to be known backstage as “The King of Toot,” and an article about rock’s biggest spenders put him at No. 1 solely for the amount of cocaine he consumed. He and one of the band’s engineers once determined that if you stretched all the cocaine he’d ever done into one line, it would be “seven miles long,” and one publication estimated that he’d snorted over $60 million worth of the drug.
posted by Dip Flash at 7:52 AM on March 9, 2019 [7 favorites]
It seems like there would have been ALL KINDS of red flags trying to spend $100 bills casually in 1980. Like giving it away in that form would have almost been a burden to the recipient and a chore for the giver.
Even ten years later, when I was working away at the Burger King, I'd get big bills when I cashed my checks because you really couldn't spend them anywhere unless your actual bill came to within $20 of it or so. And pretty much everywhere you would go on a daily basis - gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores, etc.. - had signs saying "No bill over $20 accepted".
And the first thing at restaurants people would mention when I worked in them and someone was flinging around $100 bills was either drugs or real estate - or both.
This was a great read - hopefully ole DB Cooper was able to have this good of a time with it.
posted by Tchad at 7:59 AM on March 9, 2019 [3 favorites]
Even ten years later, when I was working away at the Burger King, I'd get big bills when I cashed my checks because you really couldn't spend them anywhere unless your actual bill came to within $20 of it or so. And pretty much everywhere you would go on a daily basis - gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores, etc.. - had signs saying "No bill over $20 accepted".
And the first thing at restaurants people would mention when I worked in them and someone was flinging around $100 bills was either drugs or real estate - or both.
This was a great read - hopefully ole DB Cooper was able to have this good of a time with it.
posted by Tchad at 7:59 AM on March 9, 2019 [3 favorites]
That Robert Mueller cameo was surprising indeed.
posted by doctornemo at 8:06 AM on March 9, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by doctornemo at 8:06 AM on March 9, 2019 [4 favorites]
Every photo of Scorpio with his serious expression and huge mustache makes me laugh. I'm sorry, Scorpio. I'm sure you were excellent at your craft. His mom coming to watch him strip and bragging about him to all her friends was so weird and adorable.
George Payne really knows how to make eye contact with the camera.
But of course it ends with tragedy. 22 of the 34 actors dying before age 45.
George's transformation was surprisingly sweet. When he is closeted, trying to make it in the military, he sounds scary and intense. Once he has money and is hanging around a bunch of other gay men, he sounds so relaxed and like he is just enjoying himself.
[Hopefully the actors taking a break from acting to spend time with George were doing that of their own free will because if not then it is just another sad tale of abuse of power. ]
posted by Emmy Rae at 8:31 AM on March 9, 2019
George Payne really knows how to make eye contact with the camera.
But of course it ends with tragedy. 22 of the 34 actors dying before age 45.
George's transformation was surprisingly sweet. When he is closeted, trying to make it in the military, he sounds scary and intense. Once he has money and is hanging around a bunch of other gay men, he sounds so relaxed and like he is just enjoying himself.
[Hopefully the actors taking a break from acting to spend time with George were doing that of their own free will because if not then it is just another sad tale of abuse of power. ]
posted by Emmy Rae at 8:31 AM on March 9, 2019
What a wonderfully written story! Although I winced at "the next two decades will bring them all tragedy" part, because of course the tragedy is AIDS. A whole generation lost.
The movie is available on Pornhub: NSFW seriously this is a porn movie link. It has a magnificent Caligula-like production vibe, so many men in ridiculous costumes not knowing how to act with clothes on.
The Emperor is an amazing actor and the writing sure has a lot of words. From around 1:07:00
posted by Nelson at 8:59 AM on March 9, 2019 [12 favorites]
The movie is available on Pornhub: NSFW seriously this is a porn movie link. It has a magnificent Caligula-like production vibe, so many men in ridiculous costumes not knowing how to act with clothes on.
The Emperor is an amazing actor and the writing sure has a lot of words. From around 1:07:00
Your hands are beautifulThe soundtrack is pretty great too. Actually quite great, a bit of a Clockwork Orange / Jean-Michel Jarre / Tron vibe going on. I couldn't find a music credit. A lot of gay porn from this era has great soundtracks.
They are large and strong
Yet firm and sensitive
Now come to bed. (Yes.)
I like a beautiful man with intelligence
It gives me a sense of democracy and munificence
Your body excites me more than a body has excited me in years
Who trained you? (Argus.)
Argus is beautifully but innately stupid
And you are beautiful and far from stupid
I want you to forget something you cling to with your life
I want you to forget something you hold on to for fear of death
(Forget what?)
I want you to forget to be submissive!
oral and anal sex for several minutes
Take me with your hands.
Take me with your large, strong, flexible, sensitive hands
posted by Nelson at 8:59 AM on March 9, 2019 [12 favorites]
To have squeezed the universe into a ball, and roll it toward some overwhelming question, like, "What would I do if I had a couple of million bucks to blow?" I guess the answer was a couple of million bucks to blow.
posted by Oyéah at 9:23 AM on March 9, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by Oyéah at 9:23 AM on March 9, 2019 [3 favorites]
Another friend, Greg Jones, remembers George telling him that time was running out, saying, “He wanted money for proper epilepsy care. There was no way he could afford treatment with his security jobs.”
To what extent did this story start because America screwed up access to decent health care?
posted by doctornemo at 9:40 AM on March 9, 2019 [9 favorites]
To what extent did this story start because America screwed up access to decent health care?
posted by doctornemo at 9:40 AM on March 9, 2019 [9 favorites]
Is it any wonder the 80s produced so much great music?
Is it any wonder we haven't had as much great music since?
posted by oneswellfoop at 10:40 AM on March 9, 2019 [2 favorites]
Is it any wonder we haven't had as much great music since?
posted by oneswellfoop at 10:40 AM on March 9, 2019 [2 favorites]
On the other hand, Be Here Now was "a work primarily inspired by cocaine abuse."
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:13 AM on March 9, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:13 AM on March 9, 2019 [1 favorite]
Thanks to the mod who added the "photos nsfw" to the post. I forgot to do that.
Two-thirds of them died. Mostly of AIDS. That's a thing that happened.
Sometimes the 80s seem unreal. It's hard to believe this happened. But it did. I remember the obituaries... the endless obituaries. I wasn't part of the gay community, just an average straight girl (in a gay neighborhood for part of the 80s, but still), and a little younger than the generation that was hit so hard -- I can't even begin to imagine what it was like to be part of that community and know so many more of the people in those obituaries.
posted by litlnemo at 12:52 PM on March 9, 2019 [3 favorites]
Two-thirds of them died. Mostly of AIDS. That's a thing that happened.
Sometimes the 80s seem unreal. It's hard to believe this happened. But it did. I remember the obituaries... the endless obituaries. I wasn't part of the gay community, just an average straight girl (in a gay neighborhood for part of the 80s, but still), and a little younger than the generation that was hit so hard -- I can't even begin to imagine what it was like to be part of that community and know so many more of the people in those obituaries.
posted by litlnemo at 12:52 PM on March 9, 2019 [3 favorites]
Before I clicked the link in The Card Cheat's comment I was thinking - what? Ram Dass was a coke head?
posted by hoodrich at 1:26 PM on March 9, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by hoodrich at 1:26 PM on March 9, 2019 [3 favorites]
On the other hand, Be Here Now was "a work primarily inspired by cocaine abuse."
I was thinking, "that can't be true! Be Here Now was inspired by LSD, not cocaine!" and then discovered it referred to an album (that I've never heard of), not the book.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 2:24 PM on March 9, 2019 [2 favorites]
I was thinking, "that can't be true! Be Here Now was inspired by LSD, not cocaine!" and then discovered it referred to an album (that I've never heard of), not the book.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 2:24 PM on March 9, 2019 [2 favorites]
Spending that much without retaining any assets (no houses, no cars, no rare baseball cards) could be a challenge unless you were dedicated to giving it away.
I stopped believing that someone might have too much money to burn through in a relatively short amount of time with this FPP about Johnny Depp.
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:12 AM on March 10, 2019 [1 favorite]
I stopped believing that someone might have too much money to burn through in a relatively short amount of time with this FPP about Johnny Depp.
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:12 AM on March 10, 2019 [1 favorite]
roughly $10,000 a day. Spending that much without retaining any assets (no houses, no cars, no rare baseball cards) could be a challenge
Challenge. Accepted.
Seriously, TMNL, it would be easy to spend that much and I'm not even thinking of gambling. Traveling in moderate luxury would do it. Living in a hotel suite in New York or Paris or London or Tokyo would do it, and you wouldn't even have money left over for meals and incidentals. And that's all if you're alone. If you were taking family along, showing your friends a good time, whatever? $10,000 a day is almost penury.
ah to be rich
posted by MiraK at 7:27 AM on March 11, 2019
Challenge. Accepted.
Seriously, TMNL, it would be easy to spend that much and I'm not even thinking of gambling. Traveling in moderate luxury would do it. Living in a hotel suite in New York or Paris or London or Tokyo would do it, and you wouldn't even have money left over for meals and incidentals. And that's all if you're alone. If you were taking family along, showing your friends a good time, whatever? $10,000 a day is almost penury.
ah to be rich
posted by MiraK at 7:27 AM on March 11, 2019
Yeah, the 1980's zeitgeist had a lot of we're-all-gonna-die-tomorrow.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 1:45 PM on March 12, 2019
posted by The Underpants Monster at 1:45 PM on March 12, 2019
What a wild tale! I shouldn't have been, but I was really caught off guard how abruptly the tale ends and it turns out most of the people involved in the story died before 40 from AIDS, holy fuck, what a horrible disease.
posted by GoblinHoney at 12:26 PM on March 13, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by GoblinHoney at 12:26 PM on March 13, 2019 [1 favorite]
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“I guess I squandered the rest.”
I’ll have to remember that line in case I ever win the lottery.
posted by TedW at 3:48 AM on March 9, 2019 [78 favorites]