[7] It has been called one of the "most dangerous and violent cults America had ever seen. Returning to. I am quite willing to break some lawyer's legs, and next break his wife's legs, and threaten to cut their child's arm off. Convicted, rather than move as condition of probation he chose to go to jail. Dederich was arrested while drunk on December 2, 1978. Joe Musico proposed to the Board that at its June 26 meeting it reconsider the idea of an additional Synanon National Guard and place him in charge of training it. In response to these accusations, Dederich declared in l974 that Synanon was a tax exempt religious organization, the Church of Synanon. A memo declaring it a religion asked a question that didnt need to be answered: Who will be God? (Gerstel, Paradise Inc.; Morantz vs. Synanon, IRS vs. Synanon) Dederich declared no more children (1976) as they take time away from Synanon goals. In another terrifying experience, a former junkie wanted to visit the cult, but he took a personal security man, Jack Harding, in case things turned nasty. (People vs. Dederich; Arrest report on Charles Dederich; IRS vs. Synanon). When they asked for friends they were hugged in mass. The Trippers, many of whom had been awake for 65 or more hours, were hugged and cheered. (Deposition of Paul Morantz, Morantz vs. Synanon; People vs. Dederich; IRS vs. Synanon. Dederich concluded in l967 that the program was not a success, and ended the concept of graduation. Without continued peer pressure, most ex-addicts reverted on leaving, as did the Korean prisoners of War (giving up Communism) in 90-days. (Robson card, Morantz memorandum). (Robson) suggested blowing me away with a shotgun, Morantz said. To keep people in, he posted and announced as a warning all reports of anyone who left and returned to drugs. decided to create his own program to respond to their needs. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Later the flies (Dederich trained youngsters) took over the attack. [clarification needed] Synanon moved to create schooling for members, and Dederich wanted members to mentally change in order to improve society on the outside. Web. (Tony Lang, Synanon, Morantz archives on Synanon). Juveniles in the 70s were often sent to Synanon by juvenile agencies or by courts on juvenile officers recommendation. Legal problems continued, despite this change. You can get killed Dead. CEDU's schools used the confrontation model of Synanon. he rattlesnake lashed out too quickly for Morantz to react, and its fangs sank into his wrist. These changes led Synanon to its then certain fate. (Time Magazine, Dec, 1977). While in The Game, members criticized each other, but left as friends and supportive community members. One was four months pregnant. Ex-Synanon members heard from members inside Synanon, that they had Morantzs address and that he was next, While Morantz was meeting with the California terrorist unit and LAPDID (intelligence) for protection on October 10, 2008, Synanon Marines Joe Musico and Lance Kenton, son of band leader Stan Kenton, as part of conspiracy with Dederich and other top officials, placed a 4-foot rattle snake sans rattles in Morantzs mailbox. Paddy Wagons awaited Synanon protesters. Its members believed in Synanon enemies and encroachment of spies, created their own words (synanese), sought isolation from outside contaminants and committed to its destiny. Synanons purchase of over $200,000 dollars of weapons from a single gun store also brought media attention. In l977 in Santa Monica, Synanon took in a woman in a pre-psychotic break, and would not return her to her husband and transferred her to Tomales Bay. His life was saved by a neighbor who applied a . Cole had received a court order to enroll in Synanon before she disappeared. [citation needed]. He gathered his own following in AA and after a time of meetings at apartments, they rented a small store in seedy Venice. Beatings of Synanon's opponents and its ex-members, "splittees", occurred across California. Publicly, Dederich warned that people should not mess with Synanon because the organization could not control its members. Your IP: Morantz and Synanon locked horns for 8 years. Deborah Swisher, a former Synanon member, recounts her experiences growing up in several Synanon communes in her one-woman show Hundreds of Sisters and One Big Brother.[45]. The original name was The Tender Loving Care Club. Eventually, on September 21, 2008 the Marines tried to murder ex-member Phil Ritter, who was trying to get his child out and had gone to the authorities complaining of forced vasectomies in Synanon, by clubbing him over the head (Berkely Gazette September 1978; Mitchell, the Light on Synanon). He was found passed out on a kitchen floor and was told, "Fatso," if you . Casriel went on to found Day Top in New York and thus came the birth of modern day drug rehabs (Casriel, So Fair a House). Both were members of Synanon's 'Imperial Marines,' a security group within the drug and alcohol rehabilition organization. (People vs. Dederich, Synanon memos on incident). "It's kind of like saying you can't go to therapy," Nolan told reporters outside the courtroom. They survived by begging stale food from catering trucks, hookers doing tricks and donations. You can get killed dead, literally deadthese are real threats, he snarls. visited in 1962, lived there in 1963 and wrote a book about his experiences. He and his family were represented by Paul Morantz and Ed Martin in a civil suit. In 1974 Synanon declared itself a religion and centered on middle-class searching for utopia rather than addict curing. Each Tripper was to write a paper on some feeling or admission. Crying, Trippers embraced, feeling euphoria and transcending love. [12], One of the most distinguishing practices of the Synanon community was a therapeutic practice commonly referred to as "The Game." The broken joined the attack. It would grow to become a well-funded utopian society throughout the late '60s and early '70s, before declaring itself a religion in 1974. . Synanon mobs attacked teenagers and youngsters who got too close to the property. And there was no way that its leader was going to share any of that with the taxman. Escape From Cielo Drive (A Tale of Three Charlies) The strange tale of Charlies Manson, Charles Watson and the suggested unknown forewarnings of an eventual murder attempt on my life through similar circumstance. A Los Angeles District Attorney search warrant led to a discovery of an audio tape wherein Dederich bragged of beatings that had occurred, the Imperial Marine training, and said one day the message would be delivered to everyone Dont mess with Synanon. Bombs, he would say in l978 to news reporter Connie Chung (CBS NEWS l978), could go off in homes of critics (Deposition of Dederich, Synanon vs. Time, Inc.; Synanon vs. ABC). that on remote properties in California such as at Marshall in Marin County and in Badger, Tulare County, Synanon had erected buildings without the legally-required permits, had created a trash dump, and built an airstrip. The below Synanon 1, II and III are Synanons own designation of its history (Deposition of Charles Dederich; People vs. Dederich; IRS vs. Synanon, Morantz Synanon archives), Dederich was born in Ohio in 1913. Morantz was bitten and hospitalized for 11 days. He was found passed out on a kitchen floor and was told, Fatso, if you do not go to Alcoholic Anonymous you will die. (Dr. Dan Casriel, So Fair a House, Yablonski, The Tunnel Back: Guy Endore, Synanon; Charles Dederich tapes on history of Synanon.). [21] Furthermore, for their first ninety days in the community, members were expected to cease contact with outside friends and family. Remarkably, the authorities refused to intercede. (Synanon Holy War file, Robson letters, IRS vs. Synanon). He flunked out of Notre Dame for lack of effort and worked for the Mellon family. 81.169.224.1 It is also referred to in the song "Opening Doors" from Stephen Sondheim's musical Merrily We Roll Along, which mentions it as a hypothetical song title in a satirical revue of the 1960s. The Associate Press did a study of Synanons efforts to discourage the press (AP Study on Synanon Retraction Program). The city claimed it owned the beach front and rather than take the issue to court it sent police officers and bulldozers across the sand knocking down cabanas and paved courts. Vile Dederich declared that, "having an abortion is like squeezing a boil, nothing more.". In its 21-year history, Synanon's reputation has seesawed from selflessly charitable to kooky and even depraved Dederich founded the group in Los Angeles in 1958, after "trying to take control of his Alcoholics Anonymous chapter and failing." Mitchell related. Synanon, is the first ever self helpno doctors drug rehabilitation program, founded by Charles Chuck Dederich Sr. (19131997) in 1958 in Santa Monica, California. Former Synanon President Jack Hurst spoke out against Synanon and found his home door open and his dog hung. Other journalists who took on Synanon were LA Times reporter Narda Zuchinno and CBSs Connie Chung. Read More. While his associates went to jail, Dederich received probation because his doctors claimed that due to ill health he would most likely die in prison. But, a Synanon mob brutally beat Gambini in front of his family, Morantz writes. In l977 when Dederichs wife Betty died he married a volunteer to be his wife and decided to save others from pain of death or divorce by ordering all married couples to break up every 3 years and take new partners selected by Synanon (love matches). Curing dope fiends was what they wanted. Morantz had prepared for that. (Deposition of Charles Dederich, Morantz vs. Dederich; Morantz vs. Synanon, IRS vs. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. With its sudden fame, by early 1964 Synanon had also become an alternative community, attracting people with its emphasis on living a self-examined life, as aided by group truth-telling sessions known as the Synanon Game. With its new wealth, they started building its first city in Marin County (Tomales Bay). Originally established as a drug rehabilitation program, by the early 1960s, Synanon became an alternative community centered on group truth-telling sessions that came to be known as the "Synanon Game," a form of attack therapy. That is the end of that lawyer. Synanon organized groups called the "Imperial Marines" and the "National Guard," and called for "Holy War" against its enemies. View our online Press Pack. Morantz spent six days in a hospital, news of which made national headlines. ; [20], Entrance into the Synanon community required a strong initial commitment. "Synanon House A Consideration for Its Implications on American Correction". Cloudflare Ray ID: 78b89606dbb5b76a (Berkeley Gazette l978, Mitchell, Light on Synanon). The game took on each unbrokens dirty rotten story with great brutality. (Dave Mitchell, Light on Synanon; Dave Gerstel, Paradise Inc.; Marin County crime report on Cardineau beating.). Control over members occurred through the Synanon Game. The Game could be considered a therapeutic tool, likened to group therapy; or a social control, in which members humiliated one another and encouraged the exposure of ones innermost weaknesses, or both. During a bout of paranoia where he would not leave his room, he read Emersons Self Reliance and using it as a bible he quit his job to devout full time to cleaning up other Alcoholics. Declaring Synanon a religion (shades of L. Ron Hubbard! It left a droopy eye and a facial tick. This bankrupted Synanon, which formally dissolved in 1991. The program was based on testimony of fellow group members about their tribulations and urges of relapsing, and their journeys to recovery. Synanons goal, Dederich said, was to lead the world into the 21st Century and anything less than changing the world is Mickey Mouse. (Morantz archives on Synanon, Gerstel, Paradise Inc.). One just had to surrender to Synanon. XHTML: You can use these tags:
. (Synanon Punk Squad Files; Deposition of Synanon school master, Morantz vs. Synanon, IRS vs. Synanon), Dederich was ahead of times in ordering aerobics, running, diets and non smoking. (Marin Grand Jury Report on Synanon l978). Synanon sought religious status in 1974, with Diedrich as its leader. Synanon was also developing a paramilitary organization that included two police forces (the Imperial Marines and the National Guard). ), On March 20, 1978, a former member of Synanon, Tom Cardineau was severely beaten (for being an alleged spy) while tied to a post during his honeymoon when he took his bride to show her where he had once lived on the Walker Creek Ranch. Synanon is purported[by whom?] A search of the vehicle turned up a fingerprint that matched one of Dederich's so-called "Imperial Marines," a no-nonsense security detail unafraid to employ violence should the moment call for it . They played the game in which anyone was allowed to say anything, true or not, to someone to cause an effect. Those who went to jail for Synanon were treated as heroes. Much of the violence by Synanon had been carried out by a group within Synanon called the "Imperial Marines". Information from former members of the cult quickly identified two of Synanons Imperial Marines as suspects in the snake-attack. "It was no secret that Charles Dederich wanted to at least hurt Paul Morantz if not kill him. "But it wasn't too long before I knew it was true," Morantz says. It is claimed that Dederich, after taking LSD,[7] A horrifying newsreel from 1978 shows a frightened young woman telling a reporter that she fled after being punched and beaten as a child, and she saw many other kids being assaulted. [14] Upon their arrival, those newcomers were forced to quit using drugs cold turkey, going through withdrawal for the first few days in the program. It is currently active in Germany. For a shower, a hose ran through a window (Casriel, So Fair a House, Yablonski, The Tunnel Back: Guy Endore, Synanon; Charles Dederich tapes on history of Synanon). Baby among 6 festival-goers sliced to death by glass-encrusted kite strings, BBC1's live FA Cup coverage hit by porn noises from mobile hidden by prankster, Three major energy suppliers paying you to turn off appliances tonight, Putin to make very important announcement on Ukraine war today', News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Mr. Dederich even kept an elite squad of enforcers that he called the Imperial Marines. Paul Morantz, an American attorney and investigative journalist has written substantially about the cult - as he delves into brainwashing cases for victims. It can also make dangerous criminals out of good people, also subject to it. [14], During its first decade, Synanon members entered into a 12-year program in three stages aimed at preparing members to reenter greater society. Tax issues arose. The game was eventually used to pressure people to submit to Dederich's will, abort pregnancies, undergo vasectomies, and commit violence. Children were reared communally in the Synanon School. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. [citation needed]. Members were taught that if caught on a violent mission to go to jail and to not blame Synanon. [27] People who left the organization were at risk of physical violence for being a "splittee"; one ex-member, Phil Ritter, was beaten so severely that his skull was fractured and he subsequently fell into a coma with a near-fatal case of bacterial meningitis.[28][29][30]. [5] Outside of The Game, members were required to act civilly to each other. If you do your best, you cant fail. (Tony Lang, Synanon, Morantz archives on Synanon). Several weeks after NBC began receiving threats, on October 10, 1978, two Synanon members placed a de-rattled rattlesnake in the mailbox of attorney Paul Morantz of Pacific Palisades, California. On the wall was a lifesaver called the U.S. Mitchell developed a deep throat in the Sheriff department, Art Disterheft. (Robert J. Lifton, Coercive Persuasion, The Psychology of Totalism; Dr. Edgar Friedman, The Nation 1965, a review of Yablonskis the Tunnel back The author fails to see the inhumanity he observesSynanon is a trade of one addiction for another..one day there will be a Synanon state of Mind more important than the club itself). Did Synanon save my life? It was alleged[by whom?] She has not been seen or heard from since. [12] [25] Initially Synanon did not support violence; Dederich later changed the rules to allow for violence in order to maintain control. Originally a nonviolent group, Diedrich created the "Imperial Marines" to maintain orderwithin and outside of the community. And Synanon, which is to say Dederich, was not happy about being made to look foolish. This included taking vengeance against. He is considered an expert on these subjects. We will make the rules. Dederich officially declared it a Holy War. (Dederich letter to Mike Garrett, Synanon Holy War file, 1978 Board minutes of SynanonJady Dederich, Morantz vs Synanon, IRS vs. Synanon. 40 years ago, Synanon, a cult with a violent past, moved into Havasu. One, Richard Marino, said they were handcuffed and beaten, and their heads were shaved. In the 1970s, two men were run off the road near one of their properties. On October 10, 1978, Morantz was bitten by a rattlesnake which had been placed in his Pacific Palisades home mailbox by two members of the Synanon Imperial Marines, Lance Kenton and Joe Musico. IMPERIAL MARINES, AND DOPE FIENDS by George Pendle, Cabinet Magazine, Winter 2012-2013 . Brainwashing is powerful enough to cure drug addiction while members remain subject to it. He had been litigating against the organization, getting children returned to their families, giving information to the media, lobbying against a Synanon bill and fighting to expose its hit squad to law enforcement. The cops uncover a group of blind followers willing to do anything at their leader's urging, even murder. As these juveniles did not want to be there, Synanon methods failed. Children were often recruited from the Synaon schools and trained in military techniques with the growing stockpile of munitions Dederich had purchased. Imperial Marines were shock troopers that primarily served on Imperial-class Star Destroyers as defence provided by the Stormtrooper Corps. Some rolled up on the floor in fetal positions. The 'marines' retaliated by clubbing him over the head. Yes. When one woman successfully fled and managed to get a lawyer to aid her legal case against the organization, that lawyer found himself the victim of a rattlesnake that had been placed in . Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Soon, Synanon owned properties across America; at Tomales Bay, it had a fleet of ships, and at the Badger property hundreds of motorbikes and trucks, not to mention an airstrip and a private plane. At age 12 his mother remarried and Dederich went on a jealous rage turning to drinking and rebel rousing. By BRANDON MESSICK Bmessick@havasunews.com Dec 9, 2018 Updated Aug 21, 2022 2 Stay Informed.. All Rights Reserved. Males were forced in games to have vasectomies performed by Synanon doctors, and a few pregnant women were even required to have an abortion. Neighbors complained fearing Synanon would unleash non-recovered addicts into Santa Monica who came from other areas. According to court records, the cult formed a militant branch, known as the Imperial Marines, to inflict violence against opponents of the organization. He had been trying to get his child out of the cult, and had gone to the authorities complaining of forced vasectomies in Synanon. The Story of This Drug Rehab-Turned-Violent Cult Is Wild, Wild Country-Caliber Bizarre . On Oct. 10, 1978, Morantz was bitten by a rattlesnake left in his Pacific Palisades home mailbox by two members of the Synanon Imperial Marines. Many young teenagers who got too close to Synanon property were beaten brutally by Synanon mobs. Click to reveal (Dederich tape: The Freebies are Over; Arizona vs. Home Place Inc., Morantz archives on Synanon. The Internal Revenue Service revoked the organization's tax-exempt status and ordered them to pay $17 million in back taxes. Teeth were knocked out. In lessons, children were taught how to fight the Holy War" to defend their leader. But there was a catch: new members had to transfer their assets to the organization. Ultimately, it purchased an arsenal of high-powered weapons, developed its own security force and in an isolated concealed valley across its airfield called Depot Flats, it set up camp to train the Imperial Marines. [26] Over 80 violent acts were committed, including mass beatings that hospitalized teenagers and ranchers who were beaten in front of their families. He studied on his own in a library and his AA speeches changed from typical religious overtones to a psychological/philosophy slant. Copyright Paul Morantz. (Tony Lang, Synanon, Morantz archives on Synanon). Journal of Humanistic Psychology 18.3 (1978): 320. The group said that was a lie, and denied kids were being held prisoner. Newcomers were first interviewed by Synanon leadership to gain entrance into the community. "Synanon: Toward Building a Humanistic Organization". "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. The squares were pushed to confess their prior loneliness and despair. Synanon began as a two-year residential program, but Dederich soon concluded that its members could never graduate, because a full recovery was impossible. It was also there that a luxurious complex known as the Homeplace was being constructed. They would adopt the Synanon family, said the board, or the fifth circle in Dantes hell, where tormented souls are terrorized and torn, awaited them. So, Lance Kenton and Joe Musico thought up this plan, and they went and found a rattlesnake," Aron said. (Yablonski, The Tunnel Back: Guy Endore, Synanon; Charles Dederich tapes on history of Synanon).
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