HOW BEES REVEALED A POT FARM BENEATH THE MARASCHINO CHERRIES

[zappaman]

Were it not for the red bees of Red Hook, Arthur Mondella might still be Brooklyn’s own Cherry King and New York City’s No. 1 pot grower.

He might still be running his family’s maraschino-cherry factory while secretly operating New York City’s biggest-ever marijuana farm in the basement.


The bees changed everything, because the explanation for what so mysteriously turned them red indirectly gave investigators a pretext to twice search the factory after they were unable to obtain a search warrant.

The second search was last week and led to the confirmation of what a tipster had told investigators six years before. Mondella’s double life ended with the 57-year-old father of three daughters committing suicide in a factory bathroom after shouting, “Take care of my kids!” through the locked door.

More at link

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/03/03/how-bees-revealed-a-pot-farm-beneath-the-maraschino-cherries.html

[bluesbassman]

1. Guess they were pretty buzzed.

Bummer Mondella's final choice though.

[tammywammy]

2. Interesting article.

too bad the red gunk wasn't just red honey, then his idea of rainbow honey would have worked.

Sad that he killed himself in the end.

[zappaman]

3. Another needless casualty in the war on drugs.

[Cal Carpenter]

4. 'New York City’s biggest-ever marijuana farm'?

More like 'New York City’s biggest-ever marijuana farm busted by the cops.'

Just saying.

[bigtree]

5. there's a special place in hell for those who've hounded and prosecuted pot growers

...until they'd destroyed lives.

Years from now, when pot is completely legal...

[TeeYiYi]

6. Sad that he took his life...

...over something that should be legal.

TYY

[Rex]

7. The governments insane war on drugs claims another innocent life.