Reply #11: This is sounding familiar [View All]

[Dogmudgeon]

I didn't follow the case closely, but since I lived right there, I paid some attention.

A lot of powerful people live in that section, by the way. Joan Rivers and Edgar Rosenberg lived there, and I think it's where Melissa Rosenberg/Rivers/whatever-name-she's-using grew up. Several mob bosses and reputed mob bosses live there, CEOs and other high-fliers, and it's a popular "suburb" for the ultra-rich of NYC and DC. They are by no means all bastards -- I've made the acquaintance of some of them, and many are quite nice and have a sense of noblesse oblige.

I wish I could remember the name of the cokehead junior prosecutor. But the other prosecutors turned against him immediately, which makes the cokehead the least scummy of the bunch. The jurisdiction is Montgomery County, PA, like the crack vial case. It has been cursed with ambitious, unethical prosecutors for years. Even the most recent one, Bruce Castor, who actually improved the reputation of the position, was ultimately a mixed bag who tried to sink the PA Republican Party over some petty gripe.

For what it's worth, I think the parapernalia laws are crap, but I'm also opposed to the Drug War. I do think that Sigal was really and truly innocent of anything other than "trying to make one last killing so he could retire." I also recall that there was one other naif aside from Sigal, maybe his son or a friend. But I never trusted any of the other perps, based on the statements that made it to the local press. They all seemed to be wise guys, snickering when the judge's back was turned.

It was an horrendously dirty case, and it all seemed to get resolved quickly, and then it went away.

Anyway, did your research lead you to this case, or do you also have another dog in the fight? These multiple-mobster felony parties usually involve a lot of people. Good luck running down the leads. I'm sure there are no shortage of them. There may yet be a silver bullet in the mess.

--p!