Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform => Straight, Inc. and Derivatives => Topic started by: Pegasus on June 16, 2006, 11:08:00 PM
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Pegasus on June 16, 2006, 11:08:00 PM
Just wondering who... if anyone is here from St Pete 1981-1983 ?
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on June 19, 2006, 07:36:00 AM
St. Pete Oct. '82--Nov '83, which is why I hate Miller Newton.
rtp2k3
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on June 19, 2006, 07:54:00 AM
I was there then, too. It was a nightmare.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on June 19, 2006, 08:05:00 AM
Yes it was. Worst of the bunch, particularly when Newton was in charge.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Pegasus on June 19, 2006, 09:33:00 AM
The point was that I'd like to see if there is someone I actually KNOW here, someone who might remember me... but that's kind of hard to tell when nobody leaves their name!
So I rephrase my question.
Is there anyone on here that was in St Pete Straight between the years of 1981-1983 who would please tell me who they are, what their names were when they were in Straight so we can see if we know each other??
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on June 19, 2006, 09:42:00 AM
I don't even know who you are so I wouldn't know if I knew you or not.
Ya might be better off asking people to PM you if they want.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on June 19, 2006, 09:48:00 AM
Quote
On 2006-06-19 06:33:00, Pegasus wrote:
"The point was that I'd like to see if there is someone I actually KNOW here, someone who might remember me... but that's kind of hard to tell when nobody leaves their name!
So I rephrase my question.
Is there anyone on here that was in St Pete Straight between the years of 1981-1983 who would please tell me who they are, what their names were when they were in Straight so we can see if we know each other??"
Pegasus,
you might want to start by giving your first name and last initial, maybe some information about yourself that might jog some memories for other folks from your time. People may be more likely to pm you as well, rather than just posting their names here. Hope this helps you make a connection.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Pegasus on June 19, 2006, 09:52:00 AM
If someone feels more comfortable not saying their name on here, they can email me at [email protected] I would just like to connect with people who were there "with" me, that's all. I have met up with a few people off these groups over the years who were, and it ranges from unable to place each other at all, to vauge memories of who each other are, to good friend who had been very close. I was Susan Cromer at the time. I can provide more details and memory jogging information if needed or wanted.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on June 19, 2006, 12:18:00 PM
are u kin to Eddie Cromer?
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Pegasus on June 19, 2006, 02:19:00 PM
I dunno
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Pegasus on June 22, 2006, 03:39:00 PM
Would that anonymous who was there and says they remember me, please contact me? You can email me at [email protected] Or my Yahoo IM name is Pegasus_667
Anyone else, especially who was in St Pete 81-83 may use those to contact me as well.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: BROWNIE on June 22, 2006, 04:53:00 PM
I WAZ NOT N THAT ONE BUT I HAVE ENORMOUS RESPECT FOR THOSE WHO WERE !
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Pegasus on June 22, 2006, 05:01:00 PM
Thank you. I was Hell on earth. I didn't really know until recent years that the late 70s to early 80s Straights under Miller Newton, were considered the worst and most abusive.
I recall arguements from people who were in later programs, especially in the 90s, trying to tell us we were crazy, that all these horrible things didn't happen, the programs weren't *that* bad. Turns out we were all correct. They hadn't realized the torment the kids in the earlier years had been through.
It's been 25 years and I still sometimes have nightmares, panic attacks, memory flashes... it was a part of my life I wish I COULD take enough drugs to forget.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: BROWNIE on June 22, 2006, 09:57:00 PM
I KNEW ALOT OF PPL THAT WERE THERE. U R RIGHT, IT MUST HAVE BEEN HELL ON THE EARTH !
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: BROWNIE on June 22, 2006, 09:57:00 PM
I KNEW ALOT OF PPL THAT WERE THERE. U R RIGHT, IT MUST HAVE BEEN HELL ON THE EARTH !
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on June 23, 2006, 05:16:00 PM
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On 2006-06-16 20:08:00, Pegasus wrote:
"Just wondering who... if anyone is here from St Pete 1981-1983 ?"
Not me. Anyone else?
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: whiterabbit on June 23, 2006, 09:18:00 PM
Hi Pegasus
I went in late 1980 & not free & clear until Oct 1983. I'm Marsha G. I was and am still, short blonde & loathe Miller Newton. Those years were totally out of control. I still can't believe they got away with it all.
I don't remember you but then I don't remember a lot of things until somone or something jogs my memory.
Welcome.
Since you [US "drug tsar" McCaffrey] control a federal budget that has just been increased from $17.8 billion last year to $19.2 billion this year, is asking people like you if we should continue with our nation's current drug policy like a person asking a barber if one needs a haircut? -- Orange Country, California Los Angeles Times 29 March 2000 --Judge James P. Gray
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on June 24, 2006, 05:56:00 PM
I was in St. Pete in '82. Do you remember Fred Collins and his brother? What phase were you on in the summer of '82?
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Pegasus on June 24, 2006, 06:20:00 PM
>>I was in St. Pete in '82. Do you remember Fred Collins and his brother? What phase were you on in the summer of '82?<<
Sure do. If you ever run across my stories of how I finally left and stayed free, it was because of Fred. I never forgot him and always felt I owed him a debt. Thankfully, through these groups, I was able to connect with him and say thank you and let him know about what he did for us stuck in there.
Summer of 82? I couldn't tell you for sure. All I can tell you is that I never got past Third Phase at all and I spent 13 of my 18 months there on First Phase.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on June 24, 2006, 07:08:00 PM
I was there with you, then. I didn't escape, but I also feel like I owe a debt to Fred Collins, like many of us. The pressure his lawsuit brought to Straight eventually resulted in a little less brutality, at least for a while.
How were you able to say thank you to him? Do you know how he is doing now?
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on June 24, 2006, 07:16:00 PM
Pegasus, do you use AIM?
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on June 24, 2006, 07:49:00 PM
I have blocked out so much of what happened there in that warehouse, but I remember socks being shoved down certain people's throats while they were being sat on by 5 or so other people. Their faces were ashy-blue. It was sickening and frightening. I remember Miller Newton as a sociopath.
Marsha, I must have been there with you, too, but don't remember your name. I remember Barbara, Nancy, Peggy, Elizabeth, Kathy, Virginia, Laura, Denise, Nancy, Shannon, Shaun (staff), Lisa, Leigh, Beth, and many others. Peanutbutter diets. Corned beef hash. A mound of mashed potatoes with a couple of "meatballs" and pale gravy for dinner. Pats of margarine on paper with the waxed paper covering it.
Standing heel-to-toe in line, being forced to keep eyes on the back of the head in front of me for so long that I lost track of time. Girls' raps that were so crowded that we had to sit Indian-style with my knees touched the knees of the girls next to me, and the girls in front of me and behind me touching me, too. Forced calisthenics while those who couldn't keep up the pace were kicked and sometimes dragged into intake rooms, from which they would emerge hours later looking disheveled with faces swollen and hair matted and ripped out.
It was hell. It's unbelievable that those people got away with such criminal abuse.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Pegasus on June 24, 2006, 10:45:00 PM
Below are the ways to contact me, although I don't usually run my Instant Messengers on all the time, but if you email me I will reply, or email and tell me which messenger you will use and when you are usually online and I'll open it.
Actually Fred cruises these boards and says Hi now and then, or if you make a post with his name, he might contact you especially if you are someone who was there and remembers him. He's a real nice guy.
I find it amusing, remember how they actually had rap sessions about Fred and his lawsuit and how staff and Newton trashed him and about what a druggie he was and how he was headed for this miserable terrible life and would die in the streets with a needle in his arm because he left Straight? Never mind that part of Fred's arguement was that he never was a druggie in the first place, he had been in college, doing well and had plans etc.
Well... Fred went back to college after Straight and continued his plans, earned his degrees, became a doctor and is doing... well quite well for himself. He has a lovely wife and an absolutely adorable, darling little 2 year old boy. He sent me a picture of his son last week and he is just a little angel.
Oh well... so much for Newtons assurances of how Fred's life was going to turn out huh? LMAO
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on June 24, 2006, 10:46:00 PM
Quote
On 2006-06-24 16:49:00, Anonymous wrote:
"I have blocked out so much of what happened there in that warehouse, but I remember socks being shoved down certain people's throats while they were being sat on by 5 or so other people. Their faces were ashy-blue. It was sickening and frightening. I remember Miller Newton as a sociopath.
I could have written that myself.
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Marsha, I must have been there with you, too, but don't remember your name. I remember Barbara, Nancy, Peggy, Elizabeth, Kathy, Virginia, Laura, Denise, Nancy, Shannon, Shaun (staff), Lisa, Leigh, Beth, and many others.
Barbara and Nancy - sisters? Annunzi***?
Elizabeth, staff? brother, both blach hair?
Shannon? Grey hair?
Shauna, short?
Beth, short, dark hair, sister Carolyn, Bart**?
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Peanutbutter diets. Corned beef hash. A mound of mashed potatoes with a couple of "meatballs" and pale gravy for dinner. Pats of margarine on paper with the waxed paper covering it.
Soggy bologna and cheese sandwiches, cottage cheese maybe with a slice of almost spoiled fruit.
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Standing heel-to-toe in line, being forced to keep eyes on the back of the head in front of me for so long that I lost track of time.
and so close that my nose was very often in the back of someone's head and I was inhaling their hair.
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Girls' raps that were so crowded that we had to sit Indian-style with my knees touched the knees of the girls next to me, and the girls in front of me and behind me touching me, too.
Musta been before both Cincy and VA broke off
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Forced calisthenics while those who couldn't keep up the pace were kicked and sometimes dragged into intake rooms, from which they would emerge hours later looking disheveled with faces swollen and hair matted and ripped out.
omg, poor Sara.
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It was hell. It's unbelievable that those people got away with such criminal abuse."
Amen! :nworthy:
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Pegasus on June 24, 2006, 10:59:00 PM
>>Barbara and Nancy - sisters? Annunzi***?<<
I was thinking of another Nancy but darned if I can recall her last name.
>>Elizabeth, staff? brother, both blach hair? <<
Elizabeth Manning?
>Shannon? Grey hair?<
I keep thinking of Shannon who had a twin (or lookalike) brother in with her, both had genetic premature grey hair... want to say Heath... Heathly... something like that.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on June 24, 2006, 11:04:00 PM
Quote
On 2006-06-24 19:59:00, Pegasus wrote:
I keep thinking of Shannon who had a twin (or lookalike) brother in with her, both had genetic premature grey hair... want to say Heath... Heathly... something like that. "
Keathley, her brother was Joe and yes they looked like twins but they weren't. Joe's married with a couple of kids. Very odd guy, very odd. Shannon and Mike Roberts got pregnant, briefly married, divorced and Mike died a couple years back. Rumor was drug OD but never confirmed, knowing Mike as I did after I don't doubt it. Their son just started college. Shannon's been married a few times but is doing OK I guess.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on June 24, 2006, 11:14:00 PM
I want to know what happened to Scott Yancey. That kid epitomized how Straight could just literally drive a kid nuts.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Pegasus on June 24, 2006, 11:18:00 PM
No offense but Yancy.... hell if you are from my time, were you there when Mike Daniels came in? Now there was a guy who was in the WAY wrong place. Even a screwed up druggie teenager could tell that boy needed major psychiatric help to start with.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on June 24, 2006, 11:22:00 PM
Yeah, I do. It was awful, as was how Scott was treated and Debbie Furlong and Kim Wassmer and Lori McMaster and Ruth and Ray Johnson and Sara Toth. It was hell for everyone.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Pegasus on June 24, 2006, 11:25:00 PM
>Keathley<
Darm.. Heathley... Keathley.. I had it close. LMAO
>brother was Joe and yes they looked like twins but they weren't.<
I couldn't remember if they were, or just lookalikes and a year apart or something... sure could have passed for twins. LOL
>Joe's married with a couple of kids. Very odd guy, very odd.<
LOL Needless to say, I never knew Joe really.
>Shannon and Mike Roberts got pregnant, briefly married, divorced and Mike died a couple years back<
I recall the name Mike Roberts but can't place it for nothing... coming up blank for a face to go with it.
>Shannon's been married a few times but is doing OK I guess.<
Don't suppose you know how to contact her? She and I weren't *close* but we lived together a few times and always got along... hope she is doing okay. That sucks about Mike. :sad:
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on June 24, 2006, 11:25:00 PM
There was some girl named Denise, she was older like 22 or something. Has a sister that came in first. Denise was a full blown ivy league heroin addict and went thu withdrawal in an intake room for 2 weeks. I can't think of her sister's name or their last name.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on June 24, 2006, 11:27:00 PM
Quote
On 2006-06-24 20:25:00, Anonymous wrote:
full blown ivy league heroin addict
:lol: Got to typing to fast, IV league.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Pegasus on June 24, 2006, 11:29:00 PM
Now that's wild that you can remember Kimmy, Sara Toth, Ruth Johnson.... and not me! LOL
I was lumped with both Sara and Ruth a lot because I was big... lived at both their houses... Sara's briefly, the Johnsons a long time, including the infamous breakout abuse and hell incident with the Johnsons.
Whenever I was being singled out for abuse (frequently) Sara and Ruth were always called on, they always chose the bigger girls to *take care* of me... also Kim Seery... that Nancy that I am remembering, Kristen Stottlemyer... any of the big girls got picked for me... and vice versa.
Lori and Kim I knew well because of the Orlando connection... and hooked up with both of them years after Straight at various times.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on June 24, 2006, 11:32:00 PM
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On 2006-06-24 20:25:00, Pegasus wrote:
I recall the name Mike Roberts but can't place it for nothing... coming up blank for a face to go with it.
He was on 60 Minutes (I think it was that one). They guy yelling "I WANT A BETTER LIFE, or I WANT TO LIVE" or some such shit during a staged rap.
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Don't suppose you know how to contact her? She and I weren't *close* but we lived together a few times and always got along... hope she is doing okay. That sucks about Mike. :sad:"
No, sorry.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Pegasus on June 24, 2006, 11:33:00 PM
>>He was on 60 Minutes (I think it was that one). They guy yelling "I WANT A BETTER LIFE, or I WANT TO LIVE" or some such shit during a staged rap.<<
Now this is sad... even though I still can't place him personally from being there, I do remember seeing the video clips a few years ago and remember seeing THAT! LMAO
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on June 24, 2006, 11:38:00 PM
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On 2006-06-24 20:29:00, Pegasus wrote:
"Now that's wild that you can remember Kimmy, Sara Toth, Ruth Johnson.... and not me! LOL
I may remember you. I think I remember a time when you were 'misbehaving' and they got a shitload of people to confront you and most of them told you that you were a wannabe mishaver (for lack of a better term). Even then I thought what a crock. They were just taunting you and ensuring that you'd fight. Was that you? Kinda big girl, dark hair, glasses?
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the Johnsons a long time, including the infamous breakout abuse and hell incident with the Johnsons.
I remember that it happened but couldn't tell you anything about it. I don't remember a lot of the details like that. I'm sure you do as you were in the house. I remember poor Ruth finally losing it and fighting. I was never in her house but from what I could tell she was a sweet soul.
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also Kim Seery...
Remember the name but can't place the face.
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Lori and Kim I knew well because of the Orlando connection... and hooked up with both of them years after Straight at various times."
How' Lori?
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Pegasus on June 24, 2006, 11:54:00 PM
>>taunting and ensuring that you'd fight. Was that you? Kinda big girl, dark hair, glasses<<
Well first off, yes they did that to me a lot. There was this disagreement about whether I was some badass biker chick (NOT) or a big old wimp (truth) but I am also a strong willed stubborn and won't put up with bullshit, so I was taunted and pushed and tormented until I fought back... then of course, I was being bad and I had to be punished. For all their accusations, the truth is that I had never been in a fight until Straight. LOL
Yes... that was an accurate description of me. Tall... 5'11"... big built and heavyset, at the time I weighed about 180-200 when I *should* have been 160 or so, well except for the months I DID get down to 165-170 because of a "special" *cough cough* diet I was put on my staff. Another example of them doing anything for money to make parents happy. Yes, dark hair... brown with glasses. All exactly how I would describe myself from then to you. :smile:
>>I remember that it happened but couldn't tell you anything about it.<<
I've got a pot on another group about that, because someone there remembered the incident and asked... I'll find it and post.
>>was never in her house but from what I could tell she was a sweet soul<<
She was... she really was. The whole Johnson family was like that... nothing fancy, they were simple country people without much education but they were all just the kindest, sweetest people. After my escape attempt and the abuse, staff was going to rehome me, as per normal standards but Mrs Johnson asked for me to come there, she sat up all that night with me nursing my wounds and crying, called Newton AT HOME in the middle of the night, first begging to take me to a doctor, then chewing him out when he said no. LMAO I loved her for that.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Pegasus on June 25, 2006, 12:03:00 AM
Sorry forgot you asked about Lori.
Last I saw her wasn't good. As you may remember, she had some serious mental and emotional problems... all that fidgiting and picking and stuff was NOT an act... she had some loose wiring.
It's complicated but my parents stayed with Straight when I left, helped open the Orlando branch and then went to work for them in Orlando. By this time, I had been married and divorced, had a 2 year old kid... and they called me because Lori's family was going nuts about her.
As a favor, I went to talk to Lori and it was nasty. She was working in a strip bar... but understand... whereas if you read any of my stories about Kimmy, she was also stripping but she was in classy gentlemens clubs, nice places with men in business suits type places... Lori was in a filthy, dirty back alley dive type place. I am sorry if this sounds rude, but if you think about Lori, she didn't exactly have the looks and body for a stripper... this place was gross. She was pretty strung out on drugs. I tried to talk to her about cleaning up her act, getting off the hard stuff, maybe going to school etc.... then her parents got hold of her. My mom called me a few days later and told me she was back in Straight, there in Orlando... I could not believe it. THAT wasn't what I meant for her to do but apparently her parents said something to her... or grabbed her while she was stoned, I dunno.
Anyway, here it is, like 1988, 1989... years after St Pete and we're adults... and she is BACK IN THERE?? OMG!
Again complicated, but even though I was a "cop out"... between my parents and circumstances, staff allowed me certian priveleges normally not given to cop outs, and I was allowed to visit the building and talk to Lori. She was soooo out of it, even not stoned, it was like her mind was gone.
She only stayed there a week or so, and she ended up coming and spending a couple days with me, then went back to her parents... and I'm afraid that's the last I know.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on June 25, 2006, 12:12:00 AM
Damn, I'm sorry to hear that but I can't say that I'm shocked. Everyone knew it wasn't an act with her. She's another one that I believe was really driven over the edge in there. I mean we all were in one way or another but there are those I'll never be able to get out of my mind and she's one of them.
You'll be glad to know that on one of the ocassions that I've found myself at ole Virgil's house I've mentioned Kim Wassmer by name. She's another one that stuck with me. I can still see him lifting her off the ground by her hair. When Ihrew that name out there he recognized it and KNEW I had his fucking number, that I wasn't fucking around with what I was saying. He remembers, he knows what he did.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on June 25, 2006, 12:47:00 AM
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On 2006-06-24 21:12:00, Anonymous wrote:
"Damn, I'm sorry to hear that but I can't say that I'm shocked. Everyone knew it wasn't an act with her. She's another one that I believe was really driven over the edge in there. I mean we all were in one way or another but there are those I'll never be able to get out of my mind and she's one of them.
You'll be glad to know that on one of the ocassions that I've found myself at ole Virgil's house I've mentioned Kim Wassmer by name. She's another one that stuck with me. I can still see him lifting her off the ground by her hair. When Ihrew that name out there he recognized it and KNEW I had his fucking number, that I wasn't fucking around with what I was saying. He remembers, he knows what he did."
Wonder where she went? You two were having a nice conversation. A rarity here. I hope the paranoia patrol didn't get ahold of her. :lol:
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Pegasus on June 25, 2006, 12:52:00 AM
*sighs* I suppose I'll need to post the story I know about Kimmy and Newton here. I wrote about it last week on another group, so it's a simply copy paste.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on June 25, 2006, 12:54:00 AM
Quote
On 2006-06-24 21:47:00, Anonymous wrote:
Wonder where she went? You two were having a nice conversation. A rarity here. I hope the paranoia patrol didn't get ahold of her.
:lol: "
:lol: I was half expecting someone to jump out and acream 'don't trust anyone here, don't give out personal info'. This has been a nice change of pace.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on June 25, 2006, 12:55:00 AM
Quote
On 2006-06-24 21:52:00, Pegasus wrote:
"*sighs*
I suppose I'll need to post the story I know about Kimmy and Newton here. I wrote about it last week on another group, so it's a simply copy paste."
God she was just a kid. I think that's why she and Debbie Furlong stick out in my mind. I mean we were all kids, but they were little girls.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Pegasus on June 25, 2006, 12:57:00 AM
Yeah I know how it can be... but hey... I've got nothing to hide or worry about... our computer is protected and I've dealt with a lot worse in my life than anyone here could do to me now. LOL I won't do something like post my home address or phone number on a public forum, but email and stuff... ppttthhh...
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Pegasus on June 25, 2006, 12:58:00 AM
As you say... yes they were little girls. This will sicken you. ------------------------------ While I am having an afternoon of sitting here not able to do anything but type, I'll go ahead and get this told... some of you here may have heard me tell this a few years ago... some of you may remember the incident. A real case of "if I had known then what I know now"... of course, not like I would have been allowed to tell what I knew even if I did... LOL
Anyone need any more proof of how much of a disgusting, sick, dirty old man Newton really was? Read this story if you didn't read it when I posted it several years ago.
Okay... Kimmy Wasserman. Remember her St Pete folks? From the Orlando area and was only 13 when she came in, tiny and short but already with a pretty impressive set of boobs (actually that fact IS important to the story)... for her age she really HAD done quite a lot of drugs, sexual exploits etc. She was adorable, cute as cvould be but with no self esteem. Her mother was a druggie/stripper/whore that had abandonded her, her grandparents were raising her and Kimmy had already decided that her fate was destined to be the same as her mothers, so why bother fighting it. That was her viewpoint on life.
She had a rough program, never got very far up the phases... I don't think she ever got past 3rd... and she was in and out of that place for years. She even ended up doing a short stint in the Orlando program like 5 years later.
Anyway, the infamous incident of the leopard bikini. As far as we kids knew at the time, the story was... Kimmy was about 15 then and had copped out, she was found being a lounging beach bunny and doing exotic dancing for dirty old men, doing drugs, the works. She was brought into group in the middle of the day, wearing nothing but a skimpy little leopard print bikini, hair all poofed up, heavy exotic make up, blurry red eyes etc. We were told she was found hanging out at the beach, stoned. Needless to say, this girl was blasted from one end of the building and back again... for a long damn time.
Fast forward, it is now 3-4 years later... I am divorced, me and my daughter are living at my parents home outside Orlando... even though (ironically right) my father is working at the Orlando Straight building and my mom volunteers there. They tell me nobody has heard from or seen Kimmy in a while, her grandparents are worried, maybe I could find her. Somehow I end up locating her... she's now 18, working in a "gentlemans club" dancing and doing all sorts of drugs. Although I am not about to tell her to go to Straight, I did try to talk to her about the extreme lifestyle she was living. She believes she's on top of the world, lot's of cash and drugs, hot car, great apartment, fancy clothes and guys at her beck and call. There's no convincing her this is anything but the great life. To nobody's surprise, by 18 she had developed into a hot looking girl, easy to see how she could end up like this though that line of work... trying to tell her that you simply can NOT do the amount of drugs she was doing on a daily basis and expect to live long, she just sort of shrugged and said "well at least I'll have fun before I go or my looks fade". That right there was her entire outlook on life, the old live hard, die young and leave a good looking corpse belief. I hung out with her for a while, trying to talk to her... but we sort of drifted apart because even though I wasn't a goddy two shoes, her lifestyle was way too instense for me.
Fast forward again, another 2-3 years. My dad has had a heart attack, no longer works at Straight and the family secret shame is out in the open. My father has been a binge closet alchoholic for 30 years or more, had affairs with women, goes off on gambling binges... (later still he was finally diagnosed with having Bipolar, in which such binges are a common symptom). Turns out he was still having these binges all those years involved with Straight but my parents hid it. Honesty right? LMAO Anyway, the point is... while he was in one of his binges and drinking, he and I got together in a rare attempt on his part to bridge the gap and we talked. Since he was having an affair with a stripper MY AGE, somehow we ended up talking about Kimmy and of course, the leopard bikini incident came up. My dad got REALLY upset, at first didn't want to talk about it, then drank another beer and started to cry a little and told me what had really happened.
My father was part of a group of about 4-5 men... program fathers... that were focused on finding and catching various cop-outs, including Kimmy. When she was located, Miller Newton was contacted and he joined them for the "capture" because by then Kimmy was some special project... I never understood why but I always knew there was some special interest on her presence in the program. My dad confirmed that but he really didn't know why either. So anyway, the real capture actually took place at about 5 am, Kimmy had left the party scenes to go home, was dead tired and burnt out and wearing regular street party clothes... she came out of a convience store with a soda when they jumped her. THEY, this group of Newton and other men, took her to the place she was living and THEY started going through all of her belongings, all her things. They found the bikini and started taunting her, saying things like "I bet you think you are little Miss Hot Shit is this don't you, little girl?"... they help her down and were saying really disgusting things to her about what she was doing... crude things about her body, things that would NEVER be allowed to say in group. Then Newton startyed this thing of "you like dancing and showing off your little body to older men huh? So why don't you give us a little show? Why don't you strut your stuff for us baby? How about waving those cute little tits in our faces?" and stuff like that. My dad says it was really weird, some of them men seemed really into this whole thing, like they were enjoying it, some of them seemed uncomfortable but followed along anyway, they weren't about to say anything against Miller Newton.
Even though my dad had affairs with much younger women, went to strip clubs and all that on the sly, he was uncomfortable and embarassed because in his mind, Kimmy was nothing but a little girl, a baby and they were supposed to there to protect her. These men stayed alone with her for several hours, they were the ones who sat her at the mirror and forced her to fix up her hair and make up, they made her strip, in front of them and change INTO that leopard bikini so the group "could see the truth" about what a little whore she was being on the outside. By the time they brought her in, yes she had been partying the night before but the red eyes and all were also from her not being allowed to sleep and being harrassed by these men for those hours. My dad said that a couple of the guys, including Newton, made no effort to hide looking at her body and having "responses" to her, they touched her more than what was needed... or appropriate. Even my dad, whose moral compass isn't the strongest, was sickened by the idea of these men who are supposed to be there to save her, getting their jollies.
Remember the edible underwear they claimed they found in her purse? She got confronted all to Hell over them. They actually found those in the rooms where she was living, a place where a dozen other people were living as well, most of them strippers... and Kimmy said from the start they were not hers, but they put them IN her purse and told group that was where they found them.
The last I heard about Kimmy was shortly after this... rumors that she was sick and not doing well... rumors it was AIDS. I never found her again, so I have no clue if the rumors were true at all or not, have no idea if she is still alive or not. I was always very close to her, I felt really big sister towards her, we were close... and her stories, before, during and after the program always tore my heart out. My dads confessions didn't help any. That poor girl never had much of a chance in life... and she knew it. I wish I could somehow find out whatever happened to her past that. My last knowledge is from about 1989.
Susan
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on June 25, 2006, 01:07:00 AM
Quote
On 2006-06-24 21:58:00, Pegasus wrote:
"As you say... yes they were little girls.
This will sicken you.
------------------------------
Goddammit! I knew something was fucked up about that. I mean besides the obvious. Fuckers!!! No WONDER that got a reaction out of him! I remember her being brought back into group CLEARLY! God I just couldn't believe it. I thought she was even younger than 15 at the time though. Please post if you happen to hear any more info about her.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Pegasus on June 25, 2006, 01:15:00 AM
LOL Cut me some slack, my memory is hazy on time frames... I was guessing she was 15 by then... she very well might have still only been 14 when it happened... I honestly don't remember.
Yeah. No shit... man when you threw Kimmy's name in his face, you hit a rawer nerve than you realized... LMAO He did some nasty shit to that little girl... and it was witnessed by those men.
I remember we all thought it was weird... how often was a lowly cop out walked into group BY the big man himself??
I figured you would remember. I can not imagine anyone who was there would ever forget the leopard bikini incident. I've tried to find her in recent years but no luck... and her grandparents have passed away so no connections. Plus I am no longer in Orlando... hell I am no longer in Florida... LOL So all I have is the internet and phone for searching... which is great IF the person being searched is *in the system*... useless if they aren't. LOL
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on June 25, 2006, 01:23:00 AM
Quote
On 2006-06-24 22:15:00, Pegasus wrote:
"LOL Cut me some slack, my memory is hazy on time frames... I was guessing she was 15 by then... she very well might have still only been 14 when it happened... I honestly don't remember.
Nah, I figure it's my bad memory. I was thinking she was still 12 or 13 then, but she couldn't have been.
Cool! More ammo for when I visit again. It's a riot. Last time I was nailing Ruthie on a few points and she actually said to me "I never gave you permission to call me by my first name". My response: "PERMISSION????????? (then I laughed) Fuck you RUTH ANN. I ain't in Straight anymore RUTH ANN. I don't need your permission to do anything RUTH ANN. You fucking cunt." My toes were up against her property, not on it, and I was yelling about 3 feet from her face.
Damn it felt good. ::bigsmilebounce:: ::bwahaha2:: ::birthday:: ::fuckoff:: ::both::
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Pegasus on June 25, 2006, 04:39:00 AM
>>"I never gave you permission to call me by my first name".<<
That one just kills me. I can not believe the colossal fucking EGO she has to think that she could have any form of control over one of us still. To think, after all these years, that if she gives a command, you would cower down to her. UN-FUCKING-BELIEVABLE!!!
Well... remember Kimmy was just about to turn 13 when she came in, she was like 12 and 10 months. She had been IN the program at least a year when this incident happened.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Pegasus on June 26, 2006, 03:04:00 PM
To be honest, I truly have a hard time understanding HOW Newton and his cronies are not only... NOT rotting in jail, but still operating childrens organizations, still in positions of political power, still got money coming out their asses. I mean I know they covered their asses well but damn... after all these years, all the lawsuits and public accusations... you would think they would lose credibility along the lines!
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on June 26, 2006, 03:30:00 PM
Quote
On 2006-06-26 12:04:00, Pegasus wrote:
"To be honest, I truly have a hard time understanding HOW Newton and his cronies are not only... NOT rotting in jail, but still operating childrens organizations, still in positions of political power, still got money coming out their asses. I mean I know they covered their asses well but damn... after all these years, all the lawsuits and public accusations... you would think they would lose credibility along the lines!"
Newton is part of DFAF. DFAF is run by republican big guys. Money talks....the money from Semblers et al goes to the republican party. Their ass is covered by the republicans. Now you know the rest of the story........
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Tampa survivor on June 27, 2006, 10:46:00 PM
I remember lots of folks mentioned in this thread. Bill H. 12/80-12/82. Got shipped to Atlanta for being bad. Executive rap in late 81 Ruthie and Virgil delighted in telling me this in front of all. Assholes. I knew when I saw Miller grab Luray Harbor one day by the hair and she was 13 yo about 95 pounds that he got off on it.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Antigen on June 28, 2006, 12:45:00 AM
Quote
On 2006-06-26 12:30:00, Anonymous wrote:
Money talks....the money from Semblers et al goes to the republican party. Their ass is covered by the republicans. Now you know the rest of the story........"
That's not the whole story. They're only hawkin' what the market is buying. And this season getting tough on kids is selling hot.
Why that, of all things? Has a society ever turned on and from it's own young like this before? What comes next?
The memory of my own suffering has prevented me from ever shadowing one young soul with the superstitions of the Christian religion. --Elizabeth Cady-Stanton
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Ganja on June 28, 2006, 06:18:00 PM
I shudder to think.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Pegasus on June 28, 2006, 08:41:00 PM
Bill H. 12/80-12/82
Is that your info?? I am trying to decide if I remember you. I was 11/81-4/83 so we were there together.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on July 05, 2006, 08:59:00 PM
bump :em:
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on July 06, 2006, 01:15:00 AM
I am trying to figure out the exact dates, I was transfered to Straight-Atlanta in August 1981 (according to things I read about when that concentration camp opened) and escaped shortly there after. Finally reaching phase 3 after 10 months. I was in St Pete in what had to be late 1980. I was in a total 10 months, 3 weeks, 5 days and about 6 hours. When I escaped I called my parents from a payphone after vanishing for 3 weeks and was ready to go underground forever if they didnt call off the dogs. I was 17 then and now I am 42. It was a pretty evil place. I remember seeing a guy jump through a small Florida crank style window to get to freedom. I saw a guy heave a livingroom chair through a sliding glass door. (Fellow Newcommer). I had been denied being able to use the restroom during a rap and ended up pissing myself and having to sit in piss for several hours till lunch break and even then, I didnt get freash clothes. I had been "restrained" many times. This as you know means 4-6 people wrestle you to the ground and sit on your chest, legs and arms and head. I was made to eat peanut butter sandwitches and water at the table while the oldcommer family had steaks, spagetti and other more tasty meals. That was a two week sentance of bread, peanut butter and water.. For trying to "split" /escape.. Each of my split attempts was followed a decent beating followed by some deprivation ie: food, sleap etc and of course a restart LOL, I was on phase 1 for 9 months and restarted 3-4 times.. I had an ingrown toenail during my stay and it took an act of congress to get to go to a doctor and then I was not allowed even as much as an asprin for fear I might get high.. If I were to see any of those old men (who must be at least 50-60 now) who ran that place I think I would just kick their ass. God, that was a long time ago... memories still pretty vivid. If you were among the 1st group of folks to go to Straight-Atlanta from St Pete, it would be good to hear.
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Pegasus on July 06, 2006, 01:32:00 AM
I guess I must have just missed you by a couple months. I was taken into Straight St Pete in November 1981.
I well know all the stuff you mention... been there, done that. :sad:
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on July 07, 2006, 01:28:00 AM
I think I figured out when I went to St Pete. I had tickets in my pocket for the Heaven and Hell tour of Black Sabboth and BOC which was Sept 12, 1980 which was a Friday. I went in the day before that so, That was Sept 11, 1980. I rember being pretty angry that I was being made to stay and having to miss the concert. That being said I was there the same time as Bill H.
If Atlanta opened Aug 1st 1981 then that would be right because I was in Atlanta when I escaped. Atlanta had just opened I knew once I got back to my home turf they could never find me. I am married now, successfull with a kid of my own etc now. Pretty much grew out of the old lifestyle but I often wonder how others did once escaping.
Shortly after my escape I was probably worse than before as far as drugs went. I was lucky enough to stay out of the reach of the law for anything "serious" I had a few public drunks, dui, bar fighting etc but no "busts" I did have more awareness not only of myself but of my piers which was helpfull in seeing through their bullshit and playing on their insecurities etc. Once I decided I wanted to stop the lifestyle at age 27, 10 years after straight they pretty much dropped me like a hot potato. Living well is the best revenge. I still wouldnt mind kickin the shit out of Newton though. lol
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: NAILBOMB on July 07, 2006, 07:48:00 AM
"The dragon lives inside my mouth, and he speaks, in tongues, the word "Hellbound" (http://http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Toothfairy_TP/needle.jpg)
_________________ [ This Message was edited by: NAILBOMB on 2006-07-07 04:54 ]
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on July 12, 2006, 11:47:33 AM
yeah baby yeah
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on July 22, 2006, 04:29:00 PM
bump
Title: St Pete 1981-1983 Anyone?
Post by: Anonymous on August 17, 2006, 11:53:53 PM