"...so why should I trust the national press?..."

There are clusters of time in every life, sometimes hours, days, weeks or months that remain more vivid than any other period. Usually these intervals are marked by extreme emotion that cuts through our consciousness with enough precision to permanently alter our personality. The span between March 6th, the day of the disaster in Wiscasset, and May 29th, the night I was finally free of Joe, is forever etched in my memory.

After Wiscasset I tried to justify my role in a campaign where the emperor candidate had no clothes and everyone should have known it. I reasoned that I couldn�t storm away from Joe for his folly since it would most certainly summon the death knell for my director of advertising post at Scarborough Downs. I rationalized that it was only about 90 days until the Democratic primary, and it would all be over. I concluded that believing in Joe�s candidacy was not a prerequisite for doing a professional job. If I stayed on, I could at least minimize the damage and be able to see the 60 MINUTES piece through to completion, a prospect no media person would want to forfeit.

Allan Maraynes flew to Maine on March 12th to do his pre- production advance work. That night he wanted to meet Joe at his house, and talk some more. Joe asked me to get to Blackstrap Road about 7pm, the same time John and Allan were expected to arrive.

The house was in darkness when I drove up the driveway, a little before the appointed hour, and rang the front doorbell. I waited outside for about five minutes before Alice Quinn appeared and let me in. She looked harried and out of breath. �Joe and I are in the basement, finishing a therapy group," she explained. �We�ll be up soon. Joe says to make yourself at home. There�s wine, juice and sparkling water in the fridge,� she recited before heading back down the spiral staircase.

I wasn�t accustomed to Joe�s house at night, and wandered into the kitchen lit by only a light on the top of the stove. Reaching into one of the overhead cabinets I found a glass and poured myself some Poland Spring water. I wandered into the dining room, lit only by the moon which illuminated the patio and the pool beyond the wide expanse of glass.

Alice�s voice startled me a few minutes later as she entered the adjoining kitchen, carrying a tray full of mostly empty wine glasses. �Joe wants you to answer the door when Allan comes," she announced. �...And call us if we�re not ready," she added, setting the tray in the sink. �I just wanted to bring these up before he gets here," she continued. �...Cuz he might get the wrong impression, you know us letting the kids have wine. I think some of them might even be under age. That�s all we need for a scandal on 60 MINUTES," she laughed. �Actually it's not what it seems. This group is full of re-entry kids, and its kind of a special treat for them to have some wine. It relaxes them and makes them feel grown-up."

Ten minutes later Allan and John arrived, and before I could call for Joe, he, Alice, and a group of about five sixteen or seventeen year olds filed into the foyer almost as if they were summoned by the doorbell. Joe simultaneously greeted them, and bade farewell to the kids. While ushering Allan into his living room, he explained that he had just finished an exhaustive group therapy session that was, however, "very rewarding."

I remember thinking it odd that Joe had chosen the night of Allan�s visit to have a group in his home when to the best of my knowledge he hadn�t led a therapy group since he began campaigning for governor.

Joe was nervous about the 60 MINUTES producer�s visit to his home, and wondered aloud a couple of day�s earlier whether Allan might think his rambling white house was "too ostentatious." Joe�s fortune was made from adolescent treatment and he did not want to give the impression that his heart was not in the proper place.

Allan stayed for about an hour, explaining to Joe, John, Alice and me his plan for the feature. In the short time since our meeting in New York he had done his homework, contacting some of the crucial figures at the bank, to ask if they�d be willing to appear on camera. He remarked how "paranoid" they seemed, and said he doubted they�d agree to be interviewed on camera. He discussed other aspects of Joe�s lawsuit, and was interested in exploring Joe�s allegations of harassment at Elan by the attorney general�s office.

Joe offered to introduce Allan to two former Elan residents. He said these young women could substantiate his charge that the attorney general's office tried to intimidate them into saying negative things about his character. He said they could confirm that the AG's office made allegations that he used drugs, made sexual advances to female residents, and �almost every horrific thing you can imagine.� Allan took notes, and observed that Joe�s story was going to be a really dynamite feature. It would be a story about how one innocent guy could have all this happen to him, just because he broke a few Maine stereotypes.

Before leaving that night he confirmed his arrangements to visit Elan the next day, talk to a few residents, and then take a look at Scarborough Downs so he could nail down all the locations prior to shooting Ed Bradley�s interview with Joe the following month.

After John left to take Allan back to his hotel, Alice, Joe and I talked for a few minutes, and I was astounded by Alice�s near hysterical behavior. She said nearly nothing in Allan�s presence, barely managing to murmur a greeting when Joe introduced her as one of Elan�s senior staff members. And after he and John drove down the driveway, she was overcome with anxiety about having to show him around Elan the next day.

�What happens if he asks a question I can�t answer?� she wailed breathlessly, �Or what if something goes wrong? Are you going to be there?� she asked me anxiously. I explained that I wasn�t because I had production for Scarborough Downs, and besides I knew very little about Elan�s day to day concepts. Joe assured Alice, that things would be OK, explaining that Sharon Terry would be present as well. Joe told Allan he wasn�t going to be there. He said �Everybody acts different when I�m around, and I want you to see the place without undue influence from me."

Allan�s visit to Elan and Scarborough Downs proceeded without a hitch, and after talking to him during his time in Maine, I was convinced he was planning a very positive feature about Joe�s victimization by merciless bankers. He tentatively scheduled the actual shoot to take place over a three day period during the first week in April. Joe seemed ecstatic, and we were all upbeat about snagging 60 MINUTES. �What a coup...what a coup," Joe rejoiced, taking great pleasure in how he was going to stick it to everybody with a little help from his new found friends at 60 MINUTES.

Joe believed that his performance in Wiscasset wasn�t really that bad, partly because the press (aside from TV showing outtakes ) had been kind to him. They only said he "seemed uncomfortable" speaking in front of the crowd, and did not elaborate. But I felt very wary accompanying him to any more speaking engagements. Yet in March, the political pace quickened, and there were more candidate events. And Joe promised to be great and make up for any lost momentum. He was absolutely charming to a group of about fifty York county Democrats in Sanford, Maine. � I�m vindicated,� he beamed afterwards without realizing that he still blew the big event that really mattered.

On St. Patrick�s Day, Dan, Joe and I met at his house to accomplish what Joe called "collaboration" on a full page POLITICS AS USUAL advertisement titled THE BIG LIE. He had obtained via the Freedom of Information laws, documents concerning the costs of Jim Tierney�s lawsuit against Sears for fraudulent service contracts. Joe�s premise was that the attorney general lied to Maine citizens about the actual amount of taxpayers' dollars that the suit cost. Joe and the researchers had computed the billable attorney hours, travel, and research expenses and concluded the lost case could be a very expensive embarrassment. Joe said he wanted �everyone to know what a liar Jim Tierney is.� He planned to run the completed ad in the state�s three Sunday papers at a cost of about $8,000 which he said was "...a small price to pay for the truth." The three of us reviewed the materials, and then Dan and I listened to Joe rage on. We left his house three hours later with not a word written, though Joe insisted the full page article appear in the paper that Sunday. We had less than forty-eight hours to pull it all together. I wanted to write it the next day, but Joe said he needed me to sit-in on an interview he was giving at his home to a reporter for the University of Maine Free Press as well as another meeting with a representative of the a library association.

The following day I worked on THE BIG LIE at home with Dan, and arrived at Joe�s house at 5pm to drive him 50 miles to Augusta for a meeting of Kennebec county Democrats. Before leaving I handed him a copy of the article which he devoured , smacking his lips as he read like an animal hungry for his prey. He loved it, but wanted to add some flourishes of his own.

That night In Augusta Joe acted rational, calm, and friendly as he spoke to some of the most elite members of the party at the offices of the State Democratic Committee. He was aware that his criticism of the party might be challenged, so he was diplomatic and on guard, even when a member of the audience, a 20 year employee of Key Bank angrily accused him of running for governor just to draw attention to his lawsuit against the bank.

Afterwards Joe suggested we have dinner before making the trek back to Portland and I readily agreed realizing that I hadn�t eaten a thing since breakfast. He was pleased with himself, and kept pumping me for compliments for what he called his �new moderated behavior.�

During dinner at the Senator Inn Joe ordered himself about four or five glasses of wine, and suddenly became personal telling me that he �had to marry� his ex-wife because she was rich, got pregnant, and he didn�t want her parents putting a shotgun to his head. But life had played a bitter joke he explained, because after the wedding she miscarried, and then hurriedly got pregnant again, so he was trapped. He explained that she was a very weird woman who used to wear turbans, but he felt a sense of honor to stand by her, until it became �too unbearable.� (Joe�s ex-wife claims never to have had a miscarriage, and did not get pregnant until nearly seven years after she and Joe were married)

Later as I drove home, nervously navigating through heavy patches of fog, Joe sank down in the passenger's seat and lit himself what he called a �New York Joint� (which I later learned was his regular Merit cigarette with the enhancement of a drug added to it.) Oblivious to the driving conditions I was enduring he puffed away, commenting that he felt he knew me from a previous life, that we understood each other, and that was why the campaign was so worthwhile.

The following week I renewed my contract for one more year �to provide advertising and public relations services for Scarborough Downs," increasing my earnings an additional $12,000.

An administrator at Portland Newspapers called the morning after the advertising office received THE BIG LIE, illustrated with a spider web, surrounding a picture of Attorney General Jim Tierney under which was printed: "Oh what a tangled web we weave, when at first we practice to deceive." He said the statements were potentially libelous, and the paper wanted to delete what amounted to about eight lines of copy in the full page ad. Some of these suggested deletions , it was explained could be rewritten in a less defamatory manner. Trouble was there was no time because the ad had arrived late. They wanted to know if we could wait until the following week to run it, which would give the necessary time to work out the differences.

Joe was furious, refused to change one word, and seized on the opportunity to cite censorship. After just a few minutes of discussion he proclaimed that we should run a full page ad in the Sunday Paper with a big black banner reading CENSORED, and explain that the paper did not allow him to print his opinions. Subsequently that week on Sunday March 23rd under the heading POLITICS AS USUAL there was the following announcement:

CENSORED!!!

Portions of the original POLITICS AS USUAL scheduled for publication on this page have been censored by Gannett Publishing Company upon the advice of its attorneys.

Rather than have three crucial paragraphs deleted, The Committee To Elect Joseph Ricci has chosen NOT to run the story at all. Today�s edition of THE LEWISTON SUN JOURNAL SUN DAY is, however, publishing the full story we hoped you could read here.

PLEASE NOTE: Copies of the article are available beginning Monday at Joseph Ricci�s Campaign Headquarter located at 1373 Washington Avenue in Portland. (Northport Plaza across from North Deering Congregational church )

For More information call 878-2770 or 1-800-551-5562. toll free outside greater Portland.

Joe felt that statement from the committee was worth the ad costs. He loved the fact that the paper�s competitor, a smaller publication north of Portland agreed to run the ad, and made much of that fact. But he did not mention that another state-wide paper in Bangor also declined to run THE BIG LIE, objecting to the spider web surrounding Jim Tierney's face, along with the deception ditty which was Joe�s idea.

Joe was pressing for production of TV and radio ads which he wanted to saturate the airwaves in late April, all of May, and ten days in June before the Democratic primary. I felt pressed to write, shoot, and edit these ads in two weeks since Scarborough Downs season was approaching, and I had to produce racing ads as well.

During the last week in March production was scheduled at Joe�s house for the first in a series of campaign spots. A cameraman and director were set to arrive at 1pm. I got to Blackstrap Road just before noon, planning to review the script with Joe and talk about some related matters before the others arrived. Joe answered his door, wearing a football shirt and jeans, unshaven and disheveled. His face looked bloated, and his eyelids swollen. �It was a tough night,� he grimaced, responding to the look of disbelief on my face. Dragging on his cigarette , he gestured me to come in the house. �I can wash my face, shave, get into a suit and put on a Howdy Doody smile real quick... � he remarked with humor then asked nervously: �I don�t look that bad, do I?" We talked for a few minutes about something else, while I was trying to assess the situation. He looked horrible, and worse yet his demeanor was weak, pained looking. �Can we reschedule?� he suddenly asked. �I mean could we do this tomorrow instead?� I patiently explained that the shooting had been booked three weeks in advance, and there was no guarantee when I could get another availability..."It�d also probably still cost us for today," I added not certain what the best course of action was. �Then again," I reasoned, �Why expend energy and expense for the shooting, editing, and cost of media buys for a TV ad that�s going to be awful?� �I won�t be awful...I�ll be great," Joe suddenly asserted. "Just tell me what I should wear,� he demanded, directing me to follow him upstairs to his bedroom.

Opening a wall length closet displaying dozens of suits, shirts, and ties he told me. �Pick out something that�ll look great on camera.� I looked closer and pointed to a dark suit, a white shirt, and rather conservative silk tie. Joe seemed perplexed. �Well it doesn�t say they go together," he stated bewildering me, before I realized that every piece of clothing in his closet had an index card attached to its hanger, identifying what ties, shirt, suit could be coordinated with it. I was amazed by this rigid method in a closet of such a supposedly free spirited individual. After his clothing was set, Joe suggested I go out , have lunch and come back the same time as the camera crew. �I promise you'll be amazed at the change in me," he exclaimed. �You�ll forget how I seem now.�

When we all arrived later, Joe looked the part, and assumed his actor�s role, but he was �off.� Having never done a TV ad before, he didn�t realize the toil of multiple takes, and the necessity for continuity of movement. He was impatient and on edge, and I was glad I�d hired a director, rather than direct the spot myself. After about four hours of work we got the 30 second spot taped.

The scene opened with Joe sitting at his desk (wearing just a shirt and tie) in his paneled library addressing the camera, then rising from the desk walking around it ( with his tie loosened as if he�d been at a tough day of work) while still talking earnestly to his television audience:

Hi I�m Joseph Ricci, Democratic candidate for governor. I�m not a professional politician I�m a successful businessman who sees a great deal wrong in our state. I�m concerned that big business special interests are eroding our economy, and destroying our environment, and feel that we must stop ignoring the needs of working men and women...I want to close the gap between the rich and poor, the north and south, and know I can because I�m a democrat determined that the party of working people works for you.

Reciting the last words �works for you,� Joe ad-libbed a Kennedyesque gesture with his index finger and thumb of his right hand, pointing to the viewer at home. It worked, and when the ad was edited, and aired Joe�s shadowy face and circled eyes didn�t look like the aftermath of a �tough night.' Instead he exhibited the aura of a �respectable tiredness� from unswerving dedication to his job.

During the last week in March Linda Smeaton arrived back from Florida, and I believed Joe�s �sleepless nights� would be over. Linda seemed to be a leveling influence in Joe�s life, and I was relieved that she�d come back before the 60 MINUTES crew returned in early April. Nevertheless Joe�s behavior began to get more bizarre.

Out of the blue one day he called and told me he was worried that 60 MINUTES was really a hired gun, sent by the powers that be in Washington D.C. He said they wanted to discredit him for his anti-nuclear stance, because he single handedly was disrupting a multi-billion dollar industry. He feared that the feature on him was not going to focus on his problems with the bank as Allan Maraynes had indicated, but rather was going to be ".a hatchet job on Elan."

I understood the stress Joe was feeling, anticipating going on national TV into 62 million households, but I didn�t buy his theory and told him so, over and over again until I became dizzy. I explained that while the show had a confrontive style, it was extremely unlikely that Allan would have gone to such extraordinary lengths to deceive us all about the actual content of the piece. I mentioned that Allan had already talked to Key Bank, that he�d been in touch with me and John several times with questions that did not support Joe�s theory. But Joe became convinced that 60 MINUTES was gunning for him, and told his partner Gerry Davidson, that the feature could signal the end of Elan. Gerry responded by saying it�d take more than 60 MINUTES to destroy Elan. Joe was incensed that his own partner of nearly seventeen years did not share his cautionary attitude toward the place they�d created. Consequently he told me that Gerry might be �in on it� and that if the 60 MINUTES piece wasn�t an attempt to dismantle Elan, then it was going to be singularly focused on discrediting Joe Ricci. He said he decided he wasn�t going to go through with it. He was not going to be ".crucified on camera."

Joe called a meeting where Sharon, Martha, Linda, Deanna, Father Bob, Dan and I sat around the dining room table at Blackstrap. He outlined his version of the upcoming attack on Elan, and sought affirmation of his belief. Everyone, with the exception of Dan and me, nodded their head in agreement as he spoke. I had talked with each of them individually, and knew they secretly hoped he�d still cooperate with Allan Maraynes, but were afraid to let him know. I tried to explain to Joe that having 60 MINUTES report on his claims against the bank was just what he had been seeking for over a year, that it was the opportunity of a lifetime. Yet he was adamant: 60 MINUTES was out to destroy him.

I was frustrated and confused, and frankly didn�t understand what Joe feared, what he had to hide. I thought Elan was a reputable place, and though it was controversial in its approach, it had weathered controversy before. I began to think Joe really had something to hide, given his fearful presence.

Then during the very end of March I received a call one night. His voice was low and strained. He informed me that he was at home, and Sharon Terry was listening on the extension. He told me he had just called Allan in New York and told him he didn�t want to be involved with 60 MINUTES, saying �I�m too tired, I�m too battered, I�m too weary...I'm too emotionally drained, and this is entirely too crazy for me.� He went on to tell him that he didn�t want filming at Elan because Elan had been on television three times during the past decade, and it hadn�t gone well. �I don�t want you to rescue me, and I don�t want you to persecute me, � he told him. �I just want to be left alone. �

I was upset that Joe made the call, but realized by his tone of voice that he didn�t want any dissension in his ranks. Previously he had talked about John Campbell and Dick Poulos, and how they had �sold him down the river.' He was convinced that John in particular had �waffled� on him, because he had not been readily willing to call Allan himself, and say that it was his law firm�s opinion that Joe shouldn�t appear on 60 MINUTES. �Talking to John was like talking to Greg Tselikis all over again," Joe charged. �He�s become ambivalent, giving me non-descript advice, and then trying to put words in my mouth, saying how me doing 60 MINUTES will if nothing else satisfy my �vendetta� for Tierney. I told him vendetta was an Italian word, and my grievances with Tierney will be worked out in the Justice Department, not on national television. John and Dick, and Paul Zendzian (the firm�s newest partner who previously had been associated with Augusta attorney Severin Beliveau ,then also a contender in the Democratic gubernatorial primary) are selling me out," he exclaimed. "...I told John that if he and Dick couldn�t get me a definite trial date, then I�m, gonna take legal recourse against them. It�s absolutely shocking that I can�t get to court. They say that there�s a trial going on before it, and if it's settled, we�re going in May, but that�s not good enough. I�m sick of their empty promises," he concluded.

Rather than risk fanning the flame of Joe�s anger and frustration, I just lamely asked what the reaction had been to his call. He told me that Allan had asked what the matter was, whether it was the filming at Elan or what. �He was trying to peg me down," Joe observed, �...so I told him no it's not Elan, it's everything. I said it's everything...I just don�t want to do it...I told him I�m going to sell Scarborough Downs, phase out Elan, maybe drop out of the governor�s race, and eventually move back to New York. I said that doing 60 MINUTES was just too stressful and told him bluntly I don�t need it, and then he gave me the whole bullshit of �Well we can�t do the story without you. I wish you�d have told me sooner. You kind of ruined my month.� And then I said well, I�m sorry I�ve ruined your month but I felt like saying you�ve ruined my life...� Joe observed adding

� ...and then he said if you come to New York give us a call, my wife and I would like to have dinner with you...that bullshit.�

�Well, that�s good, at least he was civil." I answered at a loss to say anything else. �No , it's not good... � Joe snapped, �...He�s coming...he just doesn�t have the dessert, or the icing on the cake. He�s got the cake though...as he sees it," he added ominously, convinced that Allan and the 60 MINUTES crew was at that very moment making plans to ambush him, and do a muckraking expose` about Elan. Dumbfounded, I uttered: �You really think so?� �Yeah..." he replied, and with his voice conveying the fright of a fugitive added: �...Now that my final decision is made and we�re not speculating about all that anymore let's discuss how we minimize the damage, when he comes at us with the worst possible vengeance. What can we do to fend off the attack? �

I breathed a deep breath, feeling the pressure to conjure up a logical response to an illogical premise. I couldn�t compromise my belief that Allan was dealing with Joe in an entirely honest manner. Yet Joe didn�t want to hear any of that "nonsense" I had been feeding him before he finally called Allan and cancelled his cooperation. I stammered, at a loss for words, realizing that Joe purposefully had Sharon, his loyal comrade on the extension to detect any absence of sincerity in my voice.

�I don�t know," I finally answered. �...If you want to imagine the worst possible scenario...the worst possible scenario from a production point of view is to get everyone who doesn�t like Elan on film, and then say you refused to appear to answer charges. But I just don�t think he�d do anything like that without at least giving you the opportunity to defend yourself, set the record straight. I mean I don�t think he's going to go slinking around and then suddenly end up with your story on 60 MINUTES. You�ll be given the opportunity to know about it. If Allan got nasty tonight and said well we�re doing a story anyway with you or without you, then maybe you�d have cause to worry, but I don�t think it's the style of 60 MINUTES to be intentionally deceptive. � �I don�t want to talk about the their style!� Joe interrupted angrily, realizing I was still trying to push my point that Allan had been open in his dealings. �My decision is final! Let�s talk about the worst possible scenario!� he sputtered.

�The worst possible scenario, assuming your theory is correct, is that Allan rounds up all kinds of negative things about Elan and shows everybody else on film making claims..." �Well that doesn�t fly...� Joe cut in angry again. "...that�s one sided.� �Yeah... � I countered, �...but he can say that you refused to go on camera that you had the chance to counter.� "Well that�s it?� Joe asked. �Yeah..." I responded trying not too sound too exasperated. "...I mean I can�t imagine anything else that he could do other than tell you what the charges are, and ask you to respond.� "He can�t...I won�t talk to him,� Joe announced flatly. �Yes I know,� I explained. �Then he�d simply say that you refused to talk to him and that would be it.�

Joe was silent then declared �Well, we could give him a statement that we�ve been there before and this is an old story,� he mused. �Listen...� he said. "...He can put everyone on, but it's not the truth...Look, he�s got a legal problem. His problem is if he throws a lot of accusations around on television and we refuse to comment, he can�t prove anything. It may be some people saying things, but the bottom line is he can�t prove anything. I mean we are licensed...there are people going through Elan everyday.� "Right...you�ve got nothing to hide, so I wouldn�t be worrying about it,� I interjected. �But me not talking cramps his style, Joe continued, "...so he�s gotta get inside of Elan and I�m preparing...I want to be ready because I�m not going on 60 MINUTES period. I�m not gonna have my beautiful face held up to ridicule.�

�Well I don�t know what you can do to prepare, I observed ." �Well I disagree.� he injected, adopting a pseudo philosophic manner. �You see, assuming I�m right about Allan, he�s not stupid. After our conversation tonight he knows I know what he�s after. Now the days of sandbagging me are over, the possibility of lambs going to the slaughter is gone. I mean am I stupid? Do I look like a meatloaf sandwich? He�ll come back to Maine in a new form, trying to trap us into one of those classic 60 MINUTE scenes. Door creaks open. He captures someone on camera saying "No we don�t want to talk to you...he�s not here"

"..Listen we need to prepare, and Sharon and I have been discussing it here with Linda. I�m gonna jump off the phone and fix myself a drink. Sharon, why don�t you update Maura about what we�ve been talking about. Run it by her and see what she thinks.� Joe instructed, declaring "Excuse me, I have to have a drink.�

Sharon�s voice came over the line dutifully authoritative, announcing the defense strategy that they hoped I would have advanced: �The theory is that they�ll just move in with the movie camera, television cameras anyway,� she began, �...you know at Elan. They�ll just come in start filming. And then you�re going to have the person standing there you know moving their arms saying that there�s no comment, you know we don�t want to be on record. And there has to be people at the beginning of the road at Elan stationed in case this should happen to get down there to where they�re filming, where they�re going to break through. And the same thing with Joe�s house you know, we�ve got to protect ourselves!� she proclaimed.

After a while Joe returned to the phone, and talked a few more minutes about the "powers that be" who were out to destroy him for his beliefs. �I have no faith in the local media who have distorted everything about me," he claimed. �...So why should I trust the national press?...The media is manipulative......There should have been moral outrage..." (at the recent censorship of his POLITICS AS USUAL) "...and yet, nobody even gave a rat�s ass about it...�

I was distraught by that phone conversation, and couldn�t understand Joe�s mood swings which prompted him to play psychological roulette with people and things in his life. Less than two months earlier the prospect of being able to tell the American people about his ordeal with the bank was an Oz-like fantasy. But as soon as it was within his reach, part of his reality, he didn�t want it. I wondered what I could do to change his mind, help him snatch the opportunity that even his cautious lawyers felt certainly would harm neither his legal standing, nor his reputation in the community. I decided to be subtle but unyielding in my campaign. Though I believed Joe had serious flaws, at that time I still felt he was indeed the victim of an injustice, and people should be aware of what the bank had done to him. Two days later, I persuaded Joe to let me call Allan to determine his attitude since Joe�s call.

Allan was resigned to Joe�s cancellation, and told me that he accepted the blame, and swallowed his pride to his boss when explaining the time and expense already spent on the story. � I was a little embarrassed," he confided. �But I just mischaracterized Joe...I thought he was strong enough to withstand ay of the pressures when he really turned out to be much more fragile than I figured...Its too bad..." he lamented. �...because it's a provocative story, and Joe was going to come out looking really good.� He said that his whole schedule, and Ed Bradley�s was initially screwed up, but other stuff was getting plugged in, so it�d be OK. I tried to convey Joe�s paranoia, without making him out to be a lunatic, and told Allan I�d talk to Joe and see if he could possibly change his mind, though it didn�t look plausible. I then told Joe I was convinced �beyond a shadow of a doubt� that Allan's intentions were honorable, had always been that way, and he needn't keep guards at his gates in search of a 60 MINUTES crew that would never �darken his driveway.' While not mincing my words, I simultaneously displayed a matter-of-fact attitude toward the prospect of his changing his mind. The deed is done, I observed, which decreased Joe�s defensive posture, his feeling that I was trying to manipulate him.

Two days later I was at Joe�s house, and Linda was there as well when Joe suddenly asked me if I thought he had made the right decision. � No...I don�t..." I answered, �...and you�ll probably always regret it.� Linda gasped, then laughed. She like the others had nodded their heads in approval, when Joe decreed that 60 MINUTES was out to sabotage him. �God, Maura�s in PR, but Joe, she�s also so honest," Linda exclaimed.

Joe smiled and asked her what she thought, about my observations, and Linda simply said: �She makes sense.� Buoyed on by the vote of confidence. I told them both that I�d be willing to wager my job, an entire year�s salary on the fact that I was right about 60 MINUTES. �If I�m wrong...� I stated, "...then I�ll work for nothing this entire year, or you can fire me.� �If you�re wrong,� Joe countered: �...there won�t be anyplace left for you to work.�

Five minutes later he suggested I call Allan and ask whether it was too late for him to change his mind, and do the story.

Allan was pleased, but also disturbed by my call. He had started another segment, but could put it on hold. Ed Bradley, however, was a problem. He didn�t know if Ed had the availability anymore, and he was then in Africa, scheduled to return the next day. �I�ll talk to Ed, he finally said, �...And if it's OK with him, we�ll come to Maine."

The next day Allan called. Joe who was apologetic as hell, cited work and campaign pressures, a sore tooth, and a variety of other excuses for his about face. Allan said Ed Bradley was all set. He and Ed and the 60 MINUTES crew would be in Maine in 72 hours.

Chapter Twenty Two

"...like a dentist with no teeth."

Three black Lincoln Town cars pulled into the driveway of 328 Blackstrap Road signalling the arrival of the 60 MINUTES crew. Joe was nervous but no longer suspicious of Allan's intentions. Sensing Joe's fears, he had gone over his plans in great detail with Joe on the phone wanting to put his mind at ease. When he arrived with the camera crew on the first day of the three day filming, the mood was upbeat. John, Joe, Linda and I greeted everyone, and then watched while they imported lines of cable and numerous other pieces of equipment into the house. During the first day they just filmed background shots of Joe and Linda frolicking in front of their house with their dogs, Dax and Ginger, and shot some scenes of Joe opening mail at his desk in his office, and walking across the room. All this took a couple of hours, and afterwards, Joe brought out glasses of wine. The atmosphere was festive, the film crew friendly, asking typical touristy questions like where they could find Maine�s best boiled lobsters.

That night Joe had planned on attending a candidate�s night at the University of Southern Maine. Jim Tierney and the other gubernatorial hopefuls would also be there. I told Allan about this, and later he and a camera man showed up to take some shots of Joe making his presentation. They stayed about a half hour then left. Standing beside me as he listened to Joe address the audience, Allan remarked: �He�s a pretty good speaker, lots of charisma." I nodded in agreement, determined that I would not give him the tape of Joe�s announcement in Wiscasset. One look at that debacle I reasoned, and Allan might cancel his story.

Joe�s interview with Ed Bradley was scheduled for 9am the next day. When I got to Joe�s house at 8:30am, a hubbub of activity was already underway. His livingroom had been transformed into a sound stage, with two winged arm chairs set apart for his interview. Joe was up sipping coffee. Linda (who had up until the last minute resisted being interviewed) was still getting dressed. Joe seemed nervous, and signaled me away from the diningroom to walk with him up his driveway and back, then down his backyard around the pool. �So you think there�ll be no surprises?� he suddenly asked me, with a faint air of desperation. �None...� I replied, and told him just to tell his story, humorously cautioning him not to refer to the bankers as sleazebags, or bloodsuckers on camera.

During Joe�s interview with Ed, Allan was just a few feet away, careful to remain discretely out of the audience�s vision. Linda, John, and I also had a bird�s eye view of the dialogue, having positioned ourselves in the hallway adjacent to the livingroom, just behind the sound and camera crew. Ed asked Joe to tell his story, and Joe gushed forth with emotion running the gamut from depression, anger, and moral indignation to outrage. There were frequent cuts, and conferring between Ed and Allan, and Allan and Joe. Occasionally I�d step across the hall and make an observation or suggestion, but mostly I stayed put letting the drama unfold, realizing that what a half dozen of us were seeing then would be edited and packaged for 62 million households.

Linda looked at me frequently with a smile, or a frown, depending on how she felt the interview was going. We couldn�t talk during the filming so these expressions were her barometer of emotions. During one interlude when production was stopped for a technical adjustment, Linda turned to me looking strained: �Joe�s story doesn�t sound bad enough...� she complained. �...He�s gotta show more pain.� but, then was silent for a minute before adding: �Well maybe it�ll do for the first time viewer. I�ve just heard it so many times before.� I explained to Linda that what Joe was telling Ed then was not going to be played in entirety, or even necessarily in context when the piece finally aired, that what he was saying was going to be �plugged in� to a narrative story told by Ed Bradley. �Good...� Linda replied, saying she hoped they�d use the "...dramatic stuff."

Around noon everyone broke for lunch, and Joe sent out for subs and drinks. Unlike a BOSTON GLOBE reporter who months earlier had refused to let Joe pay a small restaurant tab because of stringent �no favors� guidelines governing journalists on assignment, Allan had no trouble accepting Joe�s hospitality.

Joe�s mood improved considerably after his interview was over, and he told Linda she�d be great as she prepared to sit down in the diningroom with Ed Bradley. She and Ed talked during the break, and they learned they�d been in Paris at the same time years earlier. She liked him, and remarked to Joe quietly that: �He�s just as bad a clothes horse as you...� She said she�d seen his suitcoat draped over a chair, and the label revealed he shopped at the fashionable Barney�s of New York. Joe himself frequented Barney's, often making special shopping expeditions to the city in his private plane to outfit himself. Linda observed that Ed�s teeth �were bad� though, and he should do something about them.

I had never seen Linda dressed as primly in a black turtle neck, and suitcoat, with hair pulled back and little makeup as she had that day. I was impressed how she instinctively knew how to subdue her designer�s dazzle in favor of sensible chic, making her less likely to look like a gangster�s girlfriend.

During her interview she told Ed that Joe�s relationship with his children had been damaged because the things they had heard about their father at school put a strain on their relations, and from then on it became difficult for him to deal with them. She said that her relationship with Joe had also been under strain; his whole personality had changed because of what the bank had done to him. She came across as intelligent, sincere, and devastated by what happened to Joe. Her eyes welled up, and her voice cracked as she described how difficult it was for Joe to have his children ask him if he killed people for a living. I sat at the other end of the diningroom table behind the camera during Linda�s conversation with Ed, and as they were doing a retake I left to talk to Joe who was drinking wine in the kitchen. I reported that Linda was wonderful, that her comments couldn�t have been any better had they been written for her by a script writer. Joe looked at me and smiled. �I know...� he said, �...She�s no fool...That�s why I love her.�

It was about 3pm when everyone was ready to leave Blackstrap Road and head to Elan where two former female residents, friends of Joe�s were going to substantiate on camera Joe�s claim that he was harassed by the attorney general�s office. Joe had told Allan that investigators for the office had spread the rumor about his mafia involvement and also claimed he was guilty of other illegal activities. He told Allan that those two former female residents had been bullied by investigators who insinuated bad things about his character.

After all the equipment was packed in the three 60 MINUTES vehicles, Allan said his crew would follow John, Joe, Linda and me over to Elan. I headed toward my car, but was quickly stopped by Linda who asked if they could ride with me. �I don�t want to get my car out of the garage..." she confided, as I realized that both her Mercedes and Joe�s (along with the Bentley) had been locked in the garage, with the door shut. �We don�t want them to see the Mercedes...� she continued.

A half hour later I led the caravan into the Elan grounds for my second visit to that rural place in Poland Spring. The center was quiet when we drove up, the seemingly hushed silence of design. Joe�s partner, Gerry Davidson was on the porch of the main building, a rustic bungalow in sharp contrast to Joe�s 125 acre estate. Ed had planned to interview Davidson as well, but said he wanted to meet the two former residents first. Inside sat Linda Cormier, Joe�s secretary, and about three other office personnel with the two former residents brought there for the interview.

One of the women had been hit by a car recently, and was in a wheel chair with her leg in a cast. Allan suggested the cameras set up outside on the lawn since it was an unusually warm sunny day for early April. Sitting in the sunlight Ed Bradley asked the two women, Michelle and Lisa, about their experiences with the investigators from the attorney general's office, and Michelle said: �This guy made Joe out to be this big bad horrible person, just like he was a criminal...you know a crooked person. He said we all know,ha ha, where he gets his money, like it was a joke...� Lisa said the investigator, made her feel that she should be afraid of Joe, as if people from Joe�s organization were watching her. Both talked about being intimidated by seeing the investigator's guns, and praised Joe for his kindness and integrity.

I had no reason to doubt Lisa and Michelle�s sincerity, but questioned the context of their remarks, and wondered whether Allan knew to what great lengths Joe had gone to get them to Elan that day to speak to Ed Bradley on camera. Neither had done particularly well since leaving Elan. One had attempted college, and been the recipient of a free trailer from Joe, but backslid into work at a massage parlor, and had a serious drinking problem.

After telling Allan about her potential testimony, Joe had his accountant look into a treatment facility for her to dry out. A day earlier I overheard Joe telling somebody over the phone that his life depended on getting one of those young women to Elan at the pointed hour, cleaned up, and bushy-tailed to talk to 60 MINUTES. The other woman (who worked as a stripper) had also been the recipient of generosity from Joe, and had received promises of future help.

Dr. Davidson�s interview was the only one I did not sit in on, as Joe had engaged me in conversation. He was pressing me for my opinion about how he came across. He wanted to know if he seemed articulate enough. He was weary, but very pleased that he had gone through with it. "Now I've got them between the eyes..." he said making an imaginary gun with his thumb and forefinger.

The next day Allan, Ed Bradley, and the crew were going north to Auburn Maine to interview a radio personality I had told Allan about. Two weeks earlier I had learned that Mike Lawrence, of radio station WLAM in Lewiston, had made a joke on his morning show in which he asked a co-worker whether he saw the new Joe Ricci for governor campaign poster: �You know...� he said, �the one that said vote for me or I�ll break your legs...�

I explained that that remark illustrated the public sentiment about Joe being a mobster was precipitated by the bank�s rumors. Mike agreed to be interviewed and later told Ed Bradley that he subsequently apologized for the �joke� because he felt guilty. He said he hadn�t realized the extent of Joe�s plight, and felt sorry for him. He confirmed, however, that the average person on the street thought Joe Ricci was dishonest saying: �When you talk to people you get that impression, that feeling...�

Ed Bradley flew back to New York Friday night after the WLAM interview, while Allan and his crew stayed to shoot some background footage of Portland�s old port and solicit opinions about Joe at a shopping mall on Saturday. Allan was looking for people on the street who would say they thought he was a member of organized crime, crooked or dishonest, to substantiate Joe�s claim that the bank had ruined his reputation in the community.

I met Allan early Sunday morning at Scarborough Downs where he wanted to get some shots of the track, and Joe in the clubhouse before heading back to CBS. Dick Poulos who had not yet met Allan also arrived to discuss Joe�s lawsuit against the bank in greater detail, and elaborate on some other aspects of Joe�s case. Allan was given a copy of some internal bank memos from a Key Bank board meeting, though it was never stated exactly how they came into Joe�s lawyer�s possession. At this same time the topic of Anthony 'Toy' Fischer came up.

Before then I heard Fischer�s name mentioned only once by Joe as the person he felt burned down the Scarborough Downs clubhouse. I was ignorant of any previous alliances Joe may have had with Fischer. I was certainly not then privy to the contents of Fischer�s conversation with Detective Herring at the Maine State Police barracks in January 1985 concerning the stolen human service file that he allegedly delivered to Joe�s lawyer�s office in return for payment by someone from Elan. Nor was I aware that Dick Poulos had implicated Fischer for arson of the Scarborough Downs clubhouse in a letter to the commissioner of public safety.

Allan was told that Fischer had been an operative for the attorney general�s office, had deliberately tried to set Joe up, and was possibly responsible for arson at Scarborough Downs. Allan agreed to talk to him, and pursue the allegations with the attorney general. Eventually Allan did talk to Fischer, and even had him flown to New York at CBS�s expense, where he was interviewed on camera. But a few weeks later Allan told me that he wasn�t using Fischer�s testimony because of �conflicting reports� which muddied the water, and didn�t substantiate Joe and his lawyers' claims. (What I didn't know then was that Allan had received a nine page letter from Maine Deputy Attorney General James Kilbreth which explained among other things that Fischer met with Joe, and his lawyers and had the stolen file nearly three months before he had any contact with any member of the attorney general's office. )

There�s something about the medium of television that makes people a little crazy. It reveals a lot, but it hides a lot more. Dealing with 60 MINUTES, I was reminded of my previous TV experience at a station in Boston, where stories were packaged neatly for the viewer. This helped me quite a bit with Allan since I was the one who intially packaged for him the tale of an innocent man who had become a victim of ethnic stereotyping, that damaged his relationship with his family and fiancee.

Allan included only information in his piece that would support and illustrate that premise. If anything in his research didn�t elaborate upon the basic building block it would be discarded. Apparently, he didn�t attempt to get to the bottom of the complex Fischer story. He simply did not include mention of him or the fire at Scarborough Downs when it became appeared it was too confusing, not essential to the angle he had established. He also chose not to interview Joe�s ex-wife or sons on camera after talking to them briefly on the phone. He might have realized it would be opening a can of worms. Better let Joe�s own theory for the deterioration of his relationship with his sons be the sole version. It was neater.

Allan knew that Elan was controversial, and said so on the air, but he also called it the most prestigious school for troubled teenagers in the country. Did he take this accolade from a brochure, or was it researched? Did he know that during the past year the state of Maine had for numerous reasons chosen not to renew Elan�s human service licenses as a residential treatment center for troubled adolescents, and that other state licences allowing the facility to act in the capacity of alcohol and drug rehabilitation were no longer current? Was Allan aware of the actual abuse complaints against Elan by former residents, and some state mandates that prevented the placement of children at Elan because it was determined it violated the basic civil rights of its residents? (This revelation would have been a dramatic irony particularly when Joe Ricci�s major complaint against the bank was a violation of his own civil rights)

Looking back now I even have more ponderings...doubts...regarding one of the world's most powerful investigative news organizations' ability to accurately and thoroughly research its subject.

Joe stated to Ed Bradley that he had told the investigator from the attorney general�s office: "I�m an honest man, I am not a criminal, and I don�t intend ever to be one...� Did Allan know that Joe apparently avoided federal prison for robbing a mail truck by going to a drug rehabilitation center? And was he aware of Joe�s penchant for filing lawsuits, his ability to exploit situations for his own benefit even 20 years earlier when he sued his fiancees�s insurance company to be able to buy her an engagement ring? And finally was Allan knowledgeable of his subject�s own drug abuse (going on then) when he was trusted as a role model for troubled teens?

It can be argued that none of this information was germane to the eventual 60 MINUTES segment: Joe Ricci Is A Marked Man...But wasn't it? Was 60 MINUTES liable for such errors of omission? In this profile, did Allan Maraynes have an obligation to thoroughly investigate who Joe Ricci was before depicting him as such a quintessential victim?

After the taping was complete and the 60 MINUTES crew left Maine, Joe sent big baskets of flowers to Scarborough Downs, Elan, and the campaign office to show his appreciation to everyone for their support. He was elated from the experience, and thrilled that Allan said the segment would probably air in late May, one of the last pieces of the 60 MINUTES season before the show went into reruns for its summer hiatus.

I was relieved. The pressure had been enormous, and after they left I felt I could get on with preparing for the harness racing season and finish the last six weeks of Joe�s campaign. Even if Joe didn�t win the gubernatorial primary (which I knew he wouldn't) the thought of his positive public exposure on 60 MINUTES, was victory enough. I was preparing for a �kinder, gentler� spring, and summer, and didn�t in my wildest imagination envision being broadsided by a raging human hurricane.

On the morning of April 10th just four days after Allan and his entourage departed, Dan and I were awakened by the telephone a little before 7am. Our answering machine had been left on through the night so we didn�t scramble to pick up the receiver. But ten minutes later standing in our pajamas, we played back the message. It was from Sharon Terry, who said she was calling for Joe just to let us know that he was canceling his gubernatorial campaign effective immediately. In a crisp business like voice that sounded like she was addressing complete strangers, she informed us that we �...needn�t bother calling Joe... � to discuss the matter with him, since his mind was made up. She said we should proceed to the campaign headquarters and inform the researchers and Deanna that their services were no longer needed, except to clean out the office. We stood stunned, feeling the sting such unexpected revelations bring. Then we became angry. Why hadn�t Joe called us himself to discuss this instead of engaging an operative to lower the boom? After all we�d endured with him during the past seven months it was an insult. Obviously we had done something to displease him, though we didn�t know what.

I had been scheduled to meet a video production crew at Scarborough Downs early that morning to shoot footage for an opening day ad. Later I planned to travel to a farm in Saco to shoot some footage of a mare and foal for the same spot. Everything was synchronized with at least half a dozen participants, so I was committed to still going through with my plans regardless of how I felt. Enroute to Scarborough Downs I stopped at the campaign headquarters and updated Deanna about the latest development. She was upset, but vowed she�d wait in the office for word from Joe. Perhaps he�d change his mind, she observed.

It was a sun specked spring day, the sort that usually breeds optimism, but Dan and I felt foolish, as if we�d wasted our time during the past months dancing like pathetic puppets to the trying tunes of a thoughtless puppeteer. We stopped for lunch after I finished production, but I couldn�t eat. �This is it." I told Dan. �I�m done being nice to Joe at all costs, always understanding. Wait till I talk to him again.� �We should have bailed out after Wiscasset..." Dan lamented, before stopping to correct himself: �No...� he added, �...I should have left in October after the first stunt he pulled, humiliating me for no reason. �

That afternoon while I went to a local TV station to edit what we�d filmed that morning. I spent the next three hours in a dark windowless control room piecing an ad together frame by frame. My concentration was broken a few minutes before 5pm when I was paged for �...a call from Mr. Ricci.�

�Hello..." Joe began with feigned levity, �...how�re you doing?� I explained that I�d had a busy day full of production that would�ve gone a lot better had I not been awakened by an ominous message from his hired gun before 7am. My tone was calm, chilly, but professional. I was resigned to the ramifications of disagreeing with him.

Hearing my hurt, and barely repressed anger, he became more solemn, adopting the role of teacher lecturing an errant student. "I�m sorry that I had to play it the way that I did..." he began, �...but you�ve got to understand it had to be a clean break. There was no room for discussion.� I explained that his attitude escaped me, and that I couldn�t comprehend why he couldn�t be direct with his feelings. toward us. �After all you, Dan and I have been through together... � I said citing the numerous car and plane trips, the dozens of late night conversations. �...I think we deserved more than a perfunctory call from Sharon. �Well, perhaps my methodology was a little off...� Joe conceded �...but things haven�t been going well with the campaign, and Dan�s strategy is shaky at best. He wants to �handle� me, and I won�t have any of it." he stated with a cold sharp edge to his voice.

�Listen..." he confided, then speaking softer: �...Do you want to come over to the house and we can discuss it? I �m not going to really withdraw from the campaign. I just needed to inject some new life into my candidacy, and get rid of the dead wood. Can you stop by now?� I gritted my teeth to keep calm, realizing he was trying to shift any blame for his actions to Dan, who was obviously the object of his �deadwood' reference. �No I can�t come over... � I answered, adding irritably: �...It's been a long day, and I�m tired...and really not very motivated to talk with you about much of anything right now..." I added honestly as an after thought. �And I don�t understand your aggression towards Dan. I think you're imagining things.� I announced in a calm but forthright manner.

Then I detected surprise at the end of the receiver. He had never experienced indignation from me before, and in retrospect I realized he was taken off guard by my behavior. He murmured a few things about calling me later, and hung up.

Driving home that night I felt better than I had in days, perhaps months because I had stood up and rationally articulated my true feelings about his irrational behavior without couching every word, and disclaiming every sentence. I realized with a shudder that with the exception of my stance on 60 MINUTES, I had been becoming just like the other 'yes people' in Joe�s inner circle, what Eric Moynihan had once humorously nicknamed �the nodding committee.�

Dan and I were eating dinner when the phone rang after 8pm. We decided not to answer any calls that night, or even check to see who was calling. We were drained, and had enough talk. Whoever called us at home, certainly could wait, we reasoned while we tried to sort things out. We decided not to talk about Joe Ricci for the rest of the night, focusing instead on our eight year old son who was unaccustomed to so much attention. The next morning, however, before I headed out to Scarborough Downs we listened to the calls from the night before. There was an eight minute message from Joe saying he was sorry five times, and that he was ashamed at least seven times, for his behavior the previous day.

His message on the tape said:

�Hi, I was going to ask Linda to call, but I thought I would do it myself. Ahh..I owe everyone an apology. I�m sorry. I just want to relate what has been happening to me over the past week, and why this happened.� he began, gaining momentum as he continued: �Toy Fischer has been harassing me. I received three death threats. One of them today, one of them yesterday, that he was gonna blow my head off...When Toy Fischer�s not calling me, he�s calling Linda, or he�s calling John or Father Bob...and they�re trying to compromise what was said to Allan Maraynes and 60 MINUTES...and I�m just very ashamed. I�m very ashamed that you feel victim Dan to ahh...that craziness. Not that I didn�t feel what I felt. I felt all that, but its what Maura said earlier today when I was still very very crazy, about dialogue...I think...ahh...that we would like to believe that we have better dialogue than that...And...ahh...it wasn�t anything that couldn�t be worked out." he pressed on then sounding more distraught, agitated: �...I�m just very ashamed. I feel very manipulated by them. And I feel what I said is true, but to me it was a defense mechanism to withdraw...( from the governor's race ) You know...look, I don�t know what to do. I don�t know what to do because I�ve been terrorized for six days straight. Linda has and so have I...and you know this is the kind of pressure I�ve been under and you fell victim to it...and you fell victim to it because I didn�t realize what was going on and I�m very distressed which is probably a good reason for the record...that I made that decision this morning...And I understand, Maura, what you meant about the late night talks, but you�ve gotta understand...we�ve been terrorized here, and ahh...Linda can probably explain it better than I can...All I feel right now is ashamed of myself because I didn�t realize why I was striking out....Ahh... just listen if you wanna to call back and talk I�m here. I�m sorry. I�m ashamed. I obviously I want to go forward, Ok? Obviously, but the question is whether I can psychologically go forward and if we can�t get past this thing because I guess that its a part of my own pathology-at a certain point alienating and destructing the people that ahh...I build rapports with...you know I don�t know what else to say to you...I�m sorry and I'm ashamed, and I�ll do what I have to do. And whether we go forward or not isn�t important. It's really not the issue here. The issue is I�m sorry , and it doesn�t make up for anything that�s been said or anything that�s been done. It's just an attempt to get you to understand why the reaction happened that way...Ahh... you know What the hell else is there left to say about it? I�m sorry and ahh there�s nothing else left to say but that...Ahh...there�s more to it too, there�s a whole bunch more. It's a rather ominous manipulation, I feel most of all ashamed of what I did, how I did it. Just call back. Maybe Linda can explain it better than I can. I�m not too psychologically balanced right now. Thank you again. I�m sorry, Maura, by the way for our conversation earlier today. Its...ahh...part of the madness.

Goodnight.�

Listening to Joe�s pleading for our understanding I was confused about his references to being terrorized with death threats by Fischer whom he had previously identified as the person who burned down Scarborough Downs. Toy Fischer later had been put in touch with Allan Maraynes to confirm that he had been approached by the attorney general�s office to help set Joe up.

I had met Toy Fischer at Joe�s house a few weeks earlier, and found him to be much different from the sleazy ex-con bomb specialist and arsonist depicted by Joe. I had gone to meet Fischer at Joe�s insistence one day when he heard Toy was proceeding on foot towards his house on Blackstrap Road. Joe called me in utter panic, telling me Toy was out to get him, getting closer by the minute. Eventually Joe had one of his security guards pick Toy up on the road, and deliver him to Joe�s doorstep where Joe was waiting with a loaded shotgun �just in case.� Prior to that Joe had called the Falmouth Police, the FBI and anyone else he could think of to let them know he feared Fischer. In reality though, Fischer seemed calm, and well mannered. Clean shaven, and dressed in a dark business suit, he could have passed for Joe�s younger brother, sitting on the couch in Joe�s livingroom.

Looking back I had never seen Joe as intimidated by anyone. When I arrived at Joe�s house that day I was instructed to stay in the room with Fischer, and see what he was up to.(Joe led me to believe that he had never met Toy Fischer before, which I later found out to be untrue because of documentation that they had meet years earlier even before the fire that destroyed Scarborough Downs� clubhouse.)

I had been in close contact with Joe that whole week following the 60 MINUTES production crew�s work in Maine, and had never heard of death threats against him by Fischer and wondered why he cited them then as raison d�etre for his treatment of us. It just didn�t make any sense to either Dan or me.

Joe�s revelation that �part of his pathology� was to eventually alienate and destruct people who were close to him was a chilling confession, a little like a serial killer who admits that he�s murdered before, and can�t stop himself from killing again. I wondered how familiar Joe really was with his own pathology. Realizing that Joe was the executive director of an adolescent treatment center that promises to improve a young person�s interpersonal relationship skills, I began to think Joe was like a dentist with no teeth.

Chapter Twenty Three

"...but I can't take back the cruelty I inflict..."

Had T.S. Eliott not penned his poem before April of 1986, Joe Ricci would have believed Eliott was referring to his situation when he wrote that April was the cruelest month.

Dan and I were as receptive as reality allowed us to be to Joe�s profuse apologies left on our answering machine. We had never heard him ever actually say �I�m sorry� before, and hearing it five times in eight minutes amidst varied expressions of shame was almost evangelical. We couldn�t walk away from a penitent man, but we also knew we had to create some distance before his pathology preyed upon us.

The minute I arrived at Scarborough Downs early the day after his call, Linda appeared in my office. �Thank God you�re here!� she exclaimed. �Joe�s been calling me every five minutes, asking whether you�re in yet...When you didn�t return his call last night, he said it was over, thought you�d abandoned him forever.� I explained that I had planned to call Joe first thing that morning. �Good...� she responded, �...because he�s home now waiting...I�ll go tell him you�re in and that you�ll be calling him.�

Five minutes later I was on the line with Joe. He asked, whether he and I could go forward together, and finish out the campaign. I responded that I thought we could since only eight weeks remained. I cautioned, though, that I was extraordinarily busy getting ready for Scarborough Downs which opened in less than four weeks, and that the next two weeks were crucial for me to complete production and media buying of the season�s ads. He said that he understood that I was �overworked� and was grateful that I understood his� traumas.�

I worked round the clock that week in order to finish all the production and media buying for the Scarborough Downs season, laboring late into the night at the TV studio, and at home. Joe had a few public appearances, and seemed a bit put off that I couldn�t accompany him despite my detailed explanations of what I had to accomplish. He seemed resentful and envious that Scarborough Downs was demanding my attention which I thought ironic, because Scarborough Downs was what I had been hired to do.

By Thursday April 17th I had completed in a week and a half what would normally have taken at least a month , and I was exhausted, but the ads, media buys and promotions were ready for the season. The next week was school vacation week and Dan and I talked about spending some time with our son.

I asked Joe whether he�d mind if I took three days to visit my sister in Virginia Beach. I explained that the timing seemed right since the pace was only going to quicken once the track opened, noted that his campaign schedule was also unusually light that week. He said It was fine with him, but his voice had an ominous edge.

Joe hadn�t seen Dan since the campaign cancelation call the week before. Dan concluded his presence seemed to aggravate Joe, and he didn�t want any more conflict. They had talked on the phone, been cordial, and Dan assured Joe that he had been �forgiven.' Dan didn�t officially say he wasn�t on board the bandwagon any longer, but definitely was easing himself out. Then on Saturday, afternoon April 19th (the day before we were going to leave for Virginia Beach) Joe called Dan. He said he wanted to mend the fence before we left, and invited us over to Blackstrap Road at 8pm for drinks with him and Linda.

It was the first purely social invitation we had ever received from Joe, and the only time Dan and I had ever gone to Blackstrap Road on a Saturday night, which Joe and Linda usually reserved for going out, either together or alone. We hired a sitter, , not sure what to expect. When we arrived after 8pm Linda answered the door smiling broadly, but wearing a terrycloth bathrobe, bare feet, and no makeup. She kissed Dan on the cheek, and complemented me on my outfit, as she led us into the livingroom.

She must have sensed my surprise at her attire, and laughed, saying that after eight she� hung out�. Moments later Joe appeared as Linda went to fetch some wine. �Hi guys...� he greeted us, and began immediately talking about music, bringing out a new tape he liked of Chris De Burgh.

During the next hour and a half Linda kept filling our wine glasses, and feeding us hors d'ouevres while we all chatted amiably about non-consequential items.

Both of them were the perfect hosts, made us feel welcome and special. Joe was unusually funny, and complimentary to both Linda and me, and he seemed to even have a special affinity with Dan. It was like we were visiting with friends, something we rarely did during that time frame, and it felt refreshingly normal.

Then Joe began excusing himself from the livingroom about every fifteen minutes, and startedslurring his words. His mood, however remained upbeat. After a while I mentioned that I had brought with me the just completed copy of the opening day ad for Scarborough Downs, and asked if they�d like to be the first to screen what I�d finished that morning. Both were enthusiastic, and the four of us took the spiral steps downward to the basement game room where the VCR and oversize TV screen were placed.

I considered that ad one of my best so I wasn�t too nervous as Joe put the tape in his machine and the spot began.

After it was over Linda exclaimed: �It's so artistic, can we see it again?� �It�s just great.� Joe agreed, as he ran it once more while we all watched silently. Then ejecting the tape, Joe turned to me: �You did a really good job with that...� he announced, looking suddenly serious before his eyes narrowed, and a vicious, contorted expression came over his face. �How�d you find the time to do it?� he suddenly queried, suspiciously, with an expression of hurt and defiance. �It wasn�t easy.� I answered trying to ignore his growing indignation. "Actually it was shot in one day at Scarborough Downs and a farm in Saco." I explained trying to be conversational. �Well..." he grunted, �...you certainly know how to pull stuff out of the hat.�

He then excused himself and walked upstairs. Linda�s eyes glazed over, and she looked as shocked as Dan and I felt by Joe�s sudden mood swing. I mumbled something about the hour being late and our sitter. Linda tried to resume her lightheartedness as she walked us to the door. In the hallway as we were leaving she called to Joe, saying we were going, and he came out of the bathroom. �Ok, bye...� he waved without enthusiasm, walking away before we were even out the door. �I�m not even going to attempt to figure out what we did wrong.� I remarked to Dan as we drove home in bewilderment.

We took an early plane to Virginia Beach the next day, and did not get Joe�s morning message on our answering machine until we returned home four days later: �Sorry about last night..." it said. �I guess I got a little crazy...Give me a call...Oh, this is Joe." he added with a chuckle, realizing he didn�t really need to identify himself.

We were in Virginia Beach when we returned from an outing to learn that Joe had called from the New York City Hilton, and spoken to my sister. �I think he thought I was really you...� said my sister (who really does sound a lot like me) "I had to assure him that he was talking to someone else. He said he�d be in an out of his hotel room so he�d try later." she explained, noting that he sounded �weird�. It was then April 23rd, and I assumed he�d gone to New York to meet with a potential new trial lawyer for his Key Bank case. He needed someone to replace Dan Lilley whom he fired in February. He had been getting apprehensive about the possibility of going to court in mid May without an experienced trial attorney. Poulos, Campbell, and Reeder, he contended, did not know the fine art of courtroom histrionics...

Joe called again later that night, and sounded extremely depressed. He claimed that all his attorneys had �sold him down the river� and he had been left out on the street to fend for himself and find a lawyer who could try his case in less than three weeks.

Earlier in the week Poulos and Campbell had petitioned the court for a continuance of Joe's case until August or September, but federal Court Judge Bruce Selya denied that request, and kept the May trial date which would be either the 12th or the 19th. Documents filed by Poulos and Campbell stated that after Lilley�s withdrawal (caused by �differences� due to the �frustrations and anxiety arising from the inability of plaintiff�s counsel to obtain a specific trial date for this case�) a vigorous search was conducted for a new trial counsel in Chicago, New York and Maine with no immediate success. Joe�s lawyers cited reasons certain lawyers were not available, and then stated that a newly named attorney, Harvey Weitz of New York, was unable to try the case in May. They said Weitz�s services were obtained contingent on his not having to try the case until that fall. Other reasons given for the continuance request included the argument that a May trial would interfere with Joe�s gubernatorial campaign, causing him to have to drop out of the race or ignore a lawsuit he and his partner had invested hundreds of hours and hundreds of thousands of dollars in. They said it would not be �just" to require Joseph Ricci to make a choice between his campaign and his lawsuit. They also said jurors would be put �in the particularly awkward position� of having to decide whether to vote for or against Ricci at the same time they are deciding the outcome of a multi million dollar lawsuit in which he was the plaintiff. Finally, another reason for postponing the trial they argued, was possible prejudice that might result from the 60 MINUTES story that could be aired in late May.

Despite these arguments Selya affirmed the May date after hearing counter arguments from the bank�s attorneys who pointed out that a fall trial date would still conflict with Ricci�s gubernatorial campaign if he won the June primary. They further asserted that Ricci had a history of retaining then subsequently dismissing trial counsel, and pleaded that Poulos, Campbell, and Reeder were capable of trying the case. They also accused Poulos and Campbell of violating ethical and local court rules by their participation in the 60 MINUTES program and said that they �should not be allowed to bootstrap their misconduct into a basis for a motion of continuance of the trial date.�

In a separate motion the bank�s lawyers (from the Boston law firm of Burns and Levinson) asked Judge Selya to impose sanctions on Joe and his lawyers for their participation in the 60 MINUTES story, which they said could pose a �serious and imminent threat � to the bank�s right to a fair trial. They cited court rules in Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island that prohibit lawyers from releasing information that will cause prejudice or interfere with a fair trial. They asked for an evidentiary hearing where Joe, Poulos, Campbell, and Allan Maraynes would be called to demonstrate to the court �the extent to which plaintiff and his counsel had engaged in a national publicity scheme.�

Joe didn�t seem to care about the bank�s request for sanctions because of 60 MINUTES, saying that affidavits were being prepared that would demonstrate that he did not solicit 60 MINUTES involvement in the case. He was extremely distraught, however, by what he called his attorneys bungling of his motion for a continuance, though he didn�t say what they had specifically done wrong.

After being denied the continuance Joe had Nelson fly him to New York in search of a �kick ass civil rights lawyer.� He had gotten some referrals from the Center for Constitutional Law, and was checking them out while he was staying at his $200 a night room at the Hilton.

�I�m desperate...� he announced over the phone that night �...If I have to go to court in three weeks, there�s going to be hell to pay.� Harvey Weitz his newly appointed attorney who was unable to try the case until August or September was apparently canned after the judge denied the continuance, and Joe raged on about how embarrassing it was for the judge to learn that it was Weitz's �vacation plans' that interfered with his trying his case in May, rather than conflict with another pending litigation. Weitz had been a referral from Scarborough Down�s presiding judge, Dick Herman, and Joe claimed that �Herman knew better." Dick Herman had himself practiced law in New York, before retiring in his forties, and subsequently becoming a licensed harness racing judge. It was not surprising that Herman had suggested a lawyer to Joe, since for the past month Joe had asked nearly everyone he met if he or she knew of a tough civil rights attorney who couldn�t be bought off. (He even asked me if my brother, a catholic priest, knew of any priest lawyers who could show up in court wearing their clerical garb)

Earlier that morning enroute to the Big Apple Joe had been on the phone in his plane dictating to Deanna Atkinson at his campaign headquarters the following letters to three of his present attorneys, Dan Lilley, and Allan Maraynes. He was �...getting his ducks lined up.�

The letter to Dick Poulos was printed on Joseph Ricci campaign stationary, proclaiming him, a very independent Democrat fighting for the people:

Mr. Richard E. Poulos, Esq.

44 Exchange Street

Portland, Maine 04112

April 23, 1989

Dear Dick,

Unquestionably by now you have been informed that Judge Selya has turned down my request for a court date in July, but has instead opted to send me to court within fourteen working days , not counting today, or an even worse scenario of nine working days . This dilemma seems to have presented me with problems, making our relationship-already complex- much more so. As you are aware , I had asked you for this motion to be filed as long ago as eight weeks. Now I find myself in the unenviable position of (a) being forced to court without adequate trial counsel: or (b) using Dan Lilley, which is unacceptable since several other attorneys have communicated to me that he has shabbily prepared my case: or (c) going in there with just you and John, which is also unacceptable, since as you both know, part of my hiring new counsel required new expert witnesses. The situation is this- I ask you as my attorneys to take the following actions immediately.

1. An immediate appeal process, not just to the First District Court, but to the appellate court governing Judge Selya�s decisions;

2. A Writ of Mandamus compelling the federal court to give me a trial date allowing me time to get representative counsel; and

3. A civil rights suit against Judge Selya for the violation of my civil rights in his decision. The civil rights suit should stipulate, among other things, that his decision is arbitrary, capricious, one- sided in favor of the banks, and a clear cut abuse of not just his discretion, but my civil rights regarding my right to have counsel of my choice, my rights to a fair trial, and several other civil rights that we have researched that he has violated. The civil rights complaint should also ask that Judge Selya be removed or step down from Ricci VS Key Banks.

In addition, within the next five days, should my efforts fail to get an extension, I will then be forced into evaluating the entire representation I have been given with the numerous law firms that I have been involved with.

In closing, these letters were hand delivered because of the obvious emergency and the constraints on an appeal. I believe we have ten days in which to respond. Therefore I will expect no later than Friday (April 28th) first drafts on the Writ of Mandamus, the appeal, and the civil rights suit.

In the event that this firm chooses not to participate in all three actions regarding the case, and Judge Selya, it is imperative that I receive in writing from you no later than the close of the working day why at this critical point in my case that decision has been made. Should a decision of that nature follow, so that none of us are harmed, I ask that the following steps be taken (1) Judge Selya should be notified by your office of your decision and that I am completely now without counsel; and (2) before being stranded with no attorneys, that I be referred to at least five civil rights attorneys outside the state of Maine by your law firm, and that a final motion to Judge Selya be filed, requesting an additional extension because there is effectively no legal counsel at this point.

In another matter, I asked John to contact attorneys who made the censorship decision by the Portland Press Herald. I have still not received a letter from them explaining their censorship. It is my wish now that John send them a letter and copy to me, asking for an explanation regarding why they gave the Portland Press Herald advice to censor that particular article.

I also wish you to prepare within the next ten days an itemized list of all billings that have been incurred by me since the time our relationship began.

You will receive another letter from me at 3pm Friday, April 25,1986 authorizing Mrs. Deanna Atkinson to pick up the Appeal, the writ, and the civil rights complaint.

Sincerely,

Joseph J. Ricci

cc. Martha R. Amesbury

John Campbell

Moments later, this letter was written to Dick�s partner John:

John S. Campbell Esq.

44 Exchange Street

Portland, Maine 04112

April 23,1989

Dear John:

At approximately 11:28am on Wednesday, April 23, 1986 while flying to New York, I received an urgent phone call from Sharon Terry, stating that she was having grave difficulty getting from both you and Dick the information I would need to communicate (to a new attorney ) the Judge�s decision, and on precisely what grounds he made those decisions. I now respectfully request that the Judge�s decision be placed on paper no later than Friday of this week, because of the obvious emergency of the ten day appeal process. I also wish from you a chronology of the case and the numerous delays and why no later than Friday of this week.

In conclusion, I mentioned to Dick in an earlier letter that I would like you too put in writing a request that the attorneys of the Portland Press Herald send me immediately their legal opinions on why they chose to advise censorship of the James Tierney article in the Portland Press Herald. I would also like the same written request to go to the publisher of the Bangor Daily News.

Be advised that I have asked for this now on three different occasions. If you should choose not to do this, I would first ask you to refer me to an attorney immediately within the next three days who shall, and place in writing with as much detail and specificity as possible why you have chosen not to do this.

Sincerely,

Joseph Ricci

CC: Martha Amesbury

Richard E. Poulos , Esq.

The subsequent letter to Joe�s Washington Attorney requested that he follow basically the same course of action as Joe had instructed Poulos, with some variation:

Joseph Reeder

Patton, Boggs, & Blow

2301 Fort Scott Drive

Alexandria, VA 22202

April 23, 1989

Dear Joe:

By this time, you undoubtedly know that I have been unjustly denied an adequate amount of time in order to prepare my counsel for trial. I am requesting from your firm that you take the following actions.

1. An immediate appeal process on my behalf appealing Judge Selya�s decision to force me to court , after never before having a date, within fifteen working days. I wish that appeal to be filed not only with the First District of the Appellate Court itself, but also with the Supreme Court of the United States if necessary;

2. I respectfully request in addition to the appeal, a writ of Mandamus to be filed, getting me the court date in July or August; and

3. Regardless of Judge Selya�s immunity, I wish to file a civil rights complaint against Judge Selya for violating my rights to a fair trial, my rights to counsel and several other civil rights that have been violated by the arbitrary and capricious response, which is clearly not just an abuse of his discretion, but a decision that clearly shows his bias in this particular case.

Because I only have ten days to appeal, I would expect that you would have, by Federal Express, no later than Monday, April 28,1986, the proposed copies of all three actions- the civil rights complaint, the Writ of Mandamus, and the appeal.

In conclusion , obviously if I am forced to court in May, I will be pressed into a position where I would have to evaluate all legal services rendered to me during the period of time encompassing this case. Should your firm decide not to participate in the above legal actions, it is my sincere wish that you would then take the following actions.

1. Notify the court that I am without counsel and present another immediate motion for an extension on this fact;

2. I wish an itemized bill of all services your law firm has provided over the tenure of this case;

3. I wish to be directed to five civil rights attorneys before the ten day appeal process has transpired and I am forced into court;

4. A full and detailed letter from your firm as to why you will not participate.

Sincerely ,

Joseph Ricci

CC: Martha Amesbury

John Campbell Esq.

Richard Poulos Esq..

After writing these letters to his present legal triumvirate instructing them to carry out his orders, or withdraw from his case, Joe dictated still another correspondence as his private pilot spirited him to New York. This one was to his previous trial attorney who had gotten the ax two months earlier because of a business deal he had with one of Joe�s alleged nemeses, Eric Cianchette:

Daniel Lilley , Esq.

805 Maine Savings Plaza

Portland, ME. 04101

April 23, 1989

Dear Dan:

You are probably not aware that the Federal Court, acting in the form of Judge Selya, has refused our motion for an extension of the May court date. As you are aware, I have mentioned to Dick Poulos and John Campbell over the last eight week period that I am having grave difficulty finding trial counsel.

I am afraid that Judge Selya�s scheduling the trial for May places you and I in a precarious position. Unfortunately, it should, since it is my belief that I am not prepared to go to trial , since I lack, in the opinion of myself and several other attorneys, the necessary expert testimony in order for me to present my best possible case. I am requesting from you an itemized list of all billings and financial transactions between your law firm and myself.

In conclusion I wish no conflict with your law firm, but at this point, I strongly urge that you contact Mr. Richard Poulos and Mr. John Campbell to schedule an immediate conference so that we do not end up in a situation that could become potentially litigious, since it is clear to everyone that I lack many expert witnesses in this case-an actuary, a number of bankers dealings with ethics and financial lending policies, FBI personnel who can talk about what the Federal Bureau of Investigation�s policies are regarding its conducting an investigation of an organized crime figure�s dealings with a bank, a pollster who can do an objective poll showing the impact that rumors have had on people�s opinions of me, and at least six other crucial expert witness testimonies that I would need in order to prepare an adequate case.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely

Joseph Ricci

CC: Martha Amesbury

Richard Poulos, Esq.

John Campbell, Esq.

After sufficiently trying to intimidate his attorneys past and present, Joe decided to dictate a letter to his new found friend, and possible saviour, Allan Maraynes of 60 MINUTES:

Mr. Allan Maraynes

60 Minutes

CBS News

524 West 57th Street

New York, New York 10019

Dear Allan:

By the time you receive this letter, I hope you will have spoken with Father Bob. I have been trying for the last eight weeks to get John Campbell and Dick Poulos to file a motion to get me a court date in late July or early August, After seven weeks of asking, I finally put my foot down and the motion was heard in front of Judge Selya in Rhode Island. The Federal judicial process has kept in its politically corrupt form by denying me a trial date in August and forcing me to go to court in thirteen working days, even though we stipulated that I had only just recently hired new trial counsel two weeks ago. The judge claims that two weeks is plenty of time to prepare for trial. We even stipulated to the judge that new counsel was necessary to produce new evidence, since the previous counsel, Dan Lilley, according to many attorneys, had not prepared adequate expert testimony. On top of that , this Judge Selya from Rhode Island honored the bank�s request to have the jury sequestered during the length of your program. I believe it may be the first time in 100 years that a jury has been sequestered in a civil case.

Judge Selya has also ruled that I have what he perceives to be adequate counsel and makes no distinction between trial counsel and John Campbell and Dick Poulos, even though both have testified to him that they have no experience in trying a case of this magnitude.

I finished the book, �The Trial.� Like Joseph Kafka I find myself trapped in a maze of attorneys and lawyers whose loyalties lie only with the perverse system of justice and not their client�s civil rights.

I do not wish to impose on you, but I am at my wit�s end. If you or anyone else at 60 MINUTES or CBS know of a civil rights lawyer I desperately need one. I have notified all my attorneys that I am taking the following legal actions against this particular judge, the fifth in this case. (1) I intend to file an appeal to the appellate court (2) I intend to file a Writ of Mandamus demanding I be given time to get trial counsel (3) If I can find a civil rights attorney, a civil rights suit against Judge Selya will be filed, for denying me my right to counsel, a fair trial, and a number of other civil rights violations.

It is amazing, as well as very sad, that at the time of Kafka�s book the legal system then had such striking similarity to the legal system we presently have now.

Thank you for everything, Allan. I have only ten days in which to appeal this decision. If I am not successful, I will be forced into court with little or no legal representation. This is all very shocking when you consider that when I was ready to go to court, they wouldn�t let me, and now that I�m not, they demand that I do; and that I could not be given a continuance when you consider the four previous judges, the six different court dates, and all the rest of the horror they have managed to perpetrate on me in the last half decade.

Thank You Again

Sincerely,

Joseph J. Ricci

CC: Martha Amesbury

Two days later I was back at my desk at Scarborough Downs reading these letters when Joe called to say that he had just returned to Maine via Connecticut, and had found some lawyers who would not be intimidated by the likes of Judge Selya, ones who were much different from his � kiss ass Portland attorneys.� We talked for awhile about the campaign appearances he had cancelled the previous week so he could make his impromptu trip to New York, and suddenly his voice became very serious: �You know it really hurt me what you did.� he announced. �I know that you and Dan have distanced yourselves from me, but I just wanted you to know that I understand what you did and why you did it. I was obviously wrong, and I victimized Dan...but I can�t take back the cruelty I inflict...It's over, it's done, and I�d like to move on, and finish the campaign strong... Are you and Dan willing to help me do that?� he asked, adding that no matter what happens he�d never feel quite as �intimate� with us again. I explained that we had both been pushed to the limit with work on the campaign, that I especially felt burnt out juggling Scarborough Downs with work for his Key Bank lawsuit, and campaign, but tried to asure him that we held no grudges concerning his actions. �Well...� he continued as if I hadn�t said anything, "...for what its worth to you, whatever happens down the road, I loved every single minute of it and this isn�t sake or pot talking, I�m serious...So lets finish out strong, God Knows..." he added with a laugh, �...we might even win.�

I mentioned to Dan that night my conversation with Joe, and how he indicated he needed both of us, to finish out his campaign, how he felt we had abandoned him by reducing our campaign activities, and then spending days in Virginia Beach. Reluctantly Dan agreed to get involved again (not to help Joe but to help me) particularly because Scarborough Downs was opening in nine days and I was going to be extremely busy from then through the June 10th primary.

The state�s Democratic convention was scheduled for the following weekend on May 9, 10, 11th. Because of the primaries it was going to be a important affair with all the six candidates for governor addressing the party members in Waterville, Maine, about 100 miles North of Portland. Joe said he was looking forward to being there, and thought it would be a good idea if we sent a letter the week previous to the names on our Democratic state committee mailing list.

On Saturday, the day before Scarborough Downs traditional opening day extravaganza, two researchers and two volunteers met in the campaign headquarters to stuff and mail 500 letters to the Democratic constituency. I had commitments at the track so I couldn�t go to this envelope stuffing party, but Dan went, and took our son who had also volunteered to help out.

After a while even Joe showed up, and spent an hour there getting the job done. My son, Ben, had heard a lot about Joe, but had never met him face to face before Dan introduced them that day. Later Ben told me that Joe had given him money to buy himself a sub, and he thought he was nice, but �strange.� When I asked him why he thought Joe was strange he told me that he had used the bathroom at the campaign headquarters right after Joe, and noticed that he had plugged a small hole in the wall full of tissue �...like he was afraid someone was going to peek at him or something..." He said that Joe must have gone to the bathroom at least four times in the short time he was there, and he began to "act wierder" the longer he stayed at the office.

Joe left the campaign headquarters about two that afternoon, to get home to shower, and exercise before a cocktail party and dinner for the Maine state letter carriers union at the Samoset Resort in Rockland. A short while later Dan took our son home to a sitter, and proceeded with me to Blackstrap Road where we picked up Joe and drove him to his plane at the Jetport. That night he was extremely buoyant, upbeat, ready as he said to �slay the dragons�. He told me I looked pretty in my spring suit, then amended his observation, to say �beautiful really.� He complimented Dan�s driving, and talked about confronting the attorney general Tierney who along with all the other candidates was scheduled to appear at the letter carriers convention...

Once we landed in Rockland, however, his dynamic seemed to dampen, and he was extremely put off by the crowded noisy room in which he had to speak without a podium. Nevertheless he pushed his way forward , made a few remarks, and just as everybody else was preparing for dinner, declared it was time for us to go. Outside in the hotel lobby he suggested he take us to a �quiet and civilized� meal before we taxied back to Nelson and his plane. Our taxi driver suggested a spot, The Black Pearl in Rockland, where the three of us shared a bottle of Haute Medoc, and talked about the campaign.

From our window table that looked out upon the ocean we watched the nightfall, and felt the air charged with energy. It was less than 15 hours until the beginning of my third season at Scarborough Downs, only one week to the state Democratic convention, and not quite six weeks before the Democratic primary...Additionally the Key Bank trial had been set to begin in nine days�the Monday after the state convention�unless, he said he could find some way to stop it.

Despite this highly charged atmosphere, I remember feeling calm that evening, basking in the �delightfully uneventful� occurrence of an impromptu dinner by the sea. Only two scenes stand out from that night. One was of Joe leaning over to me when Dan went to the men�s room, to let me know that he�d met my son that afternoon, and that he thought he was �a helpful worker� who cheerfully stuffed envelopes. �He looks a lot like you... � Joe smiled, �...and seeing him stirred some feelings about my own sons." he added suddenly looking sad and vowing: �I�m going to repair that relationship soon, just as soon as I get done with my lawsuit.�

Just then Dan returned to the table and Joe abruptly changed the subject. Later after we had called a taxi for the ride back to the airport, we dallied in the restaurant foyer to admire a fountain of shells with a backdrop of an oversized simulated black pearl. I pulled three pennies from my pocket, tossed one, and made a wish, then offered the other two to Dan and Joe. Dan took his coin and tossed it, but Joe declined commenting irritably: �I don�t do that sort of thing.�

The opening of the track the next day went well. I did not see or hear from Joe all day during the racing though I learned he was on the premises. He spent most of the time locked up in his clubhouse apartment communicating with mutuel manager Bobby Leighton, and Eric by phone, though they were only a few hundred feet away.

After completing my supervision of the special promotions I returned to my office, and prepared Joe�s script for his STATEWATCH radio show that night. Then during the afternoon�s last race a little before 6pm I was notified that Joe wanted a meeting with all managers in the conference room in ten minutes.

After everyone was assembled Joe stormed in looking disheveled. �We can�t go the next 122 days like we went today." he hissed. "In fact we can�t go another day, that is assuming you people want to work at all.� For the next quarter hour he railed against the ways the bars and concessions were run, the ineptness of everyone, as all employees sat in a hushed silence.

No one could understand. The track had broken a record handle for opening day. The place had been mobbed, and all present in the room had just completed the most difficult six hours of the season, yet Joe was oblivious... and angry.

I sat stunned, wondering whether he had forgotten about his STATEWATCH program set to begin in less than forty-five minutes, when I heard my name mentioned. �And Maura...� he said full of agitation "...you�ve got to start hyping this place or we�re going to lose our shirts.� He went on a few more minutes, about other things then abruptly stopped: �I�ve got a radio show to do...� he stated flatly, and walked out of the room. The phone rang in my office ten minutes later. It was Joe wanting to know whether I was ready to leave for the radio station. He seemed calmer, but still tense.

Surprisingly the show wasn�t as bad as I thought it was going to be as Joe kept closely to the script and was civil with callers. Listening to him talk about the plight of working people in Maine, however, I began to feel ill, and wondered whether Joe distinguished between them and his own abused employees. When he closed his show in his traditional way, empowering his audience to: "Stay well and fight back," I decided I should follow this advice of my employer, if only to become less docile. I had labored 90 hours that week preparing for the opening day extravaganza and working on his campaign, so driving Joe to the Horsefeather�s after the broadcast, I told him that I was upset that he indicated at that afternoon�s meeting that I hadn�t done sufficient advertising for the track.. �Oh don�t worry about it...� he responded getting out of the car, bidding me good night. �What I said earlier didn�t mean a thing...� he stated emphatically as he turned on his heel and entered the bar.

Two days later on May 6th Joe and Poulos and Campbell flew to Rhode Island filing an appeal of Judge Selya�s denial of their motion for continuance. It was, so Poulos and Campbell thought, their client�s last effort at postponing the bank trial scheduled to begin the following Monday. Their efforts failed, however, and I was alerted of this by a phone call Joe made to me at Scarborough downs that afternoon. He was in a panic, almost incoherent, and said he was enroute back to Maine, and wanted me to pick him up at the Portland Jetport in an hour because he �...didn�t want to even ride in the same car as his incompetent attorneys.� It was bad enough, he explained, that he had to endure the flight home with them.

My car was in the garage, so I arranged Dan to pick me up, and we both headed to the airport. Once the aircraft landed Joe bolted from his plane, leaving Dick and John far behind. Seeing us, he stalked over, and asked where we were parked, anxious to get away from them. Escorting Joe to the car, I lamely waved to John and Dick who looked pale and grim...Inside the car Joe thanked us for �rescuing� him and invited us to his house to help him plan strategy since his worst fears had come true.. Joe always had a knack for transforming any negative event into a full blown crisis, but he outdid himself that evening.

When we arrived on Blackstrap Road Linda was there, and Sharon arrived from Elan a few minutes later. Both were at Joe�s disposal ready to react as he wanted. First everyone was seated and supplied with wine. Four of us were ready for a private showing by our star performer, acting out a drama in his own livingroom. He said he needed to call his other lawyer Joe Reeder in Washington D.C., and let him know "...the shit hit the fan..." before Dick and John gave him their distorted version. We looked and listened as Joe dialed then reached Reeder at his home. What ensued was an onslaught of angry accusations, charging Reeder with incompetent handling of his lawsuit, and threats of retaliatory action if Joe�s �ass was fried� because of his do nothing attorneys.

Listening to Joe�s tirade, I wasn�t clear about the objectives of his call until it ended, and he hung up the phone. Turning to us he seemed strangely calm. �Well, that takes care of him...� he announced sounding gratified as if he�d just had a big meal. �Now he won�t sleep tonight...� he added, asking us to critique the conversation from the one sided version that had just been presented to us.

Joe continued ruminating about his plight, and kept saying that he needed an attorney to file a Writ of Mandamus charging Judge Selya with bias, asking that he be removed from his case. Trouble was Poulos �s office didn�t want to do it, nor did Reeder�s so he had to find an attorney who would carry out his directive. If he had no luck with that, he mused, he could have them all withdraw leaving him with no counsel. "How could a judge make me go to trial with no lawyers.?� he asked.

Later, the five of us went to dinner at The Galley Restaurant a few miles from Joe�s house. Linda and Sharon went in one car, while Joe rode with Dan and me. Enroute his voice got low and secretive, �There must be other ways I can stop the trial next week...� he observed before listing some possibilities which included, inflicting himself with an injury that would make his appearance at court impossible, or having the jury thrown out because of some unauthorized communication with them that could result in a mistrial.

�There has to be a way...� he concluded as we drove up to the restaurant. �It's just a matter of how creative I care to get.� Then just as we were about to get out of the car he stopped us with a cautionary gaze: �Don�t tell anyone what was discussed..." he warned �...not even Linda or Sharon. It�s just to stay with the three of us.�

Joe drank his dinner that night, complaining that his nerves had upstaged his appetite. He acted irritably, and wasn�t an easy patron for our server as he vacillated in his food choices, and was critical of everything. Linda seemed embarrassed, but accustomed to Joe�s antics, and spent much of her time talking to Sharon. Dan and I suffered through the meal, more painfully, as Joe placed himself at the head of the table between the two of us.

Later, outside in the parking lot we said goodnight when Joe suddenly reached out and embraced Dan in a manner befitting a character in a Mario Puzo novel: first a kiss on one side of the cheek, and then the other.

That night we attributed Joe�s action to his overcharged emotional state, and only later realized the traditional ethnic implications of such an embrace...The meal we just had was to be the last supper we would ever share with Joe Ricci.