June 23, 2022 • 32 mins
Georgia escapes with Toni, but Joe refuses to let her go.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Teleforce Productions and I Heart Radio presents Wheelwoman Confessions of
a Getaway Driver. How did you end up in Las Vegas?
After Jimmy's murder? Things were getting too hot in Rochester.
There was a new chief of detectives who was less
susceptible to certain favors. Not to mention the fact that
(00:23):
Joe wasn't exactly happy with the new order of things.
Joe thought it would be a good time to get out.
He sold Caesar's too when the money was burning a
hole in his pocket. He made plans for us to
move to Las Vegas on a temporary basis. How do
you feel about leaving? It's not like I had much
say in the matter, but Joe and I had been
(00:43):
doing okay, and I hope that being out of town
might be good for us, that he might calm down
without the bar and with a change of scenery. Plus
it was only supposed to be a few months. However,
Vegas turned out to be another prison. How So, with
neither of us in Floyd, we spent most of our
time in our small apartment, and like caged animals, we
(01:05):
had vicious fights. It was the same old pattern. All
My hope left quickly. But then I started to think
that maybe it was supposed to be the fresh start
for me, not for us. I thought this could be
the chance I needed, and in a new place, I
have better luck leaving him. I just wasn't sure how Thankfully,
my cousin Mickey instantly recognized my situation for the last time.
(01:30):
You gotta leave him, Georgia. We'll help you. I can't
involve you, Mick. I'm not afraid of that asshole. When
you leave for the casino, I'll come over and I
help you get your clothes out. Just leave him a note,
tell him you're done and you went to Los Angeles.
And what if he comes by, we'll put your car
my garage. After he realizes you've gone for good, he'll
probably go back to New York. I don't know, Mick.
(01:52):
If he finds me, it'll only get worse. Plus, you
can't really go back to New York right now. What
time does he leave for the casino? It's always different.
It's not punching o'clock, you know. Come on, Georgia, I
can't keep watching you live like this. And I'm not
taking note for an answer this time. It's bullshit, and
you know it. I'm off tomorrow. I'll stay home and
I'll wait for your call. How long does he usually
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stay out? Usually to three hours. It spends if he's
winning or losing. Just call me the minute he leaves. Yeah,
call me, okay, I will thank you. Come on, what's
family for McKey? If I really leave, this means I
(02:36):
can't go back to Rochester, he'll find me and kill
me for doing this. You can stay with us for
as long as you need to. I stayed with Mickey
(03:32):
for two weeks. Joe called, but Mickey said something about
me going to l A for a job. Clearly Joe
didn't believe him. I caught sight of Joe driving by
the house a few times late at night. I was
beginning to feel trapped, not to mention, I didn't have
any money, so against his better judgment, Mickey helped me
get a job in the showroom at the Sahara. We
(03:52):
both thought I'd be less visible there than anywhere else,
and though I was still confined to only a few places,
I was beginning to feel in dependent. A month went
by and my fear began to listen, and then one night,
around two in the morning, as I walked through the
deserted employee parking lot area towards my car. I felt
fingers sink deep into my shoulders. Did you really think
(04:17):
you could get away from me? Get in the car?
Where are we going home? Where you belong? I don't
want to go home. He hit me so hard my
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head bounced off the side window. Blood filled my mouth,
but I didn't cry. I felt a familiar sensation. I
started to fade away, and I let Georgia black surface
so she could help me remain calm. I'm happy, Joe.
Why can't you just let me go? The last words
out of your mouth where I love you? And then
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you disappeared. You're not going to get away with that, Georgia.
I won't stay. I'll leave the first chance I get okay.
As he drove out into the dark desert on an
unmarked road, I knew these could be my final moments.
(05:23):
He was serious this time. If I didn't do something,
I'd wind up dead within the hour. Who have you
been seeing? And don't lie to me? There isn't anyone else, Joe.
I just wanted to be happy. Who is it? Why
do you always think there has to be someone else?
Can't you understand that the real reason is because of
(05:45):
what you're doing. Right now, I've been following you. You
better be honest. If he's been following me, then you
know I'm not lying. I tried not to panic as
Georgia Black tried to work out what Joe wanted to hear,
but the road was becoming more desolate and we were
running out of time. Joe, I do love you, but
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I just can't live like this anymore. You won't have
to money because you're going to die, and so with
the motherfuck have you been seeing? A traffic light wound
in the distance like a beacon of hope. It was red,
and Joe was forced to slow down. I knew it
was my only chance. I threw myself out of the
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car and rolled out of the way as Joe reversed
towards me, trying to run me over. Thankfully, another car
waited at the light. I ran to it and jumped in,
yelling at the woman in the driver's seat, please please
take me where there are people. Does he have a gun? No?
I got lucky. She instantly understood the situation. I had
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an inkling. This was not a normal woman. Yeah, m
hmmmm hmm. Thank god. She drove fast. She made a
U turned back towards the strip that Joe caught up
to us and tried to force us off the road.
(07:20):
H m hm, See those cops in front of the hotel. Yes,
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puant me to pull in there, Yes, pull in, pullin.
The fact that she asked confirmed my suspicions. A civilian
would assume I wanted to seek refuge amongst the cops.
She clearly had some experience in my world. Ye. As
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soon as I stepped out of the car, she was off.
I never even got her name. I was a disheveled mess.
My clothes were torn, lip bleeding. I ran up to
the cops as Joe pulled in and got out of
the car, looking cool and collected, he darted a look
at me, a warning, officer, officer, I need your help.
Are you okay? What's the problem here? That's my car.
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I want to take it and leave. Please just help
me at my car back. Don't listen to that mess. Off.
This is my wife. We came here from New York
because your psychiatrist thought a change might be good for her.
But obviously it doesn't work. What are you talking about?
I don't have a psychiatrist. As I panicked, Joe put
a hand on the cops shoulder and led him aside.
(09:16):
They conferred inaudibly. Finally they came back to me. I
could tell immediately the cop was no longer interested in
helping me. I knew if I got back in the
car with Joe that would be it, especially now that
I violated the rules. I did what had to be done. Lady,
why don't you calm down go home with your husband?
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What kind of cop are you? Anyway? Your job is
to protect the public, not send them to the desert
to be killed. I screamed as I ripped a name
tag off his shirt, kicking him like a wild woman badge,
piece of shit? You good for nothing pigs, getting off me,
Let go of me. Four cops were on me in
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two seconds flat. They threw me against the police car
and handcuffed me. Stupid, stupid pigs can't even do your
simple fucking job. Get off me, Look goal of me.
The cop I kicked was pissed. To satisfy his own anger,
he handcuffed Joe as well. Joe glared at me, but
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he kept his mouth shut. I knew I was in
trouble but at least for the night, I was safe.
Georgia Black had accomplished what she had set out to do.
That wasn't a good move, Georgia. I what if I'd
had a gun on me? Oh well, then I guess
I'd already be dead and there wouldn't be any need
to be having this conversation. From the fucking attitude, Georgia,
you haven't had too much experience dealing with these pricks,
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but you're about to get it firsthand. Just keep your
fucking mouth shut. I'll get us out of this. I
don't want to get out of this, officer. I'd like
to know exactly what I'm being arrested for. Vagrancy, public intoxication,
and possession of a dangerous weapon. What dangerous weapon? What
are you talking about? I found this club bunde your car.
See that's not mine. That's not even my car, says
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Jay lamondola On. It sounds like your name to me.
I've got over three thousand dollars in my pocket. You
can hardly call that vagrancy. And I haven't had a
drink all night. I want a sobriety test. Do you
see what I mean? There are a bunch of fucking pricks.
I knew Joe was right. They had no right to
arrest Joe anyway, and the jerk should have helped me
in the first place. Crops are all bad guys in disguise.
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We drove to the Clark County Jail and silence. The
handcuffs were tighter than necessary, but I wasn't going to complain. Officer. Yeah,
did I tell you that you're an asshole? Hell, Georgia
christ shut up. Thank you for getting something here, Joe.
We wouldn't be in this situation if it weren't for you.
(12:01):
The Patty wagon carved its way through the strip, picking
up some very interesting characters along the way. Finally we
arrived at the County jail and they led the men
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down one hall and the women down another. As we
headed in separate directions, Joe looked back and told me
not to call anyone, that he'd get us out in
a few hours. They led me to a room to
be fingerprinted and have a monkshat taken. Finally, I settled
into my temporary home with two very nice roommates. One
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was a lady of the night and the other was
a young girl who was picked up for hitchhiking, so
she said. All I could think was how did I
get here? I didn't hear anything all night and wasn't
allowed to make a call by breakfast. Then next morning
I began to worry that Joe was going to try
to teach me a lesson by keeping me inside. It
wasn't until later in the afternoon that they called my name.
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As I walked out into the blinding desert sun. Joe
and Butch Marionette were waiting for me. Butch had been
living in Vegas for the last six months and was
Joe's eyes. I didn't say hello, come on the cars
across the street. I'm not going with you. Don't start.
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I'm not going to hurt you. Not put a smile
on your face and just walk out that gate. I
did what I was told. I obviously couldn't count on
the police for help. Aren't you going to thank Butch
for bailing us out? You thank him, he's your friend.
I was in the same cell as the guy who
stole the money at Caesars. You know what his bail was, dollars?
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You know what ours was, five thousand apiece. You wouldn't
listen to me. Georgia you had to shoot off that
mouth of yours. That mouth is gonna get you killed
one day. You know that. Where's my car? The pricks
impounded it. We're going to pick it up. Now, get
in the car. We pulled into Denny's parking lot. Joe
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with his crumpled suit and me with my torn clothes
and fat lip and scraped up body. What a pair.
But this was Las Vegas. Nothing was out of place.
Why are we stopping here? We're gonna eat something before
we get your car. You must be starving. I'm sure
you didn't eat any of that food in there. I'm
worried about you. Are you worried about me? Last night
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you were going to kill me, and today you worried
about me? You need help, Joe. I just want to
get my car and go home. Fine. You should have
seen her, butch that cop won't be forgetting her for
a few weeks, especially when he takes a shower. She's
one feisty little chick. Huh, that's why I love her.
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I guess it wasn't funny, Joe, Come on, my little
jail bird. We'll laugh about this in years to come.
Maybe so right now, I don't see the humor. Butch
dropped us off at the impound. They released my car
after a lengthy delay, but I was too tired to
be a smart Alex, so I just sat patiently until
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the paperwork was done. Joe took the car keys and
got into the driver's seat. He drove in silence to
our apartment. When we arrived, he took the keys from
the ignition and placed them in his pocket, as if
they were a prized possession. Joe, I need to go
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to Mickey's. I'll be worried and I need to check
on Tony. I have to go. Just come in for
ten minutes. I want to talk to you, then you
can go. Not really having a choice, I walked up
the two flights of stairs. Joe followed close behind and
put the key in the lock. You could tell I
was feeling anxious. I'm not gonna hurt you, Georgia. I
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just want to talk to you. What am I gonna
do with you? Let me go, Joe. I'll never let
you go, Georgia. I love you too much to let
you walk out of my life. You'll leave over my
dead body, but until then, you belong to me. Body mind,
don't say it Joe, don't say spirit, because you've broken that.
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I'm dead inside. Can't you see that you're taking my body.
You managed to twist my mind and and now you
killed what would love to me, my spirit it I'm
afraid to say what I feel, so I try not
to feel anything. I can't remember the last time I laughed.
Do you think that that what you did last night
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just goes away? It doesn't. I try to push it
out of my mind. I can't love me, Georgia. I
know you do. Yes, I love you, but I hate
you just as much. I'm sad all the time. I
just want to be happy. I don't want to live
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like this anymore. And I don't think this is any
kind of life for Tony either. Children are supposed to laugh,
and that child rarely does these days. We tiptoe around you,
never knowing if we're going to say or do something
to set you off. You would have killed me last night.
There's just no stopping you. When you get into a rage.
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You gotta let me go. Joe, who is he, Georgia,
Who's who the cock sucker you're seeing? Don't play stupid, Jesus.
I'm not seeing anyone Joe Why won't you listen to me?
You wouldn't be talking like this if you weren't seeing someone.
Why can't we talk like normal people, Joe? Why is
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it impossible to say what I feel? Why can't you
ever hear what I'm saying? If you're lying to me,
I swear I'll kill you. I'll kill anyone that touches
you. You You belong to me. I'm not lying, Honey. Please
don't leave me. I can't go through this again. You
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tear my fucking heart out when you do this. I
can't live without you. Georgia. Please say you'll never leave me.
Say it. Can you say that you'll never hurt me.
I'm so sorry about last night. I know I scared.
You scared me, Joe. You were going to kill me.
You almost ran me over with the car for christ things. No,
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I know, but you were gone for so long. I
didn't know where you were. I thought i'd lost you
for good. I just couldn't stand the thought of you
never coming back. I love you so much, Georgia. You're
all I have you and Tony in my life. Please
say you love me, Just say it. Honesty was impossible.
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He didn't want to hear how I felt. He only
wanted it to be all right. All I wanted was
to get off the merry go round, hopefully alive. I
let him hold me close and kiss me. When he
ripped off my blouse and pinned me down, I told
him to stop. He didn't. I fought for a little while,
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but I was exhausted. I had no strength or will left,
and I succumbed to what he wanted, as I had
done one too many times before. When it was over,
I got up to leave. Will you come back? Not tonight,
but you are coming back. Yes, I'll be back in
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the morning. When I finally got back to my cousin's house,
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I went to check in on Tony. She was peacefully
asleep As I sat there watching her. I resolved to
make things better for us both. I told Mick I
was leaving first thing in the morning for New York.
I got a taste of freedom, and I wasn't ready
to give it up. Did you tell Joe you really me?
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I waited until I was out of the state of
Nevada before I called him. Oh YEA, I trusted you, Georgia.
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Problem is, Joe, I don't trust you. I'm going home
don't do this to me, Georgia. I'm warning you don't
do this. Hello, did you fall asleep? Or are your
ears underwater? If you don't come back here, you don't
have the slightest inkling of how I feel. I'm giving
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you the courtesy of a phone call so you don't
worry about me, but I'm not coming back. I tried
to make you understand how I felt last night, but
you refused to hear me. As usual. You can't leave.
You have to be in court in a few days.
You handle it, Joe. You got us into it, you
can get us out. If you jump bail, I'll be
out five grand. Costs you more than money every time
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you do what you do to meet Joe. Maybe if
you have to reach in your pocket, you'll think twice
next time. I'll call you when I get home to
let you know I got there safely. Goodbye, Joe. Were
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you worried about Joe coming after you? I knew he
would threaten to, and that he might even try, But
New York had gotten too dangerous for him. Joe had
to stay in Las Vegas for a while at least,
and I like the odds better than if I stayed.
Were you worried about going back to Rochester? Not really.
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I wasn't personally involved, but things were different than when
I left. A war was raging and Sammy was struggling
to maintain control. Everyone who knew anything was getting killed.
Everyone was on edge. I kept my head down own
and worked on renovating the apartment above my parents garage.
Tony and I brought some laughter and light back to
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our lives in spite of the circumstances. Joe kept calling,
sometimes threatening me, sometimes pleading and begging. Were you worried
you might become a target. I was a target for Joe,
for the mafia. Not to mention the authorities you're referring
to when you were brought in for questioning, yep, talk
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about a crooked cop. Bill Mahoney was the worst kind.
He was loyal to nothing and played everyone against one another.
When the detectives picked me up, they led me into
Mahoney's office and I saw Al Decansio, a local gangster
who was supposed to be locked up, sitting with his
feet up on Mahony's desk, talking on the phone like
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he owned the place anyway. They left me alone in
there with Al, closing the door behind them. I'll call
you back, Hi, Georgia, It's good to see you. You're
looking good. What the hell are you doing here? Al?
(24:09):
Bill wants to remodel his office, so he gets me
out a few days a week to pound some nails.
It's cheap labor for the city, and I get to
use the phone and stretch my legs a bit. I
knew this special treatment could only mean one thing. He
was spilling his guts. I hadn't heard anything about him ratting,
so I assumed no one was aware of it yet.
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So what's going on in the streets? What are you
asking me for? Al? You probably have more information than
I do when you're inside, with all those phone calls
you make. You must have enough information to write a
book that I do. That I do. How's Joe? He's fine?
Where is he these days? He's around seeing Sammy or
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any of the boys around lately? Al? What's the deal?
Why are you here? And why am I here? Well?
I know why I'm here. Why am I here? Al?
If you all know the night shot, don't Since you
have unlimited you said the phone, Al, why don't you
call me a cab? You know? What, al You're nothing
(25:17):
but scum. You can tell those two faced bastards that
I said to drop dead and if they have a
problem with that, tell him to call my lawyer. I
was pissed. I knew they couldn't hold me. It was
a setup if I ever saw one, or maybe it
was Mahoney's way of unnerving a few people. He was
a master at that, but I was having none of it.
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As I marched down the corridor, I ran straight into
Seal Rubio, one of the cleaner detectives. Georgia, what are
you doing here? You tell me, sal give Mahoney a
message for me. Tell him the next time he wants
to speak with me, he's going to need a warrant.
God damn cops, you're all alike. Yeah. Did you ever
(26:08):
find out what Mahoney wanted? Not exactly, but I knew
he was trying to set me up to get Joe,
and that if he put word out on the street
that I was talking to Al I wouldn't be safe.
I started to feel that my time in Rochester was
running out, and then one day I was at the
local pool with Tony when I caught a glimpse of
Joe I was surprised he risked coming back to town
(26:30):
for me, But then he never thought very clearly when
it came to our relationship. He hadn't spotted me yet,
but I knew it was only a matter of minutes.
I didn't think. I just reacted. I rose from my chair,
left my book and towel behind, and walked over to Tony.
She reached up and took my extended hand, and we
walked out the back towards the car. Because we have
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to go someplace and we don't want to be late.
Will you help, mommy? Will you walk quickly towards the car? Okay,
okay y. We exited the parking lot and turned down
(27:21):
the hill towards the street. The next hurdle was to
drive by the front without being seen. No chance. Joe's
eagle eyes spotted the car. He stood there frozen. His
dominating look told me to turn back if I knew
it was good for me. But my foot, acting entirely
on its own, pressed the pedal beneath it. Blurred images
ran past my window. I moved on pure adrenaline. I
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had no idea where I was going. The car just
drove itself for maybe my shadow had taken over. I
found myself on the freeway heading west, without a clue
as to how I got there. Buckle your seatbelt, Okay, baby, money,
where are we going? I didn't know? What are we
going to do? Me? Get there? I don't know. I'm hungry, Mommy,
(28:08):
Can we stop at that McDonald's. Sure? As I exited
the freeway and drove to the drive through window, I
opened my wallet and saw I only had sixty dollars.
In a panic, I glanced down at the gas cage.
Thank god, it was full. I thought, what the hell
was I doing? But where there's a will, there's a way,
(28:30):
and I knew I couldn't turn back now. Days later,
we arrived in Los Angeles in the middle of rush
hour traffic. The Hollywood sign emerged through the smog, and
I felt as if it was mocking me. I had
no plan, no savings, and nowhere to stay. I knew
modeling was out of the question. Not only was I
unestablished and without my portfolio, I couldn't risk getting recognized.
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I got off the freeway and stopped at a phone booth.
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I stared blankly at the phone for several minutes. I
felt lost and alone as I tried to think of
who I could call, and then I remembered Jim Alquists,
my old modeling friend, lives somewhere in l A. I
opened the phone book and feverishly flipped through the pages.
Thank god he was listed. Hello, Oh, thank god you answered, Jimmy, Georgia,
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how the heck are you not great? Jim? I need
to ask you a big favor. Yeah. Sure, I left Joe,
but he's not happy about it, and I impulsively drove
out to l A with Tony. I've only got thirty
five cents to my name, and I don't have a
place to stay. I don't know what I would have
done if you hadn't answered. I hate having to ask
you this, but I don't know what else to do.
(30:14):
Slow down, Slow down, Jesus. Of course you can stay here,
but it's only a studio. You and Tony will have
to share the couch if that's okay. It's better than
the car. Thanks Jim. One day I'll repay you for this, Georgia.
There is one condition that the asshole never finds out.
I took you in. I put that bullshit behind me
(30:35):
when I left Rochester. He doesn't need another excuse to
come busting down my door in the middle of the night.
Don't worry about that, Jim. He doesn't have any idea
where to start looking. Okay, where are you? Corner of
Sunset in Highland. Okay, You're only ten minutes away. Just
keep going east on Sunset, Turn right at Kingsley Drive.
I'm number four oh eight. I'll put some coffee on Jim. Yeah,
(30:58):
thank you. A week later, all held broke loose back home,
headlines shouted out death. The good guys, led by the
police and the bad guys led by Sammy were at war,
and the bad guys were killing one another off as
well in order to ensure the golden rule of silence
(31:19):
would not be broken. I knew they would slowly work
their way to the top to Sammy, but I couldn't
worry about all that. All I could think about was
how was I going to make some money and survive
with Tony without showing my face. Wheel Woman is written
by Lars Jacobson and Sabrina Jaglin and directed by Sabrina Jagulin,
(31:42):
Produced by Lars Jacobson and Sabrina Jagulin, Executive produced by
Georgia Duranti and Noel Brown for I Heart Radio. Wheelwoman
stars Lilia Symington as Georgia, with additional performances by Tanner Beard,
Zachary Webber, Simon Jagulin, Chase Mullins, Nick Williams, Gabe Greenspan,
Dylan McCullum, Garrett Bear, Nora Garrett, Duncan Kladein, Victoria Foyt,
(32:08):
Max Georgie, Mariah Bass, and Max Jacoby. Edited by Chris Childs,
with sound design and theme music by Chris Child's. Adapted
from the book The Company She Keeps by Georgia Duranty.
Wheelwoman Confessions of a Getaway Driver is an I Heart
Radio production. For more podcasts from I Heeart Radio, visit
the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
(32:30):
get your podcasts.
Teleforce Productions and I Heart Radio presents Wheelwoman Confessions of
a Getaway Driver. How did you end up in Las Vegas?
After Jimmy's murder? Things were getting too hot in Rochester.
There was a new chief of detectives who was less
susceptible to certain favors. Not to mention the fact that
(00:23):
Joe wasn't exactly happy with the new order of things.
Joe thought it would be a good time to get out.
He sold Caesar's too when the money was burning a
hole in his pocket. He made plans for us to
move to Las Vegas on a temporary basis. How do
you feel about leaving? It's not like I had much
say in the matter, but Joe and I had been
(00:43):
doing okay, and I hope that being out of town
might be good for us, that he might calm down
without the bar and with a change of scenery. Plus
it was only supposed to be a few months. However,
Vegas turned out to be another prison. How So, with
neither of us in Floyd, we spent most of our
time in our small apartment, and like caged animals, we
(01:05):
had vicious fights. It was the same old pattern. All
My hope left quickly. But then I started to think
that maybe it was supposed to be the fresh start
for me, not for us. I thought this could be
the chance I needed, and in a new place, I
have better luck leaving him. I just wasn't sure how Thankfully,
my cousin Mickey instantly recognized my situation for the last time.
(01:30):
You gotta leave him, Georgia. We'll help you. I can't
involve you, Mick. I'm not afraid of that asshole. When
you leave for the casino, I'll come over and I
help you get your clothes out. Just leave him a note,
tell him you're done and you went to Los Angeles.
And what if he comes by, we'll put your car
my garage. After he realizes you've gone for good, he'll
probably go back to New York. I don't know, Mick.
(01:52):
If he finds me, it'll only get worse. Plus, you
can't really go back to New York right now. What
time does he leave for the casino? It's always different.
It's not punching o'clock, you know. Come on, Georgia, I
can't keep watching you live like this. And I'm not
taking note for an answer this time. It's bullshit, and
you know it. I'm off tomorrow. I'll stay home and
I'll wait for your call. How long does he usually
(02:13):
stay out? Usually to three hours. It spends if he's
winning or losing. Just call me the minute he leaves. Yeah,
call me, okay, I will thank you. Come on, what's
family for McKey? If I really leave, this means I
(02:36):
can't go back to Rochester, he'll find me and kill
me for doing this. You can stay with us for
as long as you need to. I stayed with Mickey
(03:32):
for two weeks. Joe called, but Mickey said something about
me going to l A for a job. Clearly Joe
didn't believe him. I caught sight of Joe driving by
the house a few times late at night. I was
beginning to feel trapped, not to mention, I didn't have
any money, so against his better judgment, Mickey helped me
get a job in the showroom at the Sahara. We
(03:52):
both thought I'd be less visible there than anywhere else,
and though I was still confined to only a few places,
I was beginning to feel in dependent. A month went
by and my fear began to listen, and then one night,
around two in the morning, as I walked through the
deserted employee parking lot area towards my car. I felt
fingers sink deep into my shoulders. Did you really think
(04:17):
you could get away from me? Get in the car?
Where are we going home? Where you belong? I don't
want to go home. He hit me so hard my
(04:39):
head bounced off the side window. Blood filled my mouth,
but I didn't cry. I felt a familiar sensation. I
started to fade away, and I let Georgia black surface
so she could help me remain calm. I'm happy, Joe.
Why can't you just let me go? The last words
out of your mouth where I love you? And then
(05:00):
you disappeared. You're not going to get away with that, Georgia.
I won't stay. I'll leave the first chance I get okay.
As he drove out into the dark desert on an
unmarked road, I knew these could be my final moments.
(05:23):
He was serious this time. If I didn't do something,
I'd wind up dead within the hour. Who have you
been seeing? And don't lie to me? There isn't anyone else, Joe.
I just wanted to be happy. Who is it? Why
do you always think there has to be someone else?
Can't you understand that the real reason is because of
(05:45):
what you're doing. Right now, I've been following you. You
better be honest. If he's been following me, then you
know I'm not lying. I tried not to panic as
Georgia Black tried to work out what Joe wanted to hear,
but the road was becoming more desolate and we were
running out of time. Joe, I do love you, but
(06:10):
I just can't live like this anymore. You won't have
to money because you're going to die, and so with
the motherfuck have you been seeing? A traffic light wound
in the distance like a beacon of hope. It was red,
and Joe was forced to slow down. I knew it
was my only chance. I threw myself out of the
(06:33):
car and rolled out of the way as Joe reversed
towards me, trying to run me over. Thankfully, another car
waited at the light. I ran to it and jumped in,
yelling at the woman in the driver's seat, please please
take me where there are people. Does he have a gun? No?
I got lucky. She instantly understood the situation. I had
(06:54):
an inkling. This was not a normal woman. Yeah, m
hmmmm hmm. Thank god. She drove fast. She made a
U turned back towards the strip that Joe caught up
to us and tried to force us off the road.
(07:20):
H m hm, See those cops in front of the hotel. Yes,
(07:43):
puant me to pull in there, Yes, pull in, pullin.
The fact that she asked confirmed my suspicions. A civilian
would assume I wanted to seek refuge amongst the cops.
She clearly had some experience in my world. Ye. As
(08:32):
soon as I stepped out of the car, she was off.
I never even got her name. I was a disheveled mess.
My clothes were torn, lip bleeding. I ran up to
the cops as Joe pulled in and got out of
the car, looking cool and collected, he darted a look
at me, a warning, officer, officer, I need your help.
Are you okay? What's the problem here? That's my car.
(08:55):
I want to take it and leave. Please just help
me at my car back. Don't listen to that mess. Off.
This is my wife. We came here from New York
because your psychiatrist thought a change might be good for her.
But obviously it doesn't work. What are you talking about?
I don't have a psychiatrist. As I panicked, Joe put
a hand on the cops shoulder and led him aside.
(09:16):
They conferred inaudibly. Finally they came back to me. I
could tell immediately the cop was no longer interested in
helping me. I knew if I got back in the
car with Joe that would be it, especially now that
I violated the rules. I did what had to be done. Lady,
why don't you calm down go home with your husband?
(09:38):
What kind of cop are you? Anyway? Your job is
to protect the public, not send them to the desert
to be killed. I screamed as I ripped a name
tag off his shirt, kicking him like a wild woman badge,
piece of shit? You good for nothing pigs, getting off me,
Let go of me. Four cops were on me in
(10:00):
two seconds flat. They threw me against the police car
and handcuffed me. Stupid, stupid pigs can't even do your
simple fucking job. Get off me, Look goal of me.
The cop I kicked was pissed. To satisfy his own anger,
he handcuffed Joe as well. Joe glared at me, but
(10:21):
he kept his mouth shut. I knew I was in
trouble but at least for the night, I was safe.
Georgia Black had accomplished what she had set out to do.
That wasn't a good move, Georgia. I what if I'd
had a gun on me? Oh well, then I guess
I'd already be dead and there wouldn't be any need
to be having this conversation. From the fucking attitude, Georgia,
you haven't had too much experience dealing with these pricks,
(10:42):
but you're about to get it firsthand. Just keep your
fucking mouth shut. I'll get us out of this. I
don't want to get out of this, officer. I'd like
to know exactly what I'm being arrested for. Vagrancy, public intoxication,
and possession of a dangerous weapon. What dangerous weapon? What
are you talking about? I found this club bunde your car.
See that's not mine. That's not even my car, says
(11:03):
Jay lamondola On. It sounds like your name to me.
I've got over three thousand dollars in my pocket. You
can hardly call that vagrancy. And I haven't had a
drink all night. I want a sobriety test. Do you
see what I mean? There are a bunch of fucking pricks.
I knew Joe was right. They had no right to
arrest Joe anyway, and the jerk should have helped me
in the first place. Crops are all bad guys in disguise.
(11:38):
We drove to the Clark County Jail and silence. The
handcuffs were tighter than necessary, but I wasn't going to complain. Officer. Yeah,
did I tell you that you're an asshole? Hell, Georgia
christ shut up. Thank you for getting something here, Joe.
We wouldn't be in this situation if it weren't for you.
(12:01):
The Patty wagon carved its way through the strip, picking
up some very interesting characters along the way. Finally we
arrived at the County jail and they led the men
(12:22):
down one hall and the women down another. As we
headed in separate directions, Joe looked back and told me
not to call anyone, that he'd get us out in
a few hours. They led me to a room to
be fingerprinted and have a monkshat taken. Finally, I settled
into my temporary home with two very nice roommates. One
(12:45):
was a lady of the night and the other was
a young girl who was picked up for hitchhiking, so
she said. All I could think was how did I
get here? I didn't hear anything all night and wasn't
allowed to make a call by breakfast. Then next morning
I began to worry that Joe was going to try
to teach me a lesson by keeping me inside. It
wasn't until later in the afternoon that they called my name.
(13:19):
As I walked out into the blinding desert sun. Joe
and Butch Marionette were waiting for me. Butch had been
living in Vegas for the last six months and was
Joe's eyes. I didn't say hello, come on the cars
across the street. I'm not going with you. Don't start.
(13:39):
I'm not going to hurt you. Not put a smile
on your face and just walk out that gate. I
did what I was told. I obviously couldn't count on
the police for help. Aren't you going to thank Butch
for bailing us out? You thank him, he's your friend.
I was in the same cell as the guy who
stole the money at Caesars. You know what his bail was, dollars?
(14:00):
You know what ours was, five thousand apiece. You wouldn't
listen to me. Georgia you had to shoot off that
mouth of yours. That mouth is gonna get you killed
one day. You know that. Where's my car? The pricks
impounded it. We're going to pick it up. Now, get
in the car. We pulled into Denny's parking lot. Joe
(14:30):
with his crumpled suit and me with my torn clothes
and fat lip and scraped up body. What a pair.
But this was Las Vegas. Nothing was out of place.
Why are we stopping here? We're gonna eat something before
we get your car. You must be starving. I'm sure
you didn't eat any of that food in there. I'm
worried about you. Are you worried about me? Last night
(14:53):
you were going to kill me, and today you worried
about me? You need help, Joe. I just want to
get my car and go home. Fine. You should have
seen her, butch that cop won't be forgetting her for
a few weeks, especially when he takes a shower. She's
one feisty little chick. Huh, that's why I love her.
(15:17):
I guess it wasn't funny, Joe, Come on, my little
jail bird. We'll laugh about this in years to come.
Maybe so right now, I don't see the humor. Butch
dropped us off at the impound. They released my car
after a lengthy delay, but I was too tired to
be a smart Alex, so I just sat patiently until
(15:38):
the paperwork was done. Joe took the car keys and
got into the driver's seat. He drove in silence to
our apartment. When we arrived, he took the keys from
the ignition and placed them in his pocket, as if
they were a prized possession. Joe, I need to go
(16:01):
to Mickey's. I'll be worried and I need to check
on Tony. I have to go. Just come in for
ten minutes. I want to talk to you, then you
can go. Not really having a choice, I walked up
the two flights of stairs. Joe followed close behind and
put the key in the lock. You could tell I
was feeling anxious. I'm not gonna hurt you, Georgia. I
(16:25):
just want to talk to you. What am I gonna
do with you? Let me go, Joe. I'll never let
you go, Georgia. I love you too much to let
you walk out of my life. You'll leave over my
dead body, but until then, you belong to me. Body mind,
don't say it Joe, don't say spirit, because you've broken that.
(16:49):
I'm dead inside. Can't you see that you're taking my body.
You managed to twist my mind and and now you
killed what would love to me, my spirit it I'm
afraid to say what I feel, so I try not
to feel anything. I can't remember the last time I laughed.
Do you think that that what you did last night
(17:11):
just goes away? It doesn't. I try to push it
out of my mind. I can't love me, Georgia. I
know you do. Yes, I love you, but I hate
you just as much. I'm sad all the time. I
just want to be happy. I don't want to live
(17:32):
like this anymore. And I don't think this is any
kind of life for Tony either. Children are supposed to laugh,
and that child rarely does these days. We tiptoe around you,
never knowing if we're going to say or do something
to set you off. You would have killed me last night.
There's just no stopping you. When you get into a rage.
(17:53):
You gotta let me go. Joe, who is he, Georgia,
Who's who the cock sucker you're seeing? Don't play stupid, Jesus.
I'm not seeing anyone Joe Why won't you listen to me?
You wouldn't be talking like this if you weren't seeing someone.
Why can't we talk like normal people, Joe? Why is
(18:13):
it impossible to say what I feel? Why can't you
ever hear what I'm saying? If you're lying to me,
I swear I'll kill you. I'll kill anyone that touches
you. You You belong to me. I'm not lying, Honey. Please
don't leave me. I can't go through this again. You
(18:34):
tear my fucking heart out when you do this. I
can't live without you. Georgia. Please say you'll never leave me.
Say it. Can you say that you'll never hurt me.
I'm so sorry about last night. I know I scared.
You scared me, Joe. You were going to kill me.
You almost ran me over with the car for christ things. No,
(18:57):
I know, but you were gone for so long. I
didn't know where you were. I thought i'd lost you
for good. I just couldn't stand the thought of you
never coming back. I love you so much, Georgia. You're
all I have you and Tony in my life. Please
say you love me, Just say it. Honesty was impossible.
(19:18):
He didn't want to hear how I felt. He only
wanted it to be all right. All I wanted was
to get off the merry go round, hopefully alive. I
let him hold me close and kiss me. When he
ripped off my blouse and pinned me down, I told
him to stop. He didn't. I fought for a little while,
(19:39):
but I was exhausted. I had no strength or will left,
and I succumbed to what he wanted, as I had
done one too many times before. When it was over,
I got up to leave. Will you come back? Not tonight,
but you are coming back. Yes, I'll be back in
(20:02):
the morning. When I finally got back to my cousin's house,
(20:28):
I went to check in on Tony. She was peacefully
asleep As I sat there watching her. I resolved to
make things better for us both. I told Mick I
was leaving first thing in the morning for New York.
I got a taste of freedom, and I wasn't ready
to give it up. Did you tell Joe you really me?
(20:50):
I waited until I was out of the state of
Nevada before I called him. Oh YEA, I trusted you, Georgia.
(21:23):
Problem is, Joe, I don't trust you. I'm going home
don't do this to me, Georgia. I'm warning you don't
do this. Hello, did you fall asleep? Or are your
ears underwater? If you don't come back here, you don't
have the slightest inkling of how I feel. I'm giving
(21:43):
you the courtesy of a phone call so you don't
worry about me, but I'm not coming back. I tried
to make you understand how I felt last night, but
you refused to hear me. As usual. You can't leave.
You have to be in court in a few days.
You handle it, Joe. You got us into it, you
can get us out. If you jump bail, I'll be
out five grand. Costs you more than money every time
(22:05):
you do what you do to meet Joe. Maybe if
you have to reach in your pocket, you'll think twice
next time. I'll call you when I get home to
let you know I got there safely. Goodbye, Joe. Were
(22:25):
you worried about Joe coming after you? I knew he
would threaten to, and that he might even try, But
New York had gotten too dangerous for him. Joe had
to stay in Las Vegas for a while at least,
and I like the odds better than if I stayed.
Were you worried about going back to Rochester? Not really.
(22:46):
I wasn't personally involved, but things were different than when
I left. A war was raging and Sammy was struggling
to maintain control. Everyone who knew anything was getting killed.
Everyone was on edge. I kept my head down own
and worked on renovating the apartment above my parents garage.
Tony and I brought some laughter and light back to
(23:06):
our lives in spite of the circumstances. Joe kept calling,
sometimes threatening me, sometimes pleading and begging. Were you worried
you might become a target. I was a target for Joe,
for the mafia. Not to mention the authorities you're referring
to when you were brought in for questioning, yep, talk
(23:28):
about a crooked cop. Bill Mahoney was the worst kind.
He was loyal to nothing and played everyone against one another.
When the detectives picked me up, they led me into
Mahoney's office and I saw Al Decansio, a local gangster
who was supposed to be locked up, sitting with his
feet up on Mahony's desk, talking on the phone like
(23:49):
he owned the place anyway. They left me alone in
there with Al, closing the door behind them. I'll call
you back, Hi, Georgia, It's good to see you. You're
looking good. What the hell are you doing here? Al?
(24:09):
Bill wants to remodel his office, so he gets me
out a few days a week to pound some nails.
It's cheap labor for the city, and I get to
use the phone and stretch my legs a bit. I
knew this special treatment could only mean one thing. He
was spilling his guts. I hadn't heard anything about him ratting,
so I assumed no one was aware of it yet.
(24:31):
So what's going on in the streets? What are you
asking me for? Al? You probably have more information than
I do when you're inside, with all those phone calls
you make. You must have enough information to write a
book that I do. That I do. How's Joe? He's fine?
Where is he these days? He's around seeing Sammy or
(24:53):
any of the boys around lately? Al? What's the deal?
Why are you here? And why am I here? Well?
I know why I'm here. Why am I here? Al?
If you all know the night shot, don't Since you
have unlimited you said the phone, Al, why don't you
call me a cab? You know? What, al You're nothing
(25:17):
but scum. You can tell those two faced bastards that
I said to drop dead and if they have a
problem with that, tell him to call my lawyer. I
was pissed. I knew they couldn't hold me. It was
a setup if I ever saw one, or maybe it
was Mahoney's way of unnerving a few people. He was
a master at that, but I was having none of it.
(25:39):
As I marched down the corridor, I ran straight into
Seal Rubio, one of the cleaner detectives. Georgia, what are
you doing here? You tell me, sal give Mahoney a
message for me. Tell him the next time he wants
to speak with me, he's going to need a warrant.
God damn cops, you're all alike. Yeah. Did you ever
(26:08):
find out what Mahoney wanted? Not exactly, but I knew
he was trying to set me up to get Joe,
and that if he put word out on the street
that I was talking to Al I wouldn't be safe.
I started to feel that my time in Rochester was
running out, and then one day I was at the
local pool with Tony when I caught a glimpse of
Joe I was surprised he risked coming back to town
(26:30):
for me, But then he never thought very clearly when
it came to our relationship. He hadn't spotted me yet,
but I knew it was only a matter of minutes.
I didn't think. I just reacted. I rose from my chair,
left my book and towel behind, and walked over to Tony.
She reached up and took my extended hand, and we
walked out the back towards the car. Because we have
(26:54):
to go someplace and we don't want to be late.
Will you help, mommy? Will you walk quickly towards the car? Okay,
okay y. We exited the parking lot and turned down
(27:21):
the hill towards the street. The next hurdle was to
drive by the front without being seen. No chance. Joe's
eagle eyes spotted the car. He stood there frozen. His
dominating look told me to turn back if I knew
it was good for me. But my foot, acting entirely
on its own, pressed the pedal beneath it. Blurred images
ran past my window. I moved on pure adrenaline. I
(27:44):
had no idea where I was going. The car just
drove itself for maybe my shadow had taken over. I
found myself on the freeway heading west, without a clue
as to how I got there. Buckle your seatbelt, Okay, baby, money,
where are we going? I didn't know? What are we
going to do? Me? Get there? I don't know. I'm hungry, Mommy,
(28:08):
Can we stop at that McDonald's. Sure? As I exited
the freeway and drove to the drive through window, I
opened my wallet and saw I only had sixty dollars.
In a panic, I glanced down at the gas cage.
Thank god, it was full. I thought, what the hell
was I doing? But where there's a will, there's a way,
(28:30):
and I knew I couldn't turn back now. Days later,
we arrived in Los Angeles in the middle of rush
hour traffic. The Hollywood sign emerged through the smog, and
I felt as if it was mocking me. I had
no plan, no savings, and nowhere to stay. I knew
modeling was out of the question. Not only was I
unestablished and without my portfolio, I couldn't risk getting recognized.
(28:53):
I got off the freeway and stopped at a phone booth.
(29:14):
I stared blankly at the phone for several minutes. I
felt lost and alone as I tried to think of
who I could call, and then I remembered Jim Alquists,
my old modeling friend, lives somewhere in l A. I
opened the phone book and feverishly flipped through the pages.
Thank god he was listed. Hello, Oh, thank god you answered, Jimmy, Georgia,
(29:53):
how the heck are you not great? Jim? I need
to ask you a big favor. Yeah. Sure, I left Joe,
but he's not happy about it, and I impulsively drove
out to l A with Tony. I've only got thirty
five cents to my name, and I don't have a
place to stay. I don't know what I would have
done if you hadn't answered. I hate having to ask
you this, but I don't know what else to do.
(30:14):
Slow down, Slow down, Jesus. Of course you can stay here,
but it's only a studio. You and Tony will have
to share the couch if that's okay. It's better than
the car. Thanks Jim. One day I'll repay you for this, Georgia.
There is one condition that the asshole never finds out.
I took you in. I put that bullshit behind me
(30:35):
when I left Rochester. He doesn't need another excuse to
come busting down my door in the middle of the night.
Don't worry about that, Jim. He doesn't have any idea
where to start looking. Okay, where are you? Corner of
Sunset in Highland. Okay, You're only ten minutes away. Just
keep going east on Sunset, Turn right at Kingsley Drive.
I'm number four oh eight. I'll put some coffee on Jim. Yeah,
(30:58):
thank you. A week later, all held broke loose back home,
headlines shouted out death. The good guys, led by the
police and the bad guys led by Sammy were at war,
and the bad guys were killing one another off as
well in order to ensure the golden rule of silence
(31:19):
would not be broken. I knew they would slowly work
their way to the top to Sammy, but I couldn't
worry about all that. All I could think about was
how was I going to make some money and survive
with Tony without showing my face. Wheel Woman is written
by Lars Jacobson and Sabrina Jaglin and directed by Sabrina Jagulin,
(31:42):
Produced by Lars Jacobson and Sabrina Jagulin, Executive produced by
Georgia Duranti and Noel Brown for I Heart Radio. Wheelwoman
stars Lilia Symington as Georgia, with additional performances by Tanner Beard,
Zachary Webber, Simon Jagulin, Chase Mullins, Nick Williams, Gabe Greenspan,
Dylan McCullum, Garrett Bear, Nora Garrett, Duncan Kladein, Victoria Foyt,
(32:08):
Max Georgie, Mariah Bass, and Max Jacoby. Edited by Chris Childs,
with sound design and theme music by Chris Child's. Adapted
from the book The Company She Keeps by Georgia Duranty.
Wheelwoman Confessions of a Getaway Driver is an I Heart
Radio production. For more podcasts from I Heeart Radio, visit
the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
(32:30):
get your podcasts.
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