May 12, 2022 • 26 mins
Georgia is named the Kodak Girl before becoming a victim of sexual assault by her brother in law.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The following episode of wheel Woman Confessions of a Getaway
Driver contains depictions of sexual violence. Listener discretion is advised.
Teleforce Productions and I Heart Radio presents wheel Woman Confessions
of a Getaway Driver. Back to your previous occupations, before
(00:28):
you drove getaway cars from the Mob, you were a model.
You make it sound like I did a few small
time shoots. I wasn't just a model. I was the
Kodak Girl. Put me in a whole different league. For
a while, I was the most photographed model in the world.
(01:35):
We interrupt this broadcast to announce that the search for
our next Kodak Girl is complete. Eastman Kodak is paroled
to present Georgia Duranty as this year's Kodak Girl from
our own hometown of Rochester, New York. Soon you will
come to know and love her as we already do.
To all you hopefuls out there, better luck next year,
(01:57):
and don't forget anyone can look like a model when
you're with Kodak Film. Just press the button. We do
the rest. How did you first get involved with Kodak?
Like I said, Rochester was known for two things, Kodak
(02:19):
and the Mob. Eastman Kodak was by far the dominant
employer in the area, and they actively searched for local talent.
Many of their white collars set were members of the
club where my father worked, and one day a photographer
saw me there. Much to my surprise, he requested I
come in for a model test. I was only twelve.
The next day, my mom took me into one of
(02:41):
their many studios they had around the city. It was huge.
I was immediately intimidated, but I tried to keep my
cool as a woman led to the dressing room where
I makeup person waited. Her face said it all. I
(03:05):
dressed like a tomboy back then, probably had car grease
from my neighbor's garage on my face. I was a stranger.
It's getting made up, and honestly I hated it. Sit
right here, honey, let's get you cleaned up. How about
this pretty dress? No, that's not right. M hm. Why
(03:27):
don't we go with the sweater. It'll bring out your eyes. Okay,
And here's a pair of slacks. They should pitch you nicely.
By the time they were finished, I looked like I
was eighteen years old. I did not recognize myself. Sit
right there, on that stool. Try to relax. Okay, no, no,
(03:52):
not that much. Try putting your hand on your knee,
tilts your head down, face it slightly away, but looked
back at me. Sure like that. Don't smile so white. Okay,
I'll turn to the other side less less Okay, try
(04:13):
to look natural. Okay. I was uncomfortable and it showed. Honey,
are you taking any secretarial courses in school? Yes, I'm
planning to good. I think you should concentrate on that
because I don't think you're going to make it as
a model. Well, that did it. Someone was telling me
(04:36):
there was something I couldn't do. Suddenly I had to
prove him wrong. When we got in the car, I
told my mother that I thought I could do better
now that I knew what to expect. She managed to
set up another test at a different studio the following week,
and in the meantime, I flipped through the pages of
all the teen magazines I could get my hands on.
I practiced posing and smiling for hours in front of
(04:58):
the mirror. I bought or a dressed from my friend Debbie,
and walked back into the studio with my head held high.
I passed the test and was added to their files.
Soon the phone began ringing on a regular basis, But
it turned out to be more of a curse than
a blessing. Why is that? I told you Rochester was
(05:19):
a small town that thrived on gossip. I became a target.
I later realized that it was because they were jealous,
But all the girls started treating me like crap. Did
it become worse after you became the Kodak girl? Oh? Boy?
Did it? I was more hated at home, but became
beloved around the country. In previous years, Kodak had always
(05:41):
chosen the latest top model from New York. Sybil Shepherd
was named the following year. But suddenly there were life
sized cutouts of me in over eighty thou drug stores
across America and Europe, standing in this blue and white
polka dot bikini. It's bits back then modest by today's standards.
They an airbrush my belly button out. They thought it
(06:02):
was dubrisque. I was the face of the Summer of love.
College boys used to steal my cutouts. Girls use them
in their dorms to hang their sweaters on. Somebody even
entered it as a homecoming Queen at Pepperdine University, and
I almost won. Were you modeling for other companies at
the time. Yes, I was in a ton of national
(06:22):
campaigns on billboards and magazine ads for Kent's Cigarettes, Coca Cola,
Matel Toys, You're Not Vodka, Adidas Sports, where the list
goes on and on. Did you enjoy the attention out
in the world. Yeah, who wouldn't, but not at home.
It was weird being thrown into an adult world at
(06:42):
such a young age. I grew up much faster than
my peers. I looked and acted much older than I was,
but underneath the facade, I was still just a kid.
And things only continued to hit new lows after the trial.
The trial regarding the assault by your brother in law,
that's the one your file City pressed charges. Many girls
(07:04):
in your situation wouldn't have back then, not that it
did much good. Do you feel comfortable talking about the
night of the assault? Why not? I did it in
court in front of everyone in town. My parents were
out of town with my sister, but I had to
stay behind because I was working like crazy. While they
were gone, I was staying with my aunt and uncle
(07:25):
and their son Keith, who was a cop. He worked
the night shift then stayed at home until early morning,
so I practically never saw him. I had planned to
have an early night when I had a visitor, my
brother in law, Dick, who looked as though he'd been crying,
and I didn't have a friend in the world. Hey Georgia,
(07:47):
Oh hey Dick, Hey, you mind if I come in
for a while talk to you? No, come on in.
You want a sandwich? Yeah? Sure, I am kind of hungry.
My sister and him had been fighting, which was nothing new.
He and Sharon had been together since they were just kids,
and Dick has always been insanely jealous. They were always
breaking up and getting back together. But since their daughter
(08:10):
was born two years ago, Sharon lived more with us
than with him. See Dick peeked in high school wrestling
star and it was very much the traditional all American
jock type. He didn't know how to be out of
the spotlight. But this time it seemed like Sharon really
had it, that she really ended things. I actually felt
(08:30):
sorry for Dick. I knew he loved my sister but
didn't know how to control his temper. Back then, I
was a sucker for a lost cause. Hey, have you
heard from Sharon yet? Yes, they called yesterday. They'll be
back Sunday. Did Sharon say anything about me? No, Dick,
to be honest, she didn't. I don't know what to do, Joey.
(08:52):
I missed her so much. You know you think she'll
ever come back to me. I don't mean to hurt you, Dick,
but maybe you should start thinking about what you're gonna
do if she doesn't come back. I mean, she seems
like she really may have made up her mind this time. Well,
if she just talked to me, you know, I could
convince her to give me another chance. I don't know
what am I going to do, Georgia. I love her
(09:14):
so much. Keep your mind busy. Start going out with
your friends. I don't help. Yeah, my friends are her friends,
though all we do is talk about Sharon, make new friends,
go out in the city. You can't hang around this
town and not expect to run into people who remind
you of Sharon. There's another world out there besides the
East Rochester, you know. Yeah, yeah, I feel funny walking
into a bar where I didn't know anybody. And I'm
(09:35):
not like you, George. You make friends easily. I am
not like that. You could make friends if you tried, well,
Will you help me take me to the city and
introduce me to some of your friends tonight? I don't know.
I have to be at a shoot at six am. Maybe,
but we'd have to take two cars. I can't stay
(09:55):
too long. I don't know. I really don't plan on
having a good time. We'll just take one car and
I'll leave whenever you're ready. Wow, okay. I took Dick
(10:18):
to the living room. As soon as we walked in,
I saw Jimmy Cristo, Sammy Gee, and Joey Tiaparelli. Hey kid, Sammy,
I'm gonna go get a drink. Sammy walked over and
whisked me onto the dance floor as Dick made his
way to the bar. So, who's this Mannai's face you're with.
He's my sister's husband. So that's the jerk. Not for
(10:40):
much longer, sam, I think she's really going to go
through it at this time. Hopefully he'll meet someone tonight
and fall madly in love. That would solve a lot
of problems. Yeah. A few hours went by, and Dick
found a home at the bar. Around eleven o'clock, I
was more than ready to go. I think we should
(11:01):
be going down today. I just showed another beer. All right,
we'll leave as soon as I drank it. Okay, okay,
but make it quick. I danced with two more guys
and then went back to Dick. Another full bottle sat
in front of her. Ready, let me just finish this one, Dick.
This is why I wanted to take my own car.
You said you'd take me home early. If I don't
(11:22):
get to bed soon, i'll look like crap from my shoes. Right, okay.
Joey heard my outburst and finally got Dick to leave.
As he drove home, he had difficulty keeping the car
between the lines. Dick, where are you going? You just
passed my exit. I wasn't thinking I was heading home. Okay,
(11:47):
since we're almost to my own any way, would you
do me a big favor? And the guys ever last
night to play cards in the house a mess, so
I would you help me clean it up before Sharon
gets home. Yeah, I won't take long. I just want
to show her. I'm trying, can't, Dick, it's late. I've
got to get some sleep, please, Georgia. It's important to me.
Look at all the times i've helped you out, Kaken,
(12:10):
you just do this one little thing, fifteen minutes the
sol it will take if we do it together. You know, Dick,
you really kissed me off. If you planned all along
to ask me to help you, then why the hell
did you sit there guzzling down all those beers when
you knew it was getting late. I've been telling you
all night, how early I have to get up. It
won't take long, I promise. He ignored me and pulled
(12:33):
into his driveway. I was resigned. I'd help him quickly
and then I get home. I took one look around
(12:59):
the MESSI were him, and I began to clean. Suddenly
I felt something sharp against me throat. Dick was behind
me with a knife, telling me to kiss him. I
(13:20):
was confused, but he kept saying just one kiss. I protested,
but he didn't listen. He ripped my dress off my
body and pinned me down as I yelled and screamed,
But I think the struggle only exhilarated him. All I
could think was not like this, please, this can't really
be happening. But it was. Afterwards I wanted to throw up.
(13:47):
All I could do was cry but Dick started threatening
me not to tell Sharon. That's the first thing he said,
Sharon cannot find out about this. It's a little late
for that, you bastard. You can't tell all right? I'm god,
what did I do? If you think no one is
going to know about this, you really are crazy. You're
(14:09):
gonna pay. You are not going to get away with this.
(14:30):
M hm hm oh oh, I know. I'll just kill you. Yeah, yeah,
I'll kill you and then I'll bury you in the backyard.
That's what I'll do. Yeah, yeah, but then no one
will have to know. At first, I thought he was kidding,
just trying to scare me, But one look in his
(14:52):
eyes told me he was dead serious. Wait, ki kill
Why not? I thought fast? Because well, yeah, because yeah,
Because the photographer I was supposed to work for today
knows I was with you tonight. I told him that
(15:13):
if I was a little late it was it was
because I was going to go out with you. So
so he knows where together. If I don't show up,
he'll worry. He'll come here. Call him, Tell him that
you weren't with me. Dial right now, tell him right now.
(15:39):
What Dick didn't know is I was dialing my aunt
Teresa's number. She'd be awake worrying about me anyway, because
she expected me home by midnight and it was now
four o'clock in the morning. At all, Emil, are you? Emil?
I'm so sorry I can't work for you today? What wrong?
(16:00):
Where are you think of the expense? Something wrong with Georgia, Georgia,
what's the matter? No, Amile, I'm really sunny, Georgia. Where
are you my brother in law? It's very sick and
I'm coming, Georgia. I'll be right. Who are you talking to?
(16:21):
My cut of cake? The cop? He knows where I
am and he's on his way over here. You won't
have to worry about my sister anymore, Dick, because you'll
be behind bars. Oh my god. She sat on the floor,
(16:42):
knocking his head against the wall and yelling at himself.
What have I done? Jaren will never come back? Not
now what I do. I couldn't believe what I was
looking at. I was no. Moments later, Keith barged in
(17:13):
the door with my uncle and they kickedic to a
bloody pulp. George, I'm coming in h That was Wait
hold on, wait, wait, wait, Dick, you motherfucker. Oh Georgia,
(17:43):
are you okay? H m hm m hm. Really he
flashed over me as they took me home. But the
next day I woke up bruised and confused in my
(18:05):
aunt's bed, and things only got worse. The doctor's office,
the police, humiliation. My then boyfriend Tom was away at
basic training, but he came home right away. He tried
to help, but I was so disconnected. How did your
friends and the mob take the news? Oh, Sammy went crazy?
(18:27):
His friend said, he acted like a lunatic when he
heard he had. Joey called me to arrange lunch. So
the next day I meet Sammy and I had never
seen him, so somber. You want to drink? It's against
the law. Don't get cute. You're with me. Now, what
do you want? I have a glass of wine. Scotch
is a little heavy for daytime. What happened? Kids? Once again,
(18:53):
I told my story, but I held back. I knew
if Sammy went to see Dick, he wouldn't stop where
my uncle and Keith did. I had a feeling about
that guy. I just had a feeling. I should have
followed my gut. A cocksucker is gonna pay. We're going
to court. Sam the law will take care of Fuck
the law. I'm gonna have his cock cut off and
(19:14):
delive it to you in a box. That's the way
you deal with tricks like him. Sammy, Please calm down.
I don't like seeing any like that. I don't like
seeing you like to see that. Why didn't I listen
what my gut was telling me? Please Sammy, please don't
do anything. Okay, what about Sharon and my niece. They'd
never forgive me if I wouldn't be able to forgive myself.
Just let it go, sam Please, He'll get his entire
(19:35):
your damn righty will. That's son of a bitch. Don't
deserve to live after what he's done. That's what you want, Yes,
that's what I want. Let me know if you have
a change your hockey. Why didn't you let Sammy act
(19:57):
in your defense? Because in that conversation, I found myself
looking straight into the hostileize of a stranger. I always
subconsciously knew that Sammy had blood on his hands. I mean,
he didn't get to where he was and keep yourself clean.
(20:18):
But until that moment, my naive mind had chosen to
deny that fact I had never seen this side of
Sammy before, and I knew Dick would be lucky to
lose only an organ. As much as I hated Dick,
I didn't want to be responsible for his death, not
for him, no, but from my family. Sharon was already destroyed.
She couldn't believe her husband could do something like that
(20:40):
to her sister. On top of it all, I didn't
want to make her a widow. What would that help?
And I didn't want to leave my niece without a father,
even if he was a piece of ship. Also, I
really thought the legal system would protect me. But I
(21:01):
was wrong. I learned Sammy was right. Never trust the authorities.
The record states that Dick pled guilty, Yeah, but his
punishment was a fucking joke. He served only six months
in jail, and the trial cast me in enough doubt
that the town gossips had concluded that it was all
my fault. And Dick was a big guy in town.
(21:23):
He was the town, and he got all his friends
to spread vicious rumors about me. Suddenly I became the
slut who came onto him. Walking down the halls of
East Rochester High School, I heard incessant whispers and endured
accusing looks from my classmates, who thought I took it
upon myself to ruin a good man. Somehow, I was
(21:43):
no longer the victim. He was the victim. Must have
been very difficult for you, it was, but in a
way I was used to it. See, the women in
my family were always hated by the town. Started with
my grandmother, who had a few husbands back when that
was scandalous, and my mom and her sister's well, they
(22:05):
were gorgeous. The perun sisters were the most beautiful girls
in town, and therefore well known to the gossips. Jealousy
of their beauty led to false rumors about their promiscuity.
It doesn't matter that there was no truth to it.
If something is heard enough times, it becomes a sort
of fact. And my mother, she was like her mother.
(22:26):
She married my sister's father, which only lasted a few years,
and then she met my father and fell madly in love,
but he left when she became pregnant. I never knew him,
Don't get me wrong. I grew up in a house
filled with love. My mother remarried when I was only
six months old, and I had the best father I
could have asked for. But in the eyes of the
(22:47):
gossiping villagers, I would always be known as the best
or child of one of the peroun girls. I see.
But this, this went beyond gossip. This was trauma. And
the night of the rape, something happened to me. Georgia
Black was born. Excuse me. I became aware of the
(23:13):
dark side of myself, who I started thinking of as
Georgia Black. Her job was to protect my vulnerable, innocent side.
Later I understood why I sought a place to hide,
and too much emotional pain will fragment anyone's personality. But
Georgia Black was a highly desensitized woman, impervious to pain,
(23:34):
who could handle the disillusionment that I couldn't, And she
stayed with me for a long time after that came
in handy many times. That night was not the last
time a man would try to kill me. You're referring
to Joe. Yes, did you get involved with him after
the incident? No, that wasn't until much later. Back then,
(23:56):
after all that, I didn't think I was worth any
man's love, so I held on tight to my boyfriend's Tom.
Tom was your first husband. Yes, Tom was one of
the good guys. When we met, he worked at the
local Kodak factory, but then he was drafted. He was tall,
quiet and handsome, but what made him unique was that
(24:17):
he was the only Sicilian i'd met who was as
innocent as his face. And when everyone turned on me,
he stood by me. He immediately flew home from basic
training to be with me, and I felt lucky. I
didn't think anyone could love me after all that, but
he did. I felt safe in his arms, but his
country needed him. He went off to fight a war
(24:38):
in Vietnam and I was left home alone. Rochester was
closing in on me. I not only wanted to escape,
I needed to. The morning after graduation, I was on
the first train to New York City with my model
friends Susie and Linda. So you went to New York
and started working as a driver. I guess it set
(24:58):
me on that path, but no, I went to New
York to model. The three of us didn't know what
we were getting into. We were all big shots where
we came from. We thought it would be a piece
of cake. But then I met Frankie and one night
I did him a favor. Neither of us knew it
would lead me to driving getaway cars for the Mob.
(25:21):
Wheel Woman is written by Lars Jacobson and Sabrina Jagulin
and directed by Sabrina Jagulin. Produced by Lars Jacobson and
Sabrina Jagulin, Executive produced by Georgia Darante and Noel Brown.
For I Heart Radio, wheel Woman stars Lelia Symington as Georgia,
with additional performances by Tanner Beard, Zachary Webber, Simon Jagulin,
(25:43):
Chase Mullins, Nick Williams, Gabe Greenspan, Dylan McCullum, Garrett Baar,
Nora Garrett, Duncan Kledeen, Victoria Foyt, Max Georgie, Mariah Bess,
and Max Jacoby. Edited by Chris Childs, with sound design
and theme music by Chris Filds. Adapted from the book
The Company She Keeps by Georgia Duranti. Wheel Woman Confessions
(26:05):
of a Getaway Driver is an I Heart Radio production.
For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit the I
Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
The following episode of wheel Woman Confessions of a Getaway
Driver contains depictions of sexual violence. Listener discretion is advised.
Teleforce Productions and I Heart Radio presents wheel Woman Confessions
of a Getaway Driver. Back to your previous occupations, before
(00:28):
you drove getaway cars from the Mob, you were a model.
You make it sound like I did a few small
time shoots. I wasn't just a model. I was the
Kodak Girl. Put me in a whole different league. For
a while, I was the most photographed model in the world.
(01:35):
We interrupt this broadcast to announce that the search for
our next Kodak Girl is complete. Eastman Kodak is paroled
to present Georgia Duranty as this year's Kodak Girl from
our own hometown of Rochester, New York. Soon you will
come to know and love her as we already do.
To all you hopefuls out there, better luck next year,
(01:57):
and don't forget anyone can look like a model when
you're with Kodak Film. Just press the button. We do
the rest. How did you first get involved with Kodak?
Like I said, Rochester was known for two things, Kodak
(02:19):
and the Mob. Eastman Kodak was by far the dominant
employer in the area, and they actively searched for local talent.
Many of their white collars set were members of the
club where my father worked, and one day a photographer
saw me there. Much to my surprise, he requested I
come in for a model test. I was only twelve.
The next day, my mom took me into one of
(02:41):
their many studios they had around the city. It was huge.
I was immediately intimidated, but I tried to keep my
cool as a woman led to the dressing room where
I makeup person waited. Her face said it all. I
(03:05):
dressed like a tomboy back then, probably had car grease
from my neighbor's garage on my face. I was a stranger.
It's getting made up, and honestly I hated it. Sit
right here, honey, let's get you cleaned up. How about
this pretty dress? No, that's not right. M hm. Why
(03:27):
don't we go with the sweater. It'll bring out your eyes. Okay,
And here's a pair of slacks. They should pitch you nicely.
By the time they were finished, I looked like I
was eighteen years old. I did not recognize myself. Sit
right there, on that stool. Try to relax. Okay, no, no,
(03:52):
not that much. Try putting your hand on your knee,
tilts your head down, face it slightly away, but looked
back at me. Sure like that. Don't smile so white. Okay,
I'll turn to the other side less less Okay, try
(04:13):
to look natural. Okay. I was uncomfortable and it showed. Honey,
are you taking any secretarial courses in school? Yes, I'm
planning to good. I think you should concentrate on that
because I don't think you're going to make it as
a model. Well, that did it. Someone was telling me
(04:36):
there was something I couldn't do. Suddenly I had to
prove him wrong. When we got in the car, I
told my mother that I thought I could do better
now that I knew what to expect. She managed to
set up another test at a different studio the following week,
and in the meantime, I flipped through the pages of
all the teen magazines I could get my hands on.
I practiced posing and smiling for hours in front of
(04:58):
the mirror. I bought or a dressed from my friend Debbie,
and walked back into the studio with my head held high.
I passed the test and was added to their files.
Soon the phone began ringing on a regular basis, But
it turned out to be more of a curse than
a blessing. Why is that? I told you Rochester was
(05:19):
a small town that thrived on gossip. I became a target.
I later realized that it was because they were jealous,
But all the girls started treating me like crap. Did
it become worse after you became the Kodak girl? Oh? Boy?
Did it? I was more hated at home, but became
beloved around the country. In previous years, Kodak had always
(05:41):
chosen the latest top model from New York. Sybil Shepherd
was named the following year. But suddenly there were life
sized cutouts of me in over eighty thou drug stores
across America and Europe, standing in this blue and white
polka dot bikini. It's bits back then modest by today's standards.
They an airbrush my belly button out. They thought it
(06:02):
was dubrisque. I was the face of the Summer of love.
College boys used to steal my cutouts. Girls use them
in their dorms to hang their sweaters on. Somebody even
entered it as a homecoming Queen at Pepperdine University, and
I almost won. Were you modeling for other companies at
the time. Yes, I was in a ton of national
(06:22):
campaigns on billboards and magazine ads for Kent's Cigarettes, Coca Cola,
Matel Toys, You're Not Vodka, Adidas Sports, where the list
goes on and on. Did you enjoy the attention out
in the world. Yeah, who wouldn't, but not at home.
It was weird being thrown into an adult world at
(06:42):
such a young age. I grew up much faster than
my peers. I looked and acted much older than I was,
but underneath the facade, I was still just a kid.
And things only continued to hit new lows after the trial.
The trial regarding the assault by your brother in law,
that's the one your file City pressed charges. Many girls
(07:04):
in your situation wouldn't have back then, not that it
did much good. Do you feel comfortable talking about the
night of the assault? Why not? I did it in
court in front of everyone in town. My parents were
out of town with my sister, but I had to
stay behind because I was working like crazy. While they
were gone, I was staying with my aunt and uncle
(07:25):
and their son Keith, who was a cop. He worked
the night shift then stayed at home until early morning,
so I practically never saw him. I had planned to
have an early night when I had a visitor, my
brother in law, Dick, who looked as though he'd been crying,
and I didn't have a friend in the world. Hey Georgia,
(07:47):
Oh hey Dick, Hey, you mind if I come in
for a while talk to you? No, come on in.
You want a sandwich? Yeah? Sure, I am kind of hungry.
My sister and him had been fighting, which was nothing new.
He and Sharon had been together since they were just kids,
and Dick has always been insanely jealous. They were always
breaking up and getting back together. But since their daughter
(08:10):
was born two years ago, Sharon lived more with us
than with him. See Dick peeked in high school wrestling
star and it was very much the traditional all American
jock type. He didn't know how to be out of
the spotlight. But this time it seemed like Sharon really
had it, that she really ended things. I actually felt
(08:30):
sorry for Dick. I knew he loved my sister but
didn't know how to control his temper. Back then, I
was a sucker for a lost cause. Hey, have you
heard from Sharon yet? Yes, they called yesterday. They'll be
back Sunday. Did Sharon say anything about me? No, Dick,
to be honest, she didn't. I don't know what to do, Joey.
(08:52):
I missed her so much. You know you think she'll
ever come back to me. I don't mean to hurt you, Dick,
but maybe you should start thinking about what you're gonna
do if she doesn't come back. I mean, she seems
like she really may have made up her mind this time. Well,
if she just talked to me, you know, I could
convince her to give me another chance. I don't know
what am I going to do, Georgia. I love her
(09:14):
so much. Keep your mind busy. Start going out with
your friends. I don't help. Yeah, my friends are her friends,
though all we do is talk about Sharon, make new friends,
go out in the city. You can't hang around this
town and not expect to run into people who remind
you of Sharon. There's another world out there besides the
East Rochester, you know. Yeah, yeah, I feel funny walking
into a bar where I didn't know anybody. And I'm
(09:35):
not like you, George. You make friends easily. I am
not like that. You could make friends if you tried, well,
Will you help me take me to the city and
introduce me to some of your friends tonight? I don't know.
I have to be at a shoot at six am. Maybe,
but we'd have to take two cars. I can't stay
(09:55):
too long. I don't know. I really don't plan on
having a good time. We'll just take one car and
I'll leave whenever you're ready. Wow, okay. I took Dick
(10:18):
to the living room. As soon as we walked in,
I saw Jimmy Cristo, Sammy Gee, and Joey Tiaparelli. Hey kid, Sammy,
I'm gonna go get a drink. Sammy walked over and
whisked me onto the dance floor as Dick made his
way to the bar. So, who's this Mannai's face you're with.
He's my sister's husband. So that's the jerk. Not for
(10:40):
much longer, sam, I think she's really going to go
through it at this time. Hopefully he'll meet someone tonight
and fall madly in love. That would solve a lot
of problems. Yeah. A few hours went by, and Dick
found a home at the bar. Around eleven o'clock, I
was more than ready to go. I think we should
(11:01):
be going down today. I just showed another beer. All right,
we'll leave as soon as I drank it. Okay, okay,
but make it quick. I danced with two more guys
and then went back to Dick. Another full bottle sat
in front of her. Ready, let me just finish this one, Dick.
This is why I wanted to take my own car.
You said you'd take me home early. If I don't
(11:22):
get to bed soon, i'll look like crap from my shoes. Right, okay.
Joey heard my outburst and finally got Dick to leave.
As he drove home, he had difficulty keeping the car
between the lines. Dick, where are you going? You just
passed my exit. I wasn't thinking I was heading home. Okay,
(11:47):
since we're almost to my own any way, would you
do me a big favor? And the guys ever last
night to play cards in the house a mess, so
I would you help me clean it up before Sharon
gets home. Yeah, I won't take long. I just want
to show her. I'm trying, can't, Dick, it's late. I've
got to get some sleep, please, Georgia. It's important to me.
Look at all the times i've helped you out, Kaken,
(12:10):
you just do this one little thing, fifteen minutes the
sol it will take if we do it together. You know, Dick,
you really kissed me off. If you planned all along
to ask me to help you, then why the hell
did you sit there guzzling down all those beers when
you knew it was getting late. I've been telling you
all night, how early I have to get up. It
won't take long, I promise. He ignored me and pulled
(12:33):
into his driveway. I was resigned. I'd help him quickly
and then I get home. I took one look around
(12:59):
the MESSI were him, and I began to clean. Suddenly
I felt something sharp against me throat. Dick was behind
me with a knife, telling me to kiss him. I
(13:20):
was confused, but he kept saying just one kiss. I protested,
but he didn't listen. He ripped my dress off my
body and pinned me down as I yelled and screamed,
But I think the struggle only exhilarated him. All I
could think was not like this, please, this can't really
be happening. But it was. Afterwards I wanted to throw up.
(13:47):
All I could do was cry but Dick started threatening
me not to tell Sharon. That's the first thing he said,
Sharon cannot find out about this. It's a little late
for that, you bastard. You can't tell all right? I'm god,
what did I do? If you think no one is
going to know about this, you really are crazy. You're
(14:09):
gonna pay. You are not going to get away with this.
(14:30):
M hm hm oh oh, I know. I'll just kill you. Yeah, yeah,
I'll kill you and then I'll bury you in the backyard.
That's what I'll do. Yeah, yeah, but then no one
will have to know. At first, I thought he was kidding,
just trying to scare me, But one look in his
(14:52):
eyes told me he was dead serious. Wait, ki kill
Why not? I thought fast? Because well, yeah, because yeah,
Because the photographer I was supposed to work for today
knows I was with you tonight. I told him that
(15:13):
if I was a little late it was it was
because I was going to go out with you. So
so he knows where together. If I don't show up,
he'll worry. He'll come here. Call him, Tell him that
you weren't with me. Dial right now, tell him right now.
(15:39):
What Dick didn't know is I was dialing my aunt
Teresa's number. She'd be awake worrying about me anyway, because
she expected me home by midnight and it was now
four o'clock in the morning. At all, Emil, are you? Emil?
I'm so sorry I can't work for you today? What wrong?
(16:00):
Where are you think of the expense? Something wrong with Georgia, Georgia,
what's the matter? No, Amile, I'm really sunny, Georgia. Where
are you my brother in law? It's very sick and
I'm coming, Georgia. I'll be right. Who are you talking to?
(16:21):
My cut of cake? The cop? He knows where I
am and he's on his way over here. You won't
have to worry about my sister anymore, Dick, because you'll
be behind bars. Oh my god. She sat on the floor,
(16:42):
knocking his head against the wall and yelling at himself.
What have I done? Jaren will never come back? Not
now what I do. I couldn't believe what I was
looking at. I was no. Moments later, Keith barged in
(17:13):
the door with my uncle and they kickedic to a
bloody pulp. George, I'm coming in h That was Wait
hold on, wait, wait, wait, Dick, you motherfucker. Oh Georgia,
(17:43):
are you okay? H m hm m hm. Really he
flashed over me as they took me home. But the
next day I woke up bruised and confused in my
(18:05):
aunt's bed, and things only got worse. The doctor's office,
the police, humiliation. My then boyfriend Tom was away at
basic training, but he came home right away. He tried
to help, but I was so disconnected. How did your
friends and the mob take the news? Oh, Sammy went crazy?
(18:27):
His friend said, he acted like a lunatic when he
heard he had. Joey called me to arrange lunch. So
the next day I meet Sammy and I had never
seen him, so somber. You want to drink? It's against
the law. Don't get cute. You're with me. Now, what
do you want? I have a glass of wine. Scotch
is a little heavy for daytime. What happened? Kids? Once again,
(18:53):
I told my story, but I held back. I knew
if Sammy went to see Dick, he wouldn't stop where
my uncle and Keith did. I had a feeling about
that guy. I just had a feeling. I should have
followed my gut. A cocksucker is gonna pay. We're going
to court. Sam the law will take care of Fuck
the law. I'm gonna have his cock cut off and
(19:14):
delive it to you in a box. That's the way
you deal with tricks like him. Sammy, Please calm down.
I don't like seeing any like that. I don't like
seeing you like to see that. Why didn't I listen
what my gut was telling me? Please Sammy, please don't
do anything. Okay, what about Sharon and my niece. They'd
never forgive me if I wouldn't be able to forgive myself.
Just let it go, sam Please, He'll get his entire
(19:35):
your damn righty will. That's son of a bitch. Don't
deserve to live after what he's done. That's what you want, Yes,
that's what I want. Let me know if you have
a change your hockey. Why didn't you let Sammy act
(19:57):
in your defense? Because in that conversation, I found myself
looking straight into the hostileize of a stranger. I always
subconsciously knew that Sammy had blood on his hands. I mean,
he didn't get to where he was and keep yourself clean.
(20:18):
But until that moment, my naive mind had chosen to
deny that fact I had never seen this side of
Sammy before, and I knew Dick would be lucky to
lose only an organ. As much as I hated Dick,
I didn't want to be responsible for his death, not
for him, no, but from my family. Sharon was already destroyed.
She couldn't believe her husband could do something like that
(20:40):
to her sister. On top of it all, I didn't
want to make her a widow. What would that help?
And I didn't want to leave my niece without a father,
even if he was a piece of ship. Also, I
really thought the legal system would protect me. But I
(21:01):
was wrong. I learned Sammy was right. Never trust the authorities.
The record states that Dick pled guilty, Yeah, but his
punishment was a fucking joke. He served only six months
in jail, and the trial cast me in enough doubt
that the town gossips had concluded that it was all
my fault. And Dick was a big guy in town.
(21:23):
He was the town, and he got all his friends
to spread vicious rumors about me. Suddenly I became the
slut who came onto him. Walking down the halls of
East Rochester High School, I heard incessant whispers and endured
accusing looks from my classmates, who thought I took it
upon myself to ruin a good man. Somehow, I was
(21:43):
no longer the victim. He was the victim. Must have
been very difficult for you, it was, but in a
way I was used to it. See, the women in
my family were always hated by the town. Started with
my grandmother, who had a few husbands back when that
was scandalous, and my mom and her sister's well, they
(22:05):
were gorgeous. The perun sisters were the most beautiful girls
in town, and therefore well known to the gossips. Jealousy
of their beauty led to false rumors about their promiscuity.
It doesn't matter that there was no truth to it.
If something is heard enough times, it becomes a sort
of fact. And my mother, she was like her mother.
(22:26):
She married my sister's father, which only lasted a few years,
and then she met my father and fell madly in love,
but he left when she became pregnant. I never knew him,
Don't get me wrong. I grew up in a house
filled with love. My mother remarried when I was only
six months old, and I had the best father I
could have asked for. But in the eyes of the
(22:47):
gossiping villagers, I would always be known as the best
or child of one of the peroun girls. I see.
But this, this went beyond gossip. This was trauma. And
the night of the rape, something happened to me. Georgia
Black was born. Excuse me. I became aware of the
(23:13):
dark side of myself, who I started thinking of as
Georgia Black. Her job was to protect my vulnerable, innocent side.
Later I understood why I sought a place to hide,
and too much emotional pain will fragment anyone's personality. But
Georgia Black was a highly desensitized woman, impervious to pain,
(23:34):
who could handle the disillusionment that I couldn't, And she
stayed with me for a long time after that came
in handy many times. That night was not the last
time a man would try to kill me. You're referring
to Joe. Yes, did you get involved with him after
the incident? No, that wasn't until much later. Back then,
(23:56):
after all that, I didn't think I was worth any
man's love, so I held on tight to my boyfriend's Tom.
Tom was your first husband. Yes, Tom was one of
the good guys. When we met, he worked at the
local Kodak factory, but then he was drafted. He was tall,
quiet and handsome, but what made him unique was that
(24:17):
he was the only Sicilian i'd met who was as
innocent as his face. And when everyone turned on me,
he stood by me. He immediately flew home from basic
training to be with me, and I felt lucky. I
didn't think anyone could love me after all that, but
he did. I felt safe in his arms, but his
country needed him. He went off to fight a war
(24:38):
in Vietnam and I was left home alone. Rochester was
closing in on me. I not only wanted to escape,
I needed to. The morning after graduation, I was on
the first train to New York City with my model
friends Susie and Linda. So you went to New York
and started working as a driver. I guess it set
(24:58):
me on that path, but no, I went to New
York to model. The three of us didn't know what
we were getting into. We were all big shots where
we came from. We thought it would be a piece
of cake. But then I met Frankie and one night
I did him a favor. Neither of us knew it
would lead me to driving getaway cars for the Mob.
(25:21):
Wheel Woman is written by Lars Jacobson and Sabrina Jagulin
and directed by Sabrina Jagulin. Produced by Lars Jacobson and
Sabrina Jagulin, Executive produced by Georgia Darante and Noel Brown.
For I Heart Radio, wheel Woman stars Lelia Symington as Georgia,
with additional performances by Tanner Beard, Zachary Webber, Simon Jagulin,
(25:43):
Chase Mullins, Nick Williams, Gabe Greenspan, Dylan McCullum, Garrett Baar,
Nora Garrett, Duncan Kledeen, Victoria Foyt, Max Georgie, Mariah Bess,
and Max Jacoby. Edited by Chris Childs, with sound design
and theme music by Chris Filds. Adapted from the book
The Company She Keeps by Georgia Duranti. Wheel Woman Confessions
(26:05):
of a Getaway Driver is an I Heart Radio production.
For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit the I
Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.