Crimes of the Times: "The Cult, The Lawyer, and the Snake"

Host: Christopher Goffard
Date: April 1, 2025
Podcast: L.A. Times Studios

Overview

In this gripping episode, Christopher Goffard uncovers the dark legacy of Synanon, a notorious organization that began as a revolutionary drug rehabilitation center but devolved into a violent cult. At the heart of the story is Paul Morantz, a tenacious Los Angeles attorney who became Synanon’s fiercest critic and target—famously surviving an assassination attempt involving a rattlesnake in his mailbox. Through interviews, archival tapes, and first-person accounts, the episode exposes how idealism turned to fanaticism and violence, and how one lawyer’s relentless pursuit of justice helped bring about Synanon’s downfall.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Climate of Fear Around Paul Morantz (00:01–02:45)

• Introduction of Paul Morantz:
  By October 1978, attorney Paul Morantz was living in fear, checking his car for bombs, warning neighbors, and carrying a shotgun due to violent threats connected to his work challenging Synanon in court.
  • Narda Zacchino: “He told them that his life was threatened and if they saw anything suspicious, to let him know.” (00:41)
  • Richard Ofshe: “He was enemy number one. I mean, Dieterich hated him.” (01:07)
• The Snake Attack:
  As Morantz reached into his mail slot on October 10, 1978, he was bitten by a rattlesnake intentionally left for him by Synanon operatives.
  • Morantz reflecting: “I just didn't think...With all these precautions, I just didn't think...” (01:53)
  • Immediate reaction: He ran outside screaming, “Synanon got me!” and collapsed (02:39).

2. Origin and Early Success of Synanon (03:08–06:52)

• Chuck Dieterich/“Big Daddy”:
  • Founded Synanon in the late 1950s as a drug rehab center for “dope fiends.”
  • Early coverage hailed it as a miracle, with celebrities visiting and participants experiencing a strong sense of community.
    • Ofshe: “Diedrich claimed that Synanon was the key to curing heroin addiction...which it was not.” (05:18)
• The Game:
  Synanon’s signature form of group therapy involved intense, uninhibited verbal attacks designed for catharsis.
  • “It was based on what he called, quote, uninhibited conversations, yelling, castigation, aggression, lying.” (05:52)
  • Ofshe: “You could directly confront somebody, or make up stuff and attack them for the fun of attacking them...” (06:18)

3. Escalating Abuse, Loyalty Rituals, and Violence (06:52–10:32)

• Cult Practices:

  • Vasectomies: Members were pressured to undergo sterilization as loyalty tests.
    • Ofshe: “When they broke, they were let out...into an operating room set up by Synanon doctors.” (07:24)
  • Forced partner swapping, violence as a test of loyalty, and the creation of a private paramilitary group, the “Imperial Marines.”
    • Ofshe: “That's what Diedrich did time after time after time...It wasn't just the vasectomies.” (08:33)

• Dieterich’s Paranoia:
  Escalated focus on enemies, especially Paul Morantz, justifying extreme actions in the name of group preservation.

4. Synanon's Aggression Toward Journalists and Critics (13:03–15:21)

• Attack on Media:
  Narda Zacchino recalls targeted intimidation from Synanon members and describes intense legal scrutiny before publishing anything on Synanon.
  • Zacchino: “Every single story I wrote, I had to sit down with the lawyer, go over every word. It would take sometimes two days...” (15:07)

5. Aftermath of the Rattlesnake Attack (16:16–20:44)

• Morantz's Survival and Public Reaction:
  Hospitalized but energized, Morantz saw public opinion turn sharply against Synanon.
  • Zacchino: “He felt, like, euphoric because finally, this is like, nobody is going to support these people after this, right?” (17:04)
  • Morantz to the press: "Those people who put the snake in my mailbox do not think of themselves as criminals...but believe themselves to be serving a higher purpose." (17:43)
• Evidence and Arrests:
  Thanks to alert neighbors and a recorded Synanon vehicle plate, police raided Synanon, finding tapes of Dieterich openly threatening violence.
  • Tape excerpt: “Don’t mess with us. You can get killed. Dead, physically dead. ... I want to crack some bones. This is only a sample, you son of a bitch. And that’s the end of your lawyer.” (19:36)
• Personal Fallout:
  Morantz’s fiancée, terrified by the threats, left him.
  • Morantz: "I looked at her face and I knew she was gone." (20:25)

6. Prosecution, Decline, and End of Synanon (20:44–22:41)

• Legal Aftermath:
  Dieterich and two of his Imperial Marines, Joseph Musico and Lance Kenton, were prosecuted; Dieterich avoided jail time but was stripped of leadership.
  • Morantz’s perspective: He saw the two Marines as victims of Dieterich’s mind control.
• Synanon’s Demise:
  The IRS revoked its tax-exempt status, leading to its dissolution in 1991. Dieterich died six years later.

7. Reflections and Lingering Questions (26:57–33:07)

• Lance Kenton’s View:
  The only surviving perpetrator interviewed by Goffard, Kenton remains loyal to Synanon’s memory, expressing respect for its ideals and denying knowledge of some violence.
  • Kenton: Called Synanon “probably the single greatest community to grow up in.” (26:57)
  • Defends Dieterich, arguing he was unaware of all violence—an assertion challenged by Ofshe (29:57).
  • Ofshe: “Total bull. As far as not blaming Dieterich, I mean, that's absurd.” (29:57)
• Lingering Trauma:
  Morantz’s life was forever changed—through physical pain, lost relationships, and professional obsession.
  • Morantz: “I was captured. I was past the point of no return and Diedrich was captured by me. ... We both had a sort of morbid curiosity about the other.” (22:41)
  • On loss: “My fiance at the time...became too afraid and left. ... the life that I thought I was going to have was gone.” (32:25)
  • He later reflects, “If all that had happened, he would not have been born and Curiosity might have crash landed on Mars.” (32:53)
  • “I would have stuck my hand in the mailbox...” (33:07)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Morantz on Precaution and Attack:
  “This was a time...I would search underneath [my car]. I wouldn't enter my house if my dogs weren't barking. And yet...I just didn't think...” (01:53)
• On Synanon’s Cult Dynamics:
  Ofshe: “Pressure was put on every male in Synanon except Charles Diedrich to get a vasectomy. ... And in the next room an operating room had been set up...” (07:24)
• On the Poison’s Effects:
  Morantz: “Part of the poison kills, but another part destroys tissue and softens it...That's very painful.” (18:34)
• Dieterich’s Menacing Tape:
  “Don’t mess with us. You can get killed. Dead, physically dead. ... I want to crack some bones.” (19:36)
• Goffard on the Impact:
  “The rattlesnake attack was Synanon’s Pearl Harbor—the event that exposed what he called a cesspool ruled by violence and one man’s madness.” (22:57)
• Morantz's Bittersweet Reflection:
  “If all that had happened, he would not have been born and Curiosity might have crash landed on Mars.” (32:53) “I would have stuck my hand in the mailbox...” (33:07)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:01–02:45: Introduction; Paul Morantz’s life under threat and the rattlesnake attack.
• 03:08–06:52: History of Synanon, Dieterich’s vision, and the inception of the “game.”
• 06:52–10:32: Escalation of abusive practices and the origins of Synanon's violence.
• 13:03–15:21: Synanon’s legal assaults on critics and targeting of journalists.
• 16:16–20:44: Aftermath of the snake attack, media furor, discovery of Synanon evidence.
• 20:44–22:41: Prosecution of Synanon leaders and the group’s demise.
• 26:57–33:07: Reflections, interviews with Lance Kenton, and Morantz’s final thoughts.

Final Reflections

The story of Synanon is a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked power, groupthink, and the capacity for idealistic movements to become vehicles for authoritarianism and violence. The podcast’s nuanced exploration of Paul Morantz’s personal and legal crusade spotlights the personal toll of standing up to power—and the unforeseen ways such events ripple through lives and history.

For additional details or to watch the video episode, visit latimes.com/crimesofthetimes.