S1|E7: The Holy War

Summary

The Sunshine Place: Season 1, Episode 7 – "The Holy War"

Release Date: September 14, 2022
Host/Author: Audacy Podcasts | Team Downey

---

Introduction

In the seventh episode of Season 1, titled "The Holy War," The Sunshine Place delves deeper into the disturbing evolution of Straight Incorporated, originally inspired by Synanon. This episode explores the transformation of a controversial rehab program into a militant, cult-like organization under the authoritarian leadership of Chuck Diedrich. Through survivor accounts and insider narratives, the episode unveils the escalating violence, paranoia, and power struggles that plagued the community during the late 1970s.

---

Background: Synanon to Straight Incorporated

The Sunshine Place begins by setting the stage in the 1980s, a period marked by the intensification of the war on drugs. Straight Incorporated emerged as a stringent rehab program promising to rehabilitate troubled teenagers through a tough-love approach. However, testimonies from former members paint a grim picture of abuse, torture, and brainwashing within the organization.

Notable Quote:

"Straight Incorporated promises a straight and narrow path, but for us, it was a descent into abuse and control." – Jay Butler [00:49]

---

The Wire: Synanon's Internal Broadcasting System

Central to the community's control was "The Wire," Synanon's internal broadcasting system. Hosted by members like Chuck Diedrich, it served as both a medium for propaganda and a tool for manipulating members.

Notable Quote:

"The Wire was more than just a radio station; it was our way of controlling the narrative and maintaining authority." – Jay Butler [01:04]

Chuck Diedrich, a pivotal figure, often used The Wire to assert dominance, berate dissenters, and disseminate Synanon's doctrines.

---

Personal Struggles and Family Dynamics

The episode sheds light on the personal lives affected by Synanon's practices. Jay Butler, one of the three children abandoned by his father Otis Butler, found solace in the Diedrich family. Despite forming close bonds, Jay's biological grandmother remained wary of Synanon's intentions, fearing financial exploitation and seeking legal intervention to rescue the children.

Notable Quote:

"Chuck's wife, Betty, became the mother I needed, but my grandmother saw through the facade." – Chuck Diedrich [02:17]

---

Escalation of Violence and Paramilitary Formation

As Synanon's influence grew, so did its proclivity for violence. Chuck Diedrich became increasingly paranoid, perceiving external threats from former members, media, and legal adversaries. This paranoia led to the formation of the "Imperial Marines," an elite paramilitary group designed to protect Synanon at all costs.

Notable Quotes:

"Chuck declared that violence was not only permissible, it was encouraged. It was core to the Synanon religion." – Jay Butler [07:08]
"We were building our own security department to defend against any threats." – Ron Cook [07:58]

Members underwent rigorous training, including wilderness survival and mock combat exercises, further entrenching the community's militant stance.

---

Conflict with Former Members and Legal Battles

The episode highlights significant conflicts between Synanon and former members like Phil Ritter and Paul Marantz. Ritter's attempts to challenge Synanon's practices and Marantz's legal efforts to rescue children from the community made them prime targets.

Notable Quote:

"Phil Ritter was trying to take down Synanon. Blood, sweat, and tears—he was our biggest threat." – Chuck Diedrich [05:12]

The violent retaliations against these individuals, including assaults and intimidation tactics, underscored Synanon's ruthless methods of maintaining control.

---

Attempt to Establish an Embassy in Washington, D.C.

In a bid to legitimize Synanon's influence, Chuck orchestrated an ambitious plan to establish an embassy in Washington, D.C. This move aimed to gain political clout and recognition but ultimately backfired, attracting unwanted scrutiny from law enforcement.

Notable Quote:

"We were going to show the world that we weren't pushovers. The Imperial Marines were our shield." – Chuck Diedrich [27:25]

The seizure of the Boston House near the White House and subsequent aggressive actions led to increased government investigations and legal challenges.

---

Chuck Diedrich’s Downfall and Relapse

The culmination of Synanon's aggressive expansion and violent tactics took a toll on Chuck Diedrich. Facing legal threats and internal dissent, Chuck retreated to Italy in an attempt to restart Synanon abroad. However, his inability to maintain control and his relapse into alcoholism signaled the weakening of his authority.

Notable Quote:

"I thought leaving Synanon was the best decision, but looking back, it was the right move." – Jay Butler [05:27]
"Chuck started drinking again, and it was clear he wanted out. He was defeated." – Jay Butler [35:19]

---

The Final Straw: Attacks on Paul Marantz

The episode culminates with the violent attack on Paul Marantz, Synanon's persistent legal antagonist. The assault, inflicted with a rattlesnake bite, marked a significant escalation in Synanon's campaign against its enemies, solidifying the characterization of the community as a dangerous cult.

Notable Quote:

"Paul Morantz was bitten by a rattlesnake. Unlike Phil Ritter, he knew who was responsible." – Jay Butler [46:10]

This incident led to Chuck Diedrich becoming the prime suspect in a series of violent acts linked to Synanon, highlighting the organization's descent into criminality.

---

Conclusion: The Descent into Chaos

"The Holy War" paints a harrowing picture of Straight Incorporated's transformation from a rehab program to a militarized cult. Under Chuck Diedrich's leadership, Synanon's tactics became increasingly violent and desperate to maintain control, leading to legal battles, internal strife, and tragic outcomes for both members and adversaries. The episode serves as a stark reminder of how power, paranoia, and unchecked authority can corrupt even well-intentioned movements.

Notable Quote:

"Synanon, under siege and in what we describe as a holy war, took the offensive, demonstrating against its enemies, suing detractors, and threatening to sue its critics." – Chuck Diedrich [28:49]

---

Key Themes

• Power and Control: The episode highlights how absolute power can lead to authoritarianism and abuse.

• Paranoia: Increasing distrust of outsiders fueled violent retaliations and the formation of paramilitary groups.

• Family and Betrayal: Personal relationships were strained and often destroyed by Synanon's oppressive practices.

• Violence as a Tool: Synanon's endorsement of violence marked a significant departure from its original mission, demonstrating how extremist ideologies can evolve.

---

Reflection

"The Holy War" serves as a compelling exploration of the dark transformation within Straight Incorporated. Through detailed narratives and firsthand accounts, the episode underscores the perils of unchecked authority and the fine line between reformative intentions and oppressive control. It offers listeners a nuanced understanding of how organizations can devolve into dangerous cults when driven by paranoia and the lust for power.

---

Note: This summary excludes advertisement segments, promotional content, and non-relevant sections to focus solely on the episode's core narrative and themes.

Transcript

[Chuck Diedrich]

Holiday magic is in the air. And DSW's got all the shoes to make your season extra merry. Believe you've got parties to attend and list to check twice.

[Jay Butler]

So DSW is taking care of the details, like gifts to make their eyes all aglow. Styles that bring joy to your world. Brands everyone wants, like Ugg, Nike, Birkenstock and more and deals to make your budget bright.

[Chuck Diedrich]

Find the perfect shoes for you and.

[Jay Butler]

Yours at a DSW store near you or dsw.com c 13 originals w I e w.

[Chuck Diedrich]

I'm 12 or 13 and I'm working at the Wire with Dan Sorkin. This guy who was a big radio personality in Chicago. He was like best friends with Bob Newhart and all this stuff, but he lived in Synanon.

[Jay Butler]

This is Jay Butler. The Wire was Synanon's internal broadcasting system. Most of the time, there was a Synanon game on the Wire or a speech Chuck made, but other times it was just like a regular radio station with music and shows like the one Jay worked on. My dad had a show, too. He called himself Sergeant Radio and he used it to flirt with my mom. But Chuck also used the Wire to send messages to the community whenever he decided to.

[Chuck Diedrich]

Chuck could break in at any time. So you could be doing a show and he could break in and just start talking about whatever. And Chuck breaks in and says, that asshole Otis Butler split and left us with his three fucking kids.

[Jay Butler]

Jay was one of those three kids that Chuck was yelling about. Otis Butler was his dad. He had left Synod, leaving Jay and his siblings behind. But he took the money that their mom had left after she died from cancer. Jay felt alone. But Chuck's wife, Betty was there for him.

[Chuck Diedrich]

She was the mother I needed at the time. And, you know, obviously she had a lot of juice. Chuck, she introduced me to him. We wanted. At some point, he started inviting me to these luncheons once a week, provided it doesn't have the effect. It was fascinating to me. I loved it. I could listen to him talk for hours. Super intelligent and was really fascinated with human beings and the human condition and what motivates people and how to motivate people. I was obviously flattered that he would invite me to these luncheons and talk to me like I was a human being. I loved him. I thought of him as a grandfather.

[Jay Butler]

Jay became very close with the Diedrichs, especially Chuck Jr. And his wife.

[Chuck Diedrich]

She insisted that I call her mom and that I call Chuck Jr. Dad. There was talk about, you know, changing your name.

[Jay Butler]

Jay may have thought of Chuck as his grandfather, but his grandmother, his biological one, was concerned about him and his siblings.

[Chuck Diedrich]

My grandmother was exceedingly paranoid about other people taking our money. She was under the impression that the people in Synanon were trying to get their hands on our money.

[Jay Butler]

Jay's grandmother wanted to get her grandchildren out of synanon altogether.

[Chuck Diedrich]

On March 3, the Marin county grand jury released a report criticizing Synanon for actions that have left people worried and uneasy.

[Jay Butler]

She had been seeing stories on the news about how things in Synanon were getting strange and authoritarian. She reached out to a lawyer named Paul Marantz. Chuck hated Paul Marantz. Marantz had developed a reputation for helping people get their loved ones out of Synanon. He was also vocal in the media. Marantz came up with a plan for how to rescue the Butler kids. Jay's grandmother made arrangements for a visit at Synanon's facility in San Francisco. And Paul Marantz made arrangements with the sfpd.

[Chuck Diedrich]

Suddenly, the entire place was crawling with San Francisco Police Department people in riot gear and face shields and all this stuff purportedly to rescue me from this cult. Brave Grandmother Rescues children from Kooky Culture. I think there was actually a headline. Exactly. With those words verbatim, Jay was removed.

[Jay Butler]

In 1978, leaving Synanon and his attachment to the Diedrichs behind. Now, more than 40 years later, he realizes that leaving when he did was probably for the best.

[Chuck Diedrich]

Every now and again, Chuck would say something that was scary. Anybody who's talking shit about Synanon, someone ought to go out and get them. There was this wonderful man, Phil Ritter, and I knew that Chuck kind of had him in his crosshairs.

[Jay Butler]

Phil Ritter was the man who left Synanon to try and stop Chuck's vasectomy edict. He reported it to the police and tried to take legal action. None of it worked, and it made him an enemy.

[Chuck Diedrich]

He's trying to take down Synanon. Everything we've worked for. Blood, sweat and tears, and this guy's trying to destroy all of that. That's one of the names that seemed to come up constantly. Bill Ritter. Bill Ritter. Bill Ritter. I was worried that I was becoming part of a crime family.

[Jay Butler]

My name is Sari Crawford, and this is the Sunshine place.

[Chuck Diedrich]

And I keep thinking of the militant posture. Militant defenses don't tread on me. I think that is what we must do.

[Jay Butler]

This is a recreation of Chuck from a tape speech called Synanon's New Religious Posture. You've heard parts of it throughout this podcast. It's the moment when Chuck declared that violence was not only permissible, it was encouraged. It was core to the Synanon religion. The tape was made in 1977. That was my parents last year in Synanon. That's when Betty died, and Chuck decided everyone should change partners. And when Time magazine called Synanon a kooky cult, that's when the violence started getting out of of control. Here's Ron Cook. He was the accountant who became president of Synanon.

[Chuck Diedrich]

The truth was there were a lot of people in Synanon, maybe a majority who were turn the other cheek kind of people. And Chuck was talking about it. He says, the problem with Synanon is we're living here in the middle of the country, and someday a motorcycle gang will come in here, rape the women and kill people and destroy the facilities, and everybody will just sit around and do nothing. And so Chuck says, why don't we get some people trained? We're going to build our own security department.

[Jay Butler]

Buddy Jones wasn't a turn the other cheek kind of person. He spoke in an earlier episode about going from NFL hopefully to drill sergeant in the punk squad. And he was ready and willing to defend Synanon.

[Chuck Diedrich]

This group of guys came by one night, and about three or four of our women were just walking. And these guys pull up in a car and started calling them everything you wouldn't want. Your wife or your friends or your relatives called, but what could we do? So we jump in a car and we follow these guys all the way down the hill. They finally pull over and we confront them. They pull shotguns on us, told us to get the fuck out of here. They made a mistake. They had the shotgun out the window, and I grabbed the shotgun and I said to the guy, I'm gonna take your own shotgun and shoot your fucking head off if you ever do this again. And he talked his buddy into putting his gun down. And we said, listen, don't ever come back. Don't mess with Synanon people. They'll come after you.

[Jay Butler]

Mike Kimball, who worked for the board of directors and was responsible for taping their meetings, remembers when Chuck started becoming more vocal about security and more militant.

[Chuck Diedrich]

We don't want anybody coming on our facility, God damn it. That's what he would say. You know, we're just not going to let him. And at that point, he said, I don't want anybody who comes on our property to leave unless we interrogate them.

[Jay Butler]

Donna Cardinal learned this the hard way. She was a newlywed and her husband Tom, had been a Synanon member until he split. When they got married, he wanted Donna to see the place that had saved his life.

[Chuck Diedrich]

We were just going to drive in a little ways and turn around and leave. As soon as we entered their property, there was people behind us, and the next thing we know, two vans had pinned us in. Like, they came around us really fast and pinned us in so we couldn't leave. Somebody recognized him right away, pulled them out and said, what are you doing here? And they dragged him out of the car and took them down the road. They dragged, you know, one on each side. They had him somewhere, but it wasn't close by because I lost sight of him, and I didn't know what was going to happen to me. When they brought him back, he didn't look too good. He had a black eye, bleeding from the nose, and he couldn't walk. They were dragging him. They did a number on him, and they threw him in the car, and they said, don't ever come back again, Chuck. And the power he had over all of us was that he never had to say, beat that person up who comes on. He would always throw it out there. And it was up to the people to pick up his message.

[Jay Butler]

Robert Navarro spoke in an earlier episode about Synanon's attempt to get classified as a religion by the irs. He remembers hearing Chuck on the wire with someone from the security department.

[Chuck Diedrich]

And he said, well, Chuck, I just wanted to tell you that we took care of that situation. He basically said they had beat somebody up that they had been looking for and that it was all taken care of. So Chuck said, you know, it sounds to me like you've been dreaming. This is a dream, right? I said, oh, no, no, no, no. We Chuck. And then finally, you know, somebody picked up on. On the cues and said, oh, yes. Yeah, it was a dream. It never happened. Everybody wanted to make Chuck happy, and he came up with this alert system called the hey, Rube. That meant somebody was coming on our property or there was an emergency. Hey, Rube. Hey, Rube. Everyone would just grab whatever they could. Even at Santa Monica, if you came over to the Santa Monica building, then Piston against the wall, you could very likely have the crap beat out of you.

[Jay Butler]

This is Jeff Becker. You heard him in an earlier episode talking about the sales team and using his addiction story as part of the pitch.

[Chuck Diedrich]

We had spots all over the property where we were assigned to do security all night. In Santa Monica, you had different color hats, and the different color hats were your level when it came to security, newest people had yellow hats. I was a step above. I had a red hat. And you wanted a hat. You wanted a color hat. You wanted to be one of the boys. You wanted to be part of what was going on. I mean, if somebody came on the property, people went after them. And if you didn't, you were humiliated or you were looked at as disloyal or afraid or a wimp. I mean, the Synanon Games were insane. And people were being challenged because maybe they didn't want to get violent. I'm like sitting there going, I don't have a choice. I mean, I'm working for the board. I was part of a hay rube where we put somebody in the back of a truck and took him off the grounds. And while he's in the truck, we were beating on him and stuff, you know, I mean, I did some crazy things when I was on drugs, but nothing like this. Then Chuck started saying, it's time to arm ourselves. The grand jury expressed concern about Synanon's recent large weapons purchase from this gun shop in San Francisco. Ron Cook, the head of security, presented a proposal for some guns to get people trained on guns. And I was the financial guy. So I said, how many guns do you need?

[Jay Butler]

Synanon purchased at least 152 firearms, as well as a stockpile of ammunition totaling $60,000. It was one of the largest private firearm purchases in California history.

[Chuck Diedrich]

Well, if you took the guns, divided them by the number of facilities, divided them by the number of roads coming in, divided them by two securities for each person, divided by the reserve officers having a few guns in their personal possession or in the chest. The numbers were okay. We probably should have bought small amounts so it wouldn't show up like that. But we weren't trying to hide anything. We weren't building a secret army. We had a lot of people who were anti guns that lived in Synanon. It was talked about in a board meeting. And then somebody said, well, maybe if the members of the board carried guns, maybe it would make everybody feel better. Well, it made them feel worse. Yours truly started packing a weapon.

[Jay Butler]

My mom remembers this Ron Cook.

[Chuck Diedrich]

He would actually wear a gun with a holster to the game. Now, that's bullshit. You know, you're supposed to be free to say anything you want to. Well, you can't say anything you want to if somebody's wearing a gun. Ron Cook was walking around with his holster and his 9 millimeter like he's some big shot. He's going to shoot somebody. And Ron says, here, this is yours. And it was a 9 millimeter. And he said, basically, learn how to take it apart and put it together, because you're going to have to clean mine, too. And we would have these Sunday afternoon barbecues that were called the Shoot. And people would come by and have a barbecue, and they would learn how to shoot a gun. It even got to the point where two people in Synanon who were there became county sheriffs, real sheriffs. They had the full uniform. You know, I was the deputy sheriff, right? Marin county needed volunteer sheriffs. I actually became an undercover agent for them and did some undercover work.

[Jay Butler]

Buddy Jones also became Chuck's personal bodyguard.

[Chuck Diedrich]

If I was Chuck, I'd do the same thing. I'd get Buddy Jones. I mean. Cause people talk a big game, but at least, you know, I had proof that I could handle myself.

[Jay Butler]

Chuck had his own security infrastructure, protocols, an arsenal of weapons, and even allies in the local law enforcement. But he still felt threatened. He told news reporters that he thought his life was in danger and that he had to be careful in ways the Kennedy brothers and Martin Luther King Jr. Should have been more careful.

[Chuck Diedrich]

Synanon has been growing for several years. Dieterik seems to have changed and changed the organization as well. Terry Drinkwater has a background.

[Jay Butler]

Synanon was becoming a hot story again, but not in the way it was in the 1960s. More and more people were leaving and they were talking.

[Chuck Diedrich]

Synanon denies that children are being held prisoner, although on June 2, San Francisco Police were called in to get these children released. Synanon had refused to return them to their family.

[Jay Butler]

The dramatic rescue of the Butler kids in San Francisco, orchestrated by their grandmother with the help of the lawyer Paul Marantz, made national news.

[Chuck Diedrich]

Robert Monasharsh had a similar experience. And so I had to make an arrangement where I had to abduct her. And yes, I had to go through a lot of changes in order to get my daughter out.

[Jay Butler]

Paul Marantz also helped a man named Robert Monchars in a custody battle with Synanon over one of his daughters. If the name Monchars sounds familiar, it's because one of Robert's other daughters, Julie, was the girl who ran away from synanon on her 14th birthday birthday after being put in the punk squad. Paul Marantz helped Julie tell her story of abuse to the public. Here's Julie. A few months after I left, Paul Morantz called me.

[Chuck Diedrich]

And then he asked me to come.

[Jay Butler]

In to do a deposition, and he arranged for some interviews with ABC News and the LA Times, and then the.

[Chuck Diedrich]

New York Times reported on it with lots of pictures.

[Jay Butler]

Morantz was quickly becoming Synanon's most persistent antagonist. As a result of his efforts and the growing media coverage, government agencies started paying attention, too.

[Chuck Diedrich]

On May 23, California health department inspectors entered Synanon's premises in Marin county with a warrant to investigate reports of child abuse and conditions in the medical facilities. Chuck Diederich talked about the California Health Department if they want to come on our property, we will surround them, each one of them with 10 guys twice their size within one foot of them and say, all right, inspect punk like that, we'll be wrapped.

[Jay Butler]

Chuck had always warned his followers about the dangers of the outside world, but now, as he saw it, the outside world was closing in on them and.

[Chuck Diedrich]

I think Chuck convinced people that we were going to be attack when you're threatened, what do you do? You prepare for war as we gather with loved ones this holiday season, consider how learning a new language can enhance your connections and enrich your experiences. What are your goals for the upcoming holiday season? Whether it's traveling internationally or connecting with family and friends, a new language can open doors to meaningful conversations and cultural appreciation. With that in mind, there's no better tool than Rosetta Stone, the most trusted language learning program available on desktop and mobile. Rosetta Stone immerses you in the language so you truly learn to think, speak and understand it naturally. With Rosetta Stone's intuitive approach, there are no English translations, you're fully immersed, and the Built In True Accent feature acts like a personal accent coach, giving you real time feedback to make sure you sound just right. Don't put off learning that language. There's no better time than right now to get started. For a short time, listeners can get Rosetta Stone's Lifetime Membership Holiday Special. This offer will not last long. Visit rosettastone.com Rs10. That's unlimited access to 25 language courses for the rest of your life. Redeem your Holiday [e-mail] Rs10 today for yourself or as a gift that keeps giving.

[Jay Butler]

I'm Jenna Fisher.

[Chuck Diedrich]

And I'm Angela Kinsey.

[Jay Butler]

We are best friends and together we have the podcast Office Ladies where we rewatched every single episode of the Office with insane behind the scenes stories, hilarious guests and lots of laughs. Guess who's sitting next to me?

[Chuck Diedrich]

Steve.

[Jay Butler]

In the studio. Every Wednesday we'll be sharing even more exclusive stories from the Office and our friendship with brand new guests. And we'll be digging into our mailbag to answer your questions and comments. So join us for brand new Office Ladies 6.0 episodes every Wednesday. Plus on Mondays, we are taking a second drink. You can revisit all the Office Ladies rewatch episodes every Monday with new bonus tidbits before every episode. Well, we can't wait to see you there. Follow and listen to Office Ladies on the free Odyssey app and wherever you get your podcasts.

[Chuck Diedrich]

Most people in Synanon were not violent and not trained or able to really protect Synanon. Mike Gimble, Chuck, I think he knew that from all the hey rubes that were going on. Hey, rube. Hey, rube. We were just a bunch of crazy people, you know, shaving heads of people that came on our property and pushing them around. He wanted a serious outfit. He wanted his own Special Forces. He wanted his own Green Berets. I remember this meeting where he developed and came up with the Imperial Marines. He started the original boot camp, and that was his way of creating an elite group of people who could work harder, run faster. This was his new boot camp. They were coming up with who should be in the Imperial Marines. And they were going down a list and they went, Mike Gimbel. I freaked out. I don't want to be an Imperial Marine. I went to Ron Cook's wife and I said, look, you gotta get me out of this. And she went to Ron and they got me out of it. I was recruited. It was the best of the best of young men who were gonna protect Synanon. It was an honor.

[Jay Butler]

Gary Williams was part of the last group of parents to have children in Synanon. And he was in one of the first groups of men to become Imperial Marines.

[Chuck Diedrich]

We were going to show the world that we weren't pushovers. The old man and other people that were running the place, they wanted to have a group that was readily available to carry out whatever assignment they gave them. So there was the Imperial Marines. But then they also put together something they called the Synanon National Guard.

[Jay Butler]

Robert Navarro wasn't an Imperial Marine, but Chuck liked the idea so much that he wanted more of the Synanon men to be combat ready in case his elite force needed any backup. So the Imperial Marines started training more Sinanon soldiers.

[Chuck Diedrich]

We did various drills, we had weapons training, and we had a self proclaimed martial arts expert. He taught us this martial arts discipline called Sindo. We had a camp. You know, we set up tents and a kitchen. And so we were walking back after being out bivouacking all day for Some goddamn reason. And a snake crossed the fire road and somebody killed the rattlesnake. And we had it for dinner that night.

[Jay Butler]

The groups trained near Chuck at the home place in Badger, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, which were filled with rattlesnakes. They lived in camps, endured wilderness survival training, and conducted mock combat exercises.

[Chuck Diedrich]

We did several drills where some people who weren't in the group would invade our camp and then we'd have to protect the camp.

[Jay Butler]

Buddy Jones One time I went over.

[Chuck Diedrich]

To the camp to visit the Imperial Marines, and the guy who was in charge of it sent one guy to get me, and he was having a hard time, so he sent two, three. So they had six guys that finally took me down, and I wasn't even mad.

[Jay Butler]

Chuck continued to make radical statements on tv, surrounded by guards with guns, and now he was training his own paramilitary group. His list of enemies was growing, and it included the media, most of all, Time magazine, whose kooky cult profile had turned the public's perception against Synanon. He said that if Time magazine planned to harm Synanon, then Synanon might have to harm them first.

[Chuck Diedrich]

We never start anything. We never do and never had, but nobody is going to mess with us. Nobody. Ron Cook it was nonstop. It really was a war that was going on. Chuck, he would say, you know, people shouldn't be able to get away with just doing things in hiding. Synanon, under siege in what it describes as a holy war, has taken the offensive, demonstrating against its enemies, suing detractors and threatening to sue its critics.

[Jay Butler]

Chuck sued Time and other major media outlets for libel. He won settlements against the Hearst Corporation and abc, both dimes breaking the record for the largest payout in American history. But he still wasn't satisfied. He wanted to be praised for his contributions to society, not villainized.

[Chuck Diedrich]

There was a move within Synanon to get him nominated for the Nobel Prize for having developed Synanon.

[Jay Butler]

Chuck had a plan for how he was going to seize the recognition he felt he deserved. Robert Navarro.

[Chuck Diedrich]

Chuck decided that he was going to open an Embassy in Washington, D.C. because he felt, and he would say this, that he should have a seat at the table with the big boys. It was during President Carter's administration and Carter had this drug czar and he said, we should be there. The justification was Sinanon was the most successful doping business in America.

[Jay Butler]

In the summer of 1978, Chuck and his entourage purchased an entire apartment building called the Boston House on Massachusetts Avenue, just blocks away from the White House.

[Chuck Diedrich]

They took over the Boston house, which was full of tenants, and then they kicked everybody out. It was part of his notion that Synon would be some sort of model for the country. And the best place to model for the country would be in Washington.

[Jay Butler]

George Farnsworth was a lifestyler who was matched with a board member when everyone changed partners. And his new wife was one of Synanon's wealthiest donors.

[Chuck Diedrich]

She felt it was a downgrade. Her husband at the time, Dan Garrett, he was a top lawyer, so he was a big deal. I don't know. He got a younger woman.

[Jay Butler]

But George got a status upgrade through his new marriage, which made him privy to what was happening in Washington, D.C.

[Chuck Diedrich]

At one point, Chuck was invited to the White House, and they had this lunch in the staff mess, and he was crushed. He was expecting to be sitting in the Oval Office having lunch with the president and this drug guy. He was really down about that.

[Jay Butler]

Back to Robert Navarro, whose wife was Chuck's chauffeur in D.C. she told Navarro that the mission wasn't going as planned.

[Chuck Diedrich]

The Washington, D.C. police, they got a report from the FBI that Synanon had made the largest gun purchase in the history of California. And Chuck had said something about how things would devolve in society that caught their attention, and they began to look into it. And our actions there precipitated a lot of press attention. Chuck was out walking one day, but he had a cane with him, and a photographer wanted to take a picture of him, and he swung at him with the cane, and the guy fell over a hedge or something like that. And so a subpoena was issued for Chuck's arrest. And so that was the end of the embassy mission.

[Jay Butler]

The mission to Washington was a failure. Chuck thought it would help him gain credibility, but it only made him more controversial. Now he was in danger of going to jail for the second time in his life. The first time had been in the early days back in Santa Monica, when he was punished for standing up for his beliefs. This time, he had committed assault. So he decided to get out of town, and then he decided to get out of the country.

[Chuck Diedrich]

Chuck went on the lam after that.

[Jay Butler]

He and about a dozen members of his inner circle flew to Italy.

[Chuck Diedrich]

It was a small seaside hotel in this little town of Formia. Chuck had a tendency at that time to think of himself as the Godfather. You know, he called Dan Garrett his consiglieri.

[Jay Butler]

Chuck was hiding out, but he was enjoying himself. And he was thinking about starting all over.

[Chuck Diedrich]

He says, well, you know, we ought to Start a Synanon facility in Italy. You know, he was trying to rebuild. Forget all those people in the US the ones that are trying to kill us, the ones trying to sue us. Let's just come over here and do this.

[Jay Butler]

Chuck and his entourage spent their days on the beach and nights having lavish dinners where Chuck would pontificate, just like old times. But Chuck's demons had finally caught up with him.

[Chuck Diedrich]

He would bring out bottles of wine and we would start drinking. It was clear that he wanted us to keep him company while he drank, and we did. None of us drank as much as he did. It was binge drinking. At the end of the day, we'd have a big dinner, start drinking some vino with dinner, and then drink some more vino. And then our problems went away. Chuck wanted out. He was trying to escape. He was defeated.

[Jay Butler]

Chuck had gone to great lengths to conquer his addictions. In many ways, he created Synanon just so he could surround himself with other people going through the same struggle, so they could go through it together. But his addictions found him again, even all the way in Italy, more than 20 years after his last drink. Back home, his followers were kept completely in the dark about the future of Synanon. Here's Buddy Jones and his wife Lori.

[Chuck Diedrich]

When he took off to Europe, they never told us that they were gone. They just took off. They disappeared. They just disappeared. So we didn't hear directly from people very much. But word got back that Chuck started drinking.

[Jay Butler]

And just like that, it all hit the Joneses like a ton of bricks.

[Chuck Diedrich]

We were on a motorcycle ride and Buddy just pulled over on the side of the freeway and he said, the fact that Chuck is drinking, that's it. You know, he doesn't do anything halfway. Exactly what she said. He doesn't do things in moderate ways. Everything is big and people are going to do what he's doing, and he's an alcoholic. Said, honey, Synanon is over. Why get all your holiday decorations delivered through Instacart? Because maybe you only bought two wreaths, but you have 12 windows. Or maybe your toddler got very eager with the Advent calendar. Or maybe the inflatable snowman didn't make it through the snowstorm. Or maybe the twinkle lights aren't twinkling. Whatever the reason, this season, Instacart's here for hosts and their whole holiday haul. Get decorations from the Home Depot, CVS and more through Instacart and enjoy free delivery on your first three orders, service fees, and term supply. This message comes from Greenlight Ready to start talking to your kids about financial literacy? Meet Greenlight, the debit card and money app that teaches kids and teens how to earn, save, spend wisely and invest. With your guardrails in place with Greenlight, you can send money to kids instantly, set up chores Automate allowance and keep an eye on your kids spending with real time notifications. Join millions of parents and kids building healthy financial habits together on Greenlight. Sign up for Greenlight [e-mail] Odyssey this episode is brought to you by US Cellular. Some things are worth waiting for, like getting your diploma or finding the right partner. You know what's not worth waiting for? The cable guy. Fortunately, US Cellular's home Internet is so simple to install, you can do it yourself. And it's just $39.99 per month when bundled with a wireless plan with a three year price lock guarantee. US Cellular Home Internet made simple without the waiting terms apply. Visit uscellular.com for details. We thought when he came back to California that he would stop drinking. But he didn't.

[Jay Butler]

This is George Farnsworth. At the end of the summer in 1978, Chuck returned from Italy with his entourage and he brought his old habit with him.

[Chuck Diedrich]

We all thought it was a very bad idea. Some people, like his son Chuck Jr thought he should be, you know, thrown out of Sinon. But that was a non start. That couldn't happen. Everybody went along with him as always.

[Jay Butler]

Here's Marion Bordette, my dad's ex wife.

[Chuck Diedrich]

I remember having my first glass of alcohol in I don't know what year it was, but ever since I had been in Synanon, I had an intuition that he was getting a lot worse. I knew that trouble lay ahead. Ron Cook One of his rationalization with drinking was to get everybody else drinking too. You know, for a while it was a lot of fun. I mean, we had some great parties.

[Jay Butler]

Here's Zoe Bagger, who talked in an earlier episode about the neglect and abuse she experienced as a Synanon kid. They had Saturday night parties and they.

[Chuck Diedrich]

Were just like the most embarrassing.

[Jay Butler]

It would have just been the grossest.

[Chuck Diedrich]

Reality show on the planet. People drinking, making out with people who were not their spouse, just every yucky thing. And we would be sitting on the balcony watching them do this, make complete fools of themselves. When the night was over, there were.

[Jay Butler]

Literally just trays and trays and trays of half empty alcohol bottles.

[Chuck Diedrich]

I was too young, but I know that some of the older kids would finish those off.

[Jay Butler]

Jeff Becker I had drinks not to.

[Chuck Diedrich]

What he was doing, not to what Chuck was doing. You know, Chuck was falling apart. There are people that I think drank themselves to death.

[Jay Butler]

Margo McCartney spoke last episode about how the Synanon game became a tool for manipulation.

[Chuck Diedrich]

It wasn't a good thing for me to start drinking. It wasn't good for any of the addicts to start drinking because many of us had Hep C and some people died. It might have been fine for the.

[Jay Butler]

Squares, but it wasn't for the Attics.

[Chuck Diedrich]

It was just another door thrown open that had been closed.

[Jay Butler]

From the beginning. Chuck only had two rules for his followers in Synanon. No drugs or alcohol, and no violence of any kind. Now there were no rules anymore. Synanon had always moved in the direction of Chuck's ideas. But however radical they had always been sober thoughts. Now he was increasingly under the influence. And his most loyal followers were still very much under the influence of Chuck Diedrich.

[Chuck Diedrich]

And I think that we could, without too much effort, get a reputation that would be all over the United States within one year's time. Don't fuck with Synanon in any way. I think that is the new religious posture. Don't mess with us. You can get killed. Dead, physically dead. I was in Berkeley and I was friendly with a woman who had two young boys and she was interested in sharing a house. And so we rented a house together in Berkeley.

[Jay Butler]

This is Phil Ritter. He had split after the vasectomies and now he was in the middle of a custody battle. Was Synanon over his young daughter. His wife Lynn had stayed in Synanon when he left. Their daughter lived with her and Lynn had been matched with a new partner. Phil and his lawyers threatened to subpoena Chuck and make him testify under oath about what was happening in Synanon. He had been visited by two high ranking Synanon members who warned him not to do it. On September 21, 1978, Phil Ritter pulled into his driveway after picking up groceries.

[Chuck Diedrich]

I came home and got out of the car and two guys who had stockings pulled over their heads and over their faces so that you couldn't really tell who they were started wailing on me. With these clubs, they had at least a few minutes. They were beating on me. The younger boy had seen me drive into the driveway and he always came running out of the house and gave me a. When I came home and he stood there in the doorstep watching these guys beat me up, horrified.

[Jay Butler]

That young boy was named Mikhail Jolay. He was a Synanon child who had left the community with his mom. He remembers what happened to Phil that day and wrote about it in his memoir, Hollywood Park. He talks about it here in an interview with npr.

[Chuck Diedrich]

I'd always come out when he. When he got home and he got out and he smiled at me.

[Jay Butler]

And they just walked up behind him and started beating him. And he fell on the ground and.

[Chuck Diedrich]

He started screaming, and our. Our eyes locked and they beat him into a coma.

[Jay Butler]

Phil suffered a broken arm, leg, and a fractured skull. He was in a coma for two weeks before regaining consciousness.

[Chuck Diedrich]

I ran into a nurse who had taken care of me early on, and she said, I really did not expect to see you again.

[Jay Butler]

The police had very few leads about his attackers. Phil didn't say anything about his daughter or the men from Synanon who had come to see him shortly before the attack.

[Chuck Diedrich]

Well, it was weird. You know, you would think that I would connect the dots and link Synanon to it and start accusing Synanon of it. I told the Berkeley police that I, you know, for all I knew, it was somebody who saw me take some money out of the bank machine. I just couldn't believe that my friends from Synanon would do that.

[Jay Butler]

Phil knew his relationship with Synanon had turned adversarial, but he didn't think Chuck or anyone else in Synanon was capable of such a violent attack, especially against one of their own. He didn't realize how quickly things were changing in Synanon. Maybe he didn't want to know, but he had committed several mortal sins in Chuck's eyes. He had challenged Chuck's authority. Then he split. Then he went to the police. Then he tried to get his daughter out of the community. And worst of all, he was working with lawyers. Chuck's list of enemies was long, but maybe even worse than his unruly neighbors or ungrateful splittees or the lying media. We're the greedy lawyers.

[Chuck Diedrich]

We either think we have a good thing here or we don't. If we have a good thing here, then we are not going to permit people like greedy lawyers to destroy it.

[Jay Butler]

There was one lawyer who stood out who Chuck perceived to be on a mission against Synanon, against Chuck himself. The lawyer who helped Synanon kids lead the community, Paul Morantz.

[Chuck Diedrich]

I'm quite willing to break some lawyer's legs and then tell him this. Next time I'm going to break your wife's legs and then cut your kid's arm off and try me, because this is only a sample, you son of a bitch. And that's the end of your lawyer.

[Jay Butler]

On October 10, 1978, a few weeks after Phil Ritter was attacked in his driveway, a car idled outside of a house in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. A man got out of the passenger side and approached the front door. He returned to the car a short time later, and the driver took off. Later that evening, Paul Morantz pulled into the driveway of that same house where he lived. Barantz went inside and checked his mailbox, which was built into the wall just inside the front door and was covered by a metal grill. He could see that there was something inside, something with an odd shape. Thinking it was a package, he reached in to grab it. And when he did, something lunged at him and struck him on the hand. That's when he realized what it was. Paul Marantz was bitten by a rattlesnake. Unlike Phil Ritter, Marantz had no doubt who was responsible. He ran outside and yelled to a neighbor to call an ambulance. He said he had been bitten by a rattlesnake. And he told her, it's Synanon. Next time on the Sunshine Place.

[Chuck Diedrich]

I got a telephone call saying, come quick. Chuck is being arrested.

[Jay Butler]

Chuck Diedrich becomes the prime suspect in the violence linked to Synanon. And it's only the tip of the iceberg.

[Chuck Diedrich]

I remember reading a report to Chuck's office. It had a section in it called October is the month of the hunt. There was sort of a hit list.

[Jay Butler]

It looked like my dad was going to be next.

[Chuck Diedrich]

As you look at the list, you know, of course Paul Morantz was on it. Phil Ritter is on the list, and Bill Crawford is on the list.

[Jay Butler]

Thank you for listening to the Sunshine Place, a creation and presentation of C13 originals. A Cadence 13 studio executive produced by Robert Downey Jr. Susan Downey and Emily Barclay. Ford for Team Downey, Chris Corcoran and Zach Levitt of Cadence 13 and Josh Mc McLaughlin. Written and directed by Perry Kroll of C13 Originals. Editing by Alastair Sherman and Perry Kroll with production and editing assistance by Chris Basil and Ian Mott. Mixing and mastering by Bill Schultz. Narrated by me, Sari Crawford. Original music by Joel Goodman. Marketing pr, Production coordination, sales and operations by Moira Curran, Josephina Francis, Kurt Courtney, Hilary Schuff, Lauren Vieira, Lucas Santrone, Sean Cherry, Lizzie Roberti and Danny Kerch of Cadence 13. Cadence 13 is an odyssey company.

[Chuck Diedrich]

You might think financial crime is all about money, but sometimes it ends in murder. I'm Nicole Lapin, host of Money Crimes, a crime house Original podcast. Each episode features a thrilling story about the dark side of finance and how to protect yourself from it. Follow and listen to Money Crimes, an Odyssey podcast in partnership with Crime House Studios. Available on the free Odyssey app and wherever you get your podcast.