#8/9 There is absolutely no truth to the rumor that Nickel Bag Joe is gay. He would never blow to make a blow bust.
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"I made so many busts I acquired the nickname 'Nickel-Bag Joe,'" says Arpaio in Joe's Law, "Referring to my ability to start with a measly five-dollar bag of heroin deal and build on it and follow the trail higher up the food chain."
But according to Tom Bearup, Arpaio's erstwhile second in command until he left the MCSO, eventually to run unsuccessfully against Arpaio for sheriff, no one has ever dared call Arpaio "Nickel Bag Joe" to his face.
Stephen Lemons
A demonstrator's depiction of "Arpayaso's Circus," payaso being Spanish for "clown."
Stephen Lemons
The placard's meant as an insult, but Joe's famously told CNN's Lou Dobbs that he considers it "an honor" to be called KKK.
"The name speaks for itself," said Bearup, who now lives in Alaska. "That's what he was known for. It was not any major busts. He was known for going after the nickel-baggers. He was not pleased with that name. I never knew anyone who went up to him and said, 'Hey, Nickel Bag, what's up?'"
But according to Arpaio, it was because of his rep as "Nickel Bag Joe" that the big boys in D.C. eventually assigned him to Turkey, where he single-handedly ended the opium trade. You know, he was like Popeye Doyle, only a much bigger deal.
There, with no knowledge of Turkish, a flimsy bankroll, and his trusty snub-nosed .38, Popeye Joe writes that he took on whole packs of opium farmers, often bluffing his way to big busts.
"We stopped the Turkish drug trade," brags Joe, adding, "We stopped it essentially with one man [him] working with whomever would help."
According to one man, Arpaio.
Certainly, Turkey was at that time (the 1960s) a major producer of opium poppy, and that poppy was processed in by the Corsican syndicate in Marseilles, France, into heroin and shipped to the United States. However, the effort to stop Turkey as a source of opium poppy was far larger than one man.
In its August 28, 1972 issue, Time magazine observed that the best efforts of the entire U.S. government had not ceased the Turkish opium trade:
"In return for $35 million in various subsidies, Turkey agreed to curb the cultivation of opium after the 1972 crop was harvested. The Administration felt that it had achieved a 'breakthrough' because the 80 tons of illicit opium produced by Turkish farmers last year produced 80 percent of the heroin entering the U.S. market. But now there are worries that the curb may be ineffective, in view of the large supplies of opium that canny Turkish smugglers are rumored to have begun to stockpile long ago."
So Arpaio certainly did not halt the Turkish drug trade, either single-handedly or otherwise. But was he involved in cracking the French Connection, which transported drugs via Marseilles to New York? In Joe's Law, Arpaio states of the movie, "The facts in that otherwise fine film were more than a little skewed — in particular, overstating the significance of the New York link for the movie's dramatic purposes."
Yet, Arpaio maintains, "The general notion [in the film] of a mastermind who escaped was true." Arpaio insists the one that got away was Auguste Ricord, a major international drug runner who was extradited from Paraguay to the United States in the 1970s to face trial.
Arpaio, by the way, takes full credit for capturing Ricord and bringing him to justice. His book lacks evidence to support or disprove the claim.
As Arpaio dramatically states in Joe's Law, after Ricord's conviction, "My personal battle with the vicious, murderous organization known as the French Connection . . . was finally over."
Problem is, in the film The French Connection, the Frenchman who "got away" — played by ultra-suave actor Fernando Rey — was a character based on an actual Frenchman named Jean Jehan, a boyhood friend of Charles de Gaulle's, and a leader of the French resistance to the Nazis. This is confirmed both in Robin Moore's book and by ex-NYPD detective Sonny Grosso, portrayed by Roy Scheider in Friedkin's film.
Contacted for this story, Grosso, who now heads a successful TV and motion picture production company with offices in Manhattan and Los Angeles, did not wish to denigrate any work Arpaio may have done in Turkey or elsewhere, but he was clear that he was only familiar with Arpaio by his reputation as a sheriff, and knew nothing of him decades ago while he and his partner were breaking the French Connection.
"We worked for six months on [the French Connection]," Grosso explained by phone from New York. "What stopped that importation was our case, not what anybody else did. I was never in liaison with this guy [Arpaio] . . . I was never in communication with him or anybody else. When we made this case, that's what stopped [the French Connection]. And that had been going on for 25 solid years. Every two months, 60 kilos [of heroin] would come into this country. The only thing that stopped it was our case."
Questioned about Grosso's comments at the Scottsdale book signing, Arpaio dismissed The French Connection film and book as "just two cops in New York." Arpaio's co-author, Sherman, said he had consulted Robin Moore's book in his research but saw no reason to contact Grosso about Arpaio's claims in Joe's Law.
"I didn't need to," sniffed Sherman. "The information's out there. It's not terribly tricky."
15 comments
Reply to #10 -- the average age may be 33 but if they have been snared by Arpaio and took a plea, which is what the oldsters want, then they cannot vote. We have a whole generation who cannot vote -- 40,000 felonies in one year going through the Maricopa County Superior Court system takes out thousands of voters. Think about it? Ethnic cleansing or age discrimination -- if they didn't take a plea they are going from high school to jails and prisons where they all know one another -- a very sad commentary for Maricopa County and the State of Arizona. They are eating their young!
What I fend most interesting is that there are those out there that believe this mans obnoxious lies and his clearly insane antisocial behavior gives us all cause to worry about the furture, while he may be intellegent the sherriff is clearly missing something in his personality.
Hey I saw a youtube video saying Joe has to go and the ending had Hitler saying vote 4 joe. Maybe Joe should use this in his ads Skinheads, Nazi's, and the KKK endorse Joe for Sheriff.
Yeah thanks for the article for us newbies in town. I had no idea Arizona was so corrupt! I'm from Louisiana (yes, moving back in late 08'), and we're blunt about our corruption. But murder and human rights violations draws the line for me. I thought the average age for a Phoenix resident was 33? If so, why is the old geezer still in office?
It is said that everyone is bi to some extent. Not sure about this. But I also heard about the same from some professional sites. Maybe it depends on how to define it.
If you can appreciate the beauty in both men and women, and find yourself attracted to the person regardless of their gender, then you are bi. Many hot and sexy bi singles & couples on ** BiLoves dotcom ** are looking to explore their bisexuality, coming out or enjoying their lives as bi here.
Speaking of books - his co-hort, "hang-em in the town square", County Attorney Andrew Thomas also likes to write books, so that makes him qualified to be County Attorney with an unlimited marketing budget? His books can be purchased for less than one dollar on Amazon.
Stephen and Sarah, you both are sooo good! You're both on your way to a Pulitzer Prize! Keep up the great work informing the public, who don't have the same marketing budget and the "candidates".
The following from Sarah Fenske's article about Andrew Thomas burnishing his Wikipedia site:
http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com...
Comments: Outstanding article and research! I like how you tied it all together. All the loose ends going in different directions aren't fooling those who remain vigilant of the devious activities going on around us by those who only are interested in themselves at taxpayers expense and those who are losing their lives with this abuse of power. It's hard to outdo #2 Theoline's comments, which ring out clearly. Sarah, keep on digging, you have struck a gold mine that few others would have the courage to write about. Keep up the great work.Comment by Matilda from scottsdale on Feb 28th, 2008, 19:15 pm
Theoline, to answer your question, the "crime prevention" brochure is being handed out in the seminar packet County Attorney Andrew Thomas is holding in the area churches. Look in the small classified ads in your neighborhood newspaper and pg. 2 of the AZ Republic. Someone needs to find out the cost of the expensive pocket folder all the "hand-outs" are put in. It is navy blue, heavy stock, with metallic gold embossed logo, with County Attorney Andrew Thomas' name in very large letters. This is a pocket folder you would receive at a University graduation from medical or law school, certainly not in a taxpayers budget. Andrew Thomas name was also printed in color on the notepads. A continental breakfast and lunch were served. All this is a waste of taxpayer dollars, in a county and state that is deeply in debt. This "seminar" by the MCAO Conference given by County Attorney Andrew Thomas, appeared to be nothing more than deceptive election campaign tactics using the churches, as a way to collect names and addresses. If the motive were an honest one, then the ads would say "open to the public" and not ask for names and addresses. The public needs to be made aware of this deception. Your article goes a long way to confirm what we seem to be seeing all around us. The classified ad and the notice asked people to call in and register. If gathering names and addresses was not a motive, the ad simply would say, "open to the public". The public needs a brochure on how to protect itself from overzealous law enforcement and prosecution. 40,000 felonies on one year in Maricopa County should send a red flag to the public that they need something to protect themselves from the out of control broken criminal justice system. Where's that pamphlet? Where are our civil rights listed?Comment by Stewart M. from cave Creek on Feb 28th, 2008, 19:42 pmLooking for Andrew Thomas books, Theoline? You might try Amazon.com. The sell for a dollar and change in their "used" books. They are listed in "collectibles" where you thought you might have to pay $70,000.Comment by Stewart M. from cave Creek on Feb 28th, 2008, 19:50 pm
Correction on above: they are NOT listed in "collectibles" where books might be $70,000. So when Thomas says he wrote four books does that make him a specialist in criminal justice? -- I think NOT. Especially if the book has so little value that it sells for slightly more than one dollar.Comment by stewart M. from cave Creek on Feb 28th, 2008, 19:56 pm
Great concept. Mr. Lemons comes through again with an article that is not only well-researched but one of the funniest things to appear in Phoenix New Times this year.
If only Uncle Joe's book (as published) had actually subtitled itself "America's Meanest Sheriff Buffaloes Readers with Bogus Yarns, Unprovable Claims & Hoover Dam-size Omissions of Fact"! But truth in advertising has never stopped Arpaio from offering up a self-serving story.
Who else but Stephen Lemons has gone to the trouble to contact the original, real-life French Connection detective in order to debunk Uncle Joe's outrageous braggadocio?
Bearup's quotes are also priceless, as is ghost-writer (er, co-author) Len Sherman's attempt at spin-control.
I had been wondering exactly who would stoop to helping Uncle Joe assemble his maundering collection of corn-pone wisdom and erroneous personal recollections -- perhaps a superannuated night-watchman in need of supplemental income? -- but no, it seems that Sherman has written other soft-ball biographies. Who can forget "Popcorn King: How Orville Redenbacher and his Popcorn Charmed America" ?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/custo...
The book was issued in paperback in October, 1996 under Sherman's sole byline. I suspect that it was originally written as another "autobiographical" volume, but after Redenbacher's death in September of 1995, Sherman decided not to let it go to waste and had it issued under his name alone.
I saw the display of Joe's latest at Borders on Mill in Tempe. I went and found a copy of Hitler's Mein Kampf and casually laid it in the center of the display. They went perfect together. I went back a couple of hours later and someone else had come along and arranged the display so there was no mistaking these two books belong together.
1 Like
Yea, Bozo Joe is a real legend, in his own mind...
To the rest of us with any brains, he's just a bumbling old corrupt fool that has cost Maricopa County Tax Payers 44 million dollars with his continual bullshit.
Well done and very informative. Stephen, you do a great job of showing the "other side" in a town dominated by a one-way stream of media-hype by elected officials who should be quietly and professionally doing their jobs, and should not be using taxpayers money to advance their personal agendas and political ambitions. The "branding" of a Sheriff and a County Attorney should not be allowed. We need some "zero-tolerance" policies on that, but with Pearce in the legislature to protect Arpaio and Thomas that much needed reform might never happen. Thanks for connecting the dots!
For those that are new to Arizona, your article gave us all some much needed background, especially in this important election year which is one of much needed change and reform. The Pearce / Arpaio connection should make voters think twice! Seems like a conflict of interest.
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