Lance Kenton was sentenced to a year in prison. "The Social Development of the Synanon Cult". Much of the violence was carried out by the Imperial Marines. The tiny Point Reyes Light, a weekly newspaper in Marin County, received the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 1979 on account of its coverage of Synanon when other news outlets avoided covering the group. As full recovery for graduates was not happening sufficiently, Dederich proclaimed no one should ever graduate. Taxation issues also arose. Get this The Hanford Sentinel page for free from Thursday, August 9, 1979 ,Aug. 9, 1979 JWork jkn&ul upi Photo Synanon Imperial Marine Lance Kenton runs down the stairs at Superior Court after his . synanon imperial marines. The police told Synanon the kids were coming with them; the only question was how? (White vs. Butler, Herb Caen column, Pat Lynch, NBC Synanon segment 3.). The medical board was to establish rules for Synanon but never did. Most of his remaining time he was segregated in Synanon, as the foundation tried to revert back to early images and goals. These are real threats", he snarled. That is the end of that lawyer. It is currently active in Germany. Daniel Gumbiner refers to this cult in his National Book Award-longlisted, The Boatbuilder. The board would spell out Emerson messages on self-reliance, but self-reliance was interpreted as the ability to make choices and the best way to end loneliness and suffering was through trusting in Synanon. (Dave Mitchell, Light on Synanon; Dave Gerstel, Paradise Inc.; Marin County crime report on Cardineau beating.). The Story of This Drug Rehab-Turned-Violent Cult Is Wild, Wild Country-Caliber Bizarre . I am quite willing to break some lawyer's legs, and next break his wife's legs, and threaten to cut their child's arm off. Yes, it is all true. He studied on his own in a library and his AA speeches changed from typical religious overtones to a psychological/philosophy slant. The Trippers, many of whom had been awake for 65 or more hours, were hugged and cheered. It was alleged[by whom?] The New York psychiatrist Daniel Casriel M.D. Publicly one was berated (haircut) for misdeeds and this was designed to carom off and affect behavior of those watching. Many young teenagers who got too close to Synanon property were beaten brutally by Synanon mobs. If you do your best, you cant fail. (Tony Lang, Synanon, Morantz archives on Synanon). Web. The cops uncover a group of blind followers willing to do anything at their leader's urging, even murder. Dederich is credited with coining the phrase Today is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life. (Casriel, So Fair a House, Yablonski, The Tunnel Back: Guy Endore, Synanon; Charles Dederich tapes on history of Synanon). Both were members of Synanon's 'Imperial Marines,' a security group within the drug and alcohol rehabilition organization. On remote properties in California such as Tomales Bay in Marin County and Badger, Tulare County, the organization had built un-permitted buildings, a trash dump, and an airstrip. But it was something much deadlier - the rattlesnake lashed out too quickly for Morantz to react, and its fangs sank into his wrist. He had been litigating against the organization, getting children returned to their families, giving information to the media, lobbying against a Synanon bill and fighting to expose its hit squad to law enforcement. Violence was then permitted upon them, breaking for first time Synanons non violent rule. Children were struck across the face, knocked down, otherwise punished and then gamed. Soon the OK on violence would spread to splitees, suspected thieves and perceived spies and enemies. During the second stage, members worked outside of the community but still resided within the community. Did Synanon save my life? (Mitchell, Light on Synanon. Hang Tough and Dederich pulled on everyone to stay, promising that a great future would emerge. When members kicked and their shakes disappeared many were told their problems were they still loved their mothers and were given suggested mates for holding power. Morantz had successfully brought suit on behalf of a woman abducted by Synanon, winning a $300,000 judgment, obtained release of children, gave information to the press and lobbied (defeating) another Synanon bill written by Herschel Rosenthal. Addicts behaviors and past lives were attacked viciously in games, members were told their lives depended on staying, contacts with family were prohibited, and a system of rewards and punishments was applied. The "Game" was presented as a therapeutic tool, and likened to a form of group therapy; but it has been criticized as a form of a "social control", in which members humiliated one another and encouraged the exposure of one another's innermost weaknesses. He got a job at Hughes Tools. Though local newspapers and broadcast media covered the case, they were largely silenced by lawsuits from Synanon lawyers charging libel. It was just weeks after Morantz had won a $300,000 judgment against Synanon, a shady drug rehab facility that opened in Santa Monica in 1958. While his associates went to jail, Dederich avoided imprisonment by pleading no contest to conspiracy to commit murder, agreeing as part of probation to formally step down as Chairman of Synanon and agreed to have nothing to do with running Synanon. ", Los Angeles police officer Richard Grotsley holds the rattlesnake that bit attorney Paul Morantz. Synanon, is the first ever self helpno doctors drug rehabilitation program, founded by Charles Chuck Dederich Sr. (19131997) in 1958 in Santa Monica, California. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Watches were taken as time was no longer important. The 1950s were a time when incarceration was considered the only cure for drug addiction. After the rattlesnake incident, Mary Robson, wife of Imperial Marine leader Dr. Douglas Robson, went to a neighbor of Paul Morantzs mother and left her card so Morantz would know Synanon knew where his mother was. (Dederich, Childbirth Unmasked.) Some laughed, others howled and sobbed. Because there was no hierarchy in The Game, members could freely criticize Synanon's highest leadership, who would then take member concerns into consideration when deciding policy. Dederich and Yablonsky acknowledged that the system was brainwashing (thought reform) as described by Dr. Robert Jay Lifton in Coercive PersuasionThe psychology of Totalism (Yablonski, The Tunnel Back). These lawsuits ultimately turned out to be a large part of Synanon's undoing, by giving journalists access to Synanon's own internal documents. We will make the rules. AN ULTRA-violent cult brainwashed addicts into shaving their heads, and enforced mass sterilizations in "Gestapo-like" demands. (Berkeley Gazette l978, Mitchell, Light on Synanon). Believed trespassers were taken into the basements of Santa Monica Del Mar building and worked over on directions of Dr. Robson. Imperial Marines carried an E-11 blaster rifle, a MiniMag shoulder-launched proton torpedo launcher, and multiple thermal . It went from the first ever no doctor involved self help drug rehab (Synanon I), to a building of a new society in Synanon cities to lead the world into the 21st Century (Synanon II), to becoming a self-claimed religion (Synanon III). Synanon is referred to in Bob Dylan's song "Lenny Bruce", from his album Shot of Love (Bruce "never made it to Synanon"). At 7 p.m. on Friday the chosen Trippers, around 50 in number, of all ages, were met in the Del Mar lobby by people dressed in long white robes and yellow silk scarves. Synanon sought religious status in 1974, with Diedrich as its leader. In 1967, Synanon purchased the Club Casa del Mar, a large beachside hotel in Santa Monica, as its headquarters and a dormitory for those undergoing treatment for drug addiction. In October 1977, attorney Paul Morantz was embroiled in a civil suit against the cult when he was introduced to Synanon's violent side the so-called Synanon Imperial Marines. But there was a catch: new members had to transfer their assets to the organization. (Tony Lang, Synanon, Morantz archives on Synanon). Disoriented by lack of sleep, each was moved to the point of intense disillusionment. The city claimed it owned the beach front and rather than take the issue to court it sent police officers and bulldozers across the sand knocking down cabanas and paved courts. On June 13, 1977 it was decided that the Imperial Marines would help teach doctors martial arts. The Guides, all experienced game players, turned each group from enthusiasm to a depression and defeat, wallowing in its collective shame. In response to these accusations, Dederich declared in l974 that Synanon was a tax exempt religious organization, the Church of Synanon. A memo declaring it a religion asked a question that didnt need to be answered: Who will be God? (Gerstel, Paradise Inc.; Morantz vs. Synanon, IRS vs. Synanon) Dederich declared no more children (1976) as they take time away from Synanon goals. Ofshe, Richard. Paul Morantz, an American attorney and investigative journalist has written substantially about the cult - as he delves into brainwashing cases for victims. The games turned on one than another. He was saved from meningitis in the l940s by the discovery of penicillin. When California officials set about revoking Synanons charitable trust status, Dederich declared Synanon a religion in 1974. One was to participate only in Synanon. [22] The Game served not only as Synanon's most prominent form of therapy and personal change, but also worked as a way for leaders to collect the opinions of community members. Abused Children assigned to Synanon began running away, helped by an underground railroad, led by neighboring rancher Alvin Gambonini, who sought to return them to their parents. [12], One of the most distinguishing practices of the Synanon community was a therapeutic practice commonly referred to as "The Game." Everyone bonded. LOS ANGELES -- Thirteen past and present members of Synanon, the controversial drug and alcohol rehabilitation organization, surrendered in court Tuesday on two secret indictments charging them. (Dederich, The Graduate Question). (Synanon Holy War file, Robson letters, IRS vs. Synanon). They also beat a neighboring rancher, Gamboninni, who was helping children run away from Synanon and return to their parents (Light on Synanon; Dave Gerstel, Paradise Inc.; Marin County crime report on Gambinini beating, Synanon memos describing incident. He had outsmarted Synanon and its team of lawyers. The snake bit Morantz but did not kill him. (Eidson v. Robson, Synanon; Synanon memos describing incident). Cloudflare Ray ID: 78b89606dbb5b76a [25] Initially Synanon did not support violence; Dederich later changed the rules to allow for violence in order to maintain control. A search of the vehicle turned up a fingerprint that matched one of Dederich's so-called "Imperial Marines," a no-nonsense security detail unafraid to employ violence should the moment call for it . Before the incident, Synanon investigator Chris Reynolds wrote a memo on Morantz, giving his home address to Synanon legal department. ), On March 20, 1978, a former member of Synanon, Tom Cardineau was severely beaten (for being an alleged spy) while tied to a post during his honeymoon when he took his bride to show her where he had once lived on the Walker Creek Ranch. Group from enthusiasm to a depression and defeat, wallowing in its collective shame into the of. Worked outside of the violence was then permitted upon them, breaking for First time Synanons violent! 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