It Ain't Hay

About the Book

IT AIN’T HAY SYNOPSIS A.L. SINDEBAND Ron Spinuzzi, a known drug smuggler and slick veteran of the streets, managed to finagle a light sentence at Attica. He copped a plea, was sentenced to 10 years for aggravated assault and came out smelling like a rose. He served only 7 years through good behavior. Casey, his girlfriend of long standing and guardian of his hidden wealth, met him the day he was released. They returned to the New York apartment on East 28th Street, which he owned. He had bought it during better days, through several corporations. It was well concealed from the prying eyes of the authorities. While he was up the river, Casey lived in the apartment. Quite high on the hog, as the saying goes. Casey had watched over Ron’s funds in the Bahamas while he was in the Slammer. He swore he’d get “Jake the Snake”, the swine that squealed on him, if it was the last thing he did. He did. He made a few friends at Attica so when the time came that he needed them, they came through with flying colors. He and Casey never did get married before his sojourn upstate. But he had that in mind all the time he was in prison. Casey kept well occupied while Ron was away. She had several friends as well as a girlfriend to keep her warm. Ron got a job as a mechanic’s helper through the auspices of a friendly parole officer and managed to keep his nose clean, at least it appeared that way on the surface. Casey and her friend, Susie, got friendlier while Ron was working on vindication. Ron didn’t have much trouble finding passports, credit cards, and social security cards, but it cost him dearly. A trip to Puerto Rico to get married improved Ron’s education on the growing and packaging of marijuana. His connections were solidified, and he proceeded to accumulate monies to make a buy. Jake the Snake, partially recovered from his ordeal, tried threatening Ron, but during the argument Casey shot and killed Jake in self-defense. She had bought a gun ,learned how to use it, all without Ron having an inkling. Ron, on parole, was not permitted a firearm, but Casey had it stashed away after a mugging on the street. After much ado their lawyer got her off on a self-defense plea. Ron, using a false passport, traveled to Puerto Rico and then to Aruba with his connection, Manuel Ortega. There they picked up Angelo Martinez, a wealthy plantation owner from Colombia. They traveled to Colombia on Angelo’s yacht, which was very luxurious and well-equipped for ocean travel. Angelo was extremely wealthy. He and his sister, Maria, had inherited their plantation, in the interior of Colombia, from their parents. It was very self-sufficient and grew everything legal and illegal. The yacht took several days to travel around the northern end of South America to Colombia. They entered Colombia very quietly and not exactly legal. As a guest at the plantation, Ron saw how the other half lived, as well as learning more how marijuana and poppy plants were cultivated deep in the interior of Colombia. An affair with Angelo’s sister kept Ron’s attention at a peak. Obviously this plantation was generating tons of cash and had several government officials in the palm of Angelo’s hand. With Angelo’s help, Ron and Manuel flew to Brazil, negotiated a lease for a DC 7 and returned to the plantation. It was a costly, but very needed . Now they needed a pilot and co-pilot and once again Angelo came through. He had one in his back pocket. Ron and Maria spent the days roaming around the plantation on horseback while the weed was being accumulated and loaded. Ron came back to the States first to make arrangements for the plane to land in a remote area of Colorado. He had some friends that could handle the unloading and storage. The location was relayed to Colombia, and the flight took off avoiding the radar surveillance that monitored all flights leaving the area. The arrival of the loaded plane in the

About the Author

The writer, born in New York City, is a 1944 graduate of Columbia Business School with a B.S. degree in Industrial Management. He served in the 10th Mountain Division in Italy during World War II and was honorably discharged in 1946. He is married with two children, two stepchildren, and six grandchildren. Most of his working career was in the steel industry, the last thirty years of which were with Colorado Fuel and Iron Corporation (CF&I Steel). Six of those years were spent at a CF&I plant in Claymont, Delaware with the balance in Pueblo, Colorado where he began as a Senior Industrial Engineer and later was promoted to Superintendent of Materials Handling. He retired in 1982 from the Safety Department. The event, which spiked my curiosity, occurred in 1979 when a plane in trouble landed, at the Pueblo Memorial Airport with 20,000 pounds of Marijuana on board. The persons involved were subsequently apprehended and the marijuana was burned in the CF&I Blast Furnace under very strict supervision. The writer has been convicted that this actual event would make an interesting basis for a novel if portrayed properly.