(Deposition of Paul Morantz, Morantz vs. Synanon; People vs. Dederich; IRS vs. Synanon. Founder of Synanon House for drug addicts Charles Dederich, Chuck Dederich stands by his new wife, Ginny, at Synanon branch in Marshall, California, Founder of Synanon House for drug addicts Charles Dederich (centre) and staff members during rehabilitation session, Drug addicts at Synanon House for rehabilitation, Donald Trump announces enhanced counter-narcotics crackdown on drug cartels amid the coronavirus crisis, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). They weren't welcomed. Following its broadcast, executives of the network and its corporate chairman received hundreds of threats from Synanon members and supporters, including letters that said, Your actions place you in legal and physical peril and We are going to teach you a lesson you will never forget.. [47] Throughout the series, one of the show's hosts, Brace Belden, talks about his childhood experience in a correctional, co-ed private facility called the Monarch School, which has been closed due to allegations of widespread abuse under the watch of its founder, Patrick McKenna, a Synanon disciple. The main character discusses a drug rehabilitation cult "The Church of Niebor," which is based on Synanon.[46]. Juveniles in the 70s were often sent to Synanon by juvenile agencies or by courts on juvenile officers recommendation. [7][32][33] This incident, along with the press coverage, prompted an investigation by the police and government into Synanon. put my Synanon evidence books on the kitchen counter", when he noticed "something dark and elongated through the grill of my mail chute". Cloudflare Ray ID: 78b89606dbb5b76a Sternberg, David. The group said that was a lie, and denied kids were being held prisoner. People originally inspired by their CEDU experience developed or strongly influenced a significant number of the schools in the therapeutic boarding school industry. [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. A Shepherd led them through candle-lit and incense-burning corridors to a locker room filled with rows of Army cots with name cards. After complaints about child abuse attracted attention in the press and visits from the police, Dederich ordered followers in 1976 to stop having kids, saying: I think children are a very bad investment.". Synanons purchase of over $200,000 dollars of weapons from a single gun store also brought media attention. It would grow to become a well-funded utopian society throughout the late '60s and early '70s, before declaring itself a religion in 1974. . Dederich appeared at a press conference and declared the city had fallen into the hands of Mad Dogs and Synanon would sue them all. All had pain. Let your ego golet things happen to you. (Berkeley Gazette l978, Mitchell, Light on Synanon). (IRS vs. Synanon). Plus, control freak Dederich wanted even more power. [19] Robert Altman hired members of Synanon to be extras for the gambling scenes in his movie California Split. Monetary donations came in from the rich and Hollywood, as guys like Robert Wagner, Leonard Nimoy and Ben Gazzra came to Synanon to play the game with ex-addicts and ex-hookers. "Light to celebrate 25th anniversary of its Pulitzer", Marconi Conference Center State Historical Park, "The Story of This Drug Rehab-Turned-Violent Cult Is Wild, Wild Country-Caliber Bizarre", "A Violent, Deadly Cult With Forced Abortions and Shades of Scientology", The Cult That Spawned the Tough-Love Teen Industry, "The Man Who Fought the Synanon Cult and Won", "Synanon's Sober Utopia: How a Drug Rehab Program Became a Violent Cult", "Playing the Game: The Origins and Impact of Synanon", "The True History of Synanon Violence and How it Started", "The History of Synanon and Charles Dederich", "Charles Dederich, 83, Synanon Founder, Dies", "Synanon Founder Advocated Violence Against Opponents", "U.S. Indicts Nine From Synanon in Tax-Exemption Effort", "Ever unconventional, long controversial", "The Cult That Spawned the Tough-Love Teen Industry", "TrueAnon Presents: The Game -- First Episode drops September 26 on http://patreon.com/trueanonpod", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Synanon&oldid=1133004690, This page was last edited on 11 January 2023, at 20:24. Synanon expanded an old Trans-Pacific Marconi RCA radio station in Tomales Bay now Marconi Conference Center State Historical Park. Men were given forced vasectomies, and a few pregnant women were forced to have abortions. (People vs. Dederich, Synanon memos on incident). Montell's father was a member as a child and spoke freely to Amanda about his experience in Synanon. Yes. In the 1970s, two men were run off the road near one of their properties. (Tony Lang, Synanon, Morantz archives on Synanon). That is a very satisfactory, humane way of transmitting information. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, In 1975-Oakland, CA- more than 500 women from Synanon communities throughout California shaved their heads, Members of Synanon have their head shaved in 1969, Synanon, poster: Richard Conte (cigarette left), Edmond O'Brien (top head), Alex Cord (arm outstretched), Stella Stevens (bare shoulder), Eartha Kitt (bottom right), 1965, Synanon founder Charles Dederich was arrested in Arizona on a California warrant charging suspicion of conspiracy and solicitation to commit murder in the rattlesnake attack of a Los Angles lawyer, The name was chosen when a member slurred the words 'Symposium' and 'Seminar', explains, Members of Synanon at the North Beach branch have a party to celebrate the 1,000 live-in member, April 4, 1968. spread throughout California, and Synanon became a counter-culture community by 1964. more than 1,300 members - resulting in a healthy bank balance, as its assets totaled about $33 million. [23] Morantz had successfully brought suit on behalf of people who were being held against their will by Synanon. [42], The author, journalist and activist Maia Szalavitz claims to chart the influence of Synanon in other programs including Phoenix House, Straight, Incorporated and Boot Camps in addition to those mentioned above. CEDU's schools used the confrontation model of Synanon. Some rolled up on the floor in fetal positions. He received an. In the 1970s, two men were run off the road near one of their properties. And Synanon, which is to say Dederich, was not happy about being made to look foolish. 81.169.224.1 The two other Synanon Imperial Marines, one of whom was Lance Kenton, son of musician Stan Kenton, pleaded no contest to charges of assault and conspiracy to commit murder. The Marin County Supervisors, including Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein did not want to take a public position against Synanon as it was a constituent. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. that the Synanon group was running an unauthorized medical clinic. by | May 25, 2022 | why does kelly wearstler wear a brace | diy nacho cheese dispenser | May 25, 2022 | why does kelly wearstler wear a brace | diy nacho cheese dispenser [41], Father William B. O'Brien, the founder of New York's Daytop Village, included Synanon's group encounters and confrontational approach in his research into addiction treatment methods. As a condition of probation, he was disallowed from taking part in managing Synanon. (See id. [25] Initially Synanon did not support violence; Dederich later changed the rules to allow for violence in order to maintain control. Morantz said: I had my first case in court involving them in June 1977. The concept of "lifetime rehabilitation" did not agree with therapeutic norms, and it was alleged[by whom?] In response to these accusations, Dederich declared that Synanon was a tax exempt religious organization, the "Church of Synanon". A big shot would advise the Trippers they were not really chosen as an honor, but each was really selected because each was a resister, thinking he or she knew better the direction Synanon should go, part of the dummies that hold Synanon back. Maybe, Dederich said, one day we will just put dingbats like you against the wall and wash them off and bring them back into the human race. (Tony Lang, Synanon, Morantz archives on Synanon). (Time Magazine, Dec, 1977). In 1959, Synanon moved from their small storefront to an abandoned armory on the beach. Dederich became an AA favorite speaker and went to an AA meeting every day. [21] Furthermore, for their first ninety days in the community, members were expected to cease contact with outside friends and family. The 1950s were a time when incarceration was considered the only cure for drug addiction. Synanon is a word of his own invention integrating togetherness (syn) with the unknown (anon). Members were brainwashed, tortured mentally and barred from leaving the communityescaped members were subject to beatings. In September 26, 2022, the TrueAnon podcast also released a 5-part series on the history of Synanon called The Game. He had outsmarted Synanon and its team of lawyers. [16] This bankrupted Synanon, which formally dissolved in 1991. Both were members of Synanon's 'Imperial Marines,' a security group within the drug and alcohol rehabilition organization. Dederich experimented with environmental manipulations so as to recreate the heightened awareness and inner discoveries he experienced while taking LSD. 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. (Robert Jay Lifton, Coercive Persuasion, the Psychology of Totalism). Synanons goal, Dederich said, was to lead the world into the 21st Century and anything less than changing the world is Mickey Mouse. (Morantz archives on Synanon, Gerstel, Paradise Inc.). In 1977, a group of Synanon thugs pistol-whipped a truck driver who had cut off their vehicle on a highway. Much of the violence by Synanon had been carried out by a group within Synanon called the "Imperial Marines". Curing dope fiends was what they wanted. ( Dederich tapes on Synanon history; Tony Lang, Synanon, Guy Endore, Synanon, Gerstel Paradise, Inc). She has not been seen or heard from since. [32] The snake bit him, and he was hospitalized for six days. (Eidson v. Robson, Synanon; Synanon memos describing incident). It is also referred to in the song "Opening Doors" from Stephen Sondheim's musical Merrily We Roll Along, which mentions it as a hypothetical song title in a satirical revue of the 1960s. Founded to get people off junk, Synanon was now creating it. These changes led Synanon to its then certain fate. Morantz spent six days in a hospital, news of which made national headlines. In June of l978 Ernestine White, a black grandmother was trying to get her three grand kids out. On September 21, 2008, the Marines tried to murder ex-member Phil Ritter. [31] NBC continued with a series of reports on the Synanon situation on the NBC Nightly News. Life Magazine did a 14 page photo spread, which a Congressman called the Miracle on the Beach, and Columbia Pictures made a movie Synanon, starring Edmond OBrien, Chuck Conners and Stella Stevens. [14][22], The game turned into a 72-hour version and was admitted by Dederich to be brainwashing. George Orwells l984 had arrived early. [15], Control over members occurred through the "Game". (Mitchell, Light on Synanon. "He was beaten, he was hit in the head and then socked in the stomach.". It will produce a new breed of human beings with greatly expanded potentials. By BRANDON MESSICK Bmessick@havasunews.com Dec 9, 2018 Updated Aug 21, 2022 2 Stay Informed.. September 21, 1978 ex-member Phil Ritter, was severely beaten by two members, causing him to fall into a coma for a week. But in fact Robson had failed and the violence memos, including the Garfield-Robson letters were scatter in the Synanon San Franciso warehouse which was opened for copying to the law firm of Lillick, Mchose and Charles (to avoid discovery sanctions) who then found them (Synanon vs. ABC; IRS vs. Synanon). While in The Game, members criticized each other, but left as friends and supportive community members. He flunked out of Notre Dame for lack of effort and worked for the Mellon family. One, Richard Marino, said they were handcuffed and beaten, and their heads were shaved. Eartha Kitt, right, giving dancing lessons, donated the proceeds from her classes to the Synanon House, aving an abortion is like squeezing a boil, nothing more. Synanon is purported[by whom?] There was The Witching Hour which featured a Ouija Board to be operated by Witches, two women in black and white robes. By the late 1970s, he'd formed a small army called the Imperial Marines, which committed dozens of heinous crimes, like mass beatings against defectors, whom Dederich called "splittees." Remarkably, the authorities refused to intercede. (Dederich, Act as If). In 1962 Dederich moved to an empty National Guard building on the beach in Santa Monica. (Dave Mitchell, The Light on Synanon). to have been involved in several criminal activities, such as the disappearance of Rose Lena Cole in late 1972, or early 1973. 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. Synanon is a US-founded social organization created by Charles E. "Chuck" Dederich Sr. in 1958 in Santa Monica, California, United States. Dederich was familiar with Waldens Pond and the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson and B. F. Skinner. Six weeks later, the Los Angeles Police Department performed a search of the ranch in Badger that found a recorded speech by Dederich in which he said, "We're not going to mess with the old-time, turn-the-other-cheek religious postures Our religious posture is: Don't mess with us. According to court records, the cult formed a militant branch, known as the Imperial Marines, to inflict violence against opponents of the organization. Morantz did and the bill was defeated by one vote. The school was headed by Al Bauman, who believed in an innovative philosophy and aimed to teach children in the same manner to think differently. Yes, it saved my life and I do not regret being there. Aids returned with smut obtained from the un-brokens spouses to use. In this chapter: After building a small fortune, Synanon's megalomaniac leader turns the revolutionary rehab into a violent cult, with mass sterilization, a paramilitary group and a rattlesnake in a mailbox. Dederich was arrested while drunk on December 2, 1978. [43], Straight Life: The Story of Art Pepper includes several chapters (21 - 23) about living at Synanon from 1969 - 1971.[44]. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Synanon was a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center and movement-turned-cult in California that existed from 1958 to 1991. Those suffering from addictions to illegal drugs were not always welcomed into AA because it was considered that their addiction issues were significantly different from those suffered by alcoholics. Synanon pressured old club members to leave and complaints led to the city taking a wrongful action that may have changed Synanons course in history. Later the flies (Dederich trained youngsters) took over the attack. Beginning in the mid-1970s, women were required to shave their heads (men did the same and bib overalls became the uniform). [citation needed]. Knowing away from the environment people were using, he closed the doors in l967 and ended the idea anyone should ever leave. In another terrifying experience, a former junkie wanted to visit the cult, but he took a personal security man, Jack Harding, in case things turned nasty. ", Private Investigator Jack Harding said: "They reminded me of a young Gestapo group.". [23], Beginning in 1964,[24] the legal authorities began to investigate Synanon's practices. He gathered his own following in AA and after a time of meetings at apartments, they rented a small store in seedy Venice. As a result of its poor conduct, Santa Monica surrendered and Synanon became untouchable. ; "It was no secret that Charles Dederich wanted to at least hurt Paul Morantz if not kill him. (Tony Lang, Synanon, Morantz archives on Synanon). Marino said: "I thought they were going to kill us.". "Synanon: Toward Building a Humanistic Organization". Dan Garrett ordered a kidnapping and then changed the order to beating the person on the spot. Morantz was bitten and hospitalized for 11 days. IMPERIAL MARINES, AND DOPE FIENDS by George Pendle, Cabinet Magazine, Winter 2012-2013 . He is considered an expert on these subjects. This included taking vengeance against. (Dederich tape: The Freebies are Over; Arizona vs. Home Place Inc., Morantz archives on Synanon. Convicted, rather than move as condition of probation he chose to go to jail. Beatings of opponents, alleged thieves and ex-members ( splittees) occurred across the country. Some laughed, others howled and sobbed. This article is about the organization. As full recovery for graduates was not happening sufficiently, Dederich proclaimed no one should ever graduate. [36], Synanon struggled to survive without its leader, and also with a severely tarnished reputation. Dederich also created an armed wing within Synanon called the Imperial Marines, and ordered those within the unit to prevent any of the residents from leaving. The result was implantation of a common bond and sense of ideals, all identified with Synanon. According to court records, the group also formed a militant branch, known as the "Imperial Marines," to inflict violence against opponents of the organization - including former Synanon members. Synanon, is the first ever self helpno doctors drug rehabilitation program, founded by Charles Chuck Dederich Sr. (19131997) in 1958 in Santa Monica, California. Synanon would possess its own fleet of trucks and automobiles, hundreds of motorcycles, a mini-armada of 21 boats, a squadron of ten airplanes and its own airstrip. He was found passed out on a kitchen floor and was told, Fatso, if you do not go to Alcoholic Anonymous you will die. (Dr. Dan Casriel, So Fair a House, Yablonski, The Tunnel Back: Guy Endore, Synanon; Charles Dederich tapes on history of Synanon.). We will make the rules. Later on, Synanon acquired a large building that had been the home of the Athens Athletic Club, in Oakland, California, and then transformed it into a residential facility for Synanon's members. He later founded AREBA, the oldest surviving private addiction treatment centre in the United States, as well as Daytop Village, one of the world's largest therapeutic communities. 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