Eventually, on September 21, 2008 the Marines tried to murder ex-member Phil Ritter, who was trying to get his child out and had gone to the authorities complaining of forced vasectomies in Synanon, by clubbing him over the head (Berkely Gazette September 1978; Mitchell, the Light on Synanon). Both were members of Synanon's 'Imperial Marines,' a security group within the drug and alcohol rehabilition organization. They played the game in which anyone was allowed to say anything, true or not, to someone to cause an effect. AN ULTRA-violent cult brainwashed addicts into shaving their heads, and enforced mass sterilizations in "Gestapo-like" demands. [citation needed]. It will produce a new breed of human beings with greatly expanded potentials. Dederich declared they were better than the world and through his experimentation Synanon would lead the human race into the 21st Century. 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. Finally, during the third stage, members both worked and lived outside of the community, but still attended regular meetings. 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. Skip to content It's Time for Morning Meeting Sharing our Synanon Stories Menu About Stories Contact Kids Places Faces Philosophy The End Early Days Work Play 'imperial marines 1978' Leave a Reply Cancel reply (Deposition of Charles Dederich, Morantz vs. Dederich; Morantz vs. Synanon, IRS vs. (Reynolds memo, People vs. Dederich; IRS vs. Synanon). [7], Dederich eventually changed his way of thinking about Synanon and transformed it into something resembling a human progressive group. Synanon struggled to survive without its leader but with a severely tarnished reputation. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. We will make the rules. Upon Synanons disobedience, 13 police vehicles surrounded the building and drew their weapons. Synanon emphasized tough love and a cold turkey approach to rehabilitation for substance abusers. Each person stripped and put on white robes. 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.). He had outsmarted Synanon and its team of lawyers. We will make the rules. A third defendant, Synanon founder Charles Dederich, earlier was put on . Two other Synanon residents, Joe Musico and Lance Kenton (son of the musician Stan Kenton) were also arrested and pleaded "no contest" to charges of assault and conspiracy to commit murder. It was also there that a luxurious complex known as the Homeplace was being constructed. She has not been seen or heard from since. In its 21-year history, Synanon's reputation has seesawed from selflessly charitable to kooky and even depraved Dederich founded the group in Los Angeles in 1958, after "trying to take control of his Alcoholics Anonymous chapter and failing." Mitchell related. (Dave Mitchell, Light on Synanon; Dave Gerstel, Paradise Inc.; Marin County crime report on Cardineau beating.). Teeth were knocked out. Lance Kenton was sentenced to a year in prison. The founder, Charles Dederich, a recovering alcoholic. Following this broadcast, several executives of the NBC network and its corporate chairman allegedly received hundreds of threats from Synanon members and supporters. 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. A drunken Dederich was arrested on December 2 in Lake Havesu. Hollywood Park: A Memoir, by Mikel Jollett (founder of The Airborne Toxic Event) was published in May 2020 and describes Jollett's life in, and escape from Synanon. Men were given forced vasectomies, and a few pregnant women were forced to have abortions. The imprisonment made Dederich a public martyr. For the film, see, Synanon's influence in the behavior-modification field. In June of l978 Ernestine White, a black grandmother was trying to get her three grand kids out. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Yes, it saved my life and I do not regret being there. These lawsuits ultimately turned out to be a large part of Synanon's undoing, by giving journalists access to Synanon's own internal documents. Dederich refused all suggestions. IMPERIAL MARINES, AND DOPE FIENDS by George Pendle, Cabinet Magazine, Winter 2012-2013 . (People vs. Dederich, Synanon memos on incident). Synanon is a US-founded social organization created by Charles E. "Chuck" Dederich Sr. in 1958 in Santa Monica, California, United States. (Dederich, Act as If). In 1962 Dederich moved to an empty National Guard building on the beach in Santa Monica. A horrifying newsreel from 1978 shows a frightened young woman telling a reporter that she fled after being punched and beaten as a child, and she saw many other kids being assaulted. (Synanon board minutesJady Dederich, Wendall Stamps Imperial Marine diary, People vs. Dederich, IRS vs, Synanon). Morantz did and the bill was defeated by one vote. A Shepherd led them through candle-lit and incense-burning corridors to a locker room filled with rows of Army cots with name cards. These changes led Synanon to its then certain fate. It no longer obeyed zoning rules, sympathetic donations reheated and Synanon soon became Santa Monicas largest land owner. They weren't welcomed. [20], Entrance into the Synanon community required a strong initial commitment. [7] A state Grand Jury in Marin County issued a scathing report in 1978 that attacked Synanon for the very strong evidence of its child abuse, and also for the monetary profits that flowed to Dederich. put my Synanon evidence books on the kitchen counter", when he noticed "something dark and elongated through the grill of my mail chute". By 1991 the community had essentially folded. These are real threats", he snarled. In 1974 Synanon declared itself a religion and centered on middle-class searching for utopia rather than addict curing. 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). Synanon Holy War file memos on beating). Web. 40 years ago, Synanon, a cult with a violent past, moved into Havasu. Recovering alcoholic Charles 'Chuck' Dederich founded Synanon in 1958 to provide substance abuse reform to drug users as well as alcoholics in Santa Monica, California. 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. Dederich was arrested while drunk on December 2, 1978. Dederich called it an insight producing experience. [31] NBC continued with a series of reports on the Synanon situation on the NBC Nightly News. By the early 1960s it had become an alternative community as well, attracting people with its emphasis on living a self-examined life, as aided by group truth-telling sessions known as the "Synanon Game." According to court records, the cult formed a militant branch, known as the "Imperial Marines," to inflict violence against opponents of the organization. The Guides, all experienced game players, turned each group from enthusiasm to a depression and defeat, wallowing in its collective shame. According to court records, the cult formed a militant branch, known as the Imperial Marines, to inflict violence against opponents of the organization. He recalled: "Chuck Dederich walked in, and he said 'I'm tired of these guys coming in this place. Some Trippers began to hallucinate, Dederich having achieved his LSD replicated altered state of consciousness. [16] You will learn more about yourself, your fellow man, the world, the nature of reality in one weekend than you would in four years. Synanon sought religious status in 1974, with Diedrich as its leader. The influence and culture of the Synanon organization, which was founded by Charles Dederich Sr., started as a drug rehabilitation program in the late 1950's. . The new drug rehabs that came afterwards followed the advice of Dr. Dan Casriel who wrote the first book on Synanon. Though local newspapers and broadcast media covered the case, they were largely silenced by lawsuits from Synanon lawyers charging libel. The group said that was a lie, and denied kids were being held prisoner. 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. He remarried, but alcohol did in that marriage, too. Did Synanon betray me an wound me? TIL In 1978, a dangerous cult called Synanon tried to murder an opponent by placing an de-rattled rattlesnake in his mailbox. (Berkeley Gazette l978, Mitchell, Light on Synanon). Children were reared communally in the Synanon School. The tax assessment due to the violence conspiracy led the properties to be confiscated and/or sold. [19] Robert Altman hired members of Synanon to be extras for the gambling scenes in his movie California Split. Physically Dead. Morantzs name was mentioned in the tape along with threats to get the wives and children of adverse lawyers. Through dissipation, or long hours of activity without very much sleep, we hope to bring about in you a conscious state of inebriation we want to get you loaded without acid. [43], Straight Life: The Story of Art Pepper includes several chapters (21 - 23) about living at Synanon from 1969 - 1971.[44]. The broken joined the attack. On the wall was a lifesaver called the U.S. As a rule, Synanon wasn't a violent place while my dad was there, but over time, Dederich grew crueler and more deranged. The Imperial Marines was Synanon's private fighting force, trained inside the organization and heavily armed. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Sternberg, David. By BRANDON MESSICK Bmessick@havasunews.com Dec 9, 2018 Updated Aug 21, 2022 2 Stay Informed.. (IRS vs. Synanon). He was found passed out on a kitchen floor and was told, "Fatso," if you . 81.169.224.1 Morantz's website says that babies were taken from their parents and raised in the so-called hatchery., Moms who wanted to spend time with their own kids were callously dubbed head suckers.. 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 officially declared it a Holy War. (Dederich letter to Mike Garrett, Synanon Holy War file, 1978 Board minutes of SynanonJady Dederich, Morantz vs Synanon, IRS vs. Synanon. The program was based on testimony of fellow group members about their tribulations and urges of relapsing, and their journeys to recovery. The game was a session during which one member would talk about themselves and then endure intense criticism by their peers. When all were exhausted Dederich returned and offered forgiveness for surrender. (Synanon Punk Squad Files; Deposition of Synanon school master, Morantz vs. Synanon, IRS vs. Synanon), Dederich was ahead of times in ordering aerobics, running, diets and non smoking. decided to create his own program to respond to their needs. Newcomers were first interviewed by Synanon leadership to gain entrance into the community. This made him a public hero and Governor Edmund Brown, Sr. signed a save Synanon bill giving Synanon an exemption from Health licensing laws. Males were forced in games to have vasectomies performed by Synanon doctors, and a few pregnant women were even required to have an abortion. He wasn't wearing his contact lenses, so wandered over to inspect the "mystery" object, assuming it was a scarf. 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). Synanon began as an addiction support group that gathered in a grimy Californian flat in the late 1950s. Synanon was a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center and movement-turned-cult in California that existed from 1958 to 1991. Children who had been assigned to Synanon began running away, and an "underground railroad" had been created in the area that sought to help them return to their parents. 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