Operation Odessa: The Wildest International Crime Story
Summary
Matthew Cox recounts his criminal past, starting with a mistaken kidnapping in Berlin that led to an alliance with the Russian mafia. He details his rise in New York’s organized crime scene, including extortion and arson, before fleeing to Miami. There, he built a legitimate painting business and befriended a Gambino captain, illustrating his transition from violent underworld activities to entrepreneurial success.
Topics discussed
Early crime: kidnapping and fleeing to Germany
Apologizing to Russian mobsters and leaving Berlin
Fake papers, asylum, and choosing a new profession
Becoming a dental technician and buying labs in NY
Courtroom story and relationship with a manic woman
Working for 'Cannibal' and Italian mob connections
Extortion, arson, and the window cleaner conflict
Friendship with Frankie Santora and his murder
Moving to Miami, painting, and meeting Bill Seidel
Taking over a strip club and the swinger club mix-up
Helicopter smuggling and suspicious dump truck orders
The secret mission to buy a Soviet submarine
Arrest, 31 counts, and the dream about the Rabbi
The courtroom drama and unexpected acquittal
Deportation to Israel and new life in Miami
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