Comment by jacquesm | Hacker News Reader

Comment by jacquesm | Hacker News Reader

My family had a black sheep, now conveniently dead. One day he showed up at my door with a Mercedes E-class about a year old (an expensive car in nl with all the taxes we have here on vehicles). Why don't I spin back the odometer for him, for a couple of thousand guilders. The car was an ex taxi, they drive a lot of miles in a short time and they look really good so this was their idea of making money the easy way.

I refused the job in the politest way possible and got on with my life and I cut that whole branch of the family tree out of my life.

When I was a kid he'd always show off how much money he had, in the end it cost him the life of his son (killed by another mobster) and his family. I hope the money was worth it to him but I doubt it.

edit: so, I just received a message via email about my 'callousness' with this comment, let me clarify: if you push your wife, son, daughter into crime, get your son killed and attempt to recruit other family members into your crime empire then the world is (much) better off without you.

I have to counter your detractor(s). Your message is calm, to the point, and thought provoking in an almost disconnected way. If anything I would have a hard time with the measure of professionalism you speak of the situation with. In other words, if anyone is to say you are too callous, let ME clarify: you are not callous enough.

If anyone is stupid enough to get involved with such crimes as their selfish money-making empire, I will disrespect them and their choices for good reason. Leave kids out of it, or disrespect should be the mildest form of punishment to be endured, socially or formally. Try to bargain or reason with someone you care about making bad decisions, I'm all about trying to help friend or family, right up until they gamble with someone else's life.

My cousin's husband grew up with a few people that ended up a part of Whitey Bulger's operation. He never directly involved, as far as we knew, but he could make things happen.

One time my Aunt visited him and her daughter in Boston, a good 150 miles away for a week or so. On the last night her car was broken into, driver side window smashed and the stereo was stolen. The son-in-law said he would take care of it if they would stay for another couple of days. My Aunt had had enough of the city and didn't want to stay at all so they went back home as planned.

That night, back home, 150 miles away, the car was "broken into" again. This time, the driver window was replaced and a new stereo was installed.

Over the next couple of weeks a total of 8 car stereos randomly appeared overnight in the driveway, on the front steps or in the mailbox.

When he was younger, and long before I was born, my father used to hang out at a bar in Chicago after work. There was another regular there and eventually, after a few weeks, the two of them started up into friendly conversation and became good acquaintances. My father was running a small business at the time and easily joked about the agony of running a business, the other guy never really talked much about what he did.

One day my father came home, and his wife at the time mentioned that a delivery many had just come by and dropped off an age-appropriate gift for their son (my oldest brother) the day before his birthday.

My father had never mentioned where he lived, that he had a family or a son, his son's age, or birthday.

He never went back to that bar again.

Wow, that's a long play recruitment. Scary as hell.

Maybe the guy was a PI

Some people just can't understand what it's like to have a worthless human being in the family. You don't start out thinking they're worthless, out of callousness - they prove it to you, over and over and over again.

I don't think you sound callousness. Life is too short to commit crimes and spend it in prison, or be killed because of those crimes... and worse than that bring your family into it.

You made the right call.

I know a few things that no one else does, as well as some that others are reluctant to discuss.

A few years ago I dropped a dime to the FBI to request they tap my phone. This led to my iPhone's return less than five minutes after it was stolen.

"Don't lose your iPhone," said the officer, "that's how we're keeping track of you."

I once threatened to murder a Vancouver PD officer when he refused to take my report when I wanted to report a drug informant hit. Hilarity ensued.

For unrelated reasons I am concerned that my days are numbered so tomorrow afternoon Im going to drop by the FBI field station here so I can sing like a bird.

I dont really know but speculate that my uncle died because he decided not to run for office rather than move legislation for Boswell Cotton Corporation. My father's older brother was VP of accounting.

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