Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Black Tuna Diaries
    The Black Tuna Diaries
    The Black Tuna Diaries
    Ebook452 pages11 hours

    The Black Tuna Diaries

    By Robert Platshorn

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    This is a true account of the life of America's most written about marijuana smuggler. Between the accounts of his smuggling adventures, Robert tells his life story. Life as a member of "The South St. Gang", his years as an actor, a famous pitchman, a successful entrepreneur in America and England, Bull Fighter in Spain, TV producer, smuggling pilot, big game fisherman, and the celebrities and villains he met along the way. The last section of the book deals with his twenty-nine years in federal prisons. From the infamous Super-Max at Marion Illinois to Camp Fed in Florida, he takes the reader on a tour of the federal prison system and introduces him to the convicts.

    On May 1, 1979 President Jimmy Carter's Attorney General, Griffin Bell, called a press conference in the nation's capital to announce the arrest and indictment of the Black Tunas. A gang of marijuana smugglers led by Robert Platshorn and his two partners Robby Meinster and Big Gene Myers. Bell called the Tunas the "slickest, most sophisticated pot smugglers of the 70's." He told the gathered reporters that the Tunas used a fleet of aircraft, and five yachts, to smuggle over a half-million pounds of Columbian marijuana into the United States in a six month period. Later, the DEA would claim the Tunas brought in anywhere from one million to three million pounds of high-grade grass and made over three hundred million dollars.

    Twenty nine years later, the official DEA website still has a picture of the gold medallion they claim Black Tuna gang members wore as "a talisman and symbol of their membership in this smuggling group." They do not mention that no trace was ever found of the fleet of aircraft, the five yachts, or any fraction of the alleged three hundred million dollars. Now, after twenty-nine years in federal prison, Robert Platshorn, better known as The Black Tuna, breaks his silence and tells the true story of Americas' longest serving marijuana prisoner. From his first toke to his last ton, Platshorn accounts for every pound, every penny, every plane and every yacht, including a few that the government never knew about.

    Meet the Black Tunas: Robby, Bobby, Big Gene and Chip's Army. The pilots: Captain Rivers ex CIA, El Gigante former NFL player, Captain Beercan famous soldier of fortune, Reverend Birchinal who could fly anything with wings, and Stealing Steve. The Mariners: Captains Randy, Crunch, Tico, and Elm. Their crews, Barry the Stoner, Marty, and the Outlaws.

    The South Street Gang: Robby, Bobby, Cooky Baumholtz, Pretty Boy Levine, Tony Ordile, Alfred and Pedro.

    The Colombians: Raul Davila, El Loco, Julio, Chino, Johnny, Roger the Dodger, Louis the Louse and the Colombian Army, Navy, and Secret Police.

    The Other Important Characters: Marcy the Yenta, Redd Foxx, Frank Sinatra, Donald Trump, Baron Rothschild, Red Dillon, Sunny Franchise, Joe Louis, The Queen of England, Prince Charles, Lynn Redgrave, Sir John Drage, Sir Donald Duck (for real), Astrid the Jewitch, Baron Von Putlich, The Rolling Stones, Ahmed Boob, Archie Morris the king of the Boardwalk, Celebrity Chef and Master Pitchman Jerry Crowley, Footy, Benny the Bed Shaker, the Mad Swede, Scratch, and the Colombo brothers

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRobert Platshorn
    Release dateJan 11, 2013
    ISBN9780615287805
    The Black Tuna Diaries
    Author

    Robert Platshorn

    Robert Platshorn Author Speaker Activist Famous Pitchman Founder of The Silver Tour Robert Platshorn, author of Black Tuna Diaries and America's longest (30 yrs) imprisoned non-violent marijuana offender. Raised on South St. in downtown Philadelphia, acting ambitions earned him a supporting role in a successful off Broadway play while still in high school. The same skill led to Robert becoming one of America's most famous pitchmen. The late Billy Mays called him “A legend in the pitch business”. Seen for years on TV, at fairs, and shows selling Vita Mix, frozen food knives, and gadgets. Robert studied communications at University of Miami. At twenty-four he moved to London to found Dynamic Reading Institutes. Starting with a rented classroom,within three years there were fourteen schools in three countries and his teachers giving classes at Oxford,Cambridge, London University and the House of Lords. On his return to the U.S he started the Ice Cream Factory. Using a unique pushcart he invented, he became the second largest distributor of Breyers ice cream. He moved back to Miami in 1975 to attend Law School. Miami in the 70's, was the center of the Colombian pot trade. Robert turned his business acumen to the mission of smuggling Colombian cannabis. Attorney general Griffin Bell named Robert's organization the Black Tuna Gang and alleged they were responsible for most of the marijuana crossing the Florida coast. In 1979, a year after quitting the smuggling business, he was indicted, convicted and sentenced to 64 years in federal prison. He was released in late 2008 after serving almost 30 years in eleven different prisons. Robert lives in Florida with his wife Lynne. He founded The Silver Tour (www.thesilvertour.org) called the “secret weapon for legalization”, to teach seniors the benefits of medical marijuana. He has appeared at Universities, Concerts, benefits, Expos and in the media to promote the cause. His story was featured in High Times, The New York Times, CNN, News Week, The Wall St Journal, Time, and many other national and international media outlets. His writing has been seen in The New York Times, High Times and various publications. “Bobby Tuna” is featured in “Square Grouper” the hit documentary on Show Time from rakontur, producers of Cocaine Cowboys, and the ESPN hit film, “The U.” He is currently producing a half hour show for commercial TV titled, “Should Grandma Smoke Pot?” Contact: Robert Platshorn-email tunaville@yahoo.com Phone 954-773-6967

    Related to The Black Tuna Diaries

    Related ebooks

    Biography & Memoir For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      The Flavors Of France

      May 8, 2020

      The Flavors Of France
      4 min read

    • Article

      The Unforgotten: On Michael W. Twitty’s ‘The Cooking Gene’

      Mar 14, 2018

      When the first recipe appears on page 24 of The Cooking Gene, it arrives as a kind of unmerited gift, a gratuitous offering to us, the community of readers. It’s a simple recipe for “Kitchen Pepper,” but it is as if Michael W. Twitty is giving away s

      12 min read

    • Article

      Paso Robles Appellation Education

      Jul 19, 2022

      Paso Robles Appellation Education
      8 min read

    • Article

      Kindred Souls

      Jul 19, 2021

      Rick Bragg writing about a stray that changed his life for the better? I’m in. The G&G contributor’s new book, The Speckled Beauty: A Dog and His People, Lost and Found, dives into his relationship with Speck, who appeared when the world was throwing

      1 min read

    • Article

      Kimchi

      Jul 16, 2020

      Kimchi
      2 min read

    • Article

      Japanese Pantry

      May 23, 2021

      Japanese Pantry
      1 min read

    • Article

      Burgundy's Existential Challenge

      Mar 15, 2022

      Burgundy's Existential Challenge
      6 min read

    • Article

      Refusenik

      Jan 1, 2021

      I was promised a girl held her glossy image, shatterable, ice skating on a Soviet pond. I’d never seen snow but for the cut out paper flakes hung in school hallways. I only knew rain as intermittent confusion. Los Angeles in the ’80s. We set fire to

      7 min read

    • Article

      Losing The Plot

      Jun 19, 2022

      Our bathroom had dark-blue wallpaper with birds and flowers on it, like the wallpaper in an English country house. The paintwork was putty-coloured, with a putty-coloured bath shelf that Dad had built for Mum. As well as room for Mum’s mug of Nescafé

      9 min read

    • Article

      Too Much Seinfeld

      Nov 30, 2017

      Too Much Seinfeld
      8 min read

    • Article

      Last Orders

      Jul 28, 2021

      Last Orders
      5 min read

    • Article

      The best bad things

      Sep 29, 2020

      The best bad things
      12 min read

    • Article

      Gringo Honeymoon

      May 17, 2021

      Gringo Honeymoon
      5 min read

    • Article

      My Old Kentucky Store

      Sep 12, 2019

      My Old Kentucky Store
      5 min read

    • Article

      Gringo Honeymoon

      May 17, 2021

      Gringo Honeymoon
      5 min read

    • Article

      Locals

      Jun 11, 2021

      Locals
      26 min read

    • Article

      Speedboat

      Mar 24, 2022

      Nobody died that year. Nobody prospered. There were no births or marriages. Seventeen reverent satires were written – disrupting a cliché and, presumably, creating a genre. That was a dream, of course, but many of the most important things, I fi nd,

      14 min read

    • Article

      Woman About Town

      Jul 28, 2022

      Woman About Town
      5 min read

    • Article

      My Brief (Doomed) Surfing Days

      Jul 27, 2017

      My Brief (Doomed) Surfing Days
      13 min read

    • Article

      Ghost Girl, Banana

      Aug 21, 2023

      By the time I was 25, there were only two things I remembered about Mumma. The first was that she smelled of watermelons, the second was that we were happy. We’d taken our father’s name of course, but a name is only half a story. The other half exist

      6 min read

    • Article

      Ineffectual Tribute to Len

      Mar 15, 2019

      After graduate school I hung around another year and drove a cab for Iowa City Yellow Cab. The cab was a boat, a Chevrolet Caprice wagon. I could have put a mattress in the back and lived in it. I didn’t hate the job. I’d sit in the Kroger parking lo

      24 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Black Tuna Diaries

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      The Black Tuna Diaries - Robert Platshorn

      cbook_preview_excerpt.html}ےF䯀c˘J$%ej#XQ59M}"3%K%O8߲_~NUԮY[X "ŏ ;|w4C8Nq(1Lb{.^C틷ϡ*?WpXvi,CPlP%~>j)3B7w\.vW8Ģicʲwš?7EӏS+N=WՍZ]a0w&uWX9Lx?Q] n77Xq諊WŶaRU '=ջ~hƇq3cz㖸LG<&\8n*˾G-n&4>~CW=>CI@ &`[XP B%;߾|86bW^CpO4ʁ:QbyhL9ӆ[=E}Fs>ԃb\3X74^I.ȫE%jU痊_^\psiz\[\V+y *V EgݺԜ]?Qgb%ģo߿;w_r N6s(Dq:.KOat苶`"DxzU]A|~řkyg?ng?!B|]ޅM?BH6..yǰasDglTw')mT\([h7[+p`}7=E6vo7cV[i5GZ2m)l:ѷ`;礄X(e j4a$A5.+>a+*OTx0N-Q?T/"E<*epNL}?`:[\&l=ChX+-Ft jq@#( wya5YYn*, ij LQj45φ8]>bSbcG D~{91Yg%q Irpn US.? G06ꔉUe}?1\ٞi8s&Xf]6\iTWHU'-ǶYqN.rC[X><O }t,tm]Yp%~ g '[fnCV-c=VŹ XJ XtWM??F~?#6D.WoP}[]@qG{S0XJ w]/5\.U`=֐xkS|-o{3}qbɝ:wfLtwx0lOK%ol/pC}>799g7'v]}M3C;5әfbcq[Wron9c̎{wYvN&^;}Gv%jܙpW0qv;( y2g='+E|ƅȅMq\}xYJg:fG$Z|3]v^>A0f.O9IUBBj&Hb*S t8B}V\5o μǍ+q۲hJdox"ܫǃ:NƳ.a’߸T}x#xu>n\6qYx?PsgjUN 70vS;NH8P,M=ohZB"JFj=Kf?6Dp wf]*`kCM憻ds]BcV0#C(r:I$7I'a#N}a޶vxnbF?L?9R6݆3g2vH[-MXV4X"uz``Ol];6!5PNW8bIxi6+ T`OB9z8cB0GCZHI%[jw`cX3–D8'/O 6sk4ĿA9-m7O(G"2h(/0@gcԝ[.Tw^0hCO"J!дбw'C!ʏLݻ:dy"#i?d$:i&7"nRSv[츢eɁw5m=4 T@H|L̨عeJ{xa[|"4Q('_;mUvx6a ӈ=ℒbV.%G HLmۆ8G)b:./5O*v8T԰Sw_uAAE66ź#9\  ro%+CJnIWQր-dhRLA2L4<\@UNŌqcMp ELxUOjat-w]Z~h?qʞ^ͪ7 P>YUp2 !̃eJn\pKȯum-]Ew%GY̪߭$Of47,Q+.ٶ%_J "/ );92Bk(MLJ̗v !q̨~Аd۝kL`"pHq4탐;k 05sfM7E("C9Y٨\tyi8_ [? c4 MGR,l?##;P N:Z*Sݭ=b{/>21ހDM2y+8/"3hYބ6&t0/Qk^G溸nq'KMKаek*X@mtVx!ֲD"z|/tew2`i48ZZlGe9*tg~IC=͏l$.y@~"Fڎ!Yv$qf>٧ ubx0_P_;3.wLk:ܖFuK7>*69-%^o*ЌEFOFS dOFEZ7Lso6Ih 0Вѿ.75c ZLţ-VƎW_n4,g0yD%$T]}_/~}#{Y׊^?Bɍ[$08+lry8aOD}¶} t ThA.Y\sOu!3(8ŹlF~BQI>˟v2:mp@Q/=No{%Vy7us XbZ)<~ ;>L-̀` ;J sW\h:T}jQ/WLTܛLW"2׀m*|+ ;pw}g޸n<Q˰t0xy#`)!7i)rtܽe,/Bu7}j-_)4Fƨ,& ԂN Ͱ$"^ t͚xa^>Zxq,e( !" EE!E0\%Tj7VL@'cPw)8_n+.gK?8g1a[ **2p+;{s쀓\g)ГgJW{A +pqe"*\:?m)Qnq C[3y*=»?%"=lV * +FL=rJFNX\{N pb=fr[lHRoÔ%\h٤)dq 8= Ȣ‘E@ .PFl~{ \],%-mgdYI`:9=OKOw rE`P.?6#I)2|J)16HT}gt)?0黕5|Q4^VzƓ-~G ӕl#fY,Kfwd-!|L9bFl1c: ի9pQ ۯIPezfp{D;ך>1 3"6j0RQJfmE?}c-?ҿO^;1>&*S9eOl)F1d̺ʺ=!*I^~όTC9l6SlQYABQuzu "[JC*!iR ;Bh1*[:C`}B3ZBb@RrS*M)Iw5e=]a!hT*܊ɿ]%&ayJlKQ1΀ XL_=+W+ 99(aGOo(}~1rmLdkб=.EY.kzŏsC]1_PmO|榈C\au5N,OUŦc|tSTOx 裛&сʭ#˥N o3Cawă1Pe,>Ln,mps^Z|H=?~bշaD(Gla=2;!YIMg  8lnt8CPjvVgaGl :ϣ\3m$߱AZ1%+S,>-g\UPMQD=<;c0/I.\'fg,ڳB8h{ݥ&.pW{" G6E -sҬM2…xzQK2{ʘĭjKs@j77EF7+7o[;t h#bu)4sJ`u\=f}wVE0w3x"fͺ&$4snU2C&K2Y_Ʀ /^VM58,8 ŗԑBL?UPJeMn-:XD"h4g{vnݖ b ^=0f3ksn$N5}C Ri}:1rVcJpaTH[SFZ}CD*2+)! iYծҀD a#^ s 1&ukf礴=rgfT<@Dd'2t?UfJ78C)WqQt^nIDմZUx028;Gm8TT<~ hLqHZbAbG]SE{Żz !T1Ok?EQw߱bqE8 {**KE l~KVwc%L <2[$jcU"s!E=3gNG^5.+\6NUŲQ۟szUҬT  VK\c`9n"AزD=jiU崅m L^٘T(P&KtЗ$I\x0%Yh+'eاGYD9Vid^a/sUJ`0*(VU=>v\ݫ On0/ꩾJʙ ɿ12CGnيzbHq["͒{mE!2 Rz*v3[zNdh69bmq B2F5C&B;_$XIBHLR}>fEVae#~^$k̘9xe}RLKؽa8gf\ M!?9c®dٝIJ < !ϭ-  }u1CT5'dKE+yQ@.#4ǒ%6XGYJ,T Ք̽$/LKH~tJNL}Q9U1Sc!M0qG ¡kҕDdĶE[eDD&*|MCsTo "/@ma0T}_e߼#sEADkk]p\aBUՓX0HXVp9L垫Kf\[8y!Wc*<ն¬[qV #u.5op]h+;qxskwZKVCBZ/k0@lMSk YQɩL);"OYx^KDoxQ)ZD0#i8+81}IjYAxˑXX8z%2BN}y!%aoټPZV&pȢ/>Kvn4ZogJS~2}wYb쬍82DT<@C,Q/pVtpNacX^IkŖFW( :vE+O'Q3WؐSYƥ4J 2#Vjכz̋rIɛ13Z&j ӘtbŒ"fMwKV±Ҧx䍊!ZpN-޻3@#K B/% YP|6e {|l~6IwGH|!熜@oznV[06(9,[lVgԴ墱#TVH *c_/`sK^?dg/(X[q>g- bAđޱ(lAUl3`­r<6sAbEܖ)Vj>8龨j)m:|g٪Z}LS `Umo뎫Bse-E" pz/t`\Qmf74wlL3IiMMnrt#y/{j ,3)#łG%NwmHce9#n!SF3鼡;I}1>T KOesQܣ< hIӭB^t:gr?;d!U+o6fПܧ[6m{ 1lImqC*?=)HbAeeoV\󜺋%^h@Bh1uI97IV^#$_2LF\'Ux,$X<7q \駤,2>dW :os*}T]ocB2?vf[&9C@K nsݯJf/./y GVHtA#;/ZVXTd,Λ<ȮWuQ/-)Ҩ 4[oENISAeˬxCԨy`\Q.6GZA24DJf?&oSƺQ hK]+ujlS.qm^r# G4j40]dikᚍbM՝ X*K/i5^rE(J Fzo!4,Q! Js M~̈́xyOcS !*a}@h}. Gr{t` :;=mɠQ(| z-[8:eJVIW¤z}:VLxf%դ4&,i, P=,`D/Poϡ5>.I `U={N c\Ϥ&&m!н67¦쨂 g[]WqWX< ]uS$s '^tKF=lL)KA!gjUnF[ ༖qB{7{_YP\)e9-39 Ç{hjj9YPf< 1;{ں箦!i.ܲ2~gA^?1IM7B,B=$SihiRmg |=7D]4`+f%e޻7 u=-:6 ܫz6F0EQק VY^QbiST ᨭޝ~b$Mr0mUr#45*6y̩sO}G%Q|,̪(iTMa:l9…7ZdfŔHdva$sP=c&_VzM-߻6%.Ck6qbGR1t H劤u..Bη{- Ռm8ܤHٮU93`]gSrkq trA=rÔy5&<5Ot sO|g+Ͳ|p#?z9)r{+\!)Ps߹W:{le?M^'Y(^Tj d<6XTn,вjF|n֟gAq#kS7f ;UF#q8.!;=X&8fJP\ AЊ<՝؜׾`vk1*Qc&SBZ_ ѰRSR 7 ]y"uTj^ӄlO0q\ \J_h12 !؅ɪ /85( >g1s6 8l(gX! \J?C}>W223ݒiUTy'4J왟SَpN}SEít*k2y$ή˜ E} iEk^YҠ"4{=j#2N-2ϸe;\yCS :biZX:L qq dSl}FlcY9υQ2{jg2YQHHbabb4-i՛H?DWsqYobw<{2&IISN*7zOؑ<:! 'ϮPrOPI>ѩ&éW7&nY6L(tZKxcpJsR0\O5j[:{iQv:/}hxfKqj89xr' [org5>OC_+OwnLa}83ԉs@2QEt&ƼDErՄOg Z_Dcua{qר'[ QS7]y-|U!G& ia,gC+&d y+c8y$ĴZq]sLcɚi5>$z:$* kV0DFU{zD3|Z#w7j}k63}OG#CcchNT"wx(-З#(!z6QReoet4^)oThS X*eR%4Mapao3#{eQ g7ݺ6 p}Fqܢ|C>W1UxMM*ī=:Cμ&j̩] ScO=LY*k %A!j&V;%UŌҪ:r9[8LY}xdkb3FNjȼXlCsz2K6 9<,KԚ/m l*[076C5aM3܂6.k[ԫ5Mk"(ICb#h/0{~P}5tr6Α! {Y&<(JWG[ Z}s?-笍BtMD؋:< '5L,Ij\+*re`32j1^nYL+9a;7oxyרJ5m,Sjҵ7oE\ -kozMw>9\ XL!h¢g2^ݘWauC0ئKvX}x/U l!sS+xtJldLm!bS!l:!  #zuyqCkIԣbryCz=NzSlm2?q %]h5˒N}j1YêKrxmڰt%r6<:\ܡ.̝3:/ZPnT-O\҈;uË4UIU-+%E&%K~/)شce+h[Uz~J{95r#EٰodI GhIG{ZPK1 u<b{VSĊ}Šg_i5a/ *,8_2}an5?yɰi~`sN6| Ʀ:DixtP[)0!2,2vTw+Wa݄{Zz1&ӌg W~q? ݝ.vT5sAX[T/]qS]snOwC zy~O4>\ V&!A~/{a^tvo,j˶M8| ƾ+S[H61rB=^Bڇޥ2ݘe (Q}z/yFy)xz Sn}6ͫpu1,ԥO1w9^Z+fWzj4[*żJ>eL@t\\~2eH(yo~˹h,6MpSlřCMg6)]jg#A| .3U%g 0.56ޑWirA(_$Q6v`A<>)'vlUo'v!ayWq?)3uUdw/^1Z*g9;∖*7(仿ܺ#6e5fqޥ>ǜ u$] c֬ 5[dt!JN뗓WSȞqkR&|nKZ DUWXm:6gũtu_*~zU篝.T P]I%L1pJ]YwB6"[D.U-vi|Vžf.}VNMwP{Wv}hNwŗ+k+ѝ&\e"| Bבd:ǕD]iIb&fp)_[+/⩍e\Eo};Mށ&VvmݫK&_yq!cw/E_V9{:ރp/A8rܖ^mيviخڲ Yש$ӳi2{y *׶0rr{XGziI!n㞯G6t|tfyb$vKb<_2:Gr.v;9t Zj*_hm玬 ɔVsHJ}ǶBL+:]2P35#X(MS?yiV|K&R""Ny0G}5ˁu2"K}KnA\CN^ηӿg{hZaTW9'r'EkIBt٫S/Onft(?:TafM_܊/PeR$o]-}~X^LHɟcT Q<'_?[nIb+s[OQ+OޏSrIvuWk/,GoMQ̉Gaiݏ 5Qm1V}D䠎eD[zn%Eˊ (7-~W+M]R䪬4I$1u#~C^rI +ݩq~Зo"/"5o;^}m+Oo'uz
      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1