In Search of a Straight Line: A Crooked Route to the American Dream

By Stephen Peterson

The true life story of Stephen Peterson provided in order let the world know what really happened from 1985 to 2013.

This will expose the false stories as have been put on the Internet by the associates, and especially attornies, of underworld persons that have been arrested and have died in Prison or are now serving life sentences.

The demise of the underworld group is the result of Stephen Peterson having his life on the to see that justice was done.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 13, 2015
• ISBN: 9781503539020

Stephen Peterson

Stephen C. Peterson has lived a real life of what would seem to be a story right out of a movie. He never intended being an author or running for his life. He intended to live the American Dream with the love of his life, Mary. He’s been in the ministry full-time, he’s been a businessman, and he’s been a fugitive. People have been duped and murdered throughout his chase of a lifetime, and now all the twists and turns that interfered with his attempt at a straight line have been conquered. Today, Mr. Peterson is a seventy-three-year-old retired business executive who loves God and his darling wife, Mary. They were able to build a multimillion-dollar corporation that stands today. He and his wife have been a living example of how the American Dream is achievable even if you have a few crooked roads getting there.

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Copyright © 2015 by Stephen Peterson.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2015901368

ISBN:      Hardcover      978-1-5035-3903-7

                Softcover       978-1-5035-3904-4

                eBook            978-1-5035-3902-0

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 01/26/2015

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CONTENTS

Chapter 1 A Straight Line

Chapter 2 The Setup

Chapter 3 The Big Time

Chapter 4 A Huge Red Flag

Chapter 5 Only in the Movies

Chapter 6 On the Run

Chapter 7 Jailbirds Don’t Fly

Chapter 8 Damning Testimony

Chapter 9 Father John and Innocent Sam

Chapter 10 You’ll Never Overcome

Chapter 11 Pulling the Line Straight

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my loving wife of over fifty-one years, Mary.

PREFACE

In Search of a Straight Line

T HIS BOOK IS the true life story of Stephen C. Peterson, provided to let the world know what really happened from 1985 to 2013.

These encounters will expose the false stories that had been put on the Internet by the associates, especially attorneys, of the underworld that had been arrested and died.

The demise of the underworld group is the result of Stephen Peterson’s life on the run to see that justice was served.

CHAPTER 1

A Straight Line

T HE AMERICAN DREAM—THAT was my quest, my goal, my obsession. In some ways, it still is, but I’m wiser now. Or am I jaded? In the early 1980s, I believed I was headed straight for success, with no detours in sight.

I was wrong.

There were so many detours.

My name is Stephen C. Peterson. Actually, let me be more specific. In 1983 my name was Stephen C. Peterson, and today, that is my name again. I’ve had several aliases in between, all of them ominous signposts on a twisted path. I’ve been Steve DePietro, Steve Martino, Charles Pederson, Charles Colapietro, Charles Capilano, Steve Romano, Steve Colapietro, Tony Roma, and Steve Chase. I’ve been labeled a victim and a con man, a criminal and an innocent, the hunter and the prey. I have lived in fear of my life for nearly twenty-six years.

Then, I was an average guy striving for the American Dream.

Now I’m a convicted criminal still in search of a straight line.

Then, I firmly believed my dreams would come true.

Now I’m not so sure.

I want to rewind the tape and go back to the place where the road started to veer into the wilderness. I need to go back. I’m not sure why. Do I need to explain? Do I wish to confirm what really happened? I don’t know. I need to relive it. Maybe if I retrace my steps I will find that straight line again.

It was 1983. I was living a comfortable life in Southern Florida, and business was booming. I owned a successful portrait photography business, and I believed the sky was the limit for expansion. Strip malls and department stores had plenty of room for our venture, and they were inviting us to take root in their vacant spaces. All we needed was one or two additional investors.

One of the most popular movies of 1983 was Scarface. The tagline in the movie trailer taunted the audience:

He loved the American Dream … with a vengeance.

Al Pacino portrays a Cuban immigrant who captures success by taking over a drug empire. Very little is left to the imagination in this film. It is a rough and bloody story played out in gory detail on the big screen.

Much of the plot takes place on the sweltering, humid streets of