If you’ve got a long memory, you may recall that Iris Odonata — daughter of Joe Memoli, Made Man — once asked for a few points about him I once wrote be corrected. No sweat. Happy to do it.
She made the ask in 2014. I got around to it the next year. In 2020 Larry Belling came across the post on Memoli and sent in his own memoirs of the man.
And Iris just noticed those, and sends in the following info for the unfolding saga:
greetings don:
was just made aware that in 2020 you rediscovered info on my father from larry belling.
this delighted me.
there is one small correction i’d like to offer, if you decide it’s warranted.
my father was never in san quentin. when he was busted for the counterfeiting ring in 1963, he reported to southern california’s san pedro correctional institution on the day after lee harvey oswald was shot by jack ruby. i know this because i was sitting on the floor next to him while we watched events unfold live on tv.
after an altercation at san pedro, dad was transferred to the federal prison in walla walla, washington.
he returned to oakland in 1967.
as for the SFO Heliport attempted robbery in November 1970, which occurred on thanksgiving, dad, smitty and the others were acquitted. they proved entrapment by police. i was in the courtroom with my sister when the verdict came in.
also, when john delorean was on trial, his attys consulted with my father’s attys, and as you know the rest is history.
i imagine you can research this if you are so inclined.
and by the by, i think my dad would have liked you.
if anyone else comes forward with stories, please let me know, and i’ll confirm what i can or kabash errors.
