Chemical Cowboys

by Lisa Sweetingham

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  For Bodie

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Writing Chemical Cowboys was a crazy endeavor that required endlessly coaxing information from people who had no good reason to talk to a reporter. Luckily, just about everyone agreed to talk, and I owe them my deepest thanks and a drink next time I'm in town.

  To start, Chemical Cowboys would have never been possible without the support of New York Field Division's Special Agent in Charge John Gilbride. Gilbride provided key introductions, assured my access to case files, and arranged for guided tours of NYFD facilities. He was an invaluable resource on countless topics that are covered in the book. Most important, he encouraged me to take my time getting to know the agents as human beings. I can't thank him enough for his generosity and his faith in me as a writer.

  The story of how the DEA and law enforcement worldwide came together to take down the Ecstasy trafficking networks would have been a mundane case study if not for Bob Gagne. Gagne's adventures, achievements, and struggles are the heart of the book. His ability to soldier through when others quit is inspiring. Getting him to talk about his family and his feelings was no easy task, but I'm grateful for his courage and his trust in me to tell it right.

  Very special thanks to Matt Germanowski, now a DEA supervisor in Birmingham, Alabama, who shared vivid details about agent life, his casework in New York, and some vintage B-side metal. Germanowski is a true good guy and a good friend.

  Thanks to Jay Flaherty for providing leads to important sources abroad and colorful details about his exciting years working Ecstasy cases.

  Gregg Drews was generous in his assistance and his candor, and he shared important information about Oded Tuito's Pittsburgh connection. His support was invaluable.

  The unfailing Erin McKenzie-Mulvey provided invaluable assistance at every step of the book and I'm ever-grateful for her help.

  DEA's Dan Anderson, Roger Bach, Peter Breslow, Lou Cardinali, Peter Carpanini
, John McKenna, Gary O'Hara, Scott Seeley-Hacker, Jack Toal, John Trustey, and Robert Yoos provided colorful details about the New York Field Division's history, culture, confidential source system, building security, and undercover Ecstasy operations. Edward Manning led me on a private tour of DEA's Northeast Regional Laboratory and let me observe (from a distance, it must be noted) as bench chemists analyzed an Ecstasy sample. Special thanks to Michael Guidetti and Glen Glover for an informative walk-through of the Title III Operations Center and the old listening rooms where Gagne and his partners worked the Ecstasy wires. Thanks to Leonard Lerner, who always made me feel welcome at NYFD, and to James Li, who showed me how to take apart a Glock in three easy steps.

  I am grateful to Irene Gagne and her children, specifically Sherrie, Susan, and Ron, for their hospitality and openness in discussing the challenges and benefits of growing up a Gagne. I wish I could have gone into more detail in the book about what a uniquely supportive clan they are. Pawtucket's finest.

  Steve Hager was an invaluable source for passages dealing with Oded Tuito's New York crew and the reasons why Israelis dominated the Ecstasy trade. Hager kept me honest, and I wish him a life filled with the things he cherishes most: love and family.

  Jackie Suarez graciously shared her insider's perspective and her personal writings to help me better understand her relationship with Oded Tuito and her conflicted feelings about her involvement in his organization. I can't thank Suarez enough for helping me to present him as a human being, and not just a name on a kingpin list. It's been a pleasure getting to know such an intelligent, loyal, and empathic woman.

  In Arlington, Virginia, I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Mary Irene Cooper, chief of congressional and public affairs at DEA headquarters, who green lighted DEA's cooperation with the book, and to the ever-helpful public affairs officer Garrison Courtney for facilitating that process. Steven Robertson and Michael Sanders were generous with their time and provided important information about case law, asset forfeiture, T-III procedures, and DEA's use of confidential sources, as well as a tour of the DEA museum. John McKenna provided me with fascinating details about the Rosenstein case and was a consistent and reliable source on Israeli organized crime.