“If what you told me holds up, this is a slam dunk. The court will not know what hit them,” responded Ted.
“Okay, let’s get back because the good stuff is about to start,” said Lola.
Ted looked at Lola and realized she was the woman of his dreams if he could get her off and she became an honest lady. ‘I believe after this was over, she would be a new person,’ Ted thought to himself.
"Ted, there is a lot more. Demo and I developed our own network of criminal activity. It did not take long. By the time we were entering college, we had a team assembled that were experts in their special chosen careers. Johnny handled all the merchandize deliveries. Henry was the bookkeeper and accountant. Leroy was the enforcer. Spook was in charge of growing the corn on his twenty-five-acre farm that was used in the making of the corn liquor. Stump was responsible for distributions and management of his clients. Demo and I overlooked the total operation, made adjustments as needed, and kept the law off our backs. All decisions were made by Demo and me. We were the owners and they were the staff. Demo made it quite clear that we were the bosses.
"With Johnny as part of our operation, we were able to add the black market cigarettes. My uncle and aunt started to be concerned about us. All summer during camp, we were selling to the campers and many of the young adults who were college students. Henry was a freshman college student who was a camp counselor. He spoke several languages and was here from France on a student visa. He needed money for college and his off-campus apartment. He was perfect for the organization. Instead of an apartment, we rented him a large, older home consisting of five acres and a basement. This became our headquarters.
“Leroy was the leader of one of the biggest gangs in town. He was excellent in his role because he was good at ruffling people up. Moreover, he also had his own group. This was the management team for our organization. All we needed was a name, the Redds after my grandfather who would have been proud of us,” said Lola.
“How did Demo and you know how to put together a criminal organization of this magnitude? You were just kids, high school kids,” said Ted.
“We had help,” responded Lola.
"When my uncle took custody of us, we moved off his boathouse and into a big home. One day, my brother and I were playing in the basement and ran across some boxes that were labeled: Redd and Nina Harrison, Candee and Buddy, and Frank. We recognized our grandparents’ names but the other names did not mean much. As we opened all the boxes, it was like reliving history. These boxes told the whole story. My grandfather was the narrator. His words were just popping off the pages.
"Someone had put them in order as much as possible by dates beginning in the early 1900s. It was my uncle because he was the lawyer in the family. These boxes had tape recording, journals, diaries, deeds, pictures, and basic notebooks. Their accountant had made an organizational chart listing everyone’s title. His ledger included things like how much money was being collected daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. The records were excellent.
"The pictures were labeled with names, places, and dates. We figured that my grandmother was the picture lady. There was also another set of boxes labeled: Zola’s family, FBI. We decided not to open it, but we needed to know both sides of the family. We were only about twelve at the time but were very aggressive and smart. On every Saturday and Sunday afternoon, we would go to the basement to play. We even had our games set up like we were playing but we were reading every scrap of paper and we also listened to the tapes that were made by the state attorney general’s office about our grandparents and their associates.
“That is when Demo and I decided that it would be more exciting to be criminals than to work in an office from nine to five,” said Lola
“Everything we needed to know was in those boxes. It was a road map of how to become a criminal and be good at it. They were good. But at the end, they died. Well, no one will live forever. Maybe we should all just do what makes us happy. For Demo and me, criminal life is our only life. It makes us happy. Both parents skipped out on us and my wonderful uncle was left to raise us two criminals,” said Lola.
“Have you ever thought about your future of being an honest person or what else you could do to make your life complete and happy?” asked Ted.
“Reading my grandmother’s diary, it was obvious that she was truly in love with my grandfather from the first time they met. She wanted to have a family so badly that she disregarded the doctor’s advice, which was to not get pregnant. Her health was bad, and with her diabetes, it could be fatal. As you know it was. I would like to be in love like that and have a large family. I would like to give something to the community. In college, I majored in science with most of my courses in chemistry. I would like to go back to school and get a PhD in chemistry and open my laboratory someday. At twenty-four, I am still young enough to start over,” said Lola.
“When we get you off from all of these charges, maybe you will have a shot at all your dreams. When did your uncle and aunt finally discover your criminal activities?” asked Ted.
“The summer of us going into our senior year in high school is when it finally hit them in the face. They first discovered that Demo was a juvenile alcoholic. Demo never drank during the week, but on Friday evening, he was ready for action. He would mix moonshine with coke, walking around all night with a glass of coke in his hand. This continued all weekend. Our grades were outstanding in school, which threw them off. Demo had many years of drinking and he was able to drink without getting drunk,” said Lola.
"One Saturday night, Demo and his buddies from the neighborhood went roller-staking in a town about ten miles away. By this time, my uncle had purchased a car for both of us. They were used cars but nice. I had a black Chevy Impala and Demo’s car was a red Ford Crown Victoria convertible. The guys in the town, where the skating rink was located, had sent word to Demo and his friends that they were not welcomed in their town and talking to their girls. Demo believed he was invincible and no one could hurt him or do harm. He had his organization behind him. After skating was over, they had a dance and that is when Demo got a wake-up call.
“Demo was a tall, good-looking black guy. He was a great dancer and he had his booze with him in his coke bottle. His buddies also had booze in a bottle. As the music got good and Demo started showing off this dancing abilities, the girls were lining up and would not dance with no one but Demo. It was Demo’s show, just like old times with his mother,” said Lola.
"The guys from the town started gathering in small groups and were eyeing down the outsiders. One of the leaders came up to Demo and said, ‘You should clear out now while you can go home with both of your eyes.’
"His buddies were not fighters; they wanted to be players. Many of them had never been in a fight. They were Demo’s social friends and best customers. All during the dance, Demo and his friends were the only ones the girls would dance with. If they could not get Demo, they would take one of his friends. After the dance was over and Demo and his buddies were leaving with a few girls, the action started. Demo was in the backseat with his girl and his three buddies were standing outside the car. A local gang with tire irons and baseball bats charged at them. Without much notice, the buddies were on the ground.
"The gang was kicking them and yelling, ‘Go back to Squaresville, you fucking hicks! Leave our girls alone. If you come back, we’ll kill you.’
“They pulled Demo out the car and beat up on him. Next, they smashed up the car. Even the roof was almost missing. The only thing that saved them that night from more torture was that one of the workers at the skating rink called the police. The police took all of them to the hospital. My uncle was called,” said Lola.
"‘Mr. Harrison, this is the Laurence Police Department. We have your nephew here at the police station along with his three friends. They were in a fight with a local gang. They were beaten up very badly but they will survive. We took them to the hospital and got them medical attention. They have many cuts that requir
ed stitches. They were intoxicated and had liquor on them. They need an adult to pick them up or they will have to go to jail. Your nephew’s car was totaled,’ said the officer.
“My uncle called the other boys’ parents and had them to pick up their kids. My uncle was totally shocked; he did not know what to do. He knew, after Demo had stolen his car and wrecked it several years ago, that Demo had some problems but without any other situation over the years, he believed that going to camp that summer cured him,” said Lola.
“Demo looked awful; he had cuts all over his forehead, broken jaw, and bruised ribs. Both of his eyes were shut tight. I almost did not recognize my brother. The car was totaled. It was a pile of junk,” said Lola.
"The next day, my uncle and aunt sat both of us down. ‘Please tell us what is going on. We love you now and forever. We are family and want to help,’ said Uncle Nick.
“Demo and I had already decided to tell the truth, with a few things left out,” said Lola.
"‘We are both alcoholics. If I had been sober and just went to skate and dance, none of this would have happened. Trust me; this will not happen ever again. We want to go to AA for juvenile alcoholics. After last night, I escaped death and don’t want to go down that path again. We have been alcoholics for many years. It all started with our parents and the fact that liquor was always around. When we had a cold, Mom would give us her homemade cough syrup. It was made out of corn liquor. We learned to love it and would steal it whenever we could. They never caught on to us,’ said Demo.
"‘Okay, that’s the plan. When you recover from last night, you two will start your program. I will set it up for you two,’ responded Uncle Nick.
“While Demo was recovering from his night of awareness, I took over the organization. I had a different way of operating. Leroy came to me and wanted to sell drugs in our market. In my grandfather’s papers, it was clear that drugs were prohibited. He believed that they harmed kids, families, and destroyed lives. Demo and I believed the same. I told Leroy that would be his decision and his business because I did not want anything to do with drugs. He started selling the next day,” said Lola.
"In my grandparents’ papers, they had spoken about the different services they offered clients. The gambling and Gentlemen’s Basement were very appealing to me. Many college students needed money for college and this would be a good way to earn it. Many of them were giving it away for free, so now it was time to make it pay off.
“I decided to call it Zola’s Room. There was an outstanding description of the Gentlemen’s Basement. Therefore I coped with Zola’s Room after the Gentlemen’s Basement. The rental house basement was just right for it. I turned the dining room and living room into poker rooms. Poker is very popular on college campuses. I believe where there is a need or want, someone will eventually fill that need. I was the right person,” said Lola.
“It took Demo all summer to recover from his injuries. He would ask me how things were going and I would respond, ‘Just great.’ I wanted to surprise him. Money was never our motivation. We had money. It was power, influence, control, and to grow up and be just like our grandparents. That is what it did for us. The other members of our organization, they needed the money. We never allowed them to know that we were wealthy. Demo and I believed that if they knew, they might resent us,” said Lola.
“Demo recovered just in time to go back to school, for it was our senior year and we wanted to graduate in a dead heat for number-one in our class. Demo was the class president for all four years and I was the vice president for all four years. He was perfect for that job. He was truly a leader. He could have been a leader in any occupation,” said Lola.
"Demo was back to playing football. He was a wide receiver. He never drank while playing, for he wanted to be the best with a great offensive line to work with him. The team was undefeated for three years. The moonshine he sold the defense made them play like animals. In fact, their nickname was ‘The Animals.’
“Just before school started, Demo dropped by the house which was now called Off Campus. Demo’s eyes opened wide as he entered the house. He yelled,”This is wonderful! What a place! Students can come here to relax and have fun without fear of getting locked up. Great name, Off Campus,’ said Demo.
“I’m glad you like it,” responded Lola.
“Did Demo and you stay out of trouble with the law during your senior year?” asked Ted.
“As long as we were going to our AA meeting, we were somewhat okay. I could see some changes in Demo, but I was not able figure it out. He would always speak at AA and tell it all. He had found another place to take over,” said Lola.
"‘My name is Kevin Harrison but my friends call me Demo.’ Demo sounded better than Kevin. It was more fitting for a teenage alcoholic. I have been an alcoholic before I was potty-trained. It started with my mother giving me her homemade cough syrup. I enjoyed faking a cough so that I could get the cough syrup which was made with moonshine. After that, I would just help myself to it when my parents were not around. Later, it got so controlling that I took it to school and drank it in the bathroom during the changing of the classes.
"‘I got caught just once at school. But that did not stop me. Later, I stole my wonderful uncle’s car and destroyed it by running into a house and landing in the front living room. I was drunk. I was a drunk. I believe God was on my side, for I should have been dead with all that alcohol in my system in all those young years. Maybe God is saving me for something bigger. Who knows? I am still alive and well. Let’s end my talk with Amazing Grace,’ said Demo.
"I said to Demo, ‘Are you a fake, faking this entire AA stuff or are you playing it straight?’
"‘I am not sure. The words just come out of my mouth,’ said Demo.
“It was at that moment that I knew Demo would not be a criminal all his life. This was just getting ready for something bigger. What, when, where, and how he would change might be revealed someday,” said Lola.
"The football team went undefeated in our senior year and most of the team members were seniors. The coach knew that a team like this only comes along once in a lifetime and the Demos of the world were rare. The state championship was on the radio. My Uncle Nick invited the neighbors over on a first-come basis to listen to the game in the ballroom while we went to the game.
The Silver Nights won by three points. 17 to 14, a field goal was kicked with ten seconds left on the clock. Demo had delivered two touchdowns and a field goal by his buddy in crime, the kicker," said Lola.
“Did you two stop drinking and get ready for college?” asked Ted.
"We slowed down a little but we were still drunks. As I look back, I believe it might have been because we missed our parents. The organization was going good and I decided to start giving out my own student loans. I remember reading in my grandparents’ papers that they had a bank. This bank’s function was to loan money at high interest rates. Our student clients did not qualify for traditional bank loans and most of them just wanted some extra pocket change.
“Henry, the bookkeeper, was to run the bank. He would receive sixty percent of all interest collected. Henry was good at his job and decided to major in accounting. He was getting plenty of experience from the Redds,” said Lola.
“Did your parents come to your high school graduation?” asked Ted.
“No,” said Lola.
“That’s it? Just no?” responded Ted.
“Let’s move on,” said Lola.
"Demo and I were named co-valedictorians of the graduating class. After the ceremony, we went to several parties. Everyone wanted us at their party, even their parents. We were wasted. I was driving my black Chevy Impala and Demo said, ‘Let’s rob Tony’s Liquor Store.’
“Everyone agreed and that is what we did. We took a hammer and knocked out the front window display and took all the display liquor and then stepped inside and stole all the best stuff. Off we went to our headquarters. Before we got to a half block down the road, Officer Jones
put on his siren and pulled us over. He pulled up and Demo put a bottle of Clevis Regal out and offered Officer Jones a drink,” said Lola.
"‘Get out of the car and all of you get into my car,’ ordered Officer Jones.
“It was late, about 2:00 a.m. My uncle knew we would be home late because of all the parties. He did throw the book at us before we went out partying,” said Lola.
"‘No drinking or smoking dope. If you get into trouble and get picked by the cops, don’t call me. We are done with that nonsense. We managed to get the two of you through school alive and now you need to act like adults. Remember, don’t call me,’ said Nick.
“I told Officer Jones not to call my uncle but he did anyway,” said Lola.
"‘This is Officer Jones. I just picked up a bunch of drunken kids and two of them belong to you. They robbed Tony’s Liquor Story. Do you want to come and get yours? They are not eighteen years old yet,’ said the officer.
"‘You got them. You keep them. I will see you in the morning,’ responded Nick.
“Spending a night in jail with a bunch of drunken kids and bums was awful. It was smelly and wet. This should have been a wakeup call for me but it wasn’t,” said Lola.
"As my Uncle Nick walked into the police station and was escorted to the holding cell where all of us were, it was obvious that he had a disgusting look on his face.
"’I have been there for the two of you all your life. I was in the hospital when you were born. I have loved you before your mother gave birth to both of you. I do not understand why you two are the way you are. It must be in the genes.
"‘It could be a family curse. Only God knows. I still love you and will fight for your life, for you to live it as honest, productive citizens of this great country,’ said Nick.
“Demo and I looked at each other in shame but I could see that Demo was truly upset with himself. I just did not understand how upset he was with his life,” said Lola.
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