Michael George Thevis (February 25, 1932 – November 20, 2013) was a
Greek American
Greek Americans ( el, Ελληνοαμερικανοί ''Ellinoamerikanoí'' ''Ellinoamerikánoi'' ) are Americans of full or partial Greek ancestry. The lowest estimate is that 1.2 million Americans are of Greek descent while the highest es ...
convict
A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison". Convicts are often also known as "prisoners" or "inmates" or by the slang term "con", while a common label for former convict ...
ed
murderer
Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person wit ...
based in
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, but with close links to the
Five Families
The Five Families refers to five major New York City organized crime families of the Italian American Mafia formed in 1931 by Salvatore Maranzano following his victory in the Castellammarese War.
Maranzano reorganized the Italian American gangs ...
of
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
and the
DeCavalcante crime family
The DeCavalcante crime family, also known as the North Jersey Mafia, is an Italian-American Mafia organized crime family that operates mainly in northern New Jersey, particularly in Elizabeth, Newark, West New York, and various other North Jersey ...
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
Most Wanted List
A most wanted list is a list of criminals and alleged criminals who are believed to be at large and are identified as a law enforcement agency's highest priority for capture. The list can alert the public to be watchful, and generates publicity ...
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the List of North Carolina county seats, seat of Wake County, North Carolina, Wake County in the United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most ...
, and raised by his Greek immigrant grandparents after his parents separated. He dropped out of high school at the age of 17 and hitched his way to
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
in 1951 where he completed high school and enrolled in
Georgia Tech
The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...
, although he would leave before graduating to become the manager of a newsstand, earning $50 a week. While young, he served as a
Greek Orthodox
The term Greek Orthodox Church (Greek language, Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the Eastern Orthodox Church, entire body of Orthodox (Chalced ...
altar boy
An altar server is a laity, lay assistant to a member of the clergy during a Christian liturgy. An altar server attends to supporting tasks at the altar such as fetching and carrying, ringing the altar bell, helps bring up the gifts, brings up t ...
and had thoughts of entering the priesthood. However, he grew up very poor and after being convicted of attempted
armed robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or by use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the perso ...
, he reconsidered his future.
At the age of 19, he married Joan, three years his junior, and fathered 5 children: George, Christina, twins Tony and Stephanie, and Jason.
Career
Thevis was in the pornography business and made a fortune with peep show machines. He was known as "The King of Pornography" and "The Sultan of Smut", and was a millionaire by age 37. He was also involved in music recording: rock group Flood recorded a soundtrack for the US release of the martial arts movie '' Blood of the Dragon'' starring
Jimmy Wang Yu
Jimmy Wang Yu (; born Wang Zheng Quan; 28 March 1943 – 5 April 2022) was a Hong Kong-Taiwanese martial artist, actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. Initially a contract player for Shaw Brothers, he rose to fame for his starring ...
, which was produced by author
William Diehl
William Diehl (; December 4, 1924 – November 24, 2006) was an American novelist and photojournalist.
Biography
Diehl was a successful photographer and journalist, when he began his novel-writing career at 50. His first novel, ''Sharky's Ma ...
. Flood disbanded when Thevis' GRC Records label folded after his arrest. Other artists who recorded for GRC included
Sammy Johns
Sammy Reginald Johns (February 7, 1946 – January 4, 2013) was an American singer and songwriter, best known for his million-selling 1975 hit single, "Chevy Van (song), Chevy Van".
Career
Johns was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. Johns ...
Moe Bandy
Marion Franklin "Moe" Bandy Jr. (born February 12, 1944) is an American country music singer. He was most popular during the 1970s, when he had several hit songs, both alone and with his singing partner, Joe Stampley.
Early life and recording ...
and
Loleatta Holloway
Loleatta Holloway (, ; November 5, 1946 – March 21, 2011) was an American singer known for disco songs such as "Hit and Run" and "Love Sensation". In December 2016, ''Billboard'' named her the 95th most successful dance artist of all time. Acco ...
.
He commissioned one of the largest residences to be built in Atlanta in 1972, a 30-room British Tudor-style mansion called "Lion's Gate." Lion's Gate was designed by Robert M. Green, an Atlanta architect who studied under
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...
, and was originally valued at an estimated $3.3 million. During the 1990s, the Thevis mansion was the home of singers
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...
and
Bobby Brown
Robert Barisford Brown (born February 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter and dancer. Brown, alongside frequent collaborator Teddy Riley, is noted as one of the pioneers of new jack swing: a fusion of hip hop and R&B. Brown started h ...
.
Legal history
In November 1970, Thevis shot and killed business rival Kenneth Hanna.
In September 1973, Thevis and Roger Underhill used a
pipe bomb
A pipe bomb is an improvised explosive device which uses a tightly sealed section of pipe (material), pipe filled with an explosive material. The containment provided by the pipe means that simple Explosive material#Low explosives, low explosi ...
to kill Jimmy Mayes, a former employee who had opened his own adult magazine shop.
In 1974, Thevis was charged with transportation of obscene materials, and conspiracy to commit
arson
Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, wat ...
. The arson charge was related to Thevis's attempt to burn down a warehouse owned by a business rival. Thevis was convicted and sentenced to eight years imprisonment.
Underhill was imprisoned in 1974 for possession of stolen property. While in prison, he became an informer against Thevis and agreed to wear a hidden microphone to record their conversations.
In 1978, Thevis and several associates were charged with murder and various crimes under the
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization.
RICO was en ...
.
On April 28, 1978, Thevis escaped from a jail in
New Albany, Indiana
New Albany is a city in Floyd County, Indiana, United States, situated along the Ohio River, opposite Louisville, Kentucky. The population was 37,841 as of the 2020 census. The city is the county seat of Floyd County. It is bounded by I-265 t ...
. Underhill, who had been paroled, was shot and killed in October 1978, along with Isaac Galanti; the two men were at an empty lot Underhill owned and Galanti was interested in buying. Underhill survived long enough to identify Thevis as his assailant.
Thevis was captured in November 1978, while attempting a large cash withdrawal from a bank account he'd established under a false identity in
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
.
Thevis and two associates were convicted on October 21, 1979, and all were sentenced to life terms.
Once imprisoned, Thevis was able to secure help from
Congressman
A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...
Andrew Young
Andrew Jackson Young Jr. (born March 12, 1932) is an American politician, diplomat, and activist. Beginning his career as a pastor, Young was an early leader in the civil rights movement, serving as executive director of the Southern Christian L ...
(D-GA), who contacted
Norman Carlson
Norman A. Carlson (August 10, 1933 – August 9, 2020) was an American correctional officer and businessman. He was best known for his direction of the Federal Bureau of Prisons from 1970 to 1987 and long-time involvement with this bureau. D ...
, chief of the
Federal Bureau of Prisons
The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Justice that is responsible for the care, custody, and control of incarcerated individuals who have committed federal crimes; that i ...
, on behalf of Thevis. Having just been appointed
United States Ambassador to the United Nations
The United States ambassador to the United Nations is the leader of the U.S. delegation, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. The position is formally known as the permanent representative of the United States of America to the United Nations ...
by newly elected
President Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 19 ...
, Young wrote to Carlson on his new stationery, convincing him that Thevis needed to be moved in order to receive appropriate medical attention.''The New York Times' Porn free June 15, 1978
Thevis died in prison in
Bayport, Minnesota
Bayport is a city in Washington County, Minnesota, Washington County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 4,024 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census.
Bayport is located along the St. Croix River (Wisconsin–Minnesota), St. Cro ...