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Was $100 Million Worth It?

by The Nittany Turkey

Monty Hundley in 1975 I met Monty Hundley (pictured at right) when I working as assistant controller at Loews Paradise Island Hotel and Villas in the Bahamas. Monty was a dynamic young guy, about the same age as I, who was at the time interviewing for the open position of Managing Director. Already a talented resort manager well before age 30, he began his working career as a CPA and later gained significant management experience in Nevada’s gaming resorts. Interviewing well, Monty easily won the managing director job at Paradise Island at the age of 29.

That was back in 1974. Hundley quickly gained the respect and admiration of the resort’s staff, the islanders, and Loews Corporation executives. He was a man on the way up. Some might have considered him brash, flamboyant, and cocksure, but they could never argue with his results. Personally, I enjoyed working with him and for him for two years. Yeah, we had our share of disagreements, including one that impelled him to offer to “take [me] down to the beach and kick [my] ass.” Whatever inspired that was fleeting, but probably justifed in view of my confrontational nature. We got over it. I never lost respect for Monty, his achievements, and his ability. Since last seeing Monty in 1976, I have had no further contact with him; nevertheless, I was certain that Monty would succeed in whatever he undertook—I knew that he would always be on top of the heap.

With that in mind, it was inconceivable to me that Monty’s life would ever turn sour. Therefore, it was with shocked dismay that I learned of his indictment for bank fraud sometime in 2003. I followed his case as closely as I could from what I could piece together on the Web. Ultimately, I was further saddened to learn that, in 2005, Monty was sentenced to eight years in prison for bank fraud and tax evasion. The heap he was on top of was a heap of trouble.

Alas, this is the story of a good life gone bad.

Back in 1974, Monty took over the helm of a resort in decline. The departing managing director had emphasized cost cutting, resulting in a moribund operation replete with staff morale problems. Hundley turned that all around—quickly, too. At the time, I was too young and naive to realize what others quickly recognized—that he was a resort marketing and management genius. I benefited personally from my association with Monty Hundley. He supported me, he promoted me, he gave me a better salary than the home office in New York wanted me to have, and he taught me a helluva lot about the hotel business and about business in general.

In late 1975 or early 1976, Hundley was promoted to a regional management position in the Loews home office in New York. By that time, I had been promoted to controller (Monty being instrumental in my promotion) but I was rapidly becoming disenchanted with my future prospects in the wake of Monty’s departure. Both of my supervisors—locally, the new managing director and in New York, the regional controller—were heavy handed, condescending boors who tended to expect lots and give little. Besides, I had “island fever.” I had been on “the rock” for almost five years. I was ready to return to United States. A back spasm laid me up for a few days, giving me the time I needed to think about it. In a rather stupid and immature move, I summarily resigned in April 1976 and left the island shortly thereafter. (It was later divulged that Monty had campaigned for and had received tacit approval for my transfer to Monte Carlo, but that’s another story completely!) Not long after I left the Bahamas, I ran into Monty once more, in New York. I haven’t seen him since then.

Through the grapevine, I later learned that Monty had made a lot of money on Resorts International stock shortly before gambling was legalized in Atlantic City, where Resorts either had built or was planning to build gambling resorts. Resorts International was the landlord for Paradise Island, and its genesis in the period following Castro’s takeover in Cuba was rumored to have ties to organized crime. Back then, it was known as the Mary Carter Paint Company. Later, it became a legitimate enterprise that was ultimately sold to Merv Griffin, who subsequently sold it to Coca Cola. At the Paradise Island complex, we had a close relationship with Resorts, and through that relationship, no doubt, Monty was attuned to the potential run-up in the stock.

Later, probably around 1980, I heard that Hundley had purchased a hotel in New York City. That was the last I heard about him and his exploits for over two decades. By 1980, I had changed careers, I was busy getting some formal education in my new field, and I had lost interest in the hotel and resort business. It wasn’t until more than 20 years later that my curiosity drove me to search the Web for information about Monty. Unfortunately, I gleaned the most information about him from a U.S. Department of Justice press release.

Monty and I were like two ships passing in the night. My ship was a slow, rusty freighter, while Monty’s was a luxury cruise on the Titanic. While I was busy becoming a born-again geek, life in the fast lane had sucked Monty into a vortex that would ultimately lead to his downfall. What caused this dynamic, brilliant hotel executive to go sour? Was it the same sort of greed that brought down Enron and Worldcom? Was he indeed the “mastermind” as the DOJ press release states, or did he succumb to the greedy wishes of his partners? Were the fraudulent schemes pursued out of desperation, or did the partners develop them over time? We might never know the answers to these questions. Speculate about them if you wish after reading my synopsis of the court’s findings.

Hundley formed a partnership with Stanley Tollman, another hotel entrepreneur. Through the 1980s and 1990s, Tollman-Hundley Hotels grew to own one hundred hotels in the United States. Somewhere along the line, Hundley and others became owners of Days Inn of America. The expansion was funded largely by bank loans, many of which were personally guaranteed by Tollman and Hundley. Some of these loans fell into default, resulting in a restructuring of the debt—over $100 million—in the early 1990s. Tollman and Hundley signed deficiency notes that made them personally liable for the loans. Around the same time, they sold Days Inn of America to Hospitality Franchise Systems (HFS), which later became Cendant. As a condition of an agreement related to the sale, HFS issued them more than a million shares of stock between 1993 and 1995, which Hundley and Tollman subsequently sold. At this point, one would think that Hundley and Tollman could have used the proceeds to repay the personally guaranteed loans. Alas, they didn’t. Instead, they concocted a plan to systematically defraud their creditors.

Along with other principals of their company (or companies), Hundley and Tollman devised an elaborate fraud. According to the Department of Justice press release of February 4, 2004, “[Hundley and Tollman] (1) falsely represented to Hundley and Tollman’s creditors that Hundley and Tollman were broke and lacked the means to repay their debts; and (2) duped the creditors into selling those debts, at a steep discount, to purportedly unrelated third parties who, the evidence showed, were in fact sham entities controlled and funded by Hundley and Tollman.”

Hundley and Tollman could have used $100 million derived from the sale of HFS stock to pay off their debts, which would have allowed this story to conclude on a happier note. However, instead, Hundley and Tollman convinced the bankers to whom they owed $100 million that they were broke. The financial statements they employed to make such a convincing case omitted several major assets, including not only the $100 million HFS stock sale proceeds but also Tollman’s multimillion dollar homes in Palm Beach and on Park Avenue in Manhattan, Hundley’s multimillion dollar house in Bedford, New York, and Tollman and Hundley’s interest in various businesses they controlled.

Then, to make a long story short, Hundley and Tollman, along with several others who were involved with the company (and who were also indicted), convinced the banks that they had found a group of “European investors” who were willing to purchase the debt at a deep discount, mere pennies on the dollar. The group of companies turned out to be owned by Hundley and Tollman. Having convinced the banks that they were bankrupt, an intermediary engaged by Hundley and Tollman presented this “offer you can’t refuse” on behalf of the “European investors” to the banks, which was accepted. Hundley and Tollman apparently then used some of the cash obtained in the HFS stock sale to buy the discounted loans through their secretly owned companies.

In addition to the bank fraud just described, Hundley was convicted of several personal tax charges, including tax evasion and filing false returns. The evidence showed that Hundley had filed no tax returns from at least 1974 until the start of the investigation in 1996. Apparently, once he knew he was under investigation, he filed returns for the years 1995 through 1999, but omitted disclosing a secret bank account in the Channel Islands.

In April of 2005, Monty Hundley was sentenced to 96 months in prison for defrauding a dozen creditors out of $100 million and defrauding the IRS out of taxes on more than $29 million of income. Other associates were sentenced as well, but Tollman fled the country and remains a fugitive. Hundley was also ordered to pay $106 million in restitution to the creditors, and $5.4 million to the IRS. A $44 million forfeiture order was entered against him, which allows to government to seize certain assets. Initially, Hundley was ordered to surrender his interest in a multi-million dollar company he controlled through a revocable trust in the name of his son.

I liked Monty, who had a lasting and positive impact on my life. He was a bright young guy with a bright future who would have succeeded in whatever endeavors he might have engaged in had he taken the legitimate route. What brought him to take the low road? We will probably never know, unless he uses his prison time to write a book about his rise and fall. Did he deserve this punishment? That is not for me to decide. The point is probably moot, anyway. He has been tried and convicted. Unless appeals are forthcoming, he is going to jail for a long time. As well, I fear that the investigation, the lengthy trial, and now probably eight years in prison—in all, 17 years of hell, coupled with losing much if not all of his wealth—might conspire to transform this once ferocious tiger into a tired old cat. I hope not. I am pulling for him to maintain his strong spirit; I am betting that even at the age of 68, at which time he will once again be a free man, he will still have the drive to come out on top.

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Tags: Monty Hundley, Stanley Tollman, THH, Tollman-Hundley

This entry was posted on Monday, July 25th, 2005 at 5:09 pm and is filed under General, Tollman-Hundley. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

414 Responses to “Was $100 Million Worth It?”

John Romero Says:
July 26th, 2005 at 12:06 pm
Ben, Your stuff is well-written and amazingly complete. I did a story on Monty in June. Go to romeromarketing.com and scroll down to the News Archives. Once at the archives, click June, 2005, and you’ll find the piece I did. From reading your story it sounds as if we both liked and admired Monty. Too bad the ending is so sad.

On another subject, Ben, my wife and I are building an unusual home south of Denver. It’s so different that we’ve set up a large website at wwww.welcometolongtree.com, and have attracted some sponsor interest. I think you’ll get a few smiles when you see it. If you could give us a plug on your blog I’d really appreciate it. Thanks much and let me know if I can ever help. John R
Greg Hundley Says:
August 3rd, 2005 at 1:49 pm
Ben, your entry was very well written. I’ve spent most of the past four years with Monty on an almost daily basis, and it has always been a welcome refreshment amid the turmoil to hear from those that have had the opportunity to get to know him on a personal level. The impressions he has left on those people (and myself) are almost invariably the same. It’s sometimes almost too easy to forget that. Thanks for the great read. - Greg H.

By the way, Go Buckeyes! (OSU ‘93).
John OBrien Says:
February 22nd, 2006 at 9:05 am
Mr Hundley, as i knew him was always a great inspiration, his generous nature and kind ability was always out front. He will always be a prince among Kings
Patrick Smith Says:
April 7th, 2006 at 2:24 pm
GREG!

You never call, you never write…….

Patrick
Inside Info Says:
April 25th, 2006 at 10:16 am
After working for TRAVEL CORPORATION for a while it was obvious these guys are crooks. They still are! They own aat Kings, Contiki, Trafalgar, Insight Tours, Busabout, Red Carnation Hotels and many other fronts for their Money laundering.

Their bosses openly wore solid gold rolxes they had received as gifts and the GM worked from Bermuda.

They where so stupid they even invited Bank of Canada managers to their major functions and would get them to bring in large scale cash amounts for them off the books.

Its great to see they all get what they deserved BUT I know for a fact they are still using these other companies and are not paying tax on them either. It all guys via Bank of Canada Bermuda and Guernsey.

People go to Jail for theft. These guys deserve the electric chair .BUT THEY HAVE TOO MANY HIGH UP CONTACTS.

TOLLMAN FLED IN HIS OWN JET OUT OF THE USA WHEN HE WAS TIPPED OFF HE WOULD BE IN TROUBLE!

Brett tollman was a spoilt momies boy. Im sure in Jail he will make somone a nice girlfriend.

The problem is when he gets out they still have a lot of money hidden.
Inside Info Says:
April 25th, 2006 at 10:20 am
Nearly forgot, many of your writers say how nice these guys are.

I recently read a great true story of neighbour of a mass murderer. He had always loved the guy as a pal and a beacon in the business community… played golf with him… thought he was so great in the community……

Think about it. ALL CRIMINALS DESERVE THEIR PUNISHMENT NO MATTER WHAT LOVELY GUYS WE REMEMBER THEM AS.
The Nittany Turkey Says:
April 25th, 2006 at 12:48 pm
I do agree with you that nobody is above the law — Nixon proved that.

I’m not at all condoning bank fraud. I wrote this piece as a remembrance of Monty Hundley as I knew him. I don’t know whether or not he ever skirted the law back then.

Well, I do know that he stopped filing income tax returns while I knew him 30 years ago, but as an expatriate living abroad back then our first $30,000 was exempt from U.S. income tax (nevertheless, we were supposed to file returns with a declaration of foreign exempt income). His salary was not much more than $30K at the time, so I didn’t think much of it.

I have a Rolex myself, but I didn’t get it from Hundley-Tollman. I got it the old fashioned way—from a pawn shop, in 1966.

—TNT
Ann Marie Lynch Says:
July 11th, 2006 at 7:24 pm
Brett Tollman is a kind and warmhearted gentleman. I hope he can get past this and have a wonderful life.
tony sypa Says:
August 12th, 2006 at 2:43 pm
i also worked for travcorp for 5 years….. brett tollman was a good man and an honorable person and although a millionaire he never flaunted …. gavin tollman on the other hand was a shithead… a nice shithead and a decent ceo but a shithead nonetheless … and it seems gavin is a bit of a coward also, the way he ran to toronto to avaidarrest …. at least brett took it like a man….. but worst part of it all to me … here you have millionaires cheating on thier taxes… as if they couldn’t afford to just pay them… that my friends is the hieght of greed

but the whole travcorp company stinks from the head down… the way they closed up the nyc office and lied to it’s employee’s about it until it happened … the way they fired an employee for the sex harass complaints by two best friends to get even with an employee who spurned them…. the way thier wuss of a president john severini gave that employee no chance to defend himself… hey i could on and on .. that company sucks and i’m glad i no longer work for them ..
former employee Says:
September 26th, 2006 at 2:31 am
well that weasel gavin tollman got away with it on a technicality…… brett does time but gavin doesn’t?… no justice in this world …

and yes tony what those girls did to you was not right… i hope they all rot in hell, the whole no good lot of them
Former TTC (canada) employee Says:
November 21st, 2006 at 10:49 pm
The US department of justice has been accused of using heavy handed tactics, and the HLS (intended to defend the country from terrorist attacks) to go after an individual for IRS irregularities. I am not a millionaire, and I have no idea what is in my Income tax claim forms. I am certain Gavin Tollman does not do his own taxes. If there were discrepancies in income taxes, the IRS and Mr Tollman’s Lawyer/Accountant should have worked out the details. Mr. Tollman was not in the US, he did not flee to Canada. He was followed from Bermuda to Toronto. Us Officials requested Mr. Tollman be detained, is as uncomfortable conditions as possible. Hopefull being denied access to his work, friends and family. He would waive his rights, and turn himself over to the US authorities. The US authorities were more interested in revenge than in justice. I have know Mr Tollman for most of the time he was in Canada. He was very professional. He took an interest in the little people. From the receptionist to the the graphic artists. Gavin Tollman is a class act. No one is perfect. Tony, listen you yourself. “I was accused of something, and not given a chance to defend myself” Sounds like what happened to Mr. Tollman. There are serious problems at TTC. The Toronto IT department was 15-19 people. In less that 2 years more than 19 people left. They are not the last ones to leave. There is always 2 sides to every story. Very important to look at the facts.
tony sypa Says:
December 16th, 2006 at 6:53 am
a fact i know…. keisha fenty, the office receptionist, who used to sit right outside his office next to annabella his secratary … gavin once had her sign his wife’s name on his tax form … tax fraud right there and he knew what he was doing …. also as the former it guy working on the accounting pc’s, there was alot of confidential stuff i was privvy to …. monies were certainly being diverted … don’t really know the how’s and why’s, but something was going on, and masefield, the tollman’s were all in on it …. it just kind of burns me up because i work hard, and i pay my taxes .. he’s a millionaire and tax cheat .. like i said… the height of greed ….

while i don’t agee with the authorities and thier heavy handed methods … you want to speak of justice …. then he should have come here and defended himself against the charges instead of running …. you can’t tell me he wasn’t guilty …. method of capture aside, to drop the extradition totally is not justice either. and why would gavin avoid the u.s. if he wasn’t guilty? brett was a standup guy, admitted what he did, and took his punishment like a man … gavin hid and continues to hide a wuss.

personally, like i said he was a bit of a shithead, but he was an alright guy … i actually liked him alot and learned from him what i could … and not just in business matters … he enjoyed a joke and was very aproachable … i would have gone through walls had he asked me to ….. which is why i was very dissapointed when they allowed me to be let go without inquiring into the full story of [deleted]’s and [deleted]’s friendship, and thier conspiracy to get me fired. i feel had they known what was really going on it wouldn’t have happened and i would have had my justice. they’re lucky i didn’t sue because i would have won. yeah i’m bitter about it only because it was so unfair, and these two nasty girls got away with it. it was the ultimate betrayal but someone who until the day it happened, i thought was my friend. … if you don’t know the whole story… write me at tony_sypa@yahoo.com and i’ll tell ya all about it from start to finish. but let’s just say [deleted] and [deleted] should both pray for my continued health … if a doctor ever tells me i have six months to live………………

and as far as the turnover in the it department … the global it director is the biggest azzhole i have ever met in my life and i’m not exagerating. he knew little about how an it dept functions, didn’t know how to deal with people, it’s no surprise people keep quitting on him. what surprises me is no one higher up, mr. ness or someone like that, hasn’t caught on to him and fired him
former longtime nyc employee Says:
December 23rd, 2006 at 3:45 am
i worked for trafalgar in nyc for more than 6 years.

tony, your a trip.what you should have said is ” if a doctor ever tells me i got 6 months to live…. and i do smoke cigarettes” ,lol maybe they’ll put you in a cell with anthony forbes.but seriously tony, you are too friendly and too trusting and you trusted the wrong girl. you have to watch it with your flirt routine because some girls take it seriously and you might be leading someone on when you don’t mean to, sandra had a crush on you and hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

but this site isn’t about tony.

miss canada…. in my department we used to make laugh at gavin and call him ” dr no” . him and brett reminded us of some sort of james bond villian. suave, personable, sophisticated. but all the while evil. the fact is they were diverting income made at traf to offshore accounts to avoid paying taxes. the older tollman’s borrowed money from banks with no intention of paying it back. they were millionaire thieves. they even screwed the city on taxes, they caught a 9/11 tax break when they moved to long island city, the city gave these incentives to keep the businesses and jobs in nyc.they were supposed to stay for ten years. they didn’t, so they cheated the government, new york city, and the employees. and they knew the jig was up. when it first came out that they were investigating the tollsmans a whole bunch of executives, joan molloy, leon smith, maureen van metter, they all ran to austrailia. they knew what was going on and ran. and i remember the pc in magda’s office, nobody was allowed to touch the ” special” pc, only kenny thomas, jay schmitt,( who was a tollman cousin) tony and rex. the people magda trusted. i just hope innocent people like magda were’nt caught up and in trouble for the tollman’s crap too. and remember the guy who was supposed to take magda’s place? he quit after a month becuase he wanted no part of the funny books cooking they didand make no mistake miss canada, gavin was tipped off that he was going to be arrested and got out of the usa before they could. i just don’t want you thinking, because he faked being a nice guy he was innocent. i remember something he once said while tony and ray were trying to fix the credit card pc that was down. he told them to get the machine fixed fast because, his exact words, ” money is king” i still get a chill when i hear him say those words knowing what i know now.

as a matter of fact the whole culture at trafalgar was decadent. who was sleeping with who, love triangles among exucutives, the guys in the IT department having orgie’s after everyone went home, having sex on gavin’s desk. sexual harassment suits against the creepy director of IT who hit on every girl at the christmas party. brett’s dog pissing all over the place at the office.there was a girl in res who used to prostitue herself for lunchtime romps for cash. it was like sodom and gammorah in there. and what do you expect from a company who’s president was married to his first cousin. talk about keeping the money in the family.
no he was guilty honey, and he got away with it. if he was innocent why did he run and why won’t he come stand trial? i’m just surprised because it’s a family owned business, the irs didn’t take it away from them.

merry christmas everyone !
S. Says:
December 27th, 2006 at 2:55 pm
Where is Gavin now? And, is Stanley and Beatrice Tollman still in jail in the UK or where are they?
Thanks.
SN Says:
December 29th, 2006 at 12:52 pm
JUST TRYING TO FIND OUT IF ANYONE HAS HEARD WHERE WYNN TOLLMAN IS?
SN Says:
December 29th, 2006 at 1:34 pm
Having worked very closely w/Bea Tollman for over 2 1/2 years, I do know that Brett’s every action was in an effort to please both his mother and his father. It is just like Brett to have plead guilty instead of trying to escape justice–I am certain his involvement was due to him being pressured. Brett was extremely polite, always a gentleman, and genuinely kind. He seemed always long for normalcy, instead of having to fill a “role”. Wynn, on the other hand, did live his own way. Wynn was also kind and personable. He was kind of sad, though. He expressed a lot through his poetry. Seemed as if both brothers were conflicted. I do wonder what happened to Wynn…
iig Says:
January 20th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
yes, I have seen Wynn and I believe he is a fair, smart, decent man who has always treated me well. I cannot speak about the other family members.
SN Says:
January 24th, 2007 at 9:58 pm
Is Wynn OK? Where is he and what is he doing these days? Is there a different site through which I can find out what he’s doing, and whether or not he has published any of his poetry?
long ago ex tt employee Says:
January 31st, 2007 at 11:30 am
nobody has mentioned dr. tollman. he was one wacky fella. i’ll never forget walking down the corridor at 23rd street and seeing the sunlight reflect off the glass top of his cane, projecting dots of light across the corridor. then seeing him sit in his chair facing the corridor with a blank stare on his face, looking right through you. weird. nice guy too, big football fan.

my thoughts on gavin, brett the whole thing: gavin was a nice guy and a good business man, AND NOW A FELON ON THE LAMB. i’m sorry but i agree with tony…. i’m pissed this arrogant millionaire, who getting a small raise from was like pulling teeth, would steal from my country and then run and hide. so in answer to the question that started this blog: yes a nice person can hide evil secrets. in the case of this family it was greed.
i felt so bad for brett the nicest one of them all, had to suffer for his family. it was the father they wanted, and that coward who is still fighting extradition, threw his son under the bus to escape it himself. the mom and dad are in london, losing thier extradition battle. i hope they all recieve justice for thier crime.
by the way… many years ago i partied with wynn … the reason his poetry was so good is the same reason he did cocaine, he has internal struggles going on inside him. another nice guy though. i hope someone will announce if they find any of his poems published.
The Nittany Turkey Says:
January 31st, 2007 at 4:38 pm
Actually, to set the record straight, I started this blog about Monty Hundley. The Tollmans were completely incidental to my Hundley story.

However, if you wish to continue this thread to discuss Tollman issues, I’ll be glad to allow you to do so.

(I’d just like an occasional comment about the original subject.)

—TNT
C. Alexander Brown Says:
February 14th, 2007 at 12:32 am
Whoa…!! This could be a movie, or better still, a television series.
SN Says:
February 18th, 2007 at 10:17 pm
I will oblige the creator of this blog: I knew Monty Hundley to be an extremely polite and gracious man, who always appeared to be without worry or stress. I remeber him as easy-going. When I was around him he was married to Joni, and they seemed to be in love–the marriage was still pretty new. They both appeared to be attentive and dotting over their baby boy. Monty cared a lot for his older children as well (can’t remember how many there were). I remembered The Hundleys as being less social than the Tollman’s. The Tollman’s (Stanley mostly)were the ones who initiated the almost daily social outings–usually dinner parties at some restaurant. The Hundley’s were regular weekend visitors at the “farm” in New Preston also. The Tollman’s (more Bea than anyone else) seemed to dictate where and how the Hundley’s chose to live. After the Tollman’s bought their 2nd mansion in Palm Beach, the Hundleys leased a “modest” home just up the road from the Tollman’s sprawling mansion. I am not saying the Hundleys did not care for the Tollmans, they were just different kind of people. I am sure they wanted to be close, yet needed their private space without seeming to be anti-social.

Monty walked the 10 or so blocks to work everyday when the offices were located in the Crown Bldg. He did look after his health, while Stanley had more of a struggle w/his–he rode the 4 or so blocks in his limo each day. My overall observation of Monty was that he operated confidently, cautiously, and quietly, while Stanley was extravagant, boisterous and prideful–always smoking nothing less than a foot-long cigar.

With all he had going for him, I cannot understand why Monty went down this rode either.
SN Says:
February 18th, 2007 at 10:26 pm
On another note, Dr. Tollman was compartmentalized as a “poor relation” and Bea was not particularly fond of his wife. He/they were included socially only when necessary or obligatory. His name was useful, really, on owership documents for certain business ventures that you probably are aware of by now.
The Nittany Turkey Says:
February 19th, 2007 at 6:44 am
I’m grateful to SN for posting recollections of Monty Hundley, who was indeed the original subject of my blog. It seems as if Monty was overshadowed in real life by Stanley Tollman, much as he is here in these comments. It sure seems as if he got hooked up with the wrong band of thieves.

—TNT
TTC Employee London Says:
February 26th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
I have known Gavin Tollman for over 3 years and he is, in my opinion, a very different person to the one portrayed in many of the comments above. He is a man who befriended a homeless person on the streets of Toronto, a man who loves his family and who gives so much support and motivation to company employees. I know that he will continue fighting to clear his name; something he is determined to do above all for the sake of his children. He has the full support of many friends and employees worldwide.
tony sypa Says:
March 1st, 2007 at 1:25 am
when i was in the toronto office, i came to know and love quite a few of the people there. thier support for gavin does not surprise me. to me, most canadians are an over friendly, over trusting bunch, who always see the glass as half full. a co-worker used to call them ” happy idiots”. ignorance is truely bliss.
i would be willing to bet the ranch, gavin tollman never sets foot in the us of a ever again, unless somehow they extradite him.
you see my canadian friend, as much as you would like us to believe he will clear his name, i believe two things:
a: where there is smoke there is fire… masefield, brett tollman and others have already pled guilty to charges and served/ are serving time. do you really think they were guilty and gavin had no part in it? not likely. again i say if he’s innocent, he should surrender to us authoritiies and prove his innocence at trial…. but he won’t because unlike his cousin brett tollman, who he doesn’t have half the integrity, he’s a coward and will stay away because he knows he’s guilty and is affraid of jail.
yeah, he used to give us new york office workers support and motivation too, until they wound up lying to our faces about closing the office up. and the irony of him befriending a homeless person isn’t lost on me… i wonder how many homeless he created wjen he shut the office. also i wonder with this homeless person… did he offer him housing and a job?
even the devil offered adam and eve an apple.

finally … i heard there is a group of ex-traf employees getting together to mount a campaign against trafalgar at travel shows by handing out leaflets about how the tollman’s ripped off the american government and banks etc, etc detailing thier dealings, and asking people not to book trafalgar. i for one am in as i believe they should not make one more nickel in this country until they have completely paid up for thier crimes.
E.B. McLaughlin Says:
March 1st, 2007 at 9:02 am
20 years ago I met Tollman’s daughter Tony and her husband Francis Raemaykers in London. They owned ADC Heritage on New Bond, an upscale antiques store. Francis was one of the two biggest operatives in the silver business.

My question is simple - Francis was a director of Tollman Hundley Hotels yet I have never seen mention of either Tony or Francis in any article about the entire events that led Stanley to flee America. Is is safe to assume that neither had anything to do with the family shenanigans? And, while I believe Francis is in London still active in the silver trade with his long time associate Mrs. Bellord, Tony I am curious about. Is she well and still in NYC or ??????.

EBM
tony sypa Says:
March 3rd, 2007 at 2:39 am
Toni tollman is now married to her first cousin, gavin tollman. i imagine they are both in london. I have not seen her name mentioned in any of the accounts of the tollman’s legal problems
SN Says:
March 4th, 2007 at 10:35 pm
Francis was not a principle of Tollman-Hundley Hotels. In fact, just like Wynn, business was not discussed when he was around. I am only speculating, but I was always suspicious that, somehow, Stanley & Beatrice used their daughter’s silver business in London for something.

By the way, what ever happened to Vicki’s husband, Steve from Morocco?
e.b. mclaughlin Says:
March 9th, 2007 at 2:19 pm
Thanks, SN and tony sypa:

I should have been a tad more careful. Francis was merely a director of The Chesterfield Hotel in Palm Beach. I visited with Francis and Tony at Stanley and Bea’s home just north of Mar a Lago. Any reason for the divorce as they seemed quite compatible? And, do either of you know what will become of the home in Washington, CT which is quite something?
SN Says:
March 16th, 2007 at 11:49 am
E.B., isn’t the mansion on Via Del Lago magnificent? The previous owner was the late author Leon Uri’s brother, and the property was famous for the seal fountain. The CT property was located next to the home of the late Bill Blass. I have “heard” that it was being shown by realtors (?) What happened to the minature horses they were raising?

Anyway, E.B., it seems somewhat strange to me that Toni would be married to Gavin, her 1st cousin(??) Was the purpose so that they could not testify against each other? Observing her relationship w/Francis, it was clear who was in charge…They seemed to be fine when they were living in London–only visiting the US, as opposed to actually living here.

If you visited the farm and the mansion, it would stand to reason that you knew, or at least met, Montey Hundley. What do you have to say about him (the original subject of this particular blog)? And, by the way, do you know where Wynn is and what he is doing?
e.b. mclaughlin Says:
March 20th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Hi SN -

I never met Montey but I have only heard favorable comments about him. Your remarks about the family strongly suggest more than a passing knowledge. All of what you’ve said has been confirmed such as business not being discussed around Francis and Wynn. Tony marrying Gavin strikes all as odd and unexplainable. As was related to me recently, the family tales will become a book some day and an interesting one, at that.

One thing we all agree on is the family lived a life of luxury unknown to most wealthy people - servants in numbers that were mind boggling, entertaining at a level that remains truly extraordinary even by today’s richest people. The via del Lago mansion was, as you say, magnificent in its splendor. Where else did one see several different premium champagnes chilling in copper pails set upon the bar and being served by help that moved almost without notice to keep ones glass full and, all the while, Tony lounging on a leopard covered chaise.

It was fascinating to watch and, obviously, 19 years later, I am still wanting to know what has become of everyone in this unusual family. The beautiful lawn sloping to Lake Worth and walking through the gardens dotted with pools full of specimen fish.

News that the charges against Bea and Stanley had recently been dropped I am told was not true. Is a life in exile what the future continues to hold?

Lastly, tony sypa mentioned that Tony’s name was never mentioned in any article about the family problems. Is there a plausible explanation as to why when all the others have been brought into the mess to some degree?
SN Says:
March 21st, 2007 at 7:02 pm
EB,
I cannot wait to read this book! I also read that the charges had not been dropped–only a a portion having to do with the procecutors deciding that they did, in fact, disclose all (not likely). Anyway, I cannot put my finger on any Tollman-Hundley business in which Tony was an itegral part, so there wouldn’t really be any reason for her to be mentioned. Her primary role was to be representative of the clan in dealing with americans in certain business concerns–nothing too heavy. The family considered her to be safe, charming, savvy and cute. She feigned ignorance well, calling everyone “mate”, which as you may know might have seemed endearing to the american ear, but, in fact, was not a complimentary term at all. Bea couldn’t be put forth as a representative in small yet necessary matters, because while she appeared to be the epitome of graciousness and class, she was too overwhelming a presence; Stanley needed to appear oblivious; Brett was forever being groomed as the “successor” and needed to stay clean; Vicky was too pure and fragile; and Wynn, well…

EB, this family is not so unusual–maybe cleaver; you need only dig a bit deeper; you may even find a similar scandal, i.e.: why didn’t (couldn’t) Stanley return to So Africa to attend his only sister’s funeral when she was killed by her servants? Again, I can’t wait to read this book!
M.O Says:
March 23rd, 2007 at 10:04 pm
Well, I’m vicky’s daughter and stanley’s grand daughter.. what is exactly ur problem? You don’t even know what ur talking about, come on come down to earth u think this whole problem is like a soap opera.. Let me rectify some stuff first of all Stanley didn’t have any sisters , it was his sister in law and it happened 20 years ago and he was at the funeral get ur intel right, then who r u to say who’s who in the family , would you want me to go and talk dirt about ur family when nothing of this is true ???? Look at yourselves , don’t you have anything better to do with your life? What do you care, and by the way she wasn’t killed by her servants but by some thief… And thanx for asking my dad ( Steve From morrocco ) is doing just fine
E.B. McLaughlin Says:
March 24th, 2007 at 10:33 am
Hello M.O.,

Of course, there is much in what you say that is correct. I can only speak for myself - your mom’s sister and Francis were friends (albeit as a result of my being an ADC Heritage client) and I was a regular at “21″ and often exchanged small talk with Stanley (we shared a close friend - Walter Weiss) who treated the maitre’d to vacations in PB and other places in a most thoughtful and kind manner. If I can disagree with one comment - you say to SN her/his comments are treating the “problem” like a soap opera - if this isn’t like a soap opera, I don’t know what else one could label it.

For the most part and “most” means 95% of all comments about the problem, I see nothing that is unkind or untrue where the problem itself is the subject matter. “It” is what it is. If the facts are twisted, the blame rests with your grandparents who have declined to explain any of the charges beyond saying they are innocent. Unfortunately, that leaves lots of space for conjecture and speculation. If your collective family were not interesting and the problem not so hard to fathom in light of what we all believe was an interesting group, there would be no reason to be carrying on these commentaries.

In the absence of explanations for what is a very public matter, you can surely understand why the issues are so provocative. That, and the fact your grandparents did not discuss family business with half the family, it seems natural that the curiosity of SN and myself (to name but two of dozens) is at such a level as to seek some sort of explanation on how such a seemingly important family ends up in such a titalating schamozzle.

At the end of the day, I admire and respect your well intentioned letter and I am sure your extended family is proud of your courage in doing so.
SN Says:
March 24th, 2007 at 11:21 am
M.O., after reading your note, I realized that this event is more far-reaching than anyone can fathom. You, of course, see your grandparents in a totally different light than the public does. I don’t think anyone can deny that the Tollman children and grandchildren were/are very precious to Stanley and Bea. Their first grandchild, A., was the center of their lives when she was born and grandious plans and preparations were set in motion the second they heard of her impending arrival. So, I am sure the same took place w/you. You are correct, M; I cannot think of any person who would choose to have their private and financial state of affairs spread across the pages of national and international publications, especially under these circumstances.

Your grandparents were obviously kind and generous to many people they considered close friends and family. But, just like all people, there are different sides or dimensions to our lives. In our effort to live in harmony, we try to maintain a balance that allows us to operate on a level that is in keeping with the a healthy, safe, and conscientious framework. The consequence of overstepping those boundaries can have results that we never anticipated.

None of this is about bringing the family down, or whether Stanley did or did not attend his sister-in-law’s funeral (which, by the way, he did not); the family put themselves in the public eye. A lot of people suffered negative consequences in the fallout of the Tollman-Hundley scandal. You don’t know these people personally and they do not know you. No one blames you or wants to hurt your feelings. They do, however, have a right and a need to express the impact this scandal has had on their lives. TNT, for example has chosen to express from the standpoint of his relationship to Monty Hundley. Others, who may have been more closely affiliated to Bea or Stanley, have chosen that subject. Still others have spoken of their relationship with Gavin.

When something shocks you, as the news of Bea & Stanley did me, you don’t really have a succinct plan as to what you will say. In a million years I would have never imagined this of most of the people involved. Take this as a compliment of the affect your grandmother, mother, father and uncles had on my life. I cannot speak for everyone, but for me I am deeply sorry you were hurt by my words.
SN Says:
March 24th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
SN Says: Your comment is awaiting moderation.

I am not sure what this means…
The Nittany Turkey Says:
March 24th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
It was just a long one, which Wordpress flagged as possible spam. I’ve approved it, and it now appears above.

Thanks for your contributions to this thread, which I had never intended to become what it has, but I’m happy to see all the mileage everybody is getting out of it.

—TNT
SN Says:
March 25th, 2007 at 10:46 am
Yes, TNT; it seems a natural progression that if the blog began with one half of the team, the other half was sure to follow.

I’d like to know from EB where the idea of the writing this book came from and who is endorsing it?
E.B. McLaughlin Says:
March 25th, 2007 at 11:07 am
Hi,

Just leaving the house to run some errands - a quick response. The idea was forwarded by someone EXTREMELY close to Stanley and Bea and it was more tongue in cheek than anything else. Sort of - “what a great book this saga would make”. In light of M.O.’s response, I intend to be far more careful with my remarks so as not to appear uncaring and cavalier. At the same time, I am comfortable with what I have written in the past and continue to conclude this lengthy blogging string is more driven by genuine concern than by voyeurism and unkindness. I am quite sanguine in adopting SN’s response to M.O. as summing up my thoughts on this subject. Frankly, I am pleased to be learning as much as I have; this has been a most informative exercise.
SN Says:
March 25th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
Oh my! If it is someone EXTREMELY close to Stanley & Bea, does this mean they will finally disclose? Usually the truth can be peiced together from a number of sources, rather than one biased and self-promoting one.

Though I believe we have been conscientious, I totally agree we have been put on notice to consider the impact of our words.

It is sort of ironic that all along the “family” thought Wynn to be an “embarrasment” or out of sorts with the rest of the clan, while, to the rest of the world, Wynn was the only family member who lived in reality! I truly hope Wynn is in a position to speak the truth now that he has a legitimate platform and audience. I want the author to know that Wynn is genuine, and that it must be taken into account that, albeit unintentional, it was Bea and Stanley (mostly Bea) who set in motion the predudice and seperation against Wynn. Wynn did not –could not–fall in line, because it was not correct or natural for him to do so. Bea & Stanley truly loved (love) Wynn, but they held unquestioning loyalty to “their” agenda closer to their goals over the individual character and natural inclinations of their eldest son. He loved (loves) them dearly as well. He tried at every possible turn to conform, but it became impossible for him to choose between being true to himself and the monumental demands his family.
Finally, when Wynn lost Brett AND Vicky to “the Family”, he felt alone.

On one particular family cruise, Wynn was not allowed to take a friend who was special to him, though others could. Bea told him, “[she] is not a memeber of this family and never will be–she is not welcomed”!

I hope the author interviews Wynn, and takes into account his feelings and recollections.
E.B. McLaughlin Says:
March 25th, 2007 at 10:02 pm
Once again - Hello SN,

“tongue in cheek” refers to my posting about writing a book not what the “extremely” close source said to me although it was this source that said what a good book this saga would make. I merely took the bait and repeated it in a careless manner.

This friend of mine, should you care, thinks quite well of the Tollmans and this feeling is not the result of an occaasional visit; rather, as I have suggested, the source was a very close friend. And, is a person of integrity, social standing and extreme success in business but not a sycophant.

Departing from any comments provided by friends or Tollman family members, I am of the opinion that all you say about Wynn is correct. The only perjorative comment mentioned by anyone dealt with his alleged use of drugs as being a demon in his life. Of course, I have no knowledge of that and have been told he is a genius in all respects that encompass any definition of the word. A balck sheep by virtue of his drug use which seems a bit amusing when compared to the charges leveled at his parents.

The world of literature is filled with tales of family matters where integrity, decency and compassion are at odds within its different members; it comes down to what one’s priorities in life are and whether one is willing to turn a back on objectionable social behavior. I get the feeling you are saying Wynn was not willing to do that and, if so, he should be hailed as being true to himself. There are cases where blood is not thicker than one’s moral soundness.

I would hope some day to meet (or discuss) with you more than this family’s improprieties because it is clear they Tollmans are not alone with such a history.
SN Says:
March 26th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
EB, the Tollmans had/have many friends in very prominent places; they worked very hard for many years to position themselves. The Tollmans are extremely likable people. You probably won’t find one individual within their social stratum who would have anything other than praise for the entire family. Now, turn that same coin over to the other side; you might get an entirely different response from the domestic staff–there is a reason, EB, you saw â€œservants in numbers that were mind bogglingâ€…

I was very fond of the family as well, especially Bea. I am sure you have read my comments in previous replies above. What any of us really knows about anyone is what they choose to let us see; this does not necessarily equate to the essence of the person. There is only one incident that took place between Stanley & Bea that I can remember where discretion wasn’t used. If charater is to be measured by actions and deeds, I am sure they would have preferred this incident not be witnessed by anyone! I cannot recount that event here, since we have decided to be more careful.

Regarding, Wynn: not necessarily true that he should be hailed for being true to himself. I am only saying that he Wynn was genuinely a kind soul, who didnâ€™t use the cast system as a gauge. Yes, he was allegedly a drug abuser; who in this world does not have a relative or friend who has not been touched by this dreadful addiction?

Regarding the â€œbookâ€: your point was well taken, EB. I took your tongue-in-cheek remark and tried to leverage it into a challenge, perchance someone reading the blog might take the â€œbaitâ€. You do have to admit, it has the potential of a bestseller. Only, who would benefit from the proceeds???
e.b. mclaughlin Says:
March 30th, 2007 at 11:27 am
Has anyone (attempted to or) succeeded in writing about the Tollman-Hundley events? The more I think about it, the more I am convinced a real story of interest is at hand; so, why hasn’t one been written?

Can someone enlighten as to what Tony Sypa and Former Employee refer to in the cut and pasted blog at the end of the sentence, please; what the girls did to Tony. And, while I am asking questions of obviously well informed people where the Tollman subject is concerned - how could Tony Tollmam marry Gavin knowing he (may have) thrown her brother under the bus?

THE BLOG EXCERPT BEGINS [September 26th, 2006 at 2:31 am
well that weasel gavin tollman got away with it on a technicalityâ€¦â€¦ brett does time but gavin doesnâ€™t?â€¦ no justice in this world â€¦

and yes tony what those girls did to you was not rightâ€¦ i hope they all rot in hell, the whole no good lot of them] END

Thanks.
SN Says:
March 30th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
Sorry, EB; I don’t know Tony Sypa or the others.

I do not believe the theory that everyone left Brett out to dry; I believe (and its only speculation based of my experience w/him) that once things got out of hand, Brett was the one who put the breaks on and informed all of his intention to turn himself in. I am sure some may have tried to stop him (don’t forget that Sandy Friedman was also involved-sp?). However, everyone so loves Brett, that I suspect a plan was devised for him to be made whole once he “did his time”. I read (not confirmed-just read about it) that he is currently Exec. Dir. of a few hotel and/or travel related businesses, and that Bea made him executor over a large amount of stock, etc. So, really, the bottom line is that he did his time; this really is the true character of Brett.

If it is true that Toni married Gavin, it is so amazing to me! If my memory serves me correctly, Bea always thought of him as a weasel. I remain convinced that (if it is true) it was a legal maneuver.
E.B. McLaughlin Says:
March 31st, 2007 at 9:41 am
Thanks, SN. I am surprised by your use of the word “if” in stating - if Tony and Gavin are married. I am unaware of anyone questioning that aspect. I do agree it must be some sort of legal move; I am married to an attorney and from 1976 until 1986 I kept an office in a law firm and have learned enough to think I am peripherally educated in the law (which, of course, I am not). Having said this, I still am unable to think of what would be a reason for such a move given that Tony was supposedly uninformed about the misdeeds of her family. However, let’s assume she was involved - why would she be so willing to protect Gavin when her brother went to the slammer? It is conundrums like this that make the prospect of a book that much more interesting

Has there ever been a suggestion she divorced Francis and encouraged to marry Gavin for money and leagl reasons? Why did her marriage break up? She seemed comfortably unaffected when running the Park Ave. shop and involved with several outside interests in Manhattan. I had no idea she had married Gavin until I read this string on the Nittany blog much less had divorced Francis.
TTC Employee London Says:
April 2nd, 2007 at 2:05 am
As anyone who has spent time in recent years with Gavin and Toni can tell you â€“ they love each other and are happy together. Thatâ€™s all there is to it â€“ end of story.
The Nittany Turkey Says:
April 2nd, 2007 at 6:58 am
A good romance should spice up “the book,” don’t you think?

—TNT
E.B. McLaughlin Says:
April 2nd, 2007 at 9:13 am
END OF STORY says TTC - Indeed, especially one with such a normal ring to it - love and happiness. First cousins marrying TTC Employee London appears to imply is not something provocative enough to warrant the slightest suggestion of something nefarious being the impetus. The more I read The Nittany Turkey blog site, the more I am convinced the Tollman family has a cadre of apologists for its immoral behavior. That alone will fill a chapter.

POST SCRIPT - Miss O’Hana (MO) who posted in an above entry is the only one that gets a free pass by virtue of her naivete and being Vicki’s daughter.
The Nittany Turkey Says:
April 2nd, 2007 at 9:32 am
Oh, yeah. Cousins marrying cousins…for my money, I want that to be a whole chapter. The subtheme of debauchery and decadence should be a tension building undercurrent throughout this tome.

Could someone provide particulars about the book? ISBN? Publishing House? Anything?

I, for one, have got to read this thing.

—TNT
e.b. mclaughlin Says:
April 3rd, 2007 at 11:03 am
TNT SAYS:

The subtheme of debauchery and decadence should be a tension building undercurrent throughout this tome.
____________________________________________________________

Indeed, it should. There is so much inflammatory material to sift through, the editing job may have to fall to Judith Regan who knows a thing or two about titillating literature.
i worked in the air department at traf Says:
April 3rd, 2007 at 1:36 pm
I too worked at traf in nyc for years. first to the tollman granddaughter:
i am very sorry you are hurt by this. but you should take a lesson from it. you, like gavin and brett, hit the gene pool lottery and were born into wealth. do the right thing with it. money makes for greed, which is why your family is in this mess. don’t be like them. aspire to be better.

tony sypa: tony sypa was the IT guru at traf. not just nyc as he would be sent to the toronto and anaheim offices as well. he knew our system like the back of his hand and was always smiling, laughing, great attitude. best it guy i ever saw. but he was a flirt. a harmless flirt though never disrespectful. there was a girl who devoloped a crush on him but she was fat and ugly. when he didn’t return the advances, her , and her best friend, also a trafalgar manager, put in sexual harassment complaints on him and got him fired. this girl had pinched his butt, and they even told him they wanted a threesome with them, but he was the one who got fired? it wasn’t right. those girls should be ashamed but i worked with both of them and they both have no conscience.

as for TT on the whole, it was a good place to work. i have no complaints gavin was nice so was brett, and his dog was cute. what makes us former nyc employees angry is the way they put off telling us about the closing, denying it for months. and alot of the people who worked there were single mothers, res agents getting along on thier 25K a year, who were now out of jobs. people who worked there for over ten years now out of jobs. while these millionaire crooks are fleeing from thier crimes. as people on this thread have said, if they are innocent, why are they avoiding a trial to clear themselves instead of fighting extradition. because brett and masefield took pleas? because monty hundley and friends were found guilty? to me this one is easy … like OJ … all the evidence is there and they are guilty. and it’s funny too to read about what good friends the tollmans were with gates, and reagan, and gavin contributing to the bush campaign … all these crooked slime stick together i guess.

toni and gavin seemed like a normal loving married couple. she used to come to the office every here and there, come to bowling night, come with new artwork for gavin’s office. i know it’s a little wierd but i think if they are happy who’s to judge?

it would all make for a good book … i’m surprised the family themselves hasn’t sold thier story, greedy things.
e.b. mclaughlin Says:
April 4th, 2007 at 2:02 pm
i know itâ€™s a little wierd but i think if they are happy whoâ€™s to judge?
_____________________________________________________________

Weird ? - you are being marginally obtuse. 24 states that make up half our United States have laws against FIRST cousins marrying and seven require genetic counseling. While it may seem outlandish to many, there are cases of genetic disease and hemophilia arising from such unions. However, this insertion begs the issue that is the premiss for what is being insinuated as judging. Is it eccentric to suggest the marriage was one of convenience since there are several other indications within the Tollman family that significant sums of money have bought loyalty not to mention going to prison to save another’s rear end.
TTC Employee London Says:
April 4th, 2007 at 4:16 pm
Maybe e.b. you’re not judging them but it seems to really bother you nonetheless. If you were to see them together as a couple you would see that all the senseless speculation that is going on here is rubbish!

FACT: The USA is the only western country with cousin marriage restrictions. No European country prohibits marriage between first cousins -nor does Canada or Mexico.
The Nittany Turkey Says:
April 4th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
If marriage among cousins were restricted in Europe, the royal families would have had to cross-pollinate like commoners. What fun would that be? Spice is nice, but incest is best.

—TNT
E.B. McLaughlin Says:
April 5th, 2007 at 9:47 am
Prince Charles is what you get when first cousins get together - hardly a recommendation to run out and try it.

There is no question the countries you mention allow cousin marriages. The number of genetic issues in all the countries allowing cousin marriages is marginally greater than in the US. My research says the majority of negative concerns have been debunked in England and Europe but no one there rejects the statistics that say marrying a first cousin increases the potential for genetic surprises and not the favorable kind. I guess the point is “safe rather than sorry”.

“Bother me” is probably not correct - “fascinates me” is but it goes well beyond the marriage of Antonia Tollman to Gavin Tollman. In fact, to satisfy you, I would gladly remove all reference (if I could edit my comments at this time which I can’t) to their marriage as superfluous to the greater issues this Monty Hundley blog has produced. Earlier I spoke of “apologists” for the disgraceful behavior of the Tollman family and I will leave it there while conceding that the ONLY interest in the Tollman/Tollman marriage centers on the potential that it had something to do with testifying against one’s spouse.

MARCH 30, 2007 - SN writes: I remain convinced that (if *it is true) it was a legal maneuver.

*[It refers to the fact that the Tollman/Tollman marriage was true].

Thanks to you - TTC Employee London - all that are following this string now know it was all about love. AMEN.
SN Says:
April 6th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Good afternoon, EB. As I read down the blog, which was originally for Monty Hundley, I could not help but LOL! This “BOOK” is, in fact, going to be a best seller!

No, EB, you haven’t lost your mind; I believe most of society would agree that a 1st cousin marriage is nothing less than just plain GROSS! Thus, the “if”; I simply cannot wrap my mind around this! As well, I cannot imagine Stanley quietly accepting this! If a legal maneuver, the idea would have most certainly come from Bea. Afterall, this is the woman who told me-directly ["...statistics show that the liklihood of a woman being raped in her lifetime are greater than 50%, so you might as well lie back and enjoy it"]. Now, of course, I have not included the context in which this statement was made, but as per TNT’s comments, this “book” begs to be written!!
The Nittany Turkey Says:
April 6th, 2007 at 7:09 pm
Hell, we already have several chapters of material for the book right here!

However, this Turkey hereby disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of content contained herein. Any slanderous or salacious allegations are the responsibility of the comments’ authors.

Monty Hundley has nothing much to do in the federal detention facility, so perhaps he could be enlisted to write a few chapters, although I sent him a letter not long after he was incarcerated and never got a response.

—TNT
E.B. McLaughlin Says:
April 7th, 2007 at 9:29 am
CHICKEN :):):) Salacious - yes indeed - Slanderous - I surely hope not because that would suggest intent to be so.

It should be obvious that, collectively, the writers contributing to this string know enough to be more than just provocative. The collective knowledge has not been imagined but comes from knowing family members and from newspaper accounts. The accuracy of newspaper accounts of all kinds is for another blog as to whether they can be deemed accurate. Shucks, there I go slandering newspapers.
The Nittany Turkey Says:
April 7th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
You’re damn right that this Turkey is a chicken! I’ve been sued by people with far less in their coffers than these Tollman weenies. Nevertheless, I don’t see much danger of a Tollman et. al. v. Turkey lawsuit because a) I ain’t rich, and b) the Tollmans either are in jail or they’ve fled the country to escape prosecution.

—TNT
E.B. McLaughlin Says:
April 7th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
:):):) That’s the spirit.

You, of course, saw my smiles after using the word chicken. I know exactly where you’re coming from. No chicken or turkey wants to stick its neck out (pun intended). Still, I cannot identify anything close to slander - what is it that concerns you? I will retire with this response if you truly feel this lengthening string is stepping over the line.
The Nittany Turkey Says:
April 7th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
Not at all, E.B. In fact, I’m happy to host the continuing commentary. I have not identified anything as slanderous—just a lot of sour grapes. Through the ongoing diatribe about the Tollmans I’m learning a lot. So please carry on.

—TNT
E.B. McLaughlin Says:
April 7th, 2007 at 5:22 pm
Many thanks, E.B.
Former THH Executive Says:
April 10th, 2007 at 10:21 am
Hi.. I Just googled Stanley and Monty out of the Blue…to get an update. I worked very closely with them, Brett and, on a lesser scale, Gavin. I was an executive with them from 1990 to 2000 in the Hotel management side of their businesses. All that I can say is that, while they were kind at heart and great men to know, they were corrupt when it came to money and business. I saw first hand many ways that they took advantage of insurance companies, banks, and the government.
On the