Would you turn in a family if you had evidence of their involvement in a serious crime? You see people doing this and wonder what you would do. What is the most ethical thing to do? Let’s take a look at decisions 10 people made.
1. Mark Madoff:
Mark Madoff, the eldest son of Bernard Madoff, hanged himself in his Manhattan apartment in December 2011. The date coincided with the second anniversary of Bernie Madoff`s arrest for running a Ponzi scheme which devastated thousands of lives around the world.
Mark Madoff in the weeks leading up to his suicide was in a fragile state of mind. He was said to have expressed resentment toward his father and anxiety regarding a number of lawsuits that were filed against him, his brother and other family members.
It was Mark and his brother who reported their father to the federal authorities on December 11, 2008. This was after their father admitted to having absolutely nothing left and that the whole investment fund was just a Ponzi scheme. Two days before that Bernie Madoff disclosed to his sons his plans to pay out $173 million in bonuses. Nothing made sense.
2. Hector “Junior” Pagan:
Federal agents arrested and charged several members of the Bonanno, including the father of Mob Wives star Renee Graziano. The informant was Graziano’s ex-husband. The family is one of the “Five Families” that dominate organized crime activities in New York City. The founder, Joseph Bonanno, was interestingly enough the first to be kicked off the Commission. The commission keeps order in the Mafia and the family was allegedly dealing heroin.
You can read more here: http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/gangsters_outlaws/family_epics/bonanno/1.html
3. Melissa Phillips:
This is the toughest decision any mother ever has to make. Melissa Phillips went to clean her son’s room where she noticed a leak. After further examination, Phillips found the body of the neighbour Maddie, who went missing from her home 7 days before. She went across the street to call the police. Joshua Phillips is now serving a life sentence for his crimes. An appeal were made in 2002, but was denied.
Checkout the video: 48 Hours-Joshua Phillips (2006)
4. John Franzese Jr.:
A former Colombo associate-turned paid informant helped convince the courts that his father’s frail state and the use of a wheelchair were deceiving. John Franzese Sr. is a long-time member and the underboss of the Colombo crime family. His is the oldest current member of the American mafia. In 2011, he was sentenced to 8 years in prison for extorting Manhattan strip clubs and pizzerias. The man was dozing off throughout the trial making it look like he is dying.
5. Linda Kasabian:
Charles Manson made an unfortunate call to pick Linda Kasabian to join the group of killers who killed 8 inside the homes of actress Sharon Tate and Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. Kasabian did go along, but stood in horror as the murders took places. Escaping from the Manson family, she would later turn in state’s evidence convicting Charles Manson and his crew during the Tate and LaBianca murder trials. It was also her eye-witness testimony that sealed the convictions of those responsible.
6. Mother of Joshua Garcia:
18 year old Joshua Garcia allegedly killed a woman who was his neighbour. The person responsible for his arrest was his mother. She turned him in after he came home the night of the murder with a woman’s purse. The family of the deceased still believe there was someone else involved in the crime.
7. Family of Gerald Banks:
Families are increasingly putting the citizens of their city first. When a Toledo teenager was accused of murder it was his family who turned him in. Gerald Banks was charged with killing Marquan McCuin after being featured on the Most Wanted page.
8. Family Member of Jonathan Carter:
Two men were sought in connection to a sexual battery incident taking place in Lauderdale Lakes. A man was arrested for doing the crime, but another man was being sought after for being his accomplice. To aid the police in their search, a caller who was a family member turned Jonathan Carter in. Carter would then enter the police station without incident.
9. Michael Palomino:
Palomino made a tough decision but knew what he had to do after he saw a video of a beating involving his son. The video was posted on YouTube, showing his son partaking in the bullying of another child.
10. Joseph Alfredo Riviera’s son:
In early January of 2012, a Glendale man’s son called the police after finding a memory card containing videos of his father having sex with a 12 year old girl. The SD was found in the bathroom at the father’s home.
what about the Unabomber’s brother?