Locked In with Ian Bick - Private Detective Reveals Exclusive Inside Story of Participating In “60 Days In" | Mark Chauppetta

Episode Date: July 16, 2024

Discover the jaw-dropping experiences of a correctional officer who went undercover on the hit show "60 Days In." Uncover shocking secrets, behind-the-scenes drama, and the realities of life inside the prison system. This exclusive reveal is a must-read for fans of true crime and reality TV. Dive deep into the gritty details and untold stories that will leave you on the edge of your seat. Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ Connect with Mark Chauppetta: IG: https://www.instagram.com/pimarkchauppetta/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mchauppetta?mibextid=LQQJ4d TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@onthemarkpi?_t=8nwDjAr4Mk2&_r=1 http://www.markchauppetta.com Powered by: Just Media House : https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Creative direction, design, assets, support by FWRD: https://www.fwrd.co Buy Merch: https://lockedinbrand.com Use code lockedin at checkout to get 20% off your order Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:06:17 - Undercover Hair Removal Mishap 00:12:32 - Entertaining Stories of Surveillance 00:18:45 - Investigating Infidelity and Mental Health 00:25:00 - Working as a Correctional Officer 00:30:56 - Memories of Working in a Detention Center 00:37:16 - Becoming a Private Investigator 00:43:22 - The Importance of Adapting in Business 00:49:20 - Appreciating Life and Family 00:55:21 - The Influence of Personality and Chemistry in Relationships 01:01:15 - Reality TV Shows and Being Bald 01:07:17 - Undercover in a Violent Jail 01:13:38 - Mental Breakdown and Isolation 01:19:42 - The Unexpected Fight Incident 01:25:52 - Getting in the Ring: My Experience with Wrestling and Fighting 01:31:55 - A Crazy Career Journey 01:38:09 - Travel is back Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Enjoy every day like it's the weekend at Treasure Island with special rates of only $79 midweek. Could it get any better? It does. Get free parking too at Treasure Island while staying in the center of the strip. With summer coming, enjoy all your favorites, steps away from your room, including their world-class spa, classic Vegas steakhouse, and tropical resort-style pool. It's all at Treasure Island, Las Vegas. Visit Treasure Island.com to book your room for just $79 a night. That's Treasure Island.com. Now, being a former correction officer, I've had many of inmates bend over and cough and do all you got to do when you're strip-searching someone.

So now I'm being strip-charged. So this is what broke me. During this, they stick me in a holding cell. Now, this cell is probably four by five, like just a little narrow cell with a bench. And there's one other dude in there, puking his fucking brains out because he's fucking coming off of some kind of drug. He's detoxing. I wasn't in there, like, for 30 minutes.

I wasn't in there for fucking an hour. I wasn't in there for five hours. I wasn't in there, like, for fucking 10 hours. I'm starting to talk to myself. I'm pacing. I'm having legitimate withdrawal from not only my kids from my iPhone. I'm like, I can't talk to anyone. I can't text anyone.

Are my kids all right? Is, you know, what's going to happen with this appointment? What if something happens to them? What if they need me? I mean, they're all day by myself with no communication. You have an insane resume. I mean, like one night on 60 days in, correctional officer, private investigator, charity work, just so much. It's like my brother sent me, our researcher, sent me this bullet point list.

I'm like, holy shit, this is going to be a good episode. Yeah, yeah, you know, it's weird. When I met my current wife, wife number three, you know, she asked me to describe myself. and I just said I'm dysfunctionally normal, you know, because, you know, I just got a very eclectic life. But in the same breath, I'm very structured and, you know, very, you know, very, you know, disciplined and a disciplinarian with my kids. I'm kind of like the dawn or the mod boss of, you know, my family.

I've had disease in my life forever, you know, for 29 years this Sunday. My sons will be, which we can touch on. I've had a lot of, you know, serious shit in my life that came at a very young age. You know, I'm 55 years old. And at 24 years old, I get a diagnosis, you know, with my twin sons that have a terminal disease called Deschen's muscular dystrophy. So that makes you grow up really fast, you know. So you have those like real life experience at a very young age before I even matured into a man, you know. I mean, these are still my formative.

years back then and you know I had this you know put into my life so so it's kind of driven me through all the years uh and working as a private investigator and being self-employed has given me the flexibility not only to you know to care for them and you know multiple doctor's visits and whatever you know we've done over the years but to advocate for them uh you know and then do other and then do other things, you know, but the entertainment side of me comes from even before my kids were born. So I kind of, kind of merged it to. The entertainment side of me kind of found private investigating, I guess you could say. And you have your own charity too.

I did. Yeah, I dissolved it during COVID just because we did a lot of grassroots stuff and then COVID just kind of messed things up. But I used to run something called the the Wheelchair Strong Foundation and we did a lot of raised money through entertainment, grassroots, a lot of, you know, events with people. So, you know, the whole pandemic thing just kind of fuck that up. But, you know, I run three or four comedy shows. Prior, made a film, a documentary film called The Father's Fight, which is at the time I was turning 50 and I was contemplating and getting, coming out of retirement and going back into the cage to

fight one more time to raise money for my kids. We made that into a film that. I'm going to I, you know, produced and started. And so everything that I've pretty much done has worked out to try to bring, you know, advocacy, you know, to my kids. You know, so, you know, which is a, which is a tough thing because here I am in this business of being a of a private investigator. And, I mean, I don't want to pat myself on the back. But, you know, I'd like to think back in the day I was somewhat of a visionary as far as putting my face out there. You know, back in the old days when you called a private eye, you got an 800 number and it was redirected and directed to someone else.

Then you got some secretary. You know, I built a website way back in the very beginning. I put my face out there. I marketed myself. And a lot of people in my industry, a lot of the old timers, now I'm an old timer, but back then when I was a rookie, a lot of the old timers didn't really understand. that or like that, it didn't see that's the way things were going to be, you know, eventually.

I learned the hard way a couple of times when it came to having my face out there. So I had to alter the type of work I've, you know, I've done over the years. But I like to think that, you know, I kind of started that trend, at least in my area of Massachusetts, you know, so, yeah, man, it's a great, it's a great job, you know. Yeah, I was actually just thinking about that the other day, now that more professionals like private investigators come on the show. Isn't it kind of like a catch-22? Like you want to drum up more business,

but also like when a clip goes viral in like an area, can't that also hurt the job you're trying to do too? Yeah, it can if you, you know, I mean, the world's a big place. And, you know, lots of times if you're tailing someone or doing, I don't do a lot of surveillance work anymore like I used to. I don't do undercover work anymore like I used to. but, you know, one would think that maybe they would recognize you,

but there's just so much activity. And people's attention spans are so short and they forget. You know, back in 2011, I had gone on the Howard Stern Show. So I was in studio guests with him when I wrote a book on Infidelity. So I was doing a book tour. And right around that time, I was doing an undercover job for, when I say undercover, like nothing high-tech. Like someone had a, you know,

someone had a, they owned a skin removal, a hair removal company. And a piece of machinery was stolen and they thought that it was connected to someone that they fired. And it might have been at a new office building, you know, in a neighboring town. So I went undercover as a patient.

I mean, as a potential patient. You know, I had the Johnny on. I had a fake name. I came up with some bullshit thing saying, you know, I want to have, I don't want hair on my body anymore. You know? So I want a consultation, you know, about that. And I thought it went great. And then, like, when I drive off, my phone rings and it's, you know, it's a block number and I answer.

And they're like, I know who the fuck you are. I saw you on Howard TV. Go tell your client. fuck themselves. That's incredible. So I'm like, said to my wife, I'm like, I think I can't really do undercover work anymore. You know, so, you know, so I kind of shifted. But things shift in this business with the times, you know.

Like there's not a lot of jobs that I used to do back in the old days I don't do anymore. I don't do a lot of infidelity cases anymore because by the time they call me, you know, like they already have the information nowadays. days. Infidelity cases are weird. You know, it's like, you know, they, they intercept a text and email, they read something. Like, you can figure this shit out on your own, but they want, you know, they're not only don't want the smoking gun, like they want that fucking knife in there and they want to twist it and they want to know, I'm like, well, you know, the email that said the sex was great last night and, you know, it's been, you know, my wife won't give me anal. And,

And, you know, and you know, and you're amazing. That's not enough for you? Yeah, but no, I need to catch them. You know, it comes down to we as humans, like sometimes we're in denial, especially in a relationship. You see people in abusive relationships and relationships in general where they're in love with this person. They don't want to admit.

They, so they need someone like you to literally show them the photos or the video. Yeah. I typically talk, talk them out of it. And I usually maybe direct them to an attorney. You know, because, you're like, I can pick and choose my cases at this point. And I know I'm all jokes, you know, now. But I try to break down and be a little bit more serious with them and explain to them, look, you know, what more do you need? You know, I mean, I guess it depends on their rules of engagement.

Everyone has different rules in a relationship and what they consider cheating, what's not cheating. But, yeah, so I'll talk a lot of people out of those type of cases. And in Massachusetts, it's a no-fault state. So division of assets, you know, does, it doesn't matter in Massachusetts when it comes to a divorce. You know, you can use it as like backroom fodder. You can use it to fight over Fluffy the cat or for reputation, you know, and things of that nature. But it really doesn't matter when it comes down to litigating, you know, a probate case, at least in Massachusetts. California is different.

I remember maybe 20 years ago, 15, 20 years ago, I got to be 15, I got to. a call from a, you know, a PI in Massachusetts, and he was, he was heading up a dream team of investigators. And he had like, you know, ones that fit different criteria and I don't know, I think I fit the crazy criteria. And our job was going to be to spend a substantial amount of time following around, I don't know if I should say this, but following around, shit, should I fucking say this? He was a fake name. Freeman Morgan.

And he ended up getting himself in a motor vehicle accident down like Florida, I believe it was. And I think it's public record. I believe it's out there in the interweb. And I believe he was with this person he was having a fail with. So the job was called off because he was busted. He's like fucking 85 now. What's he going to do? You know?

So I was all excited to be part of that team And then it got called off last minute I'm like, fuck Wow Because when I was, see you're too young But when I was a kid There was a show called Electra Company It was like a public television show

And that's where he was on And so I remembered him from See I just know him from Batman You just know yeah Yeah you know from Batman So I knew it from Batman And that magic magician Yeah right

So yeah So that was So that's a case where you know, we're division of assets made a difference in the state of California. We're in Massachusetts, it's more for your own personal reasons. It's for closure. It's for, you know, and be able to move on and accept, you know. And then the people will tell me, like, look, I'll ask them.

I go, well, you looking to, like, reconcile? Like, yeah, and, you know, people's self-esteem when it comes to that. Like, if I got caught cheating on my wife, she'd cut my fucking balls. off and put them on a platter. Like, I mean, but some people are just, you know, because they're financially dependent or there's a lot of different things. I don't want to, they don't want to break up the family or break up the kids, you know, you know, but lots of times in those situations, the kids sense that the relationship's shitty

and it's worse for the kids and it's healthier for the kids if they have, you know, two healthy functioning parents that might be split, you know. And so I try to get into the. the psychology of it with people when it comes to infidelity. What's the most entertaining way you've caught someone or the most entertaining thing you've seen in an infidelity case? The most entertaining thing I've seen in an infidelity, oh gosh. You know, back in the old days, you know, I followed someone into a hotel room

and knocked on the door and they opened the door and I just fucking take three steps in and snap a picture and run the fuck out. Is that legal to do nowadays? Can you do that? I did that in the 90s. That's like what we see on TV with P-I. Yeah, so yeah, I did that once or twice back in the day. You know, I didn't pull the old room service.

Wow. Just knocked, yeah, so I've, well, I caught one guy. I wrote about this in my book. I caught one guy. I had a woman call me from Utah, I believe, and her husband was coming into town. So I had it all set up. She believed that he was having an affair with some much.

She didn't have a lot of intelligence. She just knew the flight he was coming into Boston, Logan. You know, so I brought one of my other agents with me, and I had a photograph of this person, and Logan Airport, which you know was a shit show. You know, so I had him inside the terminal waiting for this guy to come off. I'm outside, just kind of circling around, just in case, like, he catches a cab or whatever the case may be.

And my agent's, like, you know, calling me, Mark. I'll fucking see this guy. I'm like, he was seen getting on the plane. He's on the plane. You know, look at your phone when you have a picture of this guy. He's like, no, he's not here. I'm like, are you fucking kidding me? You missed him coming off the terminal?

I was going to fire this guy. That worked for me. And so at the same time, I'm communicating with my client because in today's day, as opposed to the old days, your clients expect you to communicate. communicate with them almost instantaneously. Back in the old days, you know, pre-cell phones, you know, you had a little more wiggle room and then you'd reach out to him maybe after the,

you know, when the case is over. Now, like, they're constantly blowing up your phone wanting to know what's going on. So I reach out to the client. I'm like, my agent can't find him. And she's like, well, I just found out he's renting a car. So we fucking beeline it over to like, or one of those within the airport and we go in there and

we're staring standing in there inside the where they rent the cars and there's this ugly fucking dude dressed as a lady looking at me like like Adam's Apple like just like this fuck I said the

I said the Jay I'm like this fucking cross dresser checking me out and then I'm like holy fuck that's the client so he went into the bathroom, changed into drag. And changed that. I call it going from, he's not the real names,

what I called in my book, going from Dick to Dixie. That's great. You know, so the client was pretty devastated. Now, that's a big whammy. It's like, you know, it's almost like she would have rathered us tell her that her husband met some girl at the gate and they embraced than instead of, you know, know him cross-dressing in leading a... Tires matter.

They're the only part of your vehicle that touches the road. Tread confidently with new tires from Tire Rack. Whether you're looking for expert recommendations or know exactly what you want, tire rack makes it easy. Fast free shipping, free road hazard protection, convenient installation options, and the best selection of Falcon Tires. Go to TireRack.com to see their Falcon test results, tire ratings, and reviews, and be sure to check out all the special offers.

TireRack.com, the way tire buying should be. Leading a double life. I'm trying to think, you know, what else? That's got to be pretty hard to pull off. Like, where are you keeping, where you keep it in the clothes in a lockbox? He had a carry-on bag. Wow.

And he had his wig and he had his skirt and his padded bra. Catch it across, dresser. Right? I mean, again, I don't want to offend anyone. To each his own. I had another case. A guy that used to hire me. me every year. He was from Canada and his wife would come down every year to to go to a nursing

convention and this guy was just obsessively jealous. And I call it in, you know, I call this case that I call myself a professional stalker because sometimes you kind of, you kind of cross that line in that gray area where, you know, if you follow them so much, you know, you feel like you're stalking them. So like this, this lady is, every year it goes to a different. part of the country for, you know, for a conference, you know, so I was traveling everywhere. I was just like, you know, I went to Alcatraz one year in Atlanta and Baltimore and Florida. Like, it was like a vacation. And she never was cheating, ever, ever cheating.

And he's like, you know, and then I'm starting to get, and you know what my disguise was, like every city I went to, I just bought their ball cap. Atlanta Braves You know Texas Rangers That was my disguise Yeah And I followed this woman so much

She probably should have recognized me So I was starting to get a complex about myself Like, does she think I'm attractive? Like she doesn't even notice me You know And One year we went to New Orleans to follow her She's with a girlfriend

And my There's one of those parades. It wasn't Mardi Gras, but it was one of those other wacky parade. It was like a real sexual parade. It was like people marching with all kinds of dildos and rubber vaginas and stuff. And my clients just blowing my phone up, driving me insane. And he's like, what's you doing now? What's you doing now?

What's you doing now? And at that very moment, she's just innocently standing there and someone put a rubber penis in her hand. He goes, she's got a fucking cock in her hand. he calls me up. He calls me up right away. What are you talking about? I go, she's at a parade.

He's like, oh, he's like very passive, aggressive, and, you know. Now, these people that probably pay you thousands of dollars to do that, why don't they just get divorced or break up or, like, that's crazy. For all those reasons, you know, kids, finances, afraid to maybe be alone, you know, things like that. that, you know, this is, we're going years back. Like I said, I don't do a lot of infidelity cases anymore. I'll pick and choose them, but for the most part, I won't,

only because, like I said, they can find out on their own. You know, if there is travel involved, all right, so that's a different thing. You know, if, you know, you still get the woman that's home with the kids and the controlling husband that controls the finances. And, you know, or they'll call me up, be like, I really need to follow my husband. He's coming to town for a business meeting. And I quote him and they're like,

he controls the money. You know, so they even have a hard time trying to come up with a retainer to pay me. You know, so I try to do, I give back a lot in my business. I'll do a lot of stuff, you know, for free. I believe in calmer and like, you know,

you know, certain things, you know. You know, back in the old days when my kids were little, my kids are now 30, 28, 28, 28, and 18. When my kids were really little, I would, I would, I don't want to use the word use, but like, I was so active with my kids that I'd always answer my phone. You know, so if I had a woman call me and she's like, you know, I'm, you know, I'd answer it and I'd be like, you know, I'd be like, excuse the noise in the background. You know, I'm a single dad and I have my kids in the back and we're going to the park.

and she's like, oh, that's so sweet. I'm calling about my husband who's not paying child support and he's a fucking deadbeat. I'm like, hook line, sinker. Like, this thing's perfect, you know, so I used to get a lot of those cases.

But, you know, empathy with people trying to talk to them to communicate, you know, give back, you know, very careful what I do now. I was an investigator for, you know, for people. I'm starting to find out that a lot of my website profile, my web cases, maybe seven out or ten seem to have mental health issues. So I have to kind of wean those ones out, you know, which bothers me. It's a sad thing to see nowadays with, you know, for my, you know, I've been, this is my third decade doing this.

And I've seen a lot of different changes when it comes to, when it comes to mental health functioning people, corporate America people. lawyers and doctors and, you know, that call you up and they seem legit. And they're like, I'd like to investigate a, someone's been breaking into my house. Well, have you contacted the authorities? Is there any forced entry? Is there anything like that? No, there's no forced entry. But I know they're coming in.

I'm like, oh, God. That's when I usually give like two or three names from my competitors that I don't like. Let's just fucking call them. You know, they'll take care of you. So you see a lot of that with. people and it does make it does make you sad you know and then if they don't hear what you want to what they want to hear then it's it gets even sketchier yeah i bet you that's why like the ring alarm business and security cameras in general business is booming because you have people that think

like that they're always very cautious oh yeah yeah yeah 100 percent i mean i you know that's what just comes in handy in my criminal caseload you know which is i would say 95 percent of my work now is criminal-based, you know, criminal defense work, which you might know a thing or two about. You know, so that's the majority of my work in Massachusetts, and it's kind of what I, what I specialize in. I, you know, I'll pick and choose my private cases now if it looks, you know, if it looks like a, like a good case. Like, last fall I had a guy called me up from Arizona. Actually, it wasn't Arizona. It was Texas. And he's like, I'm dating a girl in Massachusetts. And before I marry her, I want to know if she's reconnecting with her, her ex-boyfriend.

And, you know, and he starts up the conversation by saying, money is no object. I'm like, don't say that. Yeah. And it's a Friday at, like, fucking four o'clock, and he wants the job done at, like, seven. So, you know, so I go home and my wife's getting ready. we're going to go out and have dinner. I'm like, babe, you may want to change your clothes. Like, we're going to a football game tonight.

It's like, what? Yeah, I got this client, and he wants me to go to this high school football game in this town, this suburban town to see if this woman is with, is with this man. I go, you're coming as my cover. I'll make it up to you. And then I tell her the dollar amount. It's like, all right, I'm changing. You know, and then we're just, you know, and I found the woman,

and she was with this person, and my wife and I are taking selfies. That's all you need. What do you think is the best disguise you ever used? I know you mentioned that, you know, you had the hats at time. You bring your wife on jobs. I would say, yeah, I wouldn't say an actual disguise, you know, but, you know, I'll bring my wife with me on certain cases just as my cover. Just, you know, someone may not suspect, you know, a husband and wife looking couple out, you know.

So that works a lot, you know, but, you know, I wouldn't say I've put on like mustache and shit. I mean, I know back in the, I'm back in the old days. So we're going back like to the 90s, like before technology really started to boom. And if you wanted a, I had a drama shop investigation. Like it was someone that was injured and wasn't supposed to be working and they had like a wrist injury. and they were working in a bar and I needed to go undercover in so-called undercover in the bar

and get hidden camera footage. This is like pre-cell phones. Now you can just hold your cell phone and just record. You know, so I had this guy in Massachusetts. He was like Q from James Bond. And he would build this shit in his garage. So I would go by like every month to see what the latest gadgets that he had.

and it was pretty cool I don't even know if he's still alive I hope he is and back then they had for a hidden pinhole camera he just came out with the glasses and there were these big fucking glasses

like I don't know if you know buddy Holly is it's a singer from the 50s so these big black glasses and it had like a camera you know the wire ran in and the camera the pinhole camera is there but you had to run the wire

down and you had to put it in a fanny pack that actually had a DVR. So I looked like I had a claustomy bag on. I had these ugly fucking glasses. You look like a tromo. Yeah, I'm sitting at a bar by myself, you know, and I'm just, uh, at the time, I don't know why I didn't bring a sidekick,

and I'm just staring and recording and staring. I'm hitting play. I'm sticking my hand inside, like my shirt to hit play on the DVR, my freaking fanny pack. And, uh, you know, that's how we used to do it, you know, Yeah, that was the thing growing up, too, like getting those spy kits. Yeah. Like they would make all the, like, from movies, like the little radar thing and the antenna

and the glasses and the walkie-talkies. I don't use a lot of stuff now, like, just because, like, I just, you know, again, a lot of my work is criminal work, which is more like street detective type work, you know, equivalent to, like, being a police officer, but just in the private eye side. if I do record something now my iPhones they're great I photograph crime scenes all the time with my iPhone I can do everything yeah you know if you look at my iPhone you're gonna be like all right well there's pictures of this crime scene

that crime scene your grandda your kids graduation your birthday crime scene like you don't have a second one just for work you know I probably should but yeah because can't your phone like gets a peanut or anything like that It could. Yeah. This is going to have to look at my granddaughter. You know?

So I feel like there's this stigma in like any, in the correctional officer world and private detective world that individuals that take those jobs are normally because they had a failed law enforcement career. Interesting. Or at least from like an inmate's eyes, we would always kind of think that. What was it for you that got you into PI? You know, so out of high school, I ended up going. going to this community college for law enforcement. I didn't know what I wanted to do in the 80s. And a corrections officer exam came up.

One of my friends in town told me about it. So I took that job as a, you know, I went through Academy and I took that job as a CEO. And I hated it. Like, I fucking hated it. But to my dad, who's this like old school Italian guy and my mom, it was like a state job. It's like working at the factory.

You know, you got benefits, and this is 1989, you got benefits and a steady paycheck. And back then it was tough. You know, I went through boot camp. Boot camps were a little bit different in the late 80s than they are now. And I went into, I worked at the state mental hospital for the criminally insane at 19 years old. Really? So here I am at 19 years old working the graveyard shift. And, you know, with people that are.

whatever 20s 30s 40s 50s 60 70s and up whatever uh you know but one of the things i always learned and it and it holds true to this day that i learned in academy and i wasn't a standout in my class i just i just had a lot of common sense i think and that was to be fair but firm with the inmates and you know and i use that with my kids all the time you'd be fair but firm if you give an inch they're going to take a mile they ask you to bring in a pencil the next thing you know you're going to be lugging in fucking cocaine Like, you really just need to, you know, set the tone from the beginning and not get bullied and not get bossed around and be cool. You know, don't be a dickhead.

And I never treated inmates that way. I worked, I think three years, graveyard shift. I bounced around at a couple of different. In Massachusetts, we had what was called MCI Bridgewater. So there were different facilities and you could bid for different shifts in different facilities. So I spent some time in the addiction center. I spend some time. It's funny when you say that.

It makes it sound like I'm doing a bit. I worked in the Treatment Center, which is the sexual deviance. I remember when I was in academy and I was in my tans, there was the biggest escape they ever had in Massachusetts at the time. Like six or seven inmates escaped from the sex.

They were sexually dangerous people. And they sent us, they gave us like little six shot revolvers and we were like running around in the woods looking for these guys. Oh, 19 years. old. Holy shit. Barely had

fucking hair on my balls. Did you find them? Well, one of them dropped to, one of them dropped to his death,

and then where do you think the others were found? At some kids' house or something? Like their parents. Oh.

Like, they're homing pigeons. Like, you know, they were fucking homing pigeons. So they found them out.

That wasn't my involvement. You know, that was corrections in the police. But that was like my introduction into

into correction. Did you ever find an inmate there or a patient that you suspected wasn't actually criminally insane? Like in the TV shows and movies, sometimes we see people fake it to avoid a prison sentence. Not that I can remember.

You know, I didn't work that long in the, they called it the bug house. I don't know if you can call it that anymore, but it was called the bug house. I just remember it was very scary. And there were guys doing things in there that you couldn't even fathom. Was it like Junior Sopranos experience?

You were talking about the Sopratos earlier? Yeah, right, yeah. You know, shoving batteries up their ass and just doing weird shit, you know, just, you know, and funny, full circle, 10, 20 years later, you know, I revisit those facilities, you know, with my client, meeting my clients there. But nothing that I can recall just other than being just, just really scared, you know, at 19 years old, working that job. You know, it's dark out.

You're going to work the graveyard shift. There's people that are just, you know, insane. It's got like that eerie, probably feeling. Yeah, and, you know, and the buildings are old, and they have the skeleton keys, and it's like what you see in the movies, at least in the facility that I worked in Bridgewater. So, but again, my dad thought it was the coolest thing since sliced bread. But, you know, I'm making, at the time, 35,000 a year, which is big money.

I had great health insurance. I had an awesome stereo. You know, it was, you know, living in my parents' basement. It was great until one of my buddies called me up and he said, Mark, I'm doing a modeling pageant down in Rhode Island this weekend. Will you come with me? This guy's name's Tracy, a good-looking guy. I go, Tracy.

I'm barely 5'7 I walk on my fucking toes You want me to do a runway? He's like, yeah, there's going to be some Hollywood casting agency I'm like, fuck, all right, let's do it. So I ended up going and doing this with him

meeting a couple of casting agents and then reading some sides, a script, and then getting invited to go out and live in a mansion in Hollywood for four months to train to be an actor. Holy cow. And so now picture the real world before anyone thought to put a camera in a house.

So, of course, they were recruiting. It cost money. So I think at the time it was like three grand for four months. You lived in this mansion. There were seven guys and seven girls that didn't know each other, all model-type people stuck in a house up in the Hollywood Hills. Sunset Boulevard. Went to my dad.

I'm like, dad, I'm leaving the prison. No more corrections. And I'm leaving the jail. I'm going out to Hollywood. I'm going to be living with these two gay guys. Like, one's a gay casting director and one's a gay, you know, manager. And we're going to train to be actors. He's, yeah, can I say this in the podcast?

Yeah. He goes, what are you, a fag? This is an old Italian guy. You know, that didn't know anything better. And I go, you know, and then I'm thinking myself, he's probably regretting that he adopted me. I grabbed the wrong kid off the shelf. You know, I should have grabbed the other kid. I had to grab the eccentric kid.

So I left. I left to jail and went out to Hollywood, packed my shit. Went out to Hollywood. I lived out there for almost a year and a half. I trained and studied to be an act. and worked like menial jobs. I worked delivering pizza. I worked on, have you ever been out to Cali?

Yeah, of course. I worked at this place called the flowering tree on Santa Monica Boulevard, which was like, and you know, Santa Monica Boulevard is a very progressive street. And to each his own, I found it flattering. I'll tell you another story about this gay guy in a second. But remind me, I found it flattering. It didn't bother me.

Here I am this kid from Whitman, Massachusetts. You know, it was my, and you know what I think helped me is my corrections training. Because these guys were legitimate. They were, the casting director was a little washed up at that time, but had cast it for some really good shows. but were there agendas with these people 100%. Was there a little grab ass going on here and there with these guys with the straight boys in the house? 100%.

But I remember one particular night, we were swimming up in a rooftop pool in L.A. at this party and one of them tried grabbing my ass. I said, you touch me again. I'm going to break your fucking nose. But again, to each his own, I didn't care. I just, it was my corrections training where if you allow a little bit just to try to get ahead and that's not what you are and what your convictions are, you know, you're going to get taken advantage of. And I knew some guys that were part of that.

It was called the program, part of those guys that were part of that program that ended up, I think, doing some things that they got, you know, blackballed with eventually, you know, from exploring or experimenting. when they weren't that way, thinking they were gonna become famous. And I wasn't about that. I think my corrections training really, you know, really paid off. So while I'm, you know, after I graduate this little program and I ended up moving to the hill in the valley, and I'm working at the flowering tree over in Santa Monica, going back and forth.

And then I'm like, look, now we live in this like little apartment complex that looked like where the karate kid lived. It was kind of cool, you know? And I remember one day coming home saying, I am sick and tired of serving wheatgrass. I'm sick and tired of getting hit on every day, although I found it flattering. I'm sure Harvey, you know,

I'm sure Harvey Weinstein might have been hitting on me. I probably could have 10 movies, you know, on my IMDB pro right now if I, you know, if I wanted to, but I chose not to. I had left my fiancé to go out there and do this and was loyal and faithful and wasn't going to sell out to be, I'm famous.

So I came home and to the apartment and there was a phone book. Fresh isn't just a look. It's a legacy. Bevel delivers premium head-to-to-to-goo grooming, hair, shave, skin, and body, all designed for textured hair and sensitive skin. We're talking professional-grade clippers, shave systems that actually prevent bumps, and skin care that hydrates without the harshness.

So you can stay fresh, smooth, and irritation-free. And with Bevel, every step of your routine feels intentional, elevated, and built for you. Bevel, premium grooming, fresh never fades. Check us out on Amazon, Ulta, and Kidbevel.com. Sitting there, second time I mentioned phone books on the podcast. You love your phone books. I love phone books.

That's all there was. So there's a phone book there, and I opened the phone book. It was fate. And there was an ad that said, Itani Florence Investigations, and it was this guy with the magnifying class. I'm like, that looks fucking cool. Now, I had gone to, I had left to the prison.

I had left the community college studying criminal justice to go out to be an actor my father's like you're just going to come home already you know I'm like no and I called it wasn't even like a it wasn't even like an like a help wanted it was just the phone book it was someone advertising in the yellow pages I called it up all my kids guy Douglas answered said my name's Mark I'm from Boston I need a fucking job So I said to him, he's like, I like your attitude. Now, this guy could have been a fucking serial killer for all I know. It's like, meet me in this parking lot, like off the subpova to Boulevard tomorrow, pay you a 20 an hour and you can ride with me.

The rest is history. Wait, 20 an hour back then? Yeah. That's great money. Right? That was fucking phenomenal money. It's probably cash, too. I'm serving wheatgrass for whatever, eight bucks an hour.

20 an hour. Yes. So I ended up riding with him, and he ended up training me to be an investigator. You know, fast word 25 years later, he wrote the forward in my first book, and we still stay in touch. I was the best man recently in, like, his sixth wedding. So that's where you get the marriage issues from your original mentor. Yeah. It all adds up now.

Yeah, my original mentor asked me to be the best man in his wedding about a year ago in Nevada, and I'm like, I was honored. And then I said to him, like, well, where am I on the food chain? And like, why wasn't I asked two or three weddings ago, but I guess family first. Yeah, do you have the same best man for multiple weddings? How does that work? Well, I had the same best man from my first and second wedding. My best friend Frank, who owns a few restaurants, Brax Tap and Grill in Massachusetts. And I said to him, I said, Frank, sorry, but we're going to elope my current wife and I,

because I went back and looked at the footage and you gave the same speech at wedding one and wedding two and it's your fault I got divorced. That is funny. So I didn't use it. I didn't have a best man on my third. So yeah, so I ended up working for this guy, Douglas.

I ended up training. He trained me to be an investigator. And then after like a year and a half, I ended up coming back and my dad's. Now, I didn't quit the prison. I had just taken a leave of absence, for an extended period of times. I could have went back if I wanted to.

And my father was like, are you ready to resume your life? You know? Go back to the factory. And I'm like, no. I go, I'm submitting my resignation papers. And I want to be a private eye. It's like, are you fucking kidding me? So that's what I did.

I ended up just, I ended up freelancing. You know, I knew that. the areas that I wanted to do, and I worked for like seven or eight different agencies around the state, some that did insurance work, some that did, you know, security, some that did criminal work background. So I kind of trained myself. Douglas out in California, we really only do it domestic. So I learned the domestic side.

And I used my acting skills just to fake it until I made it. Do you ever think about what would have happened if you became an actor? Like if it actually paid off, you went out there, you had the big hit. you were like a next Jersey Shore Star or whatever of your time. Do you ever think of what life would be like now? Me and you certainly wouldn't be having this conversation right now. No, no. I wouldn't have my family and I wouldn't have, I mean, I think it helped me, you know, as an investigator. And I know I'm all jokes and but there's a real dark serious side to me in my persona.

But, you know, it's kind of come full circle, you know, where I'm. I am back into television. It kind of came full circle back, I'd say, in the early 2000s with the internet and reality television and people reaching out to me. And what I had said earlier about putting my face out there, you know, on a website that kind of came back, back around and kind of brought me back, you know,

to that dream of maybe not acting, but playing myself, which no one thought of back then. No one thought there was sex, drugs, and rock and roll going on. on in that house. Like it was the real world, like I said before, why didn't anyone have a, you know, you know, foresight to back then to say, let's put some

cameras in this house. There's 14 boys and seven boys and seven girls, all, you know, between 18 and 23 years old, good looking fit. Why not record it? No one thought about that. You know, it was it was wild. Ellen Travolter was our, she used to come in, she was our acting

coach, John's sister. And, you know, and it was, it was, we had, we had a lot of, what do you call it, we did performances in the living room of this mansion. So they would bring in a lot of industry people and then we'd mingle and there was a lot of, that's where a lot of the proposition stuff went on that, you know, and I really appreciated Gary and Larry with the guys, believe it or not. I just, I can't make that shit up either. I really appreciated them because they protected.

You know, when they knew the type of people, the person I was, they protected me. You know, I had a huge Hollywood commercial agent wanting to sign me. And, you know, and one of the guys we were living with in this program said, you know, he's just interested in taking advantage of you. He don't care about anything other than that. So I didn't sign with them, you know. So they helped as far as finding an agent, you know, and finding the right agent. And like I said, I think that corrections training,

prior and going to Corrections Academy and working with inmates and may have helped me, you know, along that process. Yeah, we often don't think about how things in our past, you know, train us, like everything I did before, train me for what I do now. I just didn't know it at the time. No. And something that's important to note about you is that you've been able to adapt in the times, which is why it probably contributes to your success.

You see a ton of businesses where they're still not adapting. And you have to adapt. I mean, look at the people that won during COVID during the pandemic, the grocery stores that adapted. Yeah. And that changed the atmosphere and stuff. Oh, yeah. They became super successful. Yeah, 100%.

Because it's all about adaption and that carries over to, you know, private detective work too. And, oh, 100%. And, you know, I may be a private dick, but I'm not a dick. Just in private. Yes. I'm just private. I'm not even private. You know?

Take that word right out of the definition of me. But, you know, I always treat people with respect. You know, I care about people. I care about my clients. I, you know, I think where, you know, where I lacked in certain things, you know, I made up in other areas as far as my strengths go, as far as starting a business or, you know, being compassionate or learning how to figure things out. You know, I look at my youngest son who just graduated high school.

Ultra smart never really struggled through high school. through school, but I see other kids that struggle the way the educational system is nowadays. And I think back to when I was a kid and I struggled a lot. You know, I barely, you know, I was like that close to the short bus. And it just, you know, for whatever reason, I had teachers that nurtured me and cared or let me maybe research or do a book report or do things like that to try to get the grade. Like they recognized my strengths. So I know my weaknesses.

I still have weaknesses to this day, but I know what my strengths are, and I work on those strains. Like, it's hard for me to sit and read 6,000 pages of a, you know, of a discovery that comes my way on a murder case or something. Like, my brain's going every which way, but I know how to, you know, use my strengths to try to be able to figure it out.

You know, I guess it's like someone that's dyslexic that can actually get through school, because you adapt in different ways. And, you know, I think that, that helped. And, you know, like I said, as an investigator, as a young man, I had, you know, seriousness in my life with disease. So, you know, never judge, you know, people, people just go through hard times. And, you know, and I try to, you know, I like to help them.

I don't even judge, you know, my criminal clients, you know. Like, I respect a lot of my criminal clients more than all. lot of people, you know, because especially ones that turn over new leaves in life and like to change and learn and, you know, it's just shit happens to people, man. And don't kick the person when he's down. No. Like, I feel like I got kicked so much when I was down that there's, that people are angry that I was able to pick myself back up.

And that just causes they were angry and, you know, cheering for my downfall. And then when you, when you rebuild, they're even more angry. And it's like, how do you live like that? Well, it's when you rise your head above the clouds. someone just wants to cut your head off. Yeah. You know, and that's the way it is. You know, you have that warrior spirit.

And, you know, if you have that fight and that warrior spirit, you know, you push through it. When, you know, when my son's Troy and Andrew were diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at two weeks after birth, you know, I was 24 years old. I wasn't prepared for that. I already had a daughter that was two. And, you know, that fucked my life up, you know. but you just got to push through and, you know, and fast forward now, they're almost 29, and they are thriving, I think,

because they see my strength and they see how I don't give up, but I think they emulate that, you know, so, you know, which is pretty cool. In your detective work, have you come across parents that leave when they have a child born with an illness? In my caseload, I mean, I come, I don't know about, yeah, maybe once or twice, but I mean, a lot of absentee parents in general in my case. A little disease or no disease, just, you know, more interested in whatever lifestyle they're leading, you know. So when I do see someone that actually cares about their kid, you know, that, you know, that warms my heart, you know.

But no, not that I necessarily can really pinpoint, I don't think. I don't get how people can leave a kid Like it's just You have children? No, I don't But I want children someday Right And I think about it

Like you see girls that are That don't have a dad in their life Or you know Men that don't have a mom Or vice versa You know It's just like how you know Because I see the love my parents gave me

Right Especially through your hard times Yeah So it just I don't know It's like you brought that person into the world How do you just not be a part of that Right Yeah I you know what

Selfishness you know my kids are my world everything I do revolves around them you know and now the grandkids are coming which is even

oh that's awesome you're your grandpa I'm a grandfather yeah oh congrats I know I don't look good for your age I love that you look good for your age

well you know my dad's almost 80 and I'm sure you see how he looks he's pretty good yeah right he's got good jeans still wakes up every day at 5 a.m. and grinds

I'm hoping that you know I get that way when I was driving here I was probably illegally looking at Facebook it was it was very slow drive and I saw that a kid that I grew up with just left the gym and went home

and had an hour attack and died 53 years old and I'm like holy shit wow it's like tomorrow's promise to know one you just got to live life you know my sons who have muscular dystrophy they they know what their diagnosis is but their diagnosis doesn't defy

them because you don't know what's going to happen. You know, they, you know, and they'll probably outlive a lot of healthy people, you know, just because they have the will and the spirit, you know, to do so. But, yeah, I mean, kids are great. I, you know, especially being adopted saying, you know, that I always wanted to have my own child because I wanted to see what my spawn look like. Do they look like you? My youngest son does.

The first three, not at. much because their mother is is Cape Verdean so they get that I think they got took on a little bit more of that side but my daughter my daughter looks like me my youngest son it's like fuck you know he's you know he's yeah he's there's no you know at the time that like he was conceived his mom and I were you know things weren't great and she told me she I remember it was at Holland Globe Charters game and I got a phone call. I'm pregnant. I'm like, what? And I'm with my other three kids.

And she's baby mom, baby mama number two. And and I'm like, oh, fuck, he sure it's mine? And then she's like, yes, of course it's yours. Like, and I believe, she's a great person. I believe her. I'm like, all right, you know, cool.

And then like, as he got older, he's got asthma like me. He's got a nut allergy like me. He walks on his toes like me. He looks like being like, he ain't the fucking milkman's. You know, so sorry, there's no denying it, but no. I mean, and I say that jokingly, and I have six kids in total. I have four of my own and then two stepkids, and we're just one big merged Brady Bunch type family.

That's so awesome. You know, so like we always, we get together as a family, we do things as a family. And I don't think blood defines you either, you know, especially being adopted, you know. It doesn't matter. You know, my granddaughter is my stepson and daughter-in-law's child, but that's my granddaughter. Yeah. Like, I fucking have claimed to her.

We're not the same blood, but she's mine. You know, so it's whoever's in someone's life. It's whoever, you know, wipes someone's ass. It's whoever, you know, picks him up and puts a band-aid on their knee or wipes the snot off their face. That's... Actions are louder than words. Yeah, fuck yeah.

You know? It all goes back to that. Yeah. You know what's weird about today's... What's weird about parents, like, like back then I think of my dad and my mom and dad are both deceased unfortunately

you know the big C got the two of them and you know they never that generation they'd be in their 80s now mid 80s and that generation never like the love word I never threw around that love word to my generation and you know and that bothered me growing up

but then I thinking to myself well myself and my two older sisters all three of us adopted. That's, that doesn't say love without, you know, like adopting three kids. I don't you always, that's love. And, you know, so today's generation, us, we overly tell our kids, love you, love you, love you. You know, it just seems to be.

It's very loose. Yeah, and it's loose with people like us and our, like me, in their 50s because we didn't get those words when we were growing up. Yeah. I don't know how you are with your parents, but... No, no, they were very hands-off. I mean, you don't really think about it when you're growing up. When you get older, you know, they realize it. And it's more about actions, too.

Like, I know that they love me. But then I watched, like, for the first time ever, I've been watching more reality TV. I used to watch, like, Jersey Short. That was the only reality TV. Then you watch your shit in prison that they have on. Yeah. But then, you know, the last couple months, I'm watching Love is Blind. I'm like, how that fuck can't the last season of that?

Did you see that? Yeah, this is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. Right? You're literally, and I know they don't show all the interviews of, but still, it's a few weeks, and you're saying, I love you, and I want to marry you. Did you watch this past season? I don't know which one I watched. It was just, it was on.

The one with that real hot chick, Jessica, that had the kid? Yeah, yes, that's the one I watched where the one with, she said, the other one said she looked like Megan Fox. Yeah. Yeah, she was a fucking whack job. But the one with the other one. a hot kid that was a bit he fumbled that bag with her. The dude that looked like fucking Peyton Manning. Jimmy was his name. Yeah,

he looked like Peyton Manning or something. Yeah, but I'm looking at it. But she wasn't going to like that dude. Like she's way too much. But she wasn't. She would have married him though. I know. She would have married him and she still had feelings. You know they were definitely screwing her. And the funniest thing about that was what he saw what she looked like after he picked the other girl. And you could tell him

and Megan Fox did not. He was like, I picked the wrong one. She had red flags go up. from the get-go. And again, I understand reality TV. You understand that a lot of it's edited. A lot of it is made to create drama. But, like, what would you do?

So if you're in there, and there's a girl that just got that sexy, what do you call it? What was that shit that they used to have? Phone sex voice. Yeah. You know? But then you meet her, and she's, like, a fucking tantal. Well, so as I've done, not that there's anything wrong with being a tank, but like she's not what you like.

No, so what would you do? As I've gotten older, I've realized personality is huge. Like, I've gone on dates. Like, I've been catfish before where, you know, like the girl looks a certain way. She's putting up old pictures and you go and she doesn't look like that anymore. Oh my gosh. And I've, you know, but I've connected with her personality and I still would end up sleeping with her and it was still a fun time, but I wouldn't go back to her because the chemistry

wasn't there. Right. So I think that's what it comes down to. It's more chemistry. But I could never do a show like that telling someone I love them and agree to marry without, unless they're paying me a ton of money. But that is just ridiculous. Did you see the Golden Bachelor?

No. The old guy? Uh-uh. He ended up getting, they ended up divorcing like a month later. To me. They couldn't bring their worlds together because they were in opposite ends of the world with families. So I don't even know if the creators of the show were going to try to do another one. And my wife, yeah, my wife and I, like, like, that's one of my biggest things I struggle with with my wife is like we, you know, we're best friends.

We get along. Everything's great. My, you know, I've been married for 10 years now and she just gets my personality. And she just texts me and said, break. She's like killing herself as a nurse. And I'm sitting there having laughs, you know, at a podcast. And, you know, that's how fucking cool she is. And, like, we struggle with finding.

shows to watch together. Like, I'll watch old shows. She watches whatever. She likes action movies. I like sappy movies where you cry, you know. But we've kind of come to an agreement with, like, this reality TV, like, what do you call it, like this salacious TV? And we just started, we just finished the one with the soccer players. Have you seen that one?

Love undercover. There's all these loves. So it's like a bunch of hot chicks, like influencing chicks from America that are hooking up with a bunch of guys from Europe because they want like a European guy. And that these guys are undercover. They just think it's a reality show. They're coming in from all their different parts of Europe and they're camping out in L.A. And they have to go out on these dates and pick each other. But they think they just work regular jobs.

But they're multi-million dollars. international soccer players. Wow. So, you know, one girl's like, one guy's backstray was he was a contractor. But he was like a three-time Olympic medalist, like, mega millionaire. And she's like, ugh, I don't know if I want to date a contractor. Like, and then, like, you know, then they reveal it at the end. They're like, oh, fuck.

So it just shows the shallowness that, like, this whole, like, I don't know how I would handle it. This whole influencer world that you young kids live in and these girls, like just pretending they're something like they're not. Yeah, my friends ask me that all the time, like how real is,

because I'm kind of somewhat in that world with just like who I interact with. And a lot of it's fake. Oh, my God, it is. I see people posting pictures from weeks ago or, you know, like they were invited to this party when really, like, they had a friend that knew a friend that dragged them. Right.

They're not making money. They rent a boat for an hour to take some pictures or sit in someone's private gym. When you're about to spring clean your entire home, you want results you can trust and a product you can feel good about. Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner delivers a powerful clean. And it's U.S. EPA Safer Choice Certified for use around people, pets, and plants. You don't need harsh chemicals to get the job done. With Simple Green, you get safer and stronger. A clean home with peace of mind.

Visit simplegreen.com to learn more. That's simplegreen.com. Yeah. And, you know, I mean, people get roped into these things. People, I mean, it's tough to find someone for real. I met my current wife. We met online, believe it or not? Tinder.

No, Tinder wasn't even around. I don't know if you're supposed to swipe left or right. Like, I have no clue. No, I believe it or not, we met on plenty of fish, which is like wicked ghetto, isn't it? Yeah, we used that in prison. Did you use plenty of fish in prison? Yep, you used P-O-F in prison. That's what they used to scam women in prison.

Oh, really? Yeah, because they're all swiping, getting them to put money on their books, and guys will make, like, a schedule. We're going to call this girl on this day, this time, and it's crazy. Cut it out. It's a hustle. It's a prison hustle. Really? Yep. Guys would have back-to-back calls with these women from POF.

So I should be on a POF commercial because I'm like a POS success story. Probably the only one in America who's ever gotten married from POS. Because like I went on it just for shits and giggles. And I saw my wife on there. And I saw where she was from her hometown. It happened to be the same hometown as mine. So then you just do, first of all, you know, I wouldn't say I have superpowers, but I have the ability to find information out on people.

You know, but I try not to use my utility belt for personal gain. I try to let things happen organically. But I looked her up on Facebook and we had like 50 mutual friends. So I'm like, all right, that's so then I, you know, you know, we hit up on there first. And then we ended up DMing on Facebook and then we, you know, met for, met for a drink. And, you know. The rest is history. Yeah, yeah.

We met at a local bar and we met just on a Sunday night, just something. I remember because I thought she wasn't going to, she was going to not want to go out with me because it was one of the greatest comebacks in Patriot football history. They were playing Denver that night and they come back from like 30-something points and I'm like this kind of kept looking up with the team. I'm like, shit, there's going to be a Patriots. You want to go, me for a drink and there's a Patriots game on? This part of Connecticut, you're probably not a Patriots fan.

No, we're Patriots up here. It's split. You got like Patriots, you got Giants, you got Giants, you got Giants, you got Giants. I grew up a Patriots. All right, cool. So, yeah, she's like, just, you know, she's like, tell me about yourself and this and that, and, like, we're talking. And, like, I was somewhat intimidated because here I am divorced twice prior. I have four kids, two with a terminal disease, a very, you know, bad disease.

So I was a little insecure, and she's a beautiful girl. And, you know, and she's eight years younger than me. And I was like, wow, it's wrong with her. She likes me. It's a bald head. I wasn't bald then I was forcing I was forcing the fucking thin hair

So it was even worse I looked back at like when we met Like you fucking liked me back then With that hair do Like I looked like shimp from the three stooges Like the wind came and it was like My bangs like So finally

One day I was sitting in my living room You know where we were all sitting around the living room And I'm sitting on the sofa down low And one of my twins was behind me And he raised his wheelchair And he took a picture of the back of my head, the fucker. And he, you know, and then he ate my phone like, beep. Like, look, he took a picture of the bald spot in the back of my head.

Like, you fucking asshole. So I got up, I got in my Jeep, and I ran down the street, and I shaved my head. I didn't shave my head. I'm like, this is it. I'm bald. And you never got hair back since? No, I love it. I love being.

I shaved my head before I came here. Lots of times, like, I miss patches and shit. My wife would be like, like, you get cancer or something? Like, where you fucking put a mirror to the back of your head and, like, you know, please. But no, I like being involved. And, you know, it's all good.

Now, on the topic of reality TV shows, you got to tell us the 60 days instant you had. Yeah, so I've done a few reality television shows over the years. I've been approached, you know, like there are like headhunters out there in the reality television world, you know, kids that come out of college,

these, you know, assistant casting, directors, producers, whatever the hell they are. I get a head up once a week. Yeah, right. Yeah, sorry. Yeah, they were hitting me up all the time for shows. So I had, I think the first reality show I did was in, was in 2004.

And that's like right when things were, so 20 years ago. That's right when reality was starting to take off. And I had a casting director that wanted to do a show with me for TLC. And it was more based around my family dynamic. Now, people like my family dynamic because they like heartstring shit, pulling the hot string, B-roll, all that crap, you know, sick kids. You know, it looks good on TV. It's somewhat exploitation, but so I ended up doing a sizzle reel for, with my kids when they were younger,

and that never got, you know, you spend like three months you film and then executives switch positions within these, you know, and then things end up done. And then from there, I ended up doing something for court TV. I think it was a reality show about decoys and decoy work. And I've worked. I haven't in a while, but I used to work with a few decoys and send them in undercover and try to persuade someone and see if they're, you know, some call it entrapment.

I haven't done a lot of it because it is kind of shady. then I did something for a history channel called the United States of Discovery that was like almost two years of filming a commissioned episode in Baltimore about a magic rock and the only thing that it was scripted it was scripted reality but the only thing that was real

was my name and that at the same time that was happening I was being wooed by Survivor and oh you would have been great for that I wouldn't have and this takes us to 60 days in. And, you know, so I turned that down. I was getting ready to do the psych exam,

so that could have, you know, you know, who knows if I would have passed that. For Survivor? Yeah, for Survivor. So I was getting, you know, and that came only because, like, one day I was sitting in my office and they're like, oh, you want to be on Survivor?

Send us a video. And I just took my phone. I said, my name is Mark Chippetta. I'm a private dick, and I can win this fucking show. So clicks and I got a call, you know, millions of people. Like, yeah. So, you know, so I chose to not do that because I thought I was going to go to series with this history channel show.

We thought we were going to get commissioned for like 10 episodes. And it would have been on game changer. It would have been a life changer for me. And again, there's two sides. Yes, I enjoy the spotlight. I like being, you know, in front of the camera. but I also look at what the exposure it will bring to my life and my kids and my cause,

which isn't that well-known of a disease. So that ended up getting scrapped. So I'm like, you fucking kidding me. Like, I'm giving this shit up. So then I get a phone call from the producer the 60 days in. They're like, we want you, we had someone on the show, something happened. We had another investigator on the show.

Something happened, and we need you for like 30 to 40. five days. I'm like, no fucking way. I don't want to go on that show. It's stupid. You know, and we'll name your price. You know, so now they're like throwing numbers at me. Like, all right, you know, we'll give you 30 grand for 30 days

and then we'll give you whatever, you know, five grand, ten grand, whatever for every other fucking week you're going to be on or something. And at the same time, at this time I'm running a business. Like, I'm a sole proprietor. Like, I have a couple of subcontractors that work for me, but it's mainly me.

I have court dates. I have trials. I have testimony. I have this. I have that. You know, I paw out with my family. And I'm like, look, this is going to help the charity. It's going to, at the time, I, you know, I had the Wheelchair Strong Foundation.

And I go, it's going to bring exposure. And, but I was regretting it and saying yes all along. Like I, you know, I just didn't want to do it. They ended up coming out to Massachusetts. I signed the contracts. They come to Massachusetts. They end up doing all that B-roll shit, interviewing all my family and stuff. That was like a week.

And then finally it's D-Day. Like, it's time to go out. I'm going to, I think it's the last seat. Last, it's the seat. I think it was the final season. I think the show might be over. It's like, it's in? I think so.

No, they still recruit people. They're still doing stuff? Yeah. All right. So I was in Pinella County. It was in the Mexican border in Arizona. So like, you're going to be in this jail. We need a backstory.

All this. You know, my name was Troy Stevens. I was, I was going in for attempted murder. I was out on, like, I was out on vacation golf trip with my buddies, and I fucking hit some of the club and tried kill them or something, you know. So I was being held at this jail. That was a pretty violent jail, you know, right in the Mexican border, pretty violent jail.

County jail, not a prison, but a jail, you know. It's the holdover before, you know, you get sentenced and you go. where you're going to go. But some of those places are pretty rough. Yeah. And so then they fly me out to Arizona. I spend like four or five days in a hotel. They're doing all the B-roll shit.

Just like tugging on the hot streams. Like this room, the hot lights and the camera and the you know, tell me what it's like to have kids that have a disease, this, that. Just a bullshit, you know. And so at the same time we had been waiting for and I'm not

making excuses. Like I, you know, You know, to this day, my wife gives me shit about doing this and my kids. At the same time, my twin sons, Troy and Andrew were on a waiting list for a drug, like an experimental drug for their disease. And it's so happened that they got called to go in this study like that week. So my head's like getting all fucked up because, you know, the truth of the matter is, I can't be away from my kids. Like, it fucks me up.

I can't be away from them. not for, you know, I can't be out of contact with my kids. I will just, I found out one night in jail, you know, that I can't be out of contact with my kids. My disabled children, my sons, my twins, because their world revolves around me. They live independently. They have staff.

At the time, they weren't living independently. But I run their day-to-day life. I run their appointments. I run this. I run that. But my daughter was like, we got you covered. Their mother was helping out. their stepmother, my current wife, was helping out

and, like, we got it covered, you know? Then, like, the day before I'm getting ready to go on the cover, the van breaks, and I'm like, just losing. And, you know, then I get browbeaten for three days with, you know, with all this B-roll shit. And then I'm just like,

fuck. So, D-Day, you know, it's like, we're picking you up at two in the morning. Well, prior to that, I got my last supper, like I was fucking going on death. row. So I got like in and out burger and they fucked that up.

They put that sauce on it, which I didn't even want. So I was fucking, I threw that shit in the fucking trash. I'm like, all right, what else could go wrong here before I go to jail? And so I meet him and we meet it in the desert at like four in the morning because it's got to be a real discreet location because nobody knows. And, you know, within the show, they think there's some kind of documentary going on in there at the time. and the only people that knew were the people

that were transporting me that I was part of the show. You know, so therefore there's no, you know, they're locking you. They're locking you. They're in the back.

And, you know, it's, you know. Like, I, look, I'm a retired cage fighter, but me sitting here talking to you, I feel like a pussy. All right? So,

because you got my ass kicked when it comes to prison. So, So they come, they lock me up. It's like an hour ride in the back of this fucking SUV. And I'm just like, oh, fuck, what? I'm like, what the fuck am I doing? Like, I make a lot of money as an investigator.

Why am I going on this stupid show? My kid's van, the doctor, this, that? I'm like, all right, you can do it, you can do it. You know, they bring me into the Sally Port. And game on. You know, I'm Troy Stevens, you know. then they process me. You know what that's like.

And the guards have no idea. No one has any. I fucking idea. Just the producers. Yeah, the producers that are in like the east wing of the, like an area of the jail that's abandoned, that's empty just for the purposes of all the behind the scenes production. But the guards have no idea who's who. No fucking clue. Because then they would wrap people out.

Yeah. No fucking clue. So I'm being humiliated. Now, being a. former correction officer, I have made many inmates lift up their ball bag. I've had many of inmates bend over and cough and stick there, you know, and do all the shit you've got to do when you're strip searching someone. So now I'm being strip searched.

And so this is what broke me. Again, anyone out there watching this show wants to challenge me on this. Bring it on. All right? because until you walk a day in my fucking shoes. So now during this, they stick me in a holding cell. Now this cell is probably four by five, like just a little narrow cell with a bench

and there's one other dude in there puking his fucking brains out because he's fucking coming off of some kind of fucking drug, bath or whatever the fuck. He's detoxing. I wasn't in there, like, for 30 minutes. I wasn't in there for fucking an hour.

I wasn't in there for five hours. I wasn't in there like for fucking 10 hours. Like, I'm starting to talk to myself. I'm pacing. I'm having legitimate withdrawal from not only my kids from my iPhone. I'm like, I can't talk to anyone. I can't text anyone. Are my kids all right?

Is, you know, what's going to happen with this appointment? What if something happens to them? What if they need me? I legitimately, I am fucking pacing for hours. I get like two fucking baloney sandwiches, whatever they slid under the door, you know. And then like, so this happened in the morning, early in the morning.

Then finally, like in the early evening. I mean, they're all day by myself with no communication. You know, where, where. I know you're probably just looking at me like I'm some fucking pussy. No, I love it. This is great. And finally, they're like, Stevens.

You know, I'm like, what? Like, I took a second. Stevens. I'm not answering because my name's Chepeta. You know. You know, and they bring me to like, break me to, you know, process me again. Like, like, as if I got some kind of concert band from the first time they looked up my asshole. You know, they had to do it again just to further humiliate me.

And I get my, you know, I'm in my jumpsuit. at that point. And then I go into my unit. And, you know, so it's a dorm style. You know, obviously a dorm style with like three, I'd say like three rooms with 20 bunks in it and then the big open area. And it's the whites, it's the Latinos, and it's the blacks.

You know, all separated. So this kid, I didn't watch the show because I was embarrassed. Like, I've never watched it. Comes out to me. He's like, let me see your papers. Because he wants to make sure I'm not a fucking didler. All right? For those that don't know out there what a didler is,

a pedophile, a fucking child rapist. You're like, you know, that's all they care about. They see freaking assault with a tent to murder. Like, this guy's pretty cool. You know? And I didn't know what to do at that point. You know, I played some check. Like, there was still, like, maybe two hours before,

lockdown or an hour before lockdown. So I played some checkers. I get the top bunk right next to the shitter, mind you. It's fucking, you know, you were in federal, right? Yeah. So you got some comfort, all right? Hey.

You know, I'm in a, I'm sleeping on a fucking saltine cracker. You know, on the top bunker there's some dude dropping a deuce like two inches from me. Yeah. And, um, yeah. So finally, when they lock us down for the

I'm mental, I'm done. I'm just done. And I know all along, all I have to do is this. And that's the code to get out. That's it. That's it. Look up in the corner. There's a hidden camera and do that.

So prior to that, I got one phone call. You know, I got a call. And I called my wife. And I'm like, I can't. She's like, Mark, just do it. Deal with it. I got it. The kids will be fine.

I'll take him the appointment. I'll do this. I'm like, I can't. I'm like, fuck this. I'm having a mental breakdown. You know, and I always go back to this, this quote from like Creed, you know, and Rocky's helping Creed, and he's like, you know, like, take, you know, Creed's shadow box in in front of the mirror.

And he's like, you know, take a look at yourself, you know. He goes, that's always going to be, you know, your toughest opponent in life. It's you. You know, so my toughest opponent was between my ears, you know, that night. You know, because I have different circumstances. I've never been away from my kids. They depend on me. You know, they could have cardiac arrest at any second.

And now I'm thinking, damn, maybe I was selfish going away. Maybe $40,000 isn't worth it, the fame or whatever, or getting stabbed or whatever. Like, I wasn't afraid. Like, I'll fought in the cage. I don't fucking care. Bring it on. I'll fight you. I don't care.

You know, but I didn't have the right mindset to do what they wanted me to do in there also, which was investigate and, you know, break up. Ready or not, summer is coming. And Wayfair's Memorial Day clearance is on now. Right now through May 25th, get up to 70% off everything home at Wayfair. Plus score amazing doorbuster deals all sale long and surprise flash deals on Memorial Day. We're talking thousands of products at every style and budget. Now is the time to save big on must-habs for your patio, backyard, and beyond.

These savings won't last. So don't wait. Shot Wayfair's Memorial Day clearance now through May 25th. Wayfair, every style, every home. America's first pledge was freedom. Jeep still carries that fighting spirit. With the Jeep Declaration of Deals, we're pledging our allegiance to the American people

with great deals on the luxurious Grand Cherokee, with available three-row seating, premium craftsmanship and tech that turns every drive into an adventure. Or Jeep Wrangler with legendary 4x4 capability and open-air freedom. Because freedom deserves the vehicle built to carry it. Jeep, there's only one. Hurry into your local dealer for the Jeep Declaration of Deals. Jeep has won more awards over its lifetime than any other S-E-B branch.

Chief of the Jeep in the Jeep Grill or registered trademarks of X-A-U-S-L-C. Some big crime ring. Oh, whatever the fuck was going on in there. You know, so they lock us down and, you know, and there's, like, shitty-ass books in the cell. Like, like, come on, you know, like, and everyone's just doing their canteen shit. And, like, I'm just having flashbacks from being a guard.

And everyone goes to bed. And then I think it was, like, six in the morning. Like some noise or something, which is breakfast. So they open like a slot in the door and everyone like wakes up like fucking zombies. I'm like, all right, everyone's up. Let's play. Because I'm like up all night. My head's racing.

I'm like, I need interaction. I need to talk to someone. I'm going crazy. They get their food. They put it back on the end of their bed. And they go back to sleep. I'm like, what the fuck? That's what people do.

Yeah. They go and save their trees. Like I'm like, I'm going to four o'clock every day. I'm like, let's go, guys. Let's play. Like I can't deal with this. So then, like, for another three hours, I'm lying there. And I'm going fucking crazy.

So I look up the camera, and I don't know what came over me. I look up in the ceiling, and I tap my shoulder. And they come and get you? Like four hours later. So you could have been dead or something? Yeah, like four hours later, they're like, Stevens, you got a lawyer visit. So they walk, you know, and they got to cuff me. They got to make it look real.

They walk me down one hallway. They walk me down another hallway. They walk me down another hallway. and then I walk into this room in that big fucking dumb motherfucker who's on Fox News all the time that sheriff with the cowboy hat

the fuck's his name you know what I'm talking about? Yeah I think so Oh what the hell is he's on the for the border all the time he's gonna probably call me out he's like fucking screaming at me the producers are screaming at me

what the fuck are you doing they have my wife on the phone tell him to stay tell him to stay you know and then this guy and then the sheriff oh god what the hell is his name name. Then the big sheriff is like, you know, I know about your sick kids. They'd be disappointed in you. So I'm fucking lunging out. I'm ready to fucking fight this guy's like 6'5. And I'm going

to end up in jail for real. Imagine that. Right? You knock about and you got booked and then you're back in. And, you know, in hindsight, I understand why he was pissed. You know, I'm ruining a television production. Yeah, there's a lot that goes into it. There's a lot that goes into it. I get it.

I understand why he was mad. They have my wife in the phone. She's like, if he says no, he says no, there ain't no convincing him. She's like, can I get back to work now? You know, Mark and his silly games, you know? And then they did an exit interview for like three hours. That same day? Yeah.

And then they just dumped me off at the fucking airport. Did you ever make it onto the show? I don't think so. No. I was there a night. I was pushed out. And you got no money for that one day? No, I got like, I think altogether I made like five grand.

It's pretty good. Right? Right? But I almost felt like I was going to be blackballed, you know, because, you know, but. So to go back to you saying you'd be great on Survivor, yes, my personality would be great on Survivor. You know, I have circumstances in my life where if I can't, you know, have my. phone or have communication with my, I realized at that point, so then at that, you know, so when that all ended, I ended up having a vision to, to, uh, write, you know, documentary film called

The Father's Fight, which is about my life. And I incorporated my, my time in, uh, incorporated my time in prison, in jail. The one night. The one night in jail. And, uh, hey, how long did you do? Oh, almost three years, like 27 months. All right. So we probably have done about the same amount of time in jail.

You were a corrections officer at a mental institute. You were eating some cord bread and jello the whole time enjoying yourself. True. All right. I'm not trying to downplay your prison credit. No, I think about doing like those reality TV shows or like 60 days in. The money's great. But at the same time, like if I had did a reality TV show instead of being,

because I had an offer to and it didn't end up working out, but that was the best thing because had I taken those two months off from building my social media, I wouldn't have what I have now. Right. So sometimes that short-term payoff is not worth it in the long run. Yeah, and I regretted it, and it made me realize that, and I'm not, you know, like, I have a tough guy persona, but, you know, I cry every day over my kids and, you know, and this disease.

And I thought that was going to be like twofold. I'm like, you know, this is good money. It's going to bring exposure. but I realized that and my family would have taken care of it. My wife would have taken care of it. My daughter would have taken care of everything. Everything would have worked out.

You know, in hindsight, barring a medical emergency, everything would have worked out. But at the time, that's probably the, well, there's two times in my life where I've had mental breakdowns.

It's once when I thought the IRS was going to come arrest me. And the other time was, the other time was when I went to prison for a night. So those are the two rough patches in my life. Hey, those are fair. Yeah. Right?

Yeah, so it's, but it worked into my documentary. My documentary helped a lot of people and, you know, changed I think a lot of lives, you know, father's fight about me. Cage fight. I used to cage fight every year to raise money for my kids.

So that was one of my one of my hobbies, I guess you could say. And mission, not even just a hobby. It was a mission. It was a mission, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

I used to do a radio show locally in Massachusetts, and I had dabbled. You know, I was doing a little jih Tjitsu before Jiu-Jitsu was even popular. And I know here down the street, you know, you have the former UFC champion. Glover Texera. Yeah. Glover Texera, who's a legend. But this was like kind of before a lot of that took off. There was things called valetudo, which I think valetudow stands for anything goes, which was bare knuckle

More like pancreas style and it wasn't what you see now on television and I was 29 years old And it started to the training was popular when my buddies was doing it and I was dating this chick and she challenged me to fight And I did it a fucking bare knuckle fought a real Renaissance man Eight-minute match, man. I bare-knuckled, I had a bare-knuckle match and I warehouse down in Rhode Island, you know, with a bunch of Hells Angels. Wow.

And I'm like, all right, I lost, but I survived. As long as you get in there, you're doing more than most people. Yeah, you know what? I was 29 years old. I was supposed to fight a kid my age who, I was a wrestler, discipline, came from that pedigree. The other kid was a boxer, and this is how the sport was back then.

you've mixed the mixed martial arts you met now everyone is well rounded and knows everything back then i really only knew wrestling and this kid only knew boxing and he got hurt a week before they're like well i'm like told my girlfriend i'd do it you know so they're like well we get this kid he's 19 he just won like the division three NCAA wrestling championship at norwich or whatever division they are i'm like 19 he's 10 years younger than me he's a wrestling champion I'm like, yeah, fuck it, I'll fight him. So we ended up beating the shit of each other for eight minutes. We took an ambulance ride together.

And now you got a good war story? Yeah, and then I took five years off. I'm doing nothing, just kind of got fat. And I had a guy on my radio show challenged me to fight, give me five grand to raise for my kids, my charity. So I was always promoting my charity. And I'm like, all right, I'll fight. So now the sports evolved a little bit more than I'm fighting.

It was still in a ring. ring, but I ended up, I lost that one too, but it was close. I caught a kid that ended up going into the UFC, because again, a week before my opponent, who was kind of handpicked, got hurt, and I ended up going against some stud, who actually is in my documentary. I guess they're friends with all these guys. You know, I'm like, Chuck, you want to be in my movie? Yeah.

So, yeah, so I started just dabbling that way and then just doing it. ever so often I did it a few years later I won that fight fought outside at a baseball stadium and then when I was 49 turned 50 so six years ago I wanted to make it into a film yeah and I didn't get medically cleared at 50 years old because the commission really tightened up to actually I don't want to spoil the movie but if you want to watch it it's on youtube but you know so you know what's the name of it so people look a father's fight a father's fight it's on youtube it's pretty good We'll put the link of it in the description. Yeah, it's basically just an hour and an hour of what you're watching on this podcast

with my neurotic crazy personality mixed in with my wife who tells me I'm crazy and my kids who tell me I'm crazy. Well, I'm sure there's going to be a lot of people that like the craziness. You know who's in it is Patrick Renner. You know he is? You would know your youth. Remember the Sandlot? Yeah.

You're killing me smalls? Yeah. So the redhead kid with the freckles. You got him in it? Yeah, he's in my film. So I met Patrick many years ago So when I was a rookie investigator Probably in the 90s

I was researching at a court And I had a woman just watch And this is back when you didn't really use computers Or index cards and shit I'm doing a background on someone And I had a woman walk up to me And she's like You're an investigator? I'm like yeah

She's like all right I work for this organization You know let me get your card I'll call you we might be interested. So I get a call a couple weeks later, and it's someone from the Church of Scientology. And they want to hire me as a contracted investigator.

And at the time, you know, like, I didn't know what the fucking church of Scientology was. I just like John Travolta, Tom Cruise, like, it wasn't as, you know, exposed as it is since Leah Remedy came out, you know. It was still kind of a weirdo, religious quasi cult organization. So I'm like, fuck you. Money, business. So they call me up to Boston. I have a meeting with one of their Scientologists,

who happens to be Pat Renan's father who runs the, because Pat Renan is a Scientologist. Great guy. And religious freedom. I don't give two fucks what you fucking believe in, as long as you don't hurt anyone. and I interviewed with them and they wanted me to be

like one of their Northeast investigators and I'm like okay so they put me through the E meter test you ever see the E meter test? No it's very well known within their organization it's like these two cylinders that you hold and it reads your

I don't know your signal your signals in your bow I don't know I don't know how to fucking say it you know they're asked me questions like Am I a spy for the government and shit like that? Like paranoid type questions, which I pass with flying colors because I wasn't a spy for the government. So it's their version of a lie detector test

that looks like something a kid made in third grade art class. You know, they use it in their auditing, which is what they call it. So I ended up doing work for them for about nine years. I was one of their investigators. And I remember the first assignment they ever gave. gave me was in Boston. We used to have something called

the combat zone in Boston, which has been cleaned out. It's in the theater district. And my job was to crawl on a dumpster and find this bag of trash from like, you know, the 10th floor of this high rise at an accounting firm

and then meet someone in a dark alley the next day and hand it off to him. And I'm like, well, the fuck, they pay good. The money's green. Why not? So, you know, so what you'd, so I was breaking.

breaking the law while I was doing that because in Massachusetts, trash on a curb is considered abandoned. Abandon trash is considered anyone's, and it's admissible in court. Trash in a dumpster is property of whoever owns that dumpster, and if you pop that open and crawl inside it, it's trespassing. Oh, I didn't know that. So I'd be pulled down this dock alley. I had a buck knife.

I brought my 9mm, I thought I was cool, and I would literally crawl in the dumpster and spend like three hours. in there. Like, it was corporate trash. It wasn't like rats and tampons, you know, so, and I would slice bags until I found the floor I needed, and then I'd, like, peek my eyes out and jump out, hop in my car. That's incredible. And then go through the trash and then pull out what looked important and put it in, like, an envelope and hand it off to one of their local people. Don't know who I was investigating. Don't care. Ask.

Didn't ask. I did that for about, that was like a year. So I was a good gig. You know, they called me a squints from Sanlott in prison. Oh, people called you that? Yeah, they called me Squintz, the prison guards. That's funny. Pat's a super great guy.

And, you know, so I ended up meeting him through his father. And never had any issues with him. You know, like I've been out to the Celebrity Center. I've bumped into Tom Cruise at the Celebrity Center. I've done close protection on John Travolta when he's come to Boston. Like, no, like they have different levels of investigators. And you're seeing more now that the investigators are being exposed as, you know, as stalking and harassing people.

I was never asked to harass anyone. I was really just a, they, their term for it was called a D-line. And that's pulling trash. So I did a lot of D-lines all over the country for them. I went everywhere and pulled trash. So they would pull trash. Now, mind you, remember, this is back in like late 90s. Mid-90s, Internet starts to take off, right?

People start to post or back then. It wouldn't even been considered blogging or tweeting. It was probably just something in a chat group or something, right? And if someone that defected from the church or someone said something negative about the church, them being somewhat of a cautiously paranoid organization, would open up a file for a rainy day. They would hire investigators to go out

and do surveillance, document, pull trash, do things like that to save it for any potential litigation down the road. I used to do like stuttering John like fucking undercover shit for them too. Like they had a... Actually, I came to Connecticut

a couple of times to a couple of like seminars where ex-members were holding seminars for people that wanted to get out of the church and wanted to, so they were basically deprogramming them, you know, a scam in its own right, you know, and I would go in and they're an alias and they, you know, ask

stuttering John type stupid questions just to disrupt the group. You've had such a crazy career. I got to hand it to you. Right, yeah. So that was good. So I phased out after about nine or ten years. I did sign my life away. I wrote a little bit about them in my book.

Happens all the time cheating in the good old USA. It's an old book. I wrote a little bit about them in there, but I did it very strategically and within legal limitations because I didn't want to get sued. You know, but you read a lot of bad things, You see a lot of bad press. Me personally, I never had any real issues with them.

Like I said, Pat volunteered his time for my movie. You know, and I don't really know any other famous, famous ones. But, you know, it was a good gig, and they paid well. And it was just a, you know, contracted help. But I only knew limited things. Like, I think they had other investigators that were, you know, closer to the, you know, to whatever. Scientology detective.

Yeah, well, my name's online about it. So after I had put some publicity out there, 14, 15 years ago about it, I was getting a lot of calls. Like, Mari Povich called me, the inquire called me. Like, they all wanted me to, you know, come out and talk about it.

But, you know, which I could, like, talk about it, like, more in a detailed manner, which to me, ethically I wouldn't. I'm not going to do that in a detailed manner just to get fame or to make money because there's client confidentiality there. And if they hire me

and they hire me to keep something private, then that's my job to keep private. And if I go out and I expose the things I worked on for them, what's someone going to say that wants to hire me for something else that sees me, you know, squealing, you know, about a case or specifics of a case that I worked on. you know so i kind of that's where i drew the line you know ethically with them you know i'll talk

loosely about them i'll talk about what i did that my experiences weren't that bad people will come at me and say well you know what they did to this person you know what they did to that person and that private i did that i don't give a fuck all right i never had any bad issues and i never did anything that i felt crossed the line you know it was all everything within investigative means surveillance, pulling trash, you know, photographs, you know, research, things of that, that nature, which, you know, so I had a decent run. I had a decent, they handed me Dianetics the first day and I couldn't get through page two. I told you I had a learning disability.

I'm like, fuck this. I'm not drinking that Kool-Aid, you know. But, you know, if it helps people, so be it, right? Well, Mark, thank you so much, man, for coming on. the show today. Yeah, my pleasure. You gave us so many different perspectives from your time just over the last, you know, 30, 40 years, correctional officer, reality TV star, 60 days in inmate, detective for Scientology.

Man, infidelity detective. What a killer episode, Ben. And father and husband and grandfather, those are my most important. And author. and author my most important roles in life and I I appreciate it I love your show here thank you man I'm sweating my freaking it is a little hot it's hot as fucking yeah it's it's a great show I I I love your success you're having and uh glad I've been able to share and I know a lot of my friends have probably heard these stories in the locker room after

jihitsu class but but too bad it's it's way cooler hearing it on you know the locked in podcast and making it all professional and that's right Absolutely. We'll save travels back, Mark. All right.