Scamfluencers - David J. Friedland: Swimming with the Sharks | 235

Episode Date: October 12, 2026

David J. Friedland spent the 60s and 70s climbing the ranks of New Jersey’s Democratic political machine – greasing palms, brokering backroom deals, and making sure every spotlight in Hudson County was pointed directly at him. David wasn’t picky about his allies: the Mafia, Ponzi schemers, and even… Republicans. But when his quid-pro-quo hustle proves too shady for even New Jersey politics, the Feds come knocking – and David hatches an audacious scheme to vanish into a tropical paradise.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Audible subscribers can listen to all our episodes of scam influencers ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app. Sarah, we've done a couple episodes before where someone goes on the run, but I've never asked you, where would you go if you were being chased? Oh my God, that is such a good question. You know, I think about this a lot only because I think of mass surveillance a lot. Sure. Where could you? I don't know where I'd go.

Oh my God, that's such a hard question. I think I would go camping because, like, no one would believe that I'd be desperate enough to go camping. Like, I'd never be found again. That's true. I wouldn't look for you in a forest. Thank you. Well, today I have an episode about the incredible lengths a man will go to avoid being caught

by the cops. And if he can't run from them on land, then maybe he'll have to hide from them under the sea. It's Labor Day 1985 and David J. Friedland is heading out on a fishing boat with a friend to dive for lobsters. They're cutting through deep waters off the coast of the Bahamas. David's always loved scuba diving. It's one of the few things that calms him down. And right now, David desperately needs to chill.

Beneath his scuba mask, David has thick eyebrows and bushy brown hair. He's made a name for himself in New Jersey as a brazen, entertaining politician who will do anything to get ahead. But what he's about to do next will land him at the top of his time. top of the federal government's most wanted list. David is on edge as the fishing boat skims across the water. He's sweating and vomiting. And when one of the boat's engines sputters out, he almost calls the whole thing off.

His friend quickly fixes the engine and steers them to one of David's favorite dive spots, a place called Sandy Key. David sits on the edge of the boat and takes a long look out over the waves. He knows he's going to miss this place. And then he pulls on his mask and slips into the water. with a mesh bag in hand to catch lobsters.

His friend watches him dip below the surface. And then, David just keeps swimming. He swims a mile and a half until he's on the other side of the bay. While he's underwater, he imagines leaving the old David behind. No more backstabbing or shady deals. This is the start of something new. David resurfaces out of view of his friend, next to a fishing boat he'd hired to meet him.

He climbs aboard and hightails it to shore. He's still carrying that lobster bag, but instead of crustaceans, it actually holds a briefcase containing $35,000 in cash. Once on shore, he hitchhikes to another friend's house to shower. Then he puts on a fake mustache and boards a plane in Nassau bound for London. This is so far a very sophisticated escape,

but I do think probably the most fun part is getting to wear a fake mustache, you know? Getting to wear a fake mustache must be really fun. The whole escape is more cinematic than it is practical. That's for sure. Well, David's buddy, the one who drove him out to the dive, doesn't know anything about this plan. The fewer people involved, the better.

So the friend does what anyone would do when their buddy disappears. He reports an accident. The Coast Guard searches the land and water for two days with no luck. David Friedland is missing. Back in New Jersey, there are constant news stories about David being lost at sea. But David has a reputation of avoiding consequences, from political fights to federal indictments. So the authorities aren't entirely convinced that he suffered a tragic diving accident. They issue an arrest warrant just in case he turns up.

David had been planning this escape for months because he could feel the walls closing in. He was about to begin serving a prison sentence. sentence for a bribery conviction. And just days after he vanished, he was indicted for defrauding millions from a Teamsters pension fund. David spent years as one of the loudest voices in Trenton, first as an assemblyman and then a state senator, but his charm and connections couldn't save him this time. David escaped New Jersey to avoid prison, but it's hard for a guy like him to stay hidden forever. And his braggadocious ways are eventually going to thrust him back into the spotlight, just not the way he wants.

He lurks in shadow. He slips into dreams. He casts no reflection. Audible presents Bram Stoker's Dracula, a new full-cast audio thriller, starring Jonathan Bailey as Dracula and Ella Pernell as Mina Harker. Don't miss the year's best new audio thriller. Listen to Bram Stoker's Dracula, only on Audible.

I'm Razor Jaffrey, and in the new season of The Spy Who, we tell the story of David Tyson, the spy who rode with warlords. He's part of a CIA team sent into Afghanistan ahead of the U.S. invasion to coordinate anti-Taliban forces. But when an interrogation of al-Qaeda fighters goes wrong, survival becomes his new mission. Follow the Spy Who now, wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also listen to the full season of the Spy Who rode with Hawlords early and ad-free on Audible.

From Audible originals, I'm Sachi Cole. And I'm Sarah Hagey. And this is scam influencers. David J. Friedland was raised by a New Jersey politician and an actress. And though he ultimately chose to pursue politics, he never lost his sense of dramatic flair. He spent the 60s and 70s climbing the ranks of New Jersey's Democratic machine, greasing palms and brokering backroom deals for the people of Hudson County, all the while finding ways to make sure he was in the spotlight.

David wasn't afraid to work with unseemly groups if it got him ahead, the mafia, Ponzi schemers, or even Republicans. But when David's quid pro quo style proves too shady even for other Jersey power brokers, he has to face the feds and the music, unless he can pull off an audacious scheme to disappear into a tropical paradise. In the end, David swam with lone sharks and real sharks, but he couldn't wait away from the corruption he fostered. This is David Friedland, swimming with sharks.

It's a cold day in October 1948, and Jersey City's most influential people are packed into David Friedland's red-bricked family home. President Truman is giving a speech later that day, and this is the pregame for the well-connected. David is 12, with a round face and thick, dark hair. He looks a lot like his father, Jacob, a prominent lawyer known for representing gangsters, corrupt union leaders, and local businessmen. Jacob has taught David the who's who of New Jersey from a young age. So David understands why the room goes silent when his dad walks in with a solemn, balding man. It's Frank Haig, the mayor of Jersey City for three decades, a man who shapes state democratic politics through fear and force.

Jacob leads Frank over to David and introduces his son. Frank puts his hand on David's head and says, without a smile, Listen to your father, be a good boy, and vote Democratic. Wow, that is one origin. story. I can tell this is changing this young boy's life. Ooh, it sure is. Well, soon after, the crowd heads to a local high school to watch the president's speech. But David can hardly pay attention. He's still buzzing from meeting Frank. He's used to seeing power up close, but this moment crystallizes something. Politics in Hudson County means watching out

for your own. Let's take a minute to talk about David's home turf. Sarah, what do you know about Hudson County New Jersey. I know Hoboken, which is right across from Manhattan, and that is where cake boss is from. And also scam fluenter's alumni Bob Menendez, his district was there as well, right? Yes, exactly. This is great memory work, Sarah. So Hudson County is densely populated. And because it's right across the river from Manhattan, some people think of it as New York City's sixth borough. It has deep ties to industry, unions, and the mob, with a long legacy of corruption. The political machine that Frank runs is one of the strongest in the country. When David was a baby, Jacob was handpicked by Frank to represent Hudson County in the New Jersey

State Assembly. David washed as his dad built a career around labor interests, introducing legislation to beef up workers' comp, extend minimum wage to hotel workers, and ban the transportation of strike breakers. But while Jacob opens a door to law and politics, David's mother, Miriam, introduces him to a very different world. The theater. She's an actress and frequently takes him to see plays, which inspires David to star in school productions himself. That turns out, David enjoys performing.

He also loves poetry, and while at Tufts University, he studies under one of America's most famous poets, Robert Frost. Much like Frost's most famous poem, when David is in his early 20s, his life diverges into two rows. and he cannot travel both. He has a deep love of the arts, but boss Frank's advice has stuck with him.

Listen to your father. The practical path wins out, and David goes on to study law at Rutgers. He gets married in 1961, the same year he passes the bar. He has two children soon after and joins his dad's law firm in Jersey City. Jacob is no longer a state lawmaker,

but he stays politically active by working on cases that shape Jersey politics. David works alongside his dad and runs for the state assembly in 1965. David puts his artistic aspirations behind him as he climbs the political ladder. He's striving to be like his dad, and he knows that he has big shoes to fill. There's a legacy of looking out for the people of Hudson County, and David is about to put that legacy to the test. In May 1968, David gets a call from John DeGillio.

John is a tough former boxer from Hudson County who's found himself, in legal trouble. David listens as John tells him what happened. Two years ago, John loaned a local car wash owner $1,000. He charged the owner $50 a week until he could pay the principal in full. Some would call that loan sharking, but in Hudson County, this is just how things get done. The car wash owner couldn't keep up and stopped making payments. So John called him up to scare him and got a little carried away. He ended up telling the guy that he'd, quote, come down and chop his fucking head off. A few days later, the car wash owner gets beaten up, seemingly by John's guys.

John was arrested and is now facing serious charges, including threatening to kill or injure for purposes of extortion. David's firm is known as a place that works with questionable characters, and John trusts that David can handle this discreetly, even though David is living a very public, very flashy life. He's known to shop at the best stores, eat at the best restaurants and drink the best wine. He's also two years into his term as assemblymen.

David has built a reputation in the legislature that's nothing like his dad's. Jacob came from the rough and tumble school of politics. David, on the other hand, is a performer who treats the assembly like his stage. He loves to debate and show off his legal knowledge. He also stands out as a hippie legislator. He wears flamboyant suits and lets his curly dark hair grow so much it, quote, threatens to touch his shoulders. Oh, Sarah, can you describe this fit?

Yeah, it looks like he's wearing a costume. I mean, elegant, fashionable, but a costume. He's like wearing a black kind of fitted suit, and there's this flowy, white handkerchief scarf. I mean, I just would never think that he's important legally. Yeah, I mean, the hair and the clothes make David look like a hip, but it's not just that. In 1968, his first marriage ends in a nasty divorce in custody battle.

He then briefly marries a Parisian model who would go on to claim that David had too many bad trips on LSD. This guy wants power and proximity to coolness and fame is what I'm gathering so far. Yeah, sounds familiar. After talking with John about his dicey situation, David gets to work. John tells him he's ready to pay up and settle this whole mess. He's tired of his pregnant wife, quote, crying all the time and driving him crazy. So, David gets in touch with the car wash owner's lawyer and works out a deal. Neither lawyer keeps a paper record of the case, and so the whole ordeal stays a secret.

The arrangement involves John dropping $6,500 in cash at David's summer home. Later that day, the car wash owner's lawyer picks it up and hands it off to his client. Once the money changes hands, the criminal charges against John are dropped. I think this is one of those things that's officially known as a bribe, right? Like this is classic bribery. Hmm, interesting thought. Well, whatever David wants to call it, he's helped his client get what he wants. John is a free man, and David has cemented his reputation as a fighter for the common man in Hudson County,

even if that common man is a crook. It's mid-December, 1968, and William James, J. Brennan III is standing in front of a room full of reporters. He's the state's assistant attorney general and is about to give a speech to the New Jersey Professional Journalism Society. He's a little nervous because he knows this audience is listening for anything juicy. One of the biggest issues in law enforcement right now is organized crime. The FBI director has testified before Congress that the mafia is, quote, the largest organization of the criminal underworld in this country.

It operates on a nationwide basis with international implications. Life magazine just published a two-part expose calling organized crime an underworld empire that affects every citizen, even threatening elections. William was chosen to head up New Jersey's investigation into the mafia, and what he's found is disturbing. It only took him a few months to conclude that organized crime is the most serious internal problem in the state.

It is really interesting when you hear about how investigating the mafia becomes, like when it becomes important, because we've grown up only knowing pop culture, media, everything about how evil and terrible the mafia is, but how cool they are. So it's interesting that he's like, wow, the mafia is a really big problem, you know? I know. Does anyone know that the mafia is really bad? Yeah, this is actually Martin Scorsese's origin story. William adjusts his dark rimmed glasses and clears his throat. He tells reporters that organized crime has infiltrated pretty much every business in New Jersey.

He ticks off different industries, trucking, motels, restaurants, bars, banks, construction, even vending machines. The room falls silent. He adds, quote, too many local governments are responsive more to the mob than to the electorate that put them in office. The audience starts murmuring and scribbling notes. Predictably, William gets a flurry of follow-up questions, and he starts to sweat a bit. William is usually savvy enough not to reveal too much, but he concedes something big. There are three state legislators who are, quote, too comfortable with organized crime. But he refuses to identify them or say anything more.

He leaves the meeting worrying about the massive can of worms he's just open. The next day, every major paper in New Jersey runs a story about William's remarks. As he reads the papers, William knows he slipped up. He said something publicly without indictments or hard evidence to back it up. This is a pretty big deal because he just opened up Pandora's box of suspicion and doesn't really have any evidence he's presenting at all. Yeah, this is an unprecedented claim coming from a top state official. And legislators are furious.

There's now a cloud of suspicion hanging over the Capitol. The ACLU criticizes William and one state senator says the vibes are similar to the McCarthy witch hunts. At the end of December, William is called to testify before a special legislative committee. He arrives with a stack of papers, including a prepared statement. After his earlier remarks sent the state into chaos, he knows he needs to be precise now. He sits before the committee and finally starts naming names. And one of them is Hudson County's state. Assemblyman David Friedland.

He outlines David's involvement in killing a criminal complaint against the lone shark, John DeGilio, and says John is a mob enforcer and close associate of the mafia's top dog. William reads from his prepared statement and says he didn't anticipate the consequences of his comments

and he's sorry. He didn't mean to cause division. He just wants legislators to focus on rooting out organized crime. David denies Williams' accusations. As far as John goes, David tells the press, I believed and still believe he is not a criminal. The committee says they'll review the evidence behind closed doors. William is overwhelmed. He was trying to get the criminal

underworld out of politics, not take center stage. He feels beaten down. And a week later, he leaves the investigation entirely. Ultimately, the legislature decides to take no action on his claims. But the New Jersey Supreme Court looks into the ethics of the situation. And in 19, I think in 1771, David is suspended from practicing law for six months. I feel like even though it doesn't go further than that here, it's still enough of a stain to think this guy might be corrupt, right? Yeah, it is hard to unring that bell. While David pays a small price as a lawyer,

he's basically rewarded as a politician. He becomes the assembly minority leader and is re-elected by a wide margin in 1971. It's clear that Hudson County has us back, because while William was trying to expose David's questionable deal-making, all it did was advertise David's willingness to get his hands dirty. It's January 1972, and David is in a motel room on the outskirts of Trenton. There's an important assembly vote coming up, so tonight he's reaching across the aisle

to make a deal that would screw the Democrats over, but give him a lot of power. Up until now, David has followed Frank's advice and voted Democratic. But he needs Republican leadership on his side to make some major moves heading into the state assembly session in 1972. It's going to be a tight race for the powerful speaker role, and David wants it. But his tarnished reputation has some colleagues wary of him. When asked about electing David's speaker, one Democratic assemblywoman said, quote, I wouldn't vote him for outhouse inspector. That is such a good burn and also shows that people probably just don't like him on top of that,

because if he was a likable person, you could be like, well, we don't know, but I have a feeling he's just a piece of shit as well. Yeah, I mean, we know politicians will go to the mat making excuses for their friends. But that isn't happening here. Democratic leaders don't want David a speaker. Instead, their nominee is a man named S. Howard Woodson. He's from Trenton and would be the first black legislator to hold the role. But Howard needs a majority, and the assembly is split. 40 Democrats, 39 Republicans, and one independent.

The Democrats can't afford to lose a single vote, and some are worried that David and his Hudson County pals will go rogue. David knows the Democrats need him, and he's testing his limits. He still plans on running for Speaker as a long-shot third-party option, but he knows his vote is more valuable than his candidacy. So he demands a major post of influence, leadership roles for his buddies, and additional aid for Hudson County,

all in exchange for backing Howard, which is why he's in a motel this evening, meeting with Republicans. He's making the same demand to both sides, selling his vote to whichever party will give him what he wants. He's turning a race he's already lost into an opportunity to get even more power. It's crazy that the person standing in the way of a probably historic event

that could change a lot for people is, just like some selfish guy who's only thinking about himself. Like he does not care what happens at all as long as he's on top. Yeah, so much for just vote Democratic. The Republican's nominee is Thomas Keen, and he's in the motel room with David. He hears David out and mostly agrees to the deal. But the two don't shake hands yet.

David has some sneaking guilt about voting Republican, so he tells Thomas he's going to try with his party one last time. The next morning, David combs his sideburns and heads to the Capitol. The place is buzzing. Everyone is whispering about the speaker vote. Thomas pulls David aside and lets him know the Republicans agree to all his requests, but he needs to make it happen today. When the assembly is called to order, the nominations are announced.

For Democrats, it's Howard. For Republicans, it's Thomas. And then there's David. David calls for a short recess as soon as the nominations are announced. made. Democrats start to suspect he's playing both sides. David corners Howard and makes one last attempt to negotiate. But Howard doesn't budge. He tells David he won't be blackmailed. So David reveals that the Republicans have agreed to his demands and he's voting with them. Howard is pissed, but says he and other Democrats won't sell their souls to make a deal. So David votes

Republican along with four other Democrats. On the assembly floor, David says Democrats have have turned their back on Hudson County. Now, because of him, his county will get state dollars for schools, infrastructure, and decaying neighborhoods. He doesn't say out loud that the deal is even better for him. He'll be the chair of the committee that decides what legislation goes to the floor. David didn't want to vote Republican, but he had to, to get ahead. It's not lost on people that David did this when Howard could have made history. One legislator calls it plain racism and says this is, quote,

The most infamous day of shame in the history of this state. And a fellow Democrat says, quote, Jesus had us Judas and we have David Friedland. Oh my God. David Friedland is terrible. He is such a piece of shit. And also, Jesus had his Judas and we have David Friedland is... You know, Democrats used to have some teeth.

You know what? Politicians used to have real zingers. I'll say that. That's a good one. Yeah. It's all a pretty big scandal. Newspapers call this the David Friedland Affair. They describe David and his fellow defectors as gutless, meatheads, and sellouts who prioritized personal ambition over their party.

He loses support from leadership and ultimately doesn't seek re-election. But David is ambitious and turns his break from politics into an opportunity to make deals that benefit him more than his vote ever could. On January 24, 23 in Duxbury, Massachusetts, Patrick Clancy called 911. He had found his wife, Lindsay, badly injured, and his three children dead and dying. What followed would become one of the most searing and complicated cases in recent memory, raising hard questions about motherhood, mental illness, and how far our justice system will go to understand what really happened. I'm Candice D'Long, host of the podcast Killer Psyche.

In our latest episode, we take you inside the case of Lindsay Clancy, the postpartum psychosis defense, the courtroom battle and the trial that just ended in a stunning mistrial. Follow Killer Psyche wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Killer Psyche one week early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts. He lurks in shadow. He slips into dreams. He casts no reflection.

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When Mina's fiance, Jonathan Harker, vanishes in Transylvania, Mina pieces together letters, diary entries, and chilling testimony to hunt the predator stalking those she loves, only to discover Dracula's already hunting her. Audible's Dracula invites you to welcome literature's most shadowy figure into your home. Listen to the new audiobook adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula, only on Audible. It's February 1975, and Barry S. Marlin is at a fancy cocktail party in New York City. He's here with his girlfriend, Kate Edelman, a dark-haired former model.

Tonight, he's schmoozing and scanning the room for anyone he can do business with. Barry is 41 years old, a powerful lawyer and financier from a lawyer. Los Angeles. He wears the best suits and insists on being chauffeered in a Rolls-Royce. And as an investor, he's known to get surprisingly high returns, up to 28% per year. While his clients include celebrities and thousands of airline pilots, he's also got his hands in everything from real estate deals to foreign banks. His global financial empire is rumored to be worth $100 million. But not everyone is buying what Barry is selling. Recently, some state and federal agencies have started looking into his complicated web of businesses.

So now, he's looking for a fresh start. Across the party, Barry spots David Friedland. David's no longer in politics, but he's still well-connected in New Jersey, and just the kind of guy Barry is looking for. Barry leans over to Kate and asks her to introduce them. She's known David for years and was the maid of honor at his third wedding in 1971. Kate makes the introduction and the two hit it off, immediately. Barry tells David he is a new shipping company and is looking to raise a couple million. David says he is a client that could do a loan. Barry is intrigued, but plays it cool. He doesn't

want to seem too eager. A few weeks later, they meet up at Kate's apartment. Barry has looked into David's background, and he's impressed. David's still at his dad's firm, and many of their clients are labor unions, including the Teamsters Local 701 in North Brunswick. David advises the union's pension fund. Sarah, what do you know about the Teamsters? Yeah, they're like one of the biggest unions that represent like blue collar workers and stuff. And they're frequently in movies, frequently mentioned in movies. Good, good plot device, the Teamsters. Yes, exactly. And they're known as a tough, tight-knit group that's historically had alleged ties to organized crime. Barry is tempted by David's access to the Teamsters pension fund. Like any pension fund,

the money is invested in a variety of businesses. Barry needs a loan for $3.5 million. He asks David if the Teamsters might be interested. He and David Haggle a bit, but before they shake on it, David has a final demand. He needs a kickback for his work, and it needs to be in $100 bills. Just like his time in politics,

David is looking out for himself. Barry and David agree to a kickback of $315,000. And David brings his dad in on it too. Jacob introduced David to the worlds of politics and law, and now David is returning the favor by bringing Jacob into the world of questionable dealmaking. It seems like David's kind of landed where he belongs instead of being a lawmaker or in government in some way. He now can just do the family business of shady legal dealings.

Yeah, it's a really beautiful family affair. David takes the loan proposal to Teamsters leaders, It's a big sum. Nearly 8% of the pension fund's total assets. They do the normal background checks and call Barry's references. Everything checks out. Barry promises 14% returns, and that is hard to pass up. But David and Jacob definitely don't mention the kickback deal.

By April 1975, the deal is ready. The Friedlands warn Barry that if it isn't successful, quote, You're going to end up with 5,000 angry teamsters on your doorstep. But Barry is used to reassuring all kinds of investors. He can handle a few New Jersey teamsters. Barry has bigger fish to fry anyway. What he hasn't told David is that he's struggling to stay afloat.

The money for this loan is going straight to a list of increasingly impatient people. And the sharks, otherwise known as the feds, are already circling. It's the end of April 1975, and David is sitting in his condo in the Bahamas, waiting for a very important phone call. Next to him, Barry keeps nervously checking the time. David usually comes here on scuba diving trips or to get away from city life. But today, it's where he's getting his kickback payment. The phone rings and Barry jumps to answer it.

It's his brother in New York, confirming the Teamsters loan has gone through. Barry hangs up and unzips his flight bag, pouring over $300,000 onto the floor all in $100 bills. That is nearly $2 million today. These theatrics are exactly what I'd expect from David because, you know, he did have a little bit of interest in theater. I do think he's just so proud of himself. He's in the Bahamas surrounded by hundreds of thousands of dollars, you know.

Yeah, he loves a little drama. Well, David and Jacob keep this money hidden. David knows that what they're doing isn't legal, and he doesn't want another scandal putting him back in the news. So the Freedlands put the money in a year. Bank and watch the interest accumulate. Throughout the year, David gets occasional calls from Barry, usually with a pitch for yet another business venture.

Every time Barry calls, he sounds a little more desperate. He reassures that concerned David, the pension fund returns are coming. He just needs a little bit more time. David agrees to one more pension fund deal in December 1975 and pockets a 45,000 kickback the day it closes. Then, in the new year, David stops hearing from Barry. He learns from Kate that Barry is being investigated for fraud. A hundred airline pilots have filed suit against him.

For almost a decade, Barry had charmed thousands of pilots and their friends into investing in real estate deals. But they've been waiting on payments for months. Despite this latest news, David is still holding out hope that Barry will get his shit together and repay the pension fund loan. Otherwise, the teamsters will get angry. And nobody wants that. But the months drag on, and David calls Kate to talk about another worry that Barry will tell investigators about the illegal kickbacks. For David, it's every man for himself.

Why would Barry be any different? I love in a story when the scammer gets scammed. When the scammer thinks that they are in the position of power and everything's going to go their way, and yet they do get scammed. Yeah, man. And now all these teamsters are going to come for David. Well, the sneaking worry of Barry flipping does not stop David from being his usual outgoing self. He does what anyone who has secret cash stashed and foreign bank accounts would do. He drives fancy cars, wears even fancier clothing, and brags about his travels to dinner guests.

He also gets more in touch with his artistic side and dives into one of his real passions, writing poetry. Around this time, he pays Vantage Press to publish 20 poems in a book called New Voices in American Poetry, 1976. Sarah, we did in fact get a copy of this, and a lot of the poems have religious undertones that are maybe about him. Can you read a few lines from one he calls David? Yeah, and I'm going to take it really seriously. I hope you snap after. Then and now I am alone, because I know things you do not know and do not want to know. Am I some faker cast upon this earth to pretend his knowledge only, unable to speak it, often even to himself.

Oh my God. Jerk yourself off in private, bro. That is bad poetry. Very arrogant considering the situation he's in. I cannot believe this happened. Someone stop him. Yeah, predictably self-aggrandizing. Well, it's not just the arts that David returns to.

By now, it's been years since he screwed Democrats over in the State Assembly, and he feels like he's atoned for his transgressions. He's already been reinstated after losing his law license and tells one reporter, I've been kind of reborn. In April 1977, with an extra nudge from his wife, David announces he's running for state senate. And he wins his election easily. Right now, David feels unstoppable. But across the country, Barry is still making deals.

But this time, with investigators. It's September 1978, Barry is sitting in a fancy law office in Beverly Hills. but he no longer fits in with this rarified crowd. He's traded in expensive suits for polyester sweats, sneakers, and handcuffs. Those 100 pilots who filed suit against Barry grew to 2,000 investors. A few months ago, he pleaded guilty to fraudulent business practices and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. But the judge decided to give him an out.

They'll reduce his sentence if he helps bankruptcy lawyers track down the money. Throughout the fall, Barry's been shuttled from federal prison. in L.A. to meet with these lawyers. They're working on getting Barry's victims repaid, and during relentless questioning, the scope of Barry's scam keeps growing. From $43 million to $70 million. As much as $27 million is still missing,

possibly stowed away in foreign bank accounts. It's crazy imagining what Barry is going through in contrast with what David thinks is happening in his life, and I'm waiting for them to come together again. Well, as the scope of his fraud gets bigger and bigger, Barry knows he needs to give investigators something to work with. Between drags of his cigarettes, he tells them he had co-conspirators, and they could potentially help recoup investors' losses.

He tells them about a father-son duo in New Jersey, who helped him get a loan from a local Teamsters pension fund, and he reveals the kickback payments he made to David and Jacob. Barry is a questionable witness, and his testimony is hard to corroborate. But if what he says is true, this could be the biggest scandal in David's already troubled history. And now, David has even more to lose. It's June 1979, and Kate Edelman is pacing around her New York apartment talking to David on the phone.

In the three years since Barry's empire crumbled, she's divorced him and has been left to deal with his shady business. David seems truly distraught on this particular call, and the past few have really tested their friendship. Usually when David calls, it's to brainstorm how to repay the Teamsters pension fund. Kate knows firsthand what it's like to be scammed by her ex, her own family invested $300,000 and lost it all. It's no secret that Barry is trying to reduce his sentence by talking to the authorities. David asks Kate in hushed tones, does she think he'll bring the Friedlands into this?

Kate doesn't have a clue. Before they hang up, David asks her, Do you know if your apartment is bugged? Kate scoffs and says no, but after their call, she can't help but scour the place looking for anything suspicious. If you're so paranoid that you wonder, is this call being recorded, is your place bugged? Just work under the assumption that it's bugged. Yeah. If you think that could happen, it's over for you.

It's already over. Yeah, exactly. Well, a few weeks later, both David and Jacob reach out to Kate, and this time they are frantic. They tell her exactly what to say if she's ever contacted by authorities, that she never saw them take any money from Barry. They were just in it for good, solid investment opportunities. And it quickly becomes clear to Kate why David was so freaked out, because that same day, she's approached by federal agents.

And soon after, she subpoenaed for a grand jury trial. It's not looking good for the Friedlands. In October 1979, David and Jacob are indicted for extorting bribes and obstruction of justice. That's because of their efforts to coach Kate into giving misleading testimony. Their bail is set high because they're a flight risk, but David's lawyer gets it lowered. He tells the judge, quote, David Friedland is Hudson County. He is New Jersey. He is rooted here and has no other place to go. That is a really bold move considering the bad will David seems to have. And also, that's just not true. He would go anywhere. He would

go anywhere to escape this. While Kate ends up being one of the star witnesses at the Friedland's trial, in April 1980, after days of testimony in more than 20 hours of deliberation, the Friedlands are found guilty. David and Jacob are stunned by the verdict. After the first count is read, Jacob cringes and David begins to sob. They immediately announced plans to appeal. David has double-crossed the Democrats and the teamsters to serve his own interests.

And now that he's cornered, he's about to prove their. no one he won't betray to save himself. It's February 1982, and David is sitting in the office of Weehawk and Mayor Wally Lindsley. The men are discussing how to leverage their power in waterfront development on the Hudson River. More simply, how to extort developers seeking government contracts. Even though this is his usual wheeling and dealing, David is nervous, because he's secretly recording this conversation with his good friend Wally to give to the feds. When you stand for nothing the way David stands for nothing and we'll do anything like a weasel,

you end up in this situation where you're a rat, you know? From weasel to rat, the David Friedman story. Yeah, he is. Well, two years earlier, in June 1980, David was sentenced to seven years in prison while Jacob got two. The sentencing judge called it, quote, an acute case of greed and said the Freedans deserved a harsh sentence because they misused their positions as lawyers. David resigned from the Senate the day after sentencing. Predictably, the Teamsters are also unhappy with the Freedlands.

They're still looking for the pension fund money lost to Barry's crimes. David and his dad maintained that all they did was take kickbacks. They didn't know Barry was a crook. The government mainly relied on testimony from Barry. After David spent years worrying about Barry ratting them out, it was a gut punch when he actually did it. But David's learned a lot from Barry, like how cooperating with the feds can shorten your sentence.

David knows Hudson County is rife with corruption. He's been a big part of it for years. He knows it'll be pretty simple to get a politician like Wally to admit to something criminal. And he's terrified at the thought of giving up his jet-setting lifestyle for years behind bars. As one of his buddies put it, quote, I think that David would want to set up his own mother to get out of jail. He's a very treacherous person. Yeah, I mean, he's still betting on the fact that things are going to work out as long as he betrays it.

as many people as possible, which I just don't think is true, David. Well, over the course of about a month, David secretly records conversations with Wally and dozens of other politicians. The tape he collects about the extortion plan ultimately lands Wally in jail. David may seem like an ideal federal informant, but he's still swindling the Teamsters pension fund on the side. Since his first sentencing, and while working with the government, he and his buddies funneled $20 million from the Teamsters pension fund into a Florida mortgage company. The group kept their involvement

a secret and pocketed $3 million from the ploy. There's just so many wild, corrupt things David has been involved with that that's literally all the time I can give this particular case. Oh my God. That is true. It's like he couldn't do anything

but scam. It is pathological. He cannot help himself. Well, David's personal life is rocked in 1985. In June, he loses his partner in crime. Jacob dies at the age of 84. At the time, Jacob had been on probation

and was seeking medical treatment in the Bahamas. David's third marriage also falls apart. David is depressed by his seemingly never-ending legal troubles. He has an upcoming court appearance related to the kickbacks in September, and the feds say he'll soon be indicted for the other pension fund scheme too. David tells friends that death is better than jail time. So he heads to the Bahamas to relax and clear his mind. mind. But he has a long history of wiggling his way out of trouble, and he's about to attempt a

grand exit. Inside a dive bar kitchen in upstate New York, the owner cracks open a box and discovers her chicken order misdelivered. All she has to work with are wings. So with a little culinary genius and a dash of luck, the Buffalo Wing is born. Well, so the story goes. That game day staple has humble origins, but its popularity gave rise to two empires, Buffalo Wild Wings and Wingstop. the host of the podcast Business Wars. Every season we bring you the true stories behind the companies that shape our world, their rivalries, their reinventions,

and their spectacular rises and falls. Buffalo Wild Wings built a sports bar empire. Wingstop went the opposite direction, focusing on getting wings out the door. For years, Buffalo Wild Wings was the undisputed king, but when Americans started ordering in instead of going out, Wingstop was ready to tear down its rival. Make sure to follow Business Wars wherever you get your podcasts.

Audible subscribers can binge all episodes of Business Wars early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts. Imagine you're reading Pride and Prejudice, except you're not reading it. Harris Dickinson and Marissa Abella are reading it to you on Audible. Her barbs sting you. His coldness sends a shiver up your spine. Your heart aches, your ears burn. You yearn for Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy to profess their undying love for one another.

You can't bear it any longer. Well, maybe a chapter longer. Performance is so good, you'll give love a second chance. Audible. Stories that speak to you. It's early 1986, and David Hardy is at a deserted train depot near the French Swiss border. He's wearing sunglasses, a fedora, and his jacket collar is popped, but he can't shake the feeling that he's being watched. Hardy has proven himself as a dogged investigative reporter

with a knack for exposing political corruption in Hudson County. Now, he's in Europe waiting to meet with one of the most corrupt people he's ever covered, and a man on the run, David Friedland. In November 1985, two months after David staged that scuba diving accident in the Bahamas, Hardy got a taped message from David via his lawyer. And in it, David confirms that he isn't, in fact, dead. He plans to clear his name and says, says, quote, I am alive and fear for my life.

Hardy talks to David's close friends and learns that they are not surprised by this latest twist. One tells him that David's life is like a movie. Another says David was depressed by his dad's passing, end quote, the only thing that kept David going was the idea of outfoxing the feds. I feel like I'm understanding David where it's like, you know, a lot of scammers, they end up scamming. This guy was born to do it. And he gets a thrill out of this. Yeah, man. It's his passion.

And this was the scoop of a lifetime for Hardy. And after several tries, he convinced David to meet in person. Hardy followed David's paranoid instructions to a tea. Flying from New York to Zurich and then taking a train to Geneva. At a hotel, he was given written instructions on exactly which buses and taxis to take to get to his train depot. Finally, someone wearing red ski gear and dark goggles walks up to Hardy. David grins and says hello. Apologizing for the fuss, he says, quote,

I had to be sure nobody was following you. Hardy spends the next several days with David at his rented chalet on the border and in Paris. He listens as David updates him in the last few months on the run. After making it to Europe, he sobered up from booze and pills and then met up with his girlfriend in Kenya. They had a close call with Interpol agents but made it back to Europe. He's still the same David, bragging about his glory days in the state legislature, and detailing his daring scuba escape. While in Paris, Hardy and David mostly stay at their hotel,

but they go outside for long walks and meals in the city. Hardy notices that whenever there's an American nearby, David stops talking. He's jumpy and quick to step into the shadows. At the end of Hardy's visit, David asks him to stay a few more days. It's clear that being on the run is a lonely affair for the extrovert. Yes, and David needs to be seen. Like, the joy he finds in doing these things is that people know about it and get impressed. He was fine. He didn't need to have a journalist come and be like, oh, you're alive.

Like, it's a part of the spectacle. Yeah, I mean, this is an objectively stupid thing for David to do. But he just wants to gab. As they say their final goodbyes, David tells Hardy, quote, I'm a man without a country, without my family, without a self. Say hello to everybody back home for me. Hardy goes home to chronicle the whole experience. And pretty soon after, David heads even further away from New Jersey

to somewhere so remote he's hopeful he'll never be found. In early 1987, David is swimming off the shores of the Maldives, leading a group of scuba divers. The small island nation is off the coast of Sri Lanka and the clear blue waters are known for diving, which is great for business. David and his girlfriend settled in the Maldives in March 1986 and now own a chain of diving schools. Today, David is leading tourists on his favorite kind of dive.

Each person has paid $35 bucks to see him put on a show. David pulls out a fish and does something I don't think most scuba diving teachers would recommend. He removes his scuba mask and places the fish between his teeth. And then a shark darts to him and grabs the fish right out of his mouth. Sarah, can you describe this photo? Oh, my God, this is insane. He's underwater and doing exactly as you described. He's in scuba gear.

He has a fish in. his mouth, a shark is facing... They're doing... It's a lady in the tramp, but David and a shark and a fish. Exactly. I can't believe he's in his Sikfried and Roy era. Well, what else is there to do?

And though we can't hear the applause of the group, since they're underwater, he relishes the spotlight as ever. He does this fairly often. And one of his shark photo ops even becomes an official Maldives postcards sold at gift shops. Since arriving in the Maldives, David's scuba diving business has grown

a lot. And as he becomes more successful, he lives more lavishly. He and his girlfriend start construction on a beachfront chalet on one of the islands only tourists can afford. And compared to the other islanders, he's living very well. Everyone in the Maldives seems to know David, but not everyone likes him. His high profile is starting to ruffle feathers because other dive operators are going out of business. One shop owner is fed up. So in December 1987, he tells local authorities, there's something fishy about David's passport. The Maldives security force takes David into custody and questions him about his identity, and he pretends to be baffled. He begs to talk to the island's president. He's met the leader before, and he thinks a quick

conversation will clear everything up. I mean, it won't. It won't. Like what you're going to be like, oh, I'm just going to have a quick conversation. You are so, like, he keeps pushing his luck so hard. He keeps getting to have this awesome life and keeps pushing his luck. I need this island to destroy him. Well, you'll be pleased to know that David is left to stew in a small cell for days. But then finally, authorities come into his holding cell and tell him to shower and shave. And he's relieved. Maybe this was just a misunderstanding.

But then, he's led down a hallway and enters a room. And U.S. Marshals are waiting for him. As he walks in, one of them looks at him and says, Dave, good to see you. David's heart. sinks. After years on the run, the jig is up. U.S. Marshals had tracked David's path from the Bahamas through Kenya, Paris, Venice, Hong Kong, Singapore, and to the Maldives. During this time on the run, David wrote letters to Libya's dictator and re-leak any anti-American country seeking asylum.

Yet again, he was willing to work with anyone to save his own skin no matter how evil. In my mind, I'm imagining various letters to whatever anti-American people. country and being like, Ma'amar Gaddafi. I hate America. Long lip. Like, I just can't really move past how bold he is being like I'm going to write letters to all these

different countries. I'm going to write a letter to Gaddafi, in fact. And tell him, you know what, dude, I agree. Let me in. Let me into Libya. Well, you got to give him points for trying. When David finally returns home, he walks off the plane at JFK, tan, and smiling. He greets reporters

saying, quote, I had a good but I'll tell you it's good to be back in the United States. He's then loaded into a sedan outside the terminal and immediately starts serving his seven-year sentence from the kickback scheme. In September 1988, David pleads guilty to racketeering for the second pension fund fraud and is sentenced to 15 years. He shows up in court shackled, bedraggled, and seemingly broken. His dark hair has strains of gray now, though it's still hippie length.

David finally admits he's sorry, telling the court, Quote, the feeling of intense agony, shame, and despair from the knowledge that it is only I that has brought me to this point, I feel nothing but shame and remorse and personal agony, not only for myself, but for those who have been close to me. Despite all this talk, the money from the Teamsters pension fund still hasn't been replaced. David claims he's penniless, but reps for the Teamsters aren't so sure. They threaten to seize any assets he has to repay it, because while pensioners were still getting their money, it wasn't as much as it should have been. David is finally locked away

after screwing the very people who trusted him most. But now, he has time to focus on his real passions. In February 1977, after serving about nine years, David is released to a halfway house in Florida. And like any good scammer,

he stays in Florida. He tells reporters upon his release, quote, I can't tell you the nights that I lay awake just crying, because I realized the opportunity I had to do so much good and how I blew it.

He says he wishes he'd stuck to his principles instead of getting caught up with, quote, this power thing. David may feel like a changed man, but he was actually doing the same scammy stick in prison. He snitched on fellow inmates' narcotics deals in an effort to get out of jail early, which landed him in solitary confinement for his own protection.

He also taught Shakespeare, math, literature, and scuba diving while in prison, which must have been pretty difficult to do. Apparently, David asked the warden to go on scuba field trips and was rejected. So you become a rat in prison, which is the worst place to do that. Yeah. And also, you ask the warden to go scuba diving the thing you famously did to fake your own disappearance. Yeah.

You know what? Go for it, David. Maybe someone will say yes. Close mouths don't get fed, you know? Yeah. Well, after he was released, David lived a quiet life. traveling occasionally with his girlfriend and remaining close with his children and grandchildren. But there's one upside to the end of David's political and legal careers.

He's had even more time for the arts. On Facebook, he posted a bunch of psychedelic collages he seems to have made featuring his family, nature, and sea life. And to be honest, they're kind of fun. He also returned to his poetic roots, and we found some of his original compositions online. Sarah, will you read part of his 2015 poem? him, the kiss. Of course, I love his poetry. It says, I live yet not one single cell of yesterday remains, nor do I remember the hell of my first birth's pains. Every word I write will

pass starlit moons filling the abyss, who will say I died when life embraced, death, and kissed. Sure, David, he's, he's like a tumbler girl or something. Like, he's just so moody and dramatic. David lived in Boca Raton until he died in April 22 at the age of 84. He was a big shot in Hudson County, enough that it took multiple tries for him to finally fall from grace. He knew the county had a tolerance for corruption and an appetite for dodgy deals, and he represented his constituents the way he thought they'd wanted. He just didn't realize that by representing the worst parts of his hometown,

he'd get a strong dose of poetic justice. Sarah, are you amazed by the new depths of New Jersey politicians? We've done a lot of New Jersey scandals, a lot about New Jersey government. This guy seems to be one of the more oily ones. He's really slippery. Yeah, you know, it's pretty interesting because he kind of bypassed the part of these kinds of political scams where you have to pretend you care about people. Most of the time these politicians go at it being like, you know, I was doing what's best for my constitution. He wasn't pretending. For better or worse, he was being himself. And he told people exactly who he was.

Kind of fun to have a democratic scam artist who steals from the union. Yes. It's like he also just doesn't seem to care about what people think about him at all. He just wants to be known and notorious or infamous. Yeah, this is someone who really wanted whatever creature comforts he could get and he wanted power. it didn't matter to him if people also liked him. Like, power was enough, even if it meant that everybody would, like, groan when he walked into a room, including the party that he was sort of trained to protect. Yeah. You know what?

In a different world, he would have continued in theater. He could have been really famous. I think he could have been a well-known somebody, perhaps, in the arts. Or if it was modern times, reality TV. He could win traitors, like. you wouldn't believe. What I love about this case, too, is it's like he probably could have gotten away with all of this and stayed on the run if he hadn't have just been an asshole to the people in his community. Like, he would not have been caught unless somebody had said, like, this guy seems

fishy. We should look at his passport because he's a jerk and he's killing my business and he's gentrifying the island. Yeah. I like that there were so many different lives he lived throughout his time on the run. Say what you want about him. He loved trying new things. He was adventure. He was adventure. He loved to entertain. And he probably in his old age was like a fun crazy grandpa. It kind of seems like even though he went to jail, he kind of got everything he wanted, which is infamy. You know, he seemed to stay pretty financially comfortable the whole time. He stayed in touch with his kids. He got to be in his grandkids' lives. He got to make art and post it on Facebook. He got to write poetry. It's a great life. I wish I had his energy and drive and just like a bit of.

to keep trying new things. Oh, yeah. You know what? That's a beautiful lesson. If you want to learn how to scuba dive in your 40s or your 50s or your 60s, I think you should do that. And then I think you should defraud a union. Yeah. The trouble with him is that he needed credit for how clever he was. Listen, if you do something that insane, wouldn't you be kind of pissed off knowing you? If you were able to, like, you'd be like, I want credit for all my schemes. This is why I am also. a very noisy bad guy.

Because if I'm going to do something, I think people should know. The lesson is experience ego death before you start scamming because then you won't really need the validation that is many people's downfall, you know? Yeah. That's a nice way to look at it. Write your own poetry. Don't put it on Facebook. Be nice to the union.

And don't brag when you get away with something. That's the key. Yes. Follow scamplencers on the Audible app or wherever you get you. your podcasts. You can listen to all episodes of scam influencers ad free by joining Audible. For Audible originals, this is David Friedland, Swimming with Sharks. For scamfluencers, I'm Sachi Cole. And I'm Sarah Haggy. If you have a tip for us on a story that you think we should cover, please email us at scamfluencers ataudible.com. We use many sources in our research.

A few that were particularly helpful were articles from the New York Times, the Jersey Journal, and the Asbury Park Press. Lexi Peary wrote this episode. Additional writing by us Sachi Cole and Sarah Haggy. Olivia Briley is our story editor. Our senior producers are Sarah Eni and Jenny Bloom. Our associate producer is Charlotte Miller. Our managing producer is Desi Blaylock. Fact-checking by Kalina Newman.

Sound designed by John Lloyd. Additional audio assistance provided by Augustine Lim. Our music supervisor is Scott Velasquez for Frieson Sink. The executive producer for Audible is Jenny Lauer Beckman. The head of creative development at Audible is Kate Naven. The head of Audible Originals, North America, is Marshall Louis. The chief content officer is Rachel Giazza, copyright 2026 by Audible Originals LLC. Sound recording copyright 2026 by Audible Originals LLC.

Ghosts aren't real. At least, that's what journalist Tristan Redmond always believed. Sure, odd things happened in his childhood bedroom, but ultimately he shrugged them off. Until he discovered that he wasn't alone, that everyone who lived there after him also had bizarre experiences they couldn't explain. And it gets even weirder. It just so happens that his wife's great-grandmother was murdered in the house next door. Is this ghost somehow connected to her murder? He decides to go where no son-in-law should,

digging up a cold case and asking questions that nobody wants answered. Like, could his wife's great-grandfather have gotten away with the perfect crime? This is a podcast about family secrets, overwhelming coincidence, and the things that come back to haunt us. For the best bingeable series, like Ghost Story, listen to the Audible True Crime podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can get all episodes early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.