MONKEY HOUSE: Ralph Griffith & Bernie Madoff
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Ralph Griffith's Monkey House is a memoir of his time served at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Butner in North Carolina. He spent the last seven years of his sentence with Bernie Madoff, Jonathan Pollard, Nicky Scarfo, Carmine Persico, and other well-known criminals.
FMC Butner is a high-security prison that houses inmates with serious medical conditions and mental health issues. The prison also has a designation for high-profile criminals. Griffith describes the prison as a "giant Monkey House for the criminally insane."
Monkey House is a fascinating and often humorous account of prison life. Griffith writes about the day-to-day routines of the inmates, the power dynamics within the prison, and the challenges of living in close quarters with dangerous criminals. He also shares his insights into the minds of some of the most notorious criminals in the world.
The book has been praised for its honesty, humor, and insight. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the world of crime and punishment.
Here are some of the things that make Monkey House such an interesting and memorable book:
The author's unique perspective. Griffith is not a typical prison memoir writer. He is a skilled storyteller with a sharp wit and a keen eye for detail. He is also able to see the humor in even the bleakest situations.
The cast of characters. Griffith's fellow inmates are a fascinating bunch. They include some of the most notorious criminals in the world, as well as lesser-known offenders with their own unique stories to tell.
The setting. FMC Butner is a unique and challenging environment. It is a place where the rules are constantly changing and where danger is always lurking around the corner.
If you are looking for a book that is both entertaining and thought-provoking, I highly recommend Monkey House. It is a book that you will not soon forget.
Kuhusu mwandishi
Ralph Griffith: A Life Lived in Ink
Ralph Griffith is an intriguing American author with a life story that reads like a gripping novel itself. Born in 1951 during the Cold War, his childhood antennae were acutely tuned to the dissonance between reality and government narratives. This skepticism blossomed into a rebellious spirit, finding its zenith during the electrifying Summer of Love. Imagine Ralph’s heart pulsing to the rhythm of the Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead, his soul resonating with the counterculture’s whirlwind in the Haight-Ashbury District of San Francisco, where he had escaped to.
Destiny, however, had other plans. A brush with LSD at 16 landed Ralph in the Nevada Youth Authority—a crucible he promptly escaped--his restless spirit yearning for new adventures. This escape coincided with the tragic assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy, events that indelibly marked the canvas of his youth. Ralph became an unwitting witness to history, his life forever intertwined with these pivotal moments.
Fast forward to his thirties, and a different kind of confinement beckoned. Ralph’s foray into bank robbing led to over 30 years navigating the stark realities of incarceration. Yet, even within those prison walls, his spirit refused to be caged. It was there, amidst the clanging of cell doors and the harsh hum of fluorescent lights, that he discovered a new path--writing. His final 14-year stretch became a literary genesis.
Fueled by a desire to reclaim his narrative, Ralph poured his experiences onto the page. Seven years spent alongside Bernie Madoff at FCI Butner became the raw material for a gripping exposé. Titles like “Monkey House” and “The Real Bernie Madoff” offered scathing indictments of financial corruption. But Ralph’s imaginative prowess also shines through in various series, including “The Harry Chin Murder Mysteries,” “The Johnny Walker Detective Novels,” “The Clyde Thomas Novels,” “The Too-Sweet Sagas,” and “The Big Huna Novels.”
Today, Ralph resides in the Pacific Northwest, surrounded by the tranquil beauty of Washington state’s landscapes. Yet, the ink coursing through his veins still carries the vibrancy of those early days in San Francisco. His life’s adventures, as unconventional as they may be, have endowed him with a wealth of stories yet to be told. And Ralph with his relentless spirit and boundless creativity, is just beginning to weave these tales into the rich tapestry of his burgeoning literary legacy.
www.ralphgriffith.net
