I have such gratitude to Chris for becoming Ron’s historian. Such a treasure to me this podcast being heard in California USA learning details I never knew. Ron was the love of my mother’s life for over 20 years until her untimely passing away in 1995. When I met him I knew him as Mike, I believe I was about 12 years old then. I came to the USA when I was 17. I loved Ron deeply, he was an amazing human being. It’s interesting that Chris mentioned my mother’s comment about preferring the “real” Ron instead his “alter ego” as the public figure of the “train robber that escaped to Rio”. In his great biographies with Chris’ superb writing it’s well explained his path into criminality in his youth, back then it was another reality when the street police didn’t even carry guns, so Ron was involved in property thefts but nothing that involved violence and he decided to live a honest life until he was offered the opportunity of a lifetime by being part of the train robbery just because he knew a train conductor, and unfortunately one of the gang members hit the actual train conductor in the head that was not in the plans and Ron was not involved in and certainly not condoned by Ron. Although the conductor eventually passed away from some other ailment, he never went back to work after being hit in the robbery something that Ron always felt very bad about. He was one of the most honest person I knew, with a very strong sense of honor and ethics. Chris alluded to this his iron belief in positive thinking was inspiring to me, he always said he was protected by his “lucky star”. His love of Jazz and music influenced me as the bass player of the Modern Jazz Quartet that he loved so much inspired me to learn the upright bass a couple years after I started playing the electric bass when I was 12 years old. My mother purchased the middle level in Santa Teresa neighborhood of this gorgeous historic three level house where eventually Ron purchased the bottom level with Mike’s earnings from his child band incredible success. Ron’s life is an amazing story of resilience under tremendous and constant stress. I feel fortunate to have known him and have in Mike a brother. Cheers!
I have such gratitude to Chris for becoming Ron’s historian. Such a treasure to me this podcast being heard in California USA learning details I never knew. Ron was the love of my mother’s life for over 20 years until her untimely passing away in 1995. When I met him I knew him as Mike, I believe I was about 12 years old then. I came to the USA when I was 17. I loved Ron deeply, he was an amazing human being. It’s interesting that Chris mentioned my mother’s comment about preferring the “real” Ron instead his “alter ego” as the public figure of the “train robber that escaped to Rio”. In his great biographies with Chris’ superb writing it’s well explained his path into criminality in his youth, back then it was another reality when the street police didn’t even carry guns, so Ron was involved in property thefts but nothing that involved violence and he decided to live a honest life until he was offered the opportunity of a lifetime by being part of the train robbery just because he knew a train conductor, and unfortunately one of the gang members hit the actual train conductor in the head that was not in the plans and Ron was not involved in and certainly not condoned by Ron. Although the conductor eventually passed away from some other ailment, he never went back to work after being hit in the robbery something that Ron always felt very bad about. He was one of the most honest person I knew, with a very strong sense of honor and ethics. Chris alluded to this his iron belief in positive thinking was inspiring to me, he always said he was protected by his “lucky star”. His love of Jazz and music influenced me as the bass player of the Modern Jazz Quartet that he loved so much inspired me to learn the upright bass a couple years after I started playing the electric bass when I was 12 years old. My mother purchased the middle level in Santa Teresa neighborhood of this gorgeous historic three level house where eventually Ron purchased the bottom level with Mike’s earnings from his child band incredible success. Ron’s life is an amazing story of resilience under tremendous and constant stress. I feel fortunate to have known him and have in Mike a brother. Cheers!