- Playing
- Crime and Redemption: A Wise Guy's Tale
- From
- Aaron Henkin
"If we'd have just taken one small fraction of our brain and used it legitimately, God knows where we would have been today. We wouldn't have to worry about no police , no FBI agents. There wouldn't be any of this..."
-Former Wise Guy Charlie Wilhelm
This documentary traces one man's journey into an underworld of organized crime, and his subsequent attempt to escape it.
At one time in his life, Charlie Wilhelm was a loan shark, a drug dealer, and a bookmaker. He raked in ten thousand dollars a week, cash. But when he was ordered to murder two friends, he took himself (and all of his information) to the FBI. Wilhelm turned informant, wearing a wire and later testifying against his former partners in crime, putting them behind bars for years to come.
In this talk-clock-formatted, one hour program, listeners will meet Charlie Wilhelm and hear his reflections on crime, loyalty, and redemption.
(photo credit for the above picture goes to Bill Barry)
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Piece Description
"If we'd have just taken one small fraction of our brain and used it legitimately, God knows where we would have been today. We wouldn't have to worry about no police , no FBI agents. There wouldn't be any of this..." -Former Wise Guy Charlie Wilhelm This documentary traces one man's journey into an underworld of organized crime, and his subsequent attempt to escape it. At one time in his life, Charlie Wilhelm was a loan shark, a drug dealer, and a bookmaker. He raked in ten thousand dollars a week, cash. But when he was ordered to murder two friends, he took himself (and all of his information) to the FBI. Wilhelm turned informant, wearing a wire and later testifying against his former partners in crime, putting them behind bars for years to come. In this talk-clock-formatted, one hour program, listeners will meet Charlie Wilhelm and hear his reflections on crime, loyalty, and redemption. (photo credit for the above picture goes to Bill Barry)
Broadcast History
This piece aired originally on January 26th, 2007, on WYPR's weekly cultural program "The Signal"
Timing and Cues
There's a one-minute billboard, and each of the three segments ends with music tails for flexible fade-outs...