UPCOMING BOOK COAUTHORED WITH DAVID TRACY
DISCLAIMER
The factual statements, observations, and opinions contained in Den of Iniquity are based solely upon the authors' personal experiences, recollections, research, and understanding as to all events personally observed and all statements personally heard. All statements, observations, or representations attributed to third parties were taken at face value; however, the authors conducted a reasonable investigation into the veracity of each such statement prior to inclusion.
If any person or entity disputes the accuracy of any factual statement contained in this work of faction, they are respectfully requested to contact the authors with a proposed correction and documentation supporting such correction.
If any person possesses additional facts or information that may further support, clarify, or supplement the observations contained in this work, they are likewise invited to contact the authors. All communications will be treated as confidential unless the communicating party provides express written permission authorizing the disclosure of such information and its source(s).
CHARACTERS THAT INSPIRED DEN OF INIQUITY
Lest some readers question the veracity of many of the events recounted in Den of Iniquity, the authors would like to share the identities of some of the real people who inspired the characters in their writing.
Mark Rockford
Inspired by the late Mark Brooks and Lieutenant General “Hank” Stackpole.
Mark Brooks, a Marine Corps veteran who, after serving on active duty for eight years, entered St. Francis Seminary in San Diego only to report being drugged and sodomized by Father Nicholas Reveles who later left the priesthood to pursue a public homosexual lifestyle.
Rockford’s almost miraculous survival in Afghanistan from wounds in combat with the involvement of a Navy Chaplain in triage was inspired by the near-death experience of Marine Corps Lieutenant General “Hank” Stackpole when he was a Company Commander with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines in Vietnam. The chaplain who helped save his life was Chaplain “Vic” Krulak, whose brother, “Chuck” Krulak”, became the 31st Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps.
Tomás Alvarez
Inspired by Thomas Muñoz and Father Joseph Moreno.
Thomas Muñoz reported being paid $300 by then-Springfield Bishop George Lucas for his participation in a gay orgy in his episcopal residence.
Father Joe Moreno is believed to have been murdered before he was scheduled to present evidence to the then-Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, about clerical sexual predation and homosexual misconduct in the Buffalo Diocese.
Cardinal Edwin McCoy
Inspired by Cardinal Roger Mahony, the late ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Cardinal Edwin O’Brien, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, and Archbishop George Lucas.
Retired Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony is reported to have “21 certified sex abuse claims filed against him in Los Angeles Superior Court which name him as the actual perpetrator of rape, forced oral copulation, and abuse of mostly immigrant teenage boys — claims that were buried in an $880 million settlement to avoid trial.”
The late ex-Cardinal Theodore “Uncle Ted” McCarrick was notorious for assaulting several powerless seminarians at his New Jersey beach house. He was known to have sailor uniforms tailored for his weekend sexual conquests, whom he called his “Little Sailors.” Removed from ministry in 2008 by Pope Benedict XVI after receiving abuse allegations from the late Richard Sipe, McCarrick was restored to ministry by Pope Francis in 2013 despite being informed of his predatory behavior that same year by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò. Francis did not remove McCarrick from ministry until 2018 even though he was informed of the abusive behavior by Richard Sipe in 2016, and Father Boniface Ramsey in 2017.
Cardinal Edwin O’Brien was a former rector of seminaries in Rome and New York State, and the Archbishop for the Military Services, U.S.A., who is alleged to have underreported and covered up hundreds of cases of sex abuse, including a priest currently serving a 30-year prison sentence, who was arrested on child pornography charges and for sexually assaulting Naval Academy Midshipmen and U.S. Marines while he was HIV-positive.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan is the former Archbishop of New York and rector of the North American College (NAC) in Rome who prevented former seminarian Anthony Gorgia from returning to the NAC, fearing he would out the vice rector, Father Adam Park, ordained by ex-Cardinal McCarrick, who was accused of preying on seminarians; and that he would out the rector, Father Peter Harman, who was reported for engaging in homosexual acts with his former bishop and other clerics.
Archbishop George Lucas is the retired Archbishop of Omaha who is alleged to have paid $300 to Thomas Muñoz to participate in a clerical orgy, only then to threaten Muñoz’s life and the life of investigator Stephen Brady, who reported the matter to the Apostolic Nuncio before a whitewashed diocesan internal investigation covered up the orgy.
Rachel Goodman
Inspired by female attorneys Emily Grossgold, Laura Morrison, and Elizabeth Yore.
Emily Grossgold is a Jewish attorney whose father, retired Navy Captain, Paul Grossgold, became very close friends with a Navy Catholic chaplain like Rachel Goodman’s Jewish father befriended Chaplain Pilarski in the novel.
Laura Morrison, a former Chicago prosecuting attorney, works as a canon lawyer and helps sex abuse victims and priests who are unfairly treated by their ecclesiastical superiors.
Elizabeth Yore, former General Counsel of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. is an international child protection attorney specializing in the investigation of missing, abducted, and exploited children.
Chaplain Jim Pilarski
Inspired by Navy Chaplains Vic Krulak, Pete Pilarski, and Gene Gomulka.
Chaplain Vic Krulak helped save the life of then-Marine Corps Captain Hank Stackpole when he was mistaken for being killed in action (KIA).
Chaplain Pete Pilarski inspired Marines and sailors to become priests after they witnessed his dedicated ministry dating back to the Vietnam War.
Chaplain Gene Gomulka inspired a Navy Chief Petty Officer to study for the priesthood who left the seminary after being sexually harassed by gay seminarians whose homosexual behavior was tolerated by seminary officials.
Dr. Rich Doyle and Padre Enrique Gonzalez
Inspired by three abuse victims’ advocates: Richard Sipe, Thomas Doyle, and Gene Gomulka.
The late Richard Sipe, a Benedictine Monk for 18 years, a psychotherapist, and an author who was a world-renowned expert in the field of priestly sexuality and clerical sex abuse.
Thomas Doyle, an inactive whistleblower Dominican Catholic priest, retired U.S. Air Force Chaplain, and sex abuse advocate who has testified at hundreds of abuse trials which have cost the Catholic Church hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements and legal fees.
Gene Thomas Gomulka, an inactive whistleblower diocesan priest and retired Navy Captain/Chaplain whose abuse advocacy work mainly involves helping former seminarians and priests either abused or reprised against by their ecclesiastical superiors for exposing sexual predation and homosexual misconduct.
Jeff McCabe
Inspired by Kenneth McCabe, Stephen Brady, and Jeff Holmes.
Retired FBI Special Agent in Charge Kenneth McCabe investigated the unjust treatment of whistleblower former seminarian Anthony Gorgia, finding the sexual abuse and misconduct allegations credible against the homosexual clerics who discriminated against Gorgia, a gifted heterosexual candidate for the priesthood.
Stephen Brady, is an investigator and the President of Roman Catholic Faithful who investigates predatory behavior and homosexual misconduct in many U.S. dioceses.
Jeff Holmes, a retired Police Officer at Sandy Springs Police Department who, while working as an FBI Special Agent in Washington, D.C., rendered invaluable and compassionate assistance to an officer serving in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Renato Marziano and Frank Karad
Inspired by Fathers Adam Park, Peter Harman, and Carter Griffin.
Father Adam Park, the former vice rector of the North American College (NAC) in Rome, is accused in court documents of preying on seminarians in Rome and sexual harassment in Washington, D.C.
Father Peter Harman, the former NAC rector, was accused of engaging in gay sex with his former Springfield bishop in the presence of seminarians, and of unjustly dismissing straight seminarians for fear of being outed.
Father Carter Griffin, the rector of St. John Paul II Seminary, was accused of sexually harassing seminarians, allegations which were covered up by the Archbishop of Washington and the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States.
Cristóbal Castobal
Inspired by Father Marcial Maciel.
Father Marcial Maciel founded the Legionaries of Christ, a religious congregation with cult-like dynamics due to intense psychological control, absolute devotion to its founder, and systemic isolation of its members. Maciel was a long-time drug addict and sexual abuser who fathered at least five children with four different women. Maciel went on to sexually abuse two of his children before they attained teenage years.
Juan Flores
Inspired by the media talents of four investigative journalists, David Hammer, Christine Niles, Mike Rezendes, and Charlie Specht.
David Hammer, a 6-time Emmy winner, 4WWL New Orleans Eyewitness News Investigator,
exposed numerous cases of clerical sexual predation in the New Orleans Archdiocese, as well as the sexual abuse cover-up of Air Force Chaplain Brian Highfill by Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA.
Christine Niles, freelance reporter and investigative journalist at Stella Maris Media, is a leading voice in media exposing corruption in the Catholic hierarchy. Her Spotlight production, “Illinois Orgy - The Rome Connection,” exposed sexual predation and homosexual misconduct at the NAC in Rome and in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.
Michael Rezendes, Pulitzer Prize-winning former Boston Globe Spotlight team member and current Associated Press Reporter, has exposed sexual abuse and financial corruption in the Catholic Church.
Charlie Specht, an Independent Buffalo-based journalist and Emmy Award-winning Investigative reporter, specializes in investigating corruption and abuses of power. His work has led to the resignation of powerful people, criminal convictions, changes in government policy, and reforms in New York state law.