My brush with tawdry fame

[wmw999 2,534]

When I was in junior high school, Tom Noe was a nice, cute guy who was always immediately in front of me in the alphabet.

I'm really just trying to start a new thread -- we need some fresh air here. Who else has brushes with tawdry fame?

Wendy W.

posted article -- or you can go there and read it; email address is wmw999@dropzone.com, password is dropzone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Noe an unlikely spark to ignite GOP scandal
By Jim Bebbington

Dayton Daily News

"Thanks" is not a word Republicans are saying now about Noe.

Noe has helped spark a spreading controversy over how the Bureau of Workers' Compensation invests its $14 billion portfolio.

Scrutiny of $55.3 million that Noe invested for the bureau in rare coins and collectibles — a fund with a shortfall of up to $13 million — led to revelations of an even bigger problem: The bureau lost $215 million through a high-risk fund with another investor.

Republicans who Noe supported are now trying to distance themselves. Bush's re-election campaign has said it would put into escrow $4,000 it received from the Noes, and statewide Republicans have said they, too, are putting aside thousands of campaign dollars from the couple.

Noe, 50, a Toledo-area rare-coin dealer, is an unlikely spark to ignite the current controversy. He's a former Lucas County GOP chairman, a long-time Republican donor, and has been a respected member of the coin trading industry for more than 30 years.

He has lived in posh Toledo-area homes, owned lakefront vacation houses, belonged to Inverness Country Club and held positions of trust and responsibility on various boards and commissions.

Gov. Bob Taft, who initially criticized The (Toledo) Blade for its reporting on Noe's coin fund, was "outraged ... angered ... saddened ... sickened" when word came the fund was missing money.

Noe has defended his firm's handling of the coin investments, but is now not commenting, on the advice of his attorney.

"Mr. Noe has authorized us to disclose that there is an approximately $12 to $13 million shortfall in the value of the fund, but has also told us to report that he admits no wrongdoing in connection with the development of that shortfall," said his attorney, Bill Wilkinson. "We all own property today that is not worth what we paid for it."

Last month, National City Bank sued Noe seeking repayment of a $400,000 loan on one of his companies, Thomas Noe Inc. And federal authorities are investigating whether he violated campaign laws while raising money for Bush's re-election. He was Northwest Ohio campaign chair.

Scott A. Travers, author of How to Make Money in Coins Right Now and other coin books, said Noe enjoyed a sterling reputation and a sparkling record. He volunteered his time and money and came across as honest, straight-forward, Travers said.

"I'm personally quite shocked," he said.

In speeches, Noe has boasted he made his fortune armed with little more than his good name, hustle, help from others and an ability to have people trust him. He doesn't have a college degree, having dropped out of Bowling Green State University after two quarters in 1973.

He began attending coin shows as a teenager, he told an audience of young entrepreneurs in 1993. He said he figured he could make more money buying and selling at coin shows than he could with an accounting degree. "I only went two quarters and I don't think I had a combined four-point average," he said.

"To me, in business today, trust is what it is all about," he said. "It's ethics and trust and if you have that, you will always succeed and if you don't, you will fail sometime in the future."

After returning to the Toledo area in the mid-1980s, he opened a coin shop in a strip mall west of Toledo. He traveled the country to meet clients face-to-face, and went to shows carting briefcases holding coins worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. In 1996, thieves broke into his car and took his briefcase. Inside were coins valued at $203,000.

He invested in land partnerships and became active in local Catholic and Republican causes.

"Tom was an active and involved member (of area boards)," said Mike Beazley, a former Lucas County Democratic chairman who worked with Noe on several charity boards. "He was easy to get along with. Obviously, I knew he was wrong on every issue, and he knew I was wrong on every issue."

Noe donated money broadly to politicians, local charities and his beloved Bowling Green State University. Since 1990 Noe has given $47,435 to BGSU causes, including carrying a $65,000 life insurance policy that names the university's Falcon Club and its music program as beneficiaries, according to university records.

Politically, though born into a Democratic family, he gave to nearly every Republican cause in the state and northwest Ohio.

He was appointed to the Ohio Board of Regents in 1995 and 1999, and the Ohio Turnpike Commission in 2003. He joined the board of Bowling Green State University in 1991 and stepped down in 1995 when he joined the board of regents. He resigned the other positions this year. He also chaired the committee that selected Ohio's commemorative quarter and in 2003 was appointed to the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee by U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow. Noe knows being politically active is good for business.

He and his first wife, Elizabeth, divorced in the early 1990s. During a divorce deposition, he was asked, "Being chairman of the Lucas County Republican Party is an asset to your client base, yes or no?"

"Absolutely," Noe said.

He said Paul Mifsud, chief of staff to then-Gov. George Voinovich, and Vince Panichi, Voinovich's campaign accountant, had become clients through his political work.

But coin investments can run in boom/bust cycles, and so have Noe's fortunes, financial and personal.

One of his first big deals — funded through a $50,000 loan from Elizabeth's grandfather — collapsed, he said in depositions.

He and Elizabeth parted in 1992, shortly after Noe had built and moved his family into a Toledo-area home that Elizabeth, called "his dream house." The divorce proceedings dragged on for months and forced him to sell the house at a $300,000 loss.

"I felt that with Tom's business, there was lots of risk taking and there were ups and downs," Elizabeth said in a 1993 deposition.

As the couple tussled over the divorce settlement, Noe asked the court to keep some of his business records out of the public file so competitors would not know the extent of his business. That file — three boxes of records — is being requested so often by reporters and others, that Lucas County clerks are keeping it in a reading room, rather than filing it away.

The couple had been married since they were college-age. Elizabeth Noe testified that he rarely talked about the specifics of his business with her.

"As things weren't doing so well according to him, as I found out now, he kept telling me 'We'll keep everything status quo. You know. Everything is fine, don't worry about things, the business will get better. I need to get the sales tax down in Columbus.' "

In the late 1980s Noe's business faced a $220,000 bill for unpaid taxes on coin sales. He successfully appealed the case, and mounted a full-scale assault to get the legislature to exempt coins from the sales tax — an accomplishment listed as his greatest achievement in an application nominating him for Inc. magazine's 1990 Entrepreneur of the Year award.

In reaction to BWC's coin fund problems, state senators have voted to reinstate taxing coin sales.

Prosecutors from four agencies are spearheading an investigation into the coin-fund investments, and authorities have executed a search warrant at Noe's Vintage Coin and Collectibles shop outside of Maumee.

Separately, authorities in Colorado searched the offices of Michael Storeim, who managed a subsidiary for Noe.

Investigators are looking into several coin transactions thought to involve BWC money, including one for a coin worth $122,000 that was later sold for one cent, a search warrant affidavit says.

Noe's investments for BWC began in March 1998, about a year after state law broadened the types of investments public agencies, like the BWC, could make.

While acknowledging a shortfall, Noe has not released any information about what that shortfall means, said his attorney Wilkinson, whether the coins bought with state money have reduced in value, or whether there has been fraud or theft or loss of BWC assets.

"That's something that Mr. Noe might discuss with the government investigators but is not discussing otherwise: the reason there is a shortfall."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[Skyrad 0]

Hang on Wendy, I'm off to get a fan.

P.S I went to school with Chris Eubank the Boxer.

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[Rebecca 0]

I saw Robin Leach in the Beverly Hills Hotel once. He looked like crap. That's my brush...

you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' -- well do you, punk?

[WatchYourStep 0]

I met Tim Duncan at Wake Forest when I was there for debate camp several years back.
Let the Master Debater jokes begin.

"You start off your skydiving career with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience up before your bag of luck runs out."

[markd_nscr986 0]

I met former South Dakota Governor Joe Foss at a function.......spent a few minutes with him discussing the current political climate (1999) and his WWII "activities" as a USMC fighter pilot

Marc SCR 6046 SCS 3004

[GARYC24 3]

I went to church with George Foreman! (the boxer)
(Actually he was guest speaker but I did meet him in person! afterwards)

[Sen.Blutarsky 0]

Only as a counter to Wendy's example do I give you one John Anzalone, who was an early presidential campaign manager for then-governor Bill Clinton and who still has clout with the Democratic power elite.

Johnny and I played youth and high school sports together, and we also acted in Thespians and wrote comedy sketches with some other friends that have become noteworthy.

The scandalous thing in my book is that he is a Michigan boy who was converted to Southern-anity by James Carville and we grew up in the most Republican region of that fine Northern state.


Blutarsky 2008. No Prisoners!

[billvon 3,070]

Let's see. Met Al Gore at Qualcomm when he came by for a talk; this was back when he first became VP. Met Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell in our airport bar one night. He was flying his light twin back from Mexico and stopped to have dinner. Knew Mike Badnarik for years on rec.skydiving before he ran for president on the libertarian ticket.

[Steel 0]

Thats me in 1995 with God's representative on earth.

If I could make a wish, I think I'd pass.
Can't think of anything I need
No cigarettes, no sleep, no light, no sound.
Nothing to eat, no books to read.

[rasmack 0]

Once in the airport of Geneva I saw Zinedine Zidane walk right past me, and if you ask me who he f*** Zidane is I shall have to... do my best not to make any threats

HF #682, Team Dirty Sanchez #227
“I simply hate, detest, loathe, despise, and abhor redundancy.”
- Not quite Oscar Wilde...

[airtwardo 7]

Quote

I met former South Dakota Governor Joe Foss at a function.......spent a few minutes with him discussing the current political climate (1999) and his WWII "activities" as a USMC fighter pilot

***

I too met Mr. Foss some time back...neat guy!
He was also the president of the NRA for a while.


I use to run into Boxer Geroge Foreman a few times a week...Also a really nice guy.
I wouldn't want to get into a ring with him NOW..much less 30 years ago!!

He until recently lived a few blocks from me.

His house is up for sale if anyone is interested... NICE PLACE!

( I don't think the four Dobie guard dogs go with it though)

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[lawrocket 3]

I've met too many. Some extremely nice (Ollie North, Peter Noone), some extremely interesting (Ernie "Let's Play Two" Banks), some weird (Joanie "Chyna' Laurer), and some shy (Fred "Tha Hamma" Williamson).

Plenty of politicos and plenty of sports figures.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[airtwardo 7]

Ernie Banks!!!
....and plenty of sports figures.


***

Yeah, but ya never met Gale Sayers!!
(and went YARD the same day!!)

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[Hackb431 0]

Why just this morning I saw a man who was a world reknown skydiver, philathropist, independantly wealthy, and reported to be the Galaxies best lover. Oh wait I was still dreaming and looking in the mirror. When I awoke fully I realized I am still on student status, poor as dirt, and can't remeber the last time I had some lovin'.....but I did have a smile and a laugh writing this so I hope you get one by reading it!

HackB A.K.A. "Puppy"

[lawrocket 3]

Quote

Yeah, but ya never met Gale Sayers!!
(and went YARD the same day!!)

True, I've never had a sports luminary keeping my ass outta the can. But I did meet Billy Dee Williams, who PLAYED Gale Sayers. Is that close enough?

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[christelsabine 1]

Quote

Why just this morning I saw a man who was a world reknown skydiver, philathropist, independantly wealthy, and reported to be the Galaxies best lover. Oh wait I was still dreaming and looking in the mirror. When I awoke fully I realized I am still on student status, poor as dirt, and can't remeber the last time I had some lovin'.....but I did have a smile and a laugh writing this so I hope you get one by reading it!

That's self confidence at its best!
ROFLMAO

dudeist skydiver # 3105

[airtwardo 7]

I've never had a sports luminary keeping my ass outta the can.

***

Boy...I never thought of it in quite THOSE terms...
But shit...you're RIGHT!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[Deuce 1]

Michael Anthony Walker was one of my best friends in 5th grade. He even showed me the safe his dad, John Walker Junior, kept his "secrets" in.

I'll never forget watching that meathead get perp-walked and seeing in on TV and then getting my 5th grade picture out.

My brush with "tawdry" fame.

I met and talked with Rosie O'Donald at South Lake Tahoe about 8 years ago. Very funny lady surrounded by a coterie of what seemed like female Mossad agents.

[Hackb431 0]

Glad you enjoyed that!

HackB A.K.A. "Puppy"

[wmw999 2,534]

Quote

Michael Anthony Walker was one of my best friends in 5th grade. He even showed me the safe his dad, John Walker Junior, kept his "secrets" in.

Now that's tawdry
Heck, I even skated for Scott Hamilton once .

But I was more interested in who used to cut John Wayne Gacy's lawn and the like .

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[kallend 2,106]

I went to high school with Bill Wyman (original bassist of the Rolling Stones) and with Derek Underwood (cricketer, only the Brits and Aussies would know).

Grad school with Stephen Hawking.

Met 9 Nobel laureates including Watson (DNA). Also met Edward Teller (H-bomb guy) and Otto Frisch (A-bomb guy).

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[markd_nscr986 0]

Does Phyllis Diller count as tawdry?

Marc SCR 6046 SCS 3004

[christelsabine 1]

Quote

Let's see. Met Al Gore at Qualcomm when he came by for a talk; this was back when he first became VP. Met Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell in our airport bar one night. He was flying his light twin back from Mexico and stopped to have dinner. Knew Mike Badnarik for years on rec.skydiving before he ran for president on the libertarian ticket.

Me too, me too...

We met Al Gore 12 yrs ago in Ottawa, my son was asking: Hey, who's that guy? All those black cars, security.... "This guy" looked at us, asking: "Hey, you are from Germany?" Shaking hands, smiling, leaving....We were not too impressed but, he was quite good looking That was one cool experience for my little boy. We enjoyed that.

dudeist skydiver # 3105

[billvon 3,070]

>This guy" looked at us, asking: "Hey, you are from Germany?"

I asked him about some recent energy-efficiency laws and how they would affect his clean car initiative, and he gave a pretty intelligent answer, along the lines of "it's a setback, but that's not all the initiative is about."

[slug 1]

Quote

But I was more interested in who used to cut John Wayne Gacy's lawn and the like .

Hi WMW

a couple of years ago our car broke down 30 miles from home and the Wife and I got a ride to our house from a real nice guy who used to work with Gary Ridgeway.

The wife was when I invited the guy in for a pit stop. We told the wife no sweat the guy just worked with Mr Ridgeway (aka Green River murder) during his day job.

R.I.P.